KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- Mayor Tyrone Garner of Kansas City, Kansas and Wyandotte County, along with other Wyandotte County leaders gathered Wednesday for the Gateway to Freedom celebration. The event took place at the Quindaro Ruins Overlook located at 3507 N. 27th Street in KCK. Dozens packed together on the overlook to reflect on the Quindaro Ruins and its significance to many Americans seeking freedom. "I love the area, it doesn’t matter what other people think of Quindaro. It looks like home to me. It looks like love. It looks like family,” Nakia Hope, the Vice President for the Concerned Citizens of the Old Quindaro group shared Wednesday. “It looks like community. I am always happy to be here.” New laws take effect in Kansas and Missouri The special moment was held in honor of those that came from slavery, by way of the Underground Railroad, and into the free state of Kansas. “What makes this location so unique, is you’ve had freed African American slaves, you've had Wyandotte Nation Indians and Caucasian abolitionists that really personified the diversity of Wyandotte County that you see today,” Mayor Garner shared. “It is a ruin, but it is something that needs to be championed, preserved.” Wednesday, a brother of Marvin Robinson shared, “When I look back over my shoulder at this site, I understand exactly why he (Marvin Robinson) worked so hard for the preservation of this site.” Robinson is a late Kansas State Representative and honoring the Quindaro Ruins and preserving its legacy was an annual tradition of his. “In keeping with the annual tradition of late Kansas State Representative Marvin Robinson, as promised, the Office of the Mayor will be championing Kansas City, Kansas as being the historical gateway to freedom for African American slaves that traversed the underground railroad into the free State of Kansas,” a release from the Unified Government stated. “During this celebration, guests will take time to both reflect and champion the significance of the Quindaro Ruins and its importance to the countless Americans seeking the freedoms found in our nation's Declaration of Independence.” "I was told the story that Quindaro means ‘bundle of twigs’. We learned that a single branch will easily break, but when we all come together, as a bundle, we are strong. We are strong here today, not only because of Marvin, because we are continuing the tradition, but we are strong because we all took the time today, Jan 1st, 2025, to say we are committed to perpetuating the dream of the Quindaro Ruins.” Helen Boteet, the Board Chair of the Vernon Center Historical Relevance shared.   “We are all important. We are more important together.” Mayor Garner also wanted to note that it was on this day, Jan 1, over 160 years ago, Abraham Lincoln issued his Emancipation Proclamation. Food donations were also collected as part of the tradition. The non-perishable items will be donated to the Wyandotte County food pantry.