Kasey's Quest, Inc

Kasey’s Quest began as a desire to help children of deployed military families. The Cox Family, comprised of Keith & Tami Cox, daughters Jenipher and Codi Kargle and Kasey and Cheyenne Cox, and sons Robert and James Kargle and Christopher and Korbin Cox, began volunteering with military youth programs and attending various trainings. They discovered that what helped military children thrive even though they had a parent deployed or had to move frequently is their resiliency skills. The lessons they learned about building these skills could be applied to almost all youth, not just those that are immediate dependents of military personnel. Kasey Cox, the family’s youngest daughter, exemplified these skills, sometimes a little too much. From the day she was born, Kasey’s bright, bold personality seemed out of place in her petite body. It was Kasey, and her flair for the dramatic, that was the catalyst for discussing youth theater as the platform for the family’s youth program ideas.

The family moved to Seward NE in 2009, after Keith Cox returned from deployment. Inspired by the loving and embracing community and its wonderful Rockwellesque facilities, namely the Youth Center, band shell, downtown square, and Civic Center, they became more passionate about starting a program for youth that did not exclude or require any kind of audition or try-out. In October 2010, tragedy struck the Cox family. Keith Cox, along with son Korbin Cox and daughter Kasey Cox, suffered an automobile accident, taking the life of Kasey. With the amorous support of the Seward community, the family worked to heal both physically and emotionally for the next year. Many people noted the strength and resilience of the family.

Determined to keep Kasey’s tenacious spirit alive and moved by the desire to help the community heal as well, Tami & Keith Cox and Codi Kargle along with Teresa Seina and Barb Kirkpatrick, formed Kasey’s Quest, Inc. Through theater activities, youth develop the life skills and the resilience skills necessary to grow and take responsibility for their lives and actions. The youth begin their quest to become happy healthy, successful adults and respected members of their community regardless of their socioeconomic background.