Joe Delaney - I-435 & BBQ Contest Projects **6/29 I-435 Project Accomplished!**

[AJKCFAN]

Originally Posted by Hammock Parties

Just went out there myself. Looking good!

Originally Posted by AJKCFAN

344 days ago, first contact was made with the Missouri Department of Transportation with this idea to have a highway dedication to honor Joe Delaney. There were times when it was understandably tedious and exasperating but this was going to be pursued as long as the obstacles were to be overcome.

The early support came from local Jackson County Missouri State Representative Yolanda Young and her team who supported this project immediately. This required the support of the Delaney family themselves and between his widow Carolyn and daughters (particularly Joanna and Crystal) they gave us their unwavering support and backed it up by providing MODOT with their consent for the project, as well as Joe's death certificate which was also required. They put their faith in me and these efforts and it will never be forgotten.

From there, 2 things remained - cost of project (which one of our own reached into their pocket and doled out more than $3,000 to cover for the ENTIRE cost of the signs). The appropriate word to you is grateful. Grateful for your support and grateful to make this endeavor an easier task to complete. May you appreciate the fruits of your investment for these next 20 years!

Lastly but far from least, to obtain 100 signatures from local Kansas Citians in the midst of a worldwide pandemic was daunting from the get-go but there was Clay - recruiting signatures with his social media clout and going about it with the mindset that he was not going to be denied. I don't know how to ever properly thank him, but this does not result in signs if not for his herculean efforts. Yes, there was considerable help from the Kansas City Star with their ipetitions to also make this happen, but there is no completion of this project if not for Clay being the rock star that he is and absolutely taking care of this - and us obtaining the necessary relevant signatures in just over 1 weeks time.

Those signatures include quite a few Chiefs Planeteers so feel a source of pride every time you pass I-435 between Exits 66 and Exit 63C and you see them signs for the next two decades.

I obviously want to renew these signs when the term expires in 2041, but if I am not around to see that happen - then it is my sincere hope my Kansas Citian friends made throughout this experience will pick up the mantle and keep these signs up.

I'm so humbled and moved that tens of thousands of Chiefs fans will be driving to and from Arrowhead via I-435 and it means the world to see Joe Delaney finally attain long-lasting recognition in Kansas City

37 Forever definitely played a small (yet significant) part in Kansas City Chiefs history

The Joe Delaney Memorial Highway on I-435 will play a small (yet also significant) part in Kansas City history

Cheers Everybody - WE Did It!!!

Previous updates:

Spoiler!

Originally Posted by AJKCFAN

It is my humble and distinct honor to inform you that we have received official notification from MODOT and have been advised that the I-435 Joe Delaney Memorial Highway signs have been completed and they have been transferred to a MODOT facility location in Lee’s Summit.

We were told that the installation of these signs can go up as soon as this upcoming Thursday June 17.

However, with the Anniversary date of the Delaney Tragedy (June 29, 1983) occurring a little bit later in the month, I have requested and received permission from MODOT that installation be delayed until Tuesday June 29 so that it can fittingly coincide with commemorating the 38th Anniversary of this somber occasion.

There might even be a ceremony to mark the occasion but we are trying to see if the Delaney family can attend the event. At this point in time, it is unlikely that there will be a ceremony on such short notice. There does not need to really be one. Just if you happen to be in the area, drive by I-435 between Exit 66 (Missouri State Road 350) to Exit 63C (Raytown Road) in either direction come June 29 and you will see the signs installed.

Take pictures if you can!

Otherwise, if you cannot take the drive - I’m sure it will that day be part of the evening news, newspaper, etc.

It’s going up ladies and gentlemen!

Originally Posted by Hammock Parties

We did it!

CELEBRATE! @MoDOT has OFFICIALLY APPROVED the Memorial Highway honoring @Chiefs RB Joe Delaney.

The location of the memorial: I-435 from State Hwy 350 to Raytown Rd in Jackson County.

One sign will appear at each end of the route. They will be fabricated in 6-9 weeks. pic.twitter.com/X5Rrxl4j3z
— Joe Delaney Memorial Highway Project (@ClayWendler) May 4, 2021

Hi Everyone – Moderators if you would not mind, can I ask of you to place this post as a sticky, please?

Hope this post finds you all healthy and safe (and warm) during these most trying times.

