Austin360 blogs > Out & About > Archives > Charity category
Charity
March 10, 2010
Not SXSW: Steve Hicks-Rick Perry Birthday Party at the Four Seasons
The Rise Across Texas crew, raising money for the Rise Schools of Texas, is halfway across the state. Led by investor and philanthropist Steve Hicks, the cyclists hope for the highest take for a nonprofit in Austin fundraising history. They could just make that goal, when all is said and done.
Steve Hicks and daughter Kristen Hanson
Today, there’s a ceremonial ride from the Rise School of Austin’s southwestern campus to Wimberley. (Prepping for SXSW from dawn till midnight, we’re sending a photographer only. At one point, we agreed to ride. No.)
Andrea McWilliams and Anita Perry
Last night, however, the riders met up with celebrants for Hicks’ 60th birthday, shared with Gov. Rick Perry, also newly 60. Solidly Republican, the crowd at the Four Seasons Hotel dressed in Western touches, nothing too starchy or over the top.
Yvonne Shifrin and Donna Stockton-Hicks
First lady Anita Perry looked resplendent and relaxed after the tough primary. She said some kind things about my column. (I’d love to lunch.) During the cocktail mixer, the governor bounded around like a youngster, tickled to see Hicks, also coaching legends Darrell Royal and R.C. Slocum. (The Aggie and the Longhorn can be friends.)
R.C. Slocum, Darrell Royal and Gov. Rick Perry
How is the ride going? “Nobody badly injured,” Hicks says. “Mostly wind-burn and rain-burn.” He joked about the Texas hotspots — Motel 6 and such — where they’d stayed as they biked from the Louisiana border to Presidio. Radiant Donna Stockton-Hicks, who accompanies the Rise Challenge in the bus, said she was more nervous and stressed than her husband, especially when 18-wheelers rolled up toward his peloton.
Lorene Phillips and Michaelanne Hurst
Lobbyist and Glossy 8 style-maker Andrea McWilliams scanned the assembly at the Four Seasons, saying, “Welcome to my sandbox.” Just about every statewide official was there or was listed on the program. A few Democrats dotted the lists of honorary titles.
This is a subject that we’ll return to: Republicans rule the state; Democrats rule Austin. So when you gather bigwigs here, socially, outside of election-related events, there ought to be a bipartisan slate of guests. And that, I am happy to say, is often the case.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Charity
March 9, 2010
Heart Ball at the Long Center
Bless Allen Beuershausen and Colleen Cole. Tasked with hosting the 2010 Heart Ball for the American Heart Association, they chose the Long Center stage and its ever-evolving hospitality staff. They even scored the inspirational speaking services of Cliff Redd, the Long Center director, still recovering from a traumatic heart episode.
Allen Beuershausen and Loriana Hernandez
I didn’t make it to the center in time for his speech, but I’ve heard the story before, and it is harrowing. We all pray that Cliff has slowed down his hectic schedule, because the Long Center — and Austin — can’t do without him.
Justin Walker and Kristin Kayross
Social tour guide Kevin Smothers steered me around the assemblage. Many of the guests come from the world of health care, and therefore were not as familiar to me.
Kristen and Jason Williams
Jen Ohlson gave me a copy of her book, “Every Town Needs a Trail: Austin’s Crown Jewel,” 160 pages of inspiring stories complemented by photography by Russ Ohlson and Brenda Lindsfors. I adore this book, which was offered as table gifts at the gala.
Jacob Pechenik and Patty Jaynes
Erin Ivey sang standards, which I wished more guests noticed. One small fly in the ointment: The Heart Ball proved smaller than organizers had hoped. See previous posts — and today column — on the desperate need for a social calendar mediator.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Charity
March 8, 2010
AU40 Awards at AT&T Center
A burnished bunch gathered at the AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center on Saturday for the Austin Under 40 Awards, which rewards social leadership among the twenty- and thirtysomething set. Charismatic Clayton Christopher, founder and CEO of Sweet Leaf Tea Company, won in the Business & Entrepreneurship category, as well as the evening’s highest honor, 2010 Austinite of the Year.
Merav and Daniel Sternthal
Also laureled in various categories were Laura Donnelly, founder and CEO of Latinitas; James Dyess, CEO and president of Horizon Bank; Melanie Ridings, program officer for the Topfer Family Foundation; Amy Holloway, president and CEO of Avalanche Consulting; Kelli Kelley, director of Texas Parent to Parent; Linda Medina, Southwest regional consultant for McGraw-Hill Education; Tausha Carlson, founder and owner of Marathon Real Estate; Dennis Donley, Jr., partner with the firm of Naman, Howell, Smith & Lee, PLLC; and Lemuel Williams, director of business development, Uptime Devices, Inc.