For some of you, my relationship has gone back more than two decades and I am most appreciative of that. Being able to work alongside you for 37 Forever way back when will always be thought of as a worthy endeavor that did achieve a lot of success thanks to all of our efforts.

It is with this same purpose that I come to you today, my fellow Chiefs fans - in need of your help and hopeful assistance.

Over the past 7 months, from here in New York - I have been working on a pair of projects that will achieve lasting recognition for the late Joe Delaney in the Kansas City area. NOTE - There actually was a third project of mine that has already occurred when I had the ear of Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas’ office and he thereafter proclaimed this past October 30 (Joe Delaney’s birth date) to be known in Kansas City as Joe Delaney Day, which was a wonderful thing but its effect was only a temporary measure.

Therefore, I have been trying to make things happen to attain something more far reaching and permanent.

With that in mind, I am here to reveal these ideas and ask for your support and what you might be able to do to bring this to reality.

I’ll start with the one closest to happening:

1. The Joe Delaney Memorial Highway
The Joe Delaney Memorial Highway will be dedicated on I-435 between Exit 66 (Missouri State Road 350) and Exit 63C (Raytown Road). Originally, it was intended to have the dedication cover a 3.7 mile stretch which would include the Arrowhead exits themselves, but further research led to the discovery that there was already a dedication to Lamar Hunt, so this became the next option, as it is the nearest area available to dedicate and for those traveling on I-435 on your way to Arrowhead, you’d be able to see this sign once this is completed.

Brief background. There were 5 requirements which must be met in this process, as per the Missouri Department of Transportation (MODOT, for short). 3 of the 5 have already occurred behind the scenes, leaving us with these 2 remaining requirements, which are the following:

One is to pay for the cost of the signs but that is already being taken care of by one of our very own Chiefs Planet members who plans to cover for the entire cost (which is four figures). This Chief Planet member will remain anonymous. To that end, I have established an account at a local Kansas City bank specifically geared for funds towards this endeavor (as well as looking into a separate account for the other project that is being worked on) which will establish a local presence.

The final requirement is what I need your collective help in and likely the biggest reason why this is being posted.

As per the Missouri Department of Transportation, this project needs 100 original signatures from residents of the following Missouri six counties:

Jackson County
Johnson County
Ray County
Clay County
Cass County
Lafayette County

Each individual who supports Mr. Delaney’s route designation can then forward an email stating his/her support which shall include the individual’s name, address, and county along with his/her typed signature. These emails may be sent directly to me at AJKCFAN@yahoo.com. The supporting signatures would then be complied and attached to the application that will ultimately be submitted to MODOT.

All I am doing with these signatures is compiling them and once I hit the magic number of 100, it gets sent to the Missouri Department of Transportation, with the funds and this project will be completed.

I will definitely NOT be using your signatures or address or name for any other purpose besides meeting this requirement. It goes without saying that your privacy would be fully respected.

My presumption is that MODOT would confirm the addresses as being authentic (so a Chiefs fan from out of the area cannot send their information to be added to the count – otherwise, I’d be gathering signatures form here in New York – it needs to be from these locations.

Once completed, The Joe Delaney Memorial Highway signs will last on I-435 in this designated area for a twenty (20) year period beginning on the date of dedication.

That’s the first project. It is the more realistic project of the two.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Originally Posted by AJKCFAN

Changing gears. Here is the latest in terms of the BBQ Contest. Attacking this hard these past several weeks. Really not to exaggerate, some 150 companies were reached out. Basically, there is some level of interest that need to be explored further and if work wasn't killing me, there would be a quicker follow-up so now that I-435 is out of the way, my efforts will be focused solely on this. Recently, there was a pretty significant company who has showed interest and they wanted to Zoom conference with me sometime this week. Observant of today's significance, intentionally I chose to have the conference today on the Anniversary. It did happen today and the takeaway from the meeting is that there appears to be a potential sponsor of the contest as they were very impressed with this idea and also helpful is that they have considerable experience working with The Kansas City Barbeque Society so that works in our favor. Likely, a second Zoom Conference call is scheduled to occur next Thursday morning (July 8) and if all can somehow go well with this, we might just be able to pull this off.....

(oh yes, there is a secret code embedded in here with the above paragraph, so good luck finding it.....)