Roland and Vivian Galang
I caught up with American Gladiator Ally Kelly Davidson, her vivacious sister, Amanda Kelly Webster, and mom Patricia Kelly. Ally was up for the Business & Entrepreneurship Award, but Christopher was a tough opponent. The family, always accomplished, looked fit as a fiddle. Check out Ally’s Camp Gladiator, her burgeoning boot-camp biz.
Ally Kelly Davidson, Patricia Kelly and Amanda Kelly Webster
I also spoke at some length with three Acton Entrepreneur MBA grads — JJ Cunningham, Donny Palmertree and Angela Griffiths — who discussed their post-graduate job searches. The Acton crowd is always a bit sharper than your average business student, perhaps because their program is so enriching. (And, Dirk, I draw that from attending Acton events since it opened. They also don’t seem to be so cynical.)
JJ Cunningham, Donny Palmertree and Angela Griffiths
Couldn’t stay for the actual awards ceremony, but soaked up several more conversations in the dusk-bathed courtyard. More events should start there.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment Categories: Business, Charity
Crystal Ball Luncheon at Palmer Events Center
Peeling back the layers of Austin’s social scene, one finds the unexpected. Honestly, I’d never heard any details about the Helping Hand Home’s Gala, called the Crystal Ball. Yet the charity, which helps displaced and abused children, goes back 117 years and the first ball was staged in 1939. This is no small group, either. One leader put the attendance at the midday luncheon, fashion show and presentation preview at 1,500, with 1,700 expected for the formal debutante function later Saturday evening at the Palmer Events Center.
Ted Keyser and Jeanne Little
The luncheon portion itself is an epic enterprise. Start with two dozen or so identically dressed “princesses,” first-graders, each presented with biographical details. Then came the pristine, professional Julian Gold fashion show, which appropriately started out with ladies-who-lunch-hats, then proceeded to bold summer wear, cruise ship apparel, Miami-flavored cocktail attire, shinier dance dresses, ending with some tropical swing.
Anne Jarvis and Tracey Bury
After this, I turned back to my tablemates only to find the pre-ball was only halfway over. Next came presentations of the ninth-grade girls, then the official college-agers debs — some second or third generation debs — in day-wear. Their biographies were accompanied by descriptions of the evening’s escorts and junior escorts, who skipped this portion of the event.
Jenny Stokes and Stacie Keliehor
I was exhausted. I couldn’t imagine how the guests felt by the end of the evening (while I attended three other balls), much less the brave, funny event chairwomen, Francie Little and Susan Prickett. Valiant weatherman Jim Spencer spoke for at least two of the three hours at the luncheon alone.
Despite my exhaustion, the display was fascinating. One learns so much about Austin’s history at these ancient rituals, once meant as socially closed matchmaking affairs. (Does that still obtain?) Board President Jeanne Little and new executive director Ted Keyser helped educate me.
Just to give you an indication of the event’s scale: The 308-page catalog that lists all the debs, escorts and sponsors weighed in a 1.5 pounds.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Charity
March 7, 2010
New Wave Ball at Hyatt Regency Austin
My expectations were low. I had agreed to judge costumes and dancing at the New Wave Ball, a modest-sized fundraiser for Austin Children’s Shelter at the Hyatt Regency Austin. I’d attended so many ’80s-themed parties lately, it seemed like a stale idea. Still, the cause is good and the night was open.
Chi Dinh and Ed Roman (Winners: Best Couple)
Turns out I had a delightful time. My fellow judges were media types, some, like Taylor Perkins, duded out for the event. We spent time posing for the good-souled Annie Ray. Then we wandered around with tiny clipboards noting memorable costumes or adept dance-floor work.
Rosa Scott and Chris Rodriguez
This was fun. Costumes — shades of Madonna, Robert Smith, Don Johnson — matched the music. Several guests talked about their memories of the ’80s, although clearly the youngest were still in diapers at the time. Since that decade was the last of my single years, the attire and behavior on the dance floor evoked mixed emotions.
Krysten Mejia, Kathy Schieffer, Selena Weiss and Heather Greenberg (“The Madonnas,” winners: Best Group; Sheiffer also won best costume)
But how would a committee of alpha types agree on the winners? A breeze. Stephen Moser added categories for “Best Couple” and “Best Group,” chosen instantly, unanimously. TV, radio, Internet and print personalities quickly agreed on the three costume and dancing winners.