(No code for rest of message)
If it doesn't come to pass, I'll keep trying. There is some interest that I need to follow up with nine other companies, but this one I spoke with today can make this Joe Delaney BBQ Contest at Worlds of Fun a reality.

If it cannot be possible, I would still like to have a BBQ Contest but we are probably looking to scale it down further and seek to have it at a local BBQ restaurant, but I want to exhaust this option and this potential sponsor (and other interested parties) first before we need to cross this bridge.

To be continued

The other project is an even more exciting idea and although that too is realistic, there will need to be more “heavy lifting”.

If there are two things Kansas City is currently most well known for, what would it be?

I would say (and you would likely say also) it would be the Chiefs and BBQ.

Yes, the best tailgating in the NFL by far can be found at Arrowhead and there’s some incredible BBQ every home game there but how often has Arrowhead Stadium been a venue for an actual competitive BBQ Contest?

Not that often, which is somewhat shocking given Arrowhead’s reputation.

So I am attempting to “marry the two”.

What if there was a competitive BBQ contest to be held at Arrowhead Stadium, during Chiefs football season – all in the memory of Joe Delaney, who is easily among the most distinguished and revered Kansas City Chiefs players in its illustrious history?

2. The Joe Delaney Master Series Barbeque Contest

Here, during this past Chiefs football season, I have had not one, not two, not three, not four, but five Zoom Call conferences with the Chiefs organization and in conjunction with The Kansas City Barbeque Society, which is a not for profit BBQ contest organization which sponsors a tremendous amount of BBQ contests throughout the year not just in Kansas City, but throughout America.

Very late in the season, we received a proposal from the Chiefs to have the debut of this event to be held at Arrowhead (with options to continue the contest at Arrowhead for both the 2022 and 2023 seasons), with the target being in late October of this year (hopefully to coincide with Joe Delaney’s birth date) and them being flexible with the date to allow for it to coincide with a Chiefs home game as well (particularly if the Chiefs were playing a home game in Arrowhead on a Sunday Night or a Monday Night that weekend).

The issue with it right now is the cost of the contest to hold the debut of this event in Arrowhead Stadium is a staggering amount. In essence, sponsors are vital to have this contest occur – whether it is at Arrowhead or at a smaller venue to kick things off for this year. I do at least commend the Chiefs for being willing to hear out this idea and staying in contact with me over the football season and still maintaining close ties with me to this day.

Guess I will throw this out there:

Does anyone here have any connections or tie-ins with any potential sponsors because that is what would yield the best results to this event occurring.

It would be really awesome to have this dream event occur. I mean, a BBQ Contest to be held in Arrowhead Stadium during the football season, in a weekend where we can finish the festivities off with enjoying watching Mahomes and the Chiefs kicking somebody’s ass on national TV – and this contest being held to memorialize a heroic great late Chief like Joe Delaney, it doesn’t get any better than that.

That’s why I am coming to you today. I am going to need some help.

Football analogy. We have driven the ball down the field two times and we are in the Red Zone for both projects. Joe Delaney Memorial Highway is definitely in First & Goal status – we just need 100 signatures and we got this TD. Joe Delaney BBQ Contest, it feels like it is 2nd and makeable distance from inside the Red Zone. Maybe we will need to settle for a field goal with that and debut the contest at a smaller venue or maybe there is still reason to hope this can still find its way into the end zone too and we make the contest occur at Arrowhead this fall on a Saturday.

I’ll be happy to either discuss on this thread or privately any direct questions you may have.

Thank you very much in advance....

Adam (AJKCFAN)

[AJKCFAN]

Originally Posted by HayWire

Very well done sir. My only problem is your lack of goatee.

Heh - me wifey has been trying for YEARS to get me to grow one. As you can see, there’s not much facial hair anywhere, except for the eyebrows....

[HayWire]

Originally Posted by AJKCFAN

Heh - me wifey has been trying for YEARS to get me to grow one. As you can see, there’s not much facial hair anywhere, except for the eyebrows....

Might as well shave them too to complete the aerodynamic look.