Note: Best Couple, Chi Dinh and Ed Roman, “won” a mention in my column. Which they earned before we made up that honor on the spot. “The Madonnas” will appear in Moser’s column.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Charity
March 3, 2010
Stars will converge for Nobelity Dinner
Gala veterans agreed Turk and Christy Pipkin’s 2008 Nobelity Dinner was the star-studliest social event of that season.
Sitting at tables with ordinary folks will be Texas movie types like Matthew McConaughey, Billy Bob Thornton, Camila Alves, Elizabeth Avellan, Connie Britton, Kyle Chandler, Brad Leland, Rick Linklater and Bill Paxton.
Nobel-winning physicist Steve Weinberg will join literary celebrities Sarah Bird, Steve Harrigan, Jaston Williams and Bill Wittliff. Other musical guests include Charlie Sexton, Eliza Gilkyson, Kat Edmonson, Charlie Sexton, Jimmy Dale Gilmore and Shawn Colvin.
Proceeds support education work in the U.S. and abroad, including construction of Mahiga Hope High School in Kenya. Top tables are going for $10,000, but more reasonable prices are still available; contact: christy@nobelity.com.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Charity
February 28, 2010
U.S. Army veteran Erin Lane and the respect factor
Erin Lane does not want your pity. He doesn’t seek your help. The U.S. Army veteran, who struggles to find full employment in a post-jobs economy, doesn’t even demand your respect.
“I know respect is a lot to ask for in today’s society,” Lane says. “Still, I’m amazed by the staggering lack of compassion.”
Austin native Lane, 25, resembles many other young people I’ve met lately, especially people I’ve profiled in recent columns: Carlos Sosa, Jetté Momant, Sasha Stone Guttfreund, David Alan, Joe Eifler.
Their families aren’t rich or famous. One is working his way through school by capitalizing on his passion for music. Another lost a loved one, just as she was spreading her wings as an entrepreneur. Others are scratching out creative careers where full employment is clearly never going to be an option. Or they are helping others find decent wages and ever-elusive health insurance.
And yet, if you scanned the blog comments or letters to the editors that followed the publication of these short profiles, you’d think that being young, still finding one’s way in the world, does not merit compassion, much less respect.
That’s not the open, sentient city I experience on a daily basis. Or the one want to know.
Lane earned my initial respect through a 21st-century medium: Facebook.
Skeptical by profession, I wanted to know more: Why had he signed up for duty in the first place? Not long after 9/11, the Anderson High School graduate heeded the call of patriotism, meanwhile satisfying a yen to see the world beyond Central Texas. “Plus, they made it sound pretty good at the recruiting office,” Lane admits.
Had Lane served in combat? No, but he volunteered four times for tours in Iraq, after basic and specialized training at Fort Sill, Okla., and stationing with an explosives unit on a mountain near Idar-Oberstein, Germany. Lane realizes he did not face death directly like some other veterans, but he was willing to put himself in the line of fire.
Had the plumber’s apprentice found any work since his honorable discharge in 2008? Yes, his girlfriend landed him a job as a waiter at a low-end national food chain. He held on to it for many months before his employers let him go because of “customer complaints,” he says, adding he saw no record of said complaints.
That one post-service job employed none of the skills he brought to the Army, or those he learned in it.
“Every day, it’s another false hope,” he says. “I recently walked into the city’s largest plumbing agency, and the lady at the reception desk laughed in my face. She said, ‘Come back next year.’”
What about the munitions training?
“Nobody needs me to blow things up,” he smiles, knowing how silly that sounds, while reminding me that lots of veterans come away with “non-transferable” skills. “I know things are tough all over. But was I really supposed to come back to nothing?”
Grateful for his life, limbs and loyal family, Lane says that the explosives left him with substantial hearing loss, and scars from hernia surgery, acquired while in the military, leave him in daily pain.
“All (the US Department of Veterans Affairs) offered me was pain management therapy,” he says. “I know how to manage the pain already. I do it every day.”
G.I .Bill? It’s a waiting game. “‘Due to the volume of requests …’ the message always reads,” Lane says.
And his family? Where do they fit in? His father, also a plumber, is looking for steady work; his mother cuts hair at a Round Rock chain salon. His girlfriend hangs on to the waiting job she’s had since high school.