[Easy 6]

Originally Posted by HayWire

This thing is basically fait accompli

Joe was the only one able to tear me away from Dorsett and Sweetness

Outstanding

[AJKCFAN]

Originally Posted by Easy 6

This thing is basically fait accompli

Joe was the only one able to tear me away from Dorsett and Sweetness

Outstanding

For the old timers over there

1:01-1:07 of the feature

That was from our inaugural 37 Forever weekend

AND

that white ball cap I’m wearing..... is a Chiefs Planet logo hat!

[burt]

Originally Posted by AJKCFAN

For the old timers over there

1:01-1:07 of the feature

That was from our inaugural 37 Forever weekend

AND

that white ball cap I’m wearing..... is a Chiefs Planet logo hat!

I totally missed that!!

[Coach]

I know it's only been a week AJKCFAN, but are there any new updates?

[AJKCFAN]

Originally Posted by Coach

I know it's only been a week AJKCFAN, but are there any new updates?

We are making progress on the venue for the BBQ contest. October, 2021 remains the target. Really would like to see the Chiefs home schedule announced before locking in the date. Location we are shooting for is a known establishment in the Kansas City area. Don’t have an official proposal yet, but talks are definitely underway and intensifying. Somewhat confident by months end the car will be out of the bag....

On the Memorial Highway front - the application was officially received by MODOT. From what I am being told, MODOT meets up in May to evaluate and officially approve the project.

For now, due to COVID, only signs being installed are highway exit signs which need to be replaced and other essential signs to prevent accidents. Understandably, I asked my contact at MODOT to try to move this project ahead so that it can be up in time for Opening Day in September or at some point in season. No guarantees, but was told they would look to prioritize this request (due to Covid, there will be no dedication ceremony at this time)

[SuperBowl4]

[Rausch]

So for over a decade the mark of a true Chiefs fan was the goatee. Everyone had it.

Is it now officially the shaved head? I'm bald enough now it probably wouldn't take long to fit in...

[Rausch]

Originally Posted by Shiver Me Timbers

To do the thing at Arrowhead-
How many $$$ is a "staggering amount"?

The guy pays rent in NY so you do the math...

[Bugeater]

It's been over a month since anything has been posted so I'm going to un-sticky this thread for the time being.



AJKC, please continue with any updates and if you want it stuck again, just ask. Thanks for all you do!

[Hammock Parties]

We did it!

CELEBRATE! @MoDOT has OFFICIALLY APPROVED the Memorial Highway honoring @Chiefs RB Joe Delaney.

The location of the memorial: I-435 from State Hwy 350 to Raytown Rd in Jackson County.

One sign will appear at each end of the route. They will be fabricated in 6-9 weeks. pic.twitter.com/X5Rrxl4j3z

— Joe Delaney Memorial Highway Project (@ClayWendler) May 4, 2021

[rockymtnchief]

Excellent job, everyone!

[AJKCFAN]

Originally Posted by Bugeater

It's been over a month since anything has been posted so I'm going to un-sticky this thread for the time being.



AJKC, please continue with any updates and if you want it stuck again, just ask. Thanks for all you do!

Thanks Bugeater.

MODOT did promise they’d meet in May and they did not disappoint! Clay’s Tweet is confirmed - The Joe Delaney Memorial Highway is officially a reality! Covid has backed up a lot of projects but fingers crossed that it will be up in time for the Chiefs Home Opener (just have no control over MODOT operations) and whenever it is complete, these signs will adorn I-435 for the next 20 years!

So massive congratulations to Clay and everything he did to tirelessly drive the online petitions, plus the secret Chiefs Planet member who covered the entire cost of the project, to Marty, to the unwavering support received by Vahe and The entire KC Star Sports Department and time Gabriella Pagan and the KSHB news team who did an incredible job covering the story - THANK YOU ALL!

As far as the BBQ Contest - definitely working on it. I’ve intentionally worked slow because I want to set the date on same weekend in October as a Chiefs home game and schedule release isn’t until next Wednesday but things will start intensifying quickly once that happens

So stick or unstick?

Let’s unstick for now. With all going on with the passing of Patteeu and the scare with Nzoner, that should be the attention.

When there is an update (and there will be one soon as a proposal is expected) I’ll post it and we will take it from there....)

(For all you codebreakers out there, my last post on this thread does reveal the location. I just cannot reveal publicly the location until things get more set in stone...)

[Coach]

Congrats.

Code broken. Marked as *Top Secret/Classified*