Look, Lane realizes there are a lot of Central Texans in almost exactly the same situation. He didn’t ask a newspaper columnist to broadcast his condition, while telling a story that could be duplicated in thousands of local households. To tell the truth, both of us wondered if his story, no matter how personally compelling, was column material.
Yet after a couple of coffees spread out over a few months, Lane was ready to speak up for the 9.6 percent of veterans who are also unemployed, according to a January report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (the rate is 12.6 percent for younger veterans, like Lane, who served since 2001).
“That you come back with your life is the best thing that could happen,” Lane says of his time in the military. “To lose your life is the worst thing that could happen. But coming back to a life of nothing, that feels like, well, a slap in the face. It was unexpected.”
Permalink | Comments (4) | Post your comment Categories: Charity
February 25, 2010
Toast of the Town Preludes & Accolades at the Bauer House
St. Davids Community Health Foundation is among Austin’s largest, its invested assets in the $150 million range, plus annual slices of profit from its hospitals’ managing partner. Its Toast of the Town fundraisers for the Neal Kocurek scholarships in health care studies are among the most revered in town. So it’s only natural that the series’ Prelude & Accolades reception was held at the dignified Bauer House.
Graciela Cigarroa, Eddie Safady, Charles Duggan and Sandy Silver
The official residence of the University of Texas System Chancellor, Bauer House rises majestically at the end of a short Tarrytown lane. Built in 1971 on land donated to the UT System in 1968, some of its antique furnishings come from Karl and Ester Hoblitzelle, of Interstate Theater and Dallas healthcare fame, while pieces of art are borrowed from the Ransom Center and the Blanton Museum of Art.
Kristy Ozmun and Jim Reis
Chancellor Francisco Cigarroa, M.D., and his auspiciously named wife Graciela graciously welcomed 100 or so guests. Many came from Old Austin, some from New, there to kick off the 20 Toast of the Town parties held in various Austin locations, April 11-23. Museum-like presentations about each party were set up in the Charmaine and Frank Denius Pavilion out back. (It was added in 2005.)
Tina Prentice, Cara Abazari and James Salazar
Foundation money man Jim Reis tried to explain to me the complicated, delicate and groundbreaking financial structure of St. David’s. Kristy Ozmun and Bobbie Barker helped. I traded conversational tidbits with theatrical producer Charles Duggan, banker Eddie Safady and ever-helpful Sandy Silver. Graciela Cigarroa talked about her family’s easy adjustment to Austin from San Antonio (they actually live upstairs at Bauer House). Investment manager Darin Davis shared his involvement with the new Gibson bar on South Lamar Boulevard, while his wife, Tiffany, begged me not to publish her photo. I always accede.
Bobbie Barker and Dan McClellan
James Salazar told me about the personal benefits of the Kocurek scholarship, which he holds; he also interns at the foundation. Talked to so many others, including Mitch Jacobson, Deborah Peel, Rod Caspers, Dale Dewey, Dr. John Hogg, David Garza and delightful Debbie Novelli Farrell of the Women’s Symphony League.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Charity
February 22, 2010
Petcasso for Animal Trustees of Austin at Dell JCC
I attended the Petcasso fundraiser on Sunday with serious reservations. Paintings by dogs? Auctioned for thousands of dollars? Really? Next thing you’ll tell me, people will pay good money to see local celebrities attempting to dance like ballroom stars.
Reji Thomas and Missy McCullough
Wrong again, Barnes. Petcasso, like Dancing with the Stars Austin, benefits a fundamental charity, in this case Animal Trustees of Austin, sort of like a People’s Community Clinic for pets. And, like Dancing with the Stars’ beneficiary, Center for Child Protection, this grassroots group helps some of the neediest who have been abused and neglected.
Angela Rawna and Tony Sykes
It’s a show to boot. The Dell Jewish Community Campus provided the unpretentious backdrop for a buffet dinner and mixer. Then the pets, guardians and their art took the stage. Almost all the animals were rescues or pound recruits. They had worked with “muses” — such as Kent Burress, Reji Thomas, Zita Raymond, Nadine Mozon and Deborah Poisot — who provided artistic guidance or a creative concept.
David Smith and Skot Tulk
A short, often humorous, sometimes moving video introduced each pet, who then trotted onstage with their guardians to the delight of the audience. (Except thoroughbred horse Cricket, understandably excused.) Gut-bucket funny auctioneer Walt Roberts began the bidding. Most sold in the range of $2,000, but a triptych by Roux, Lulabelle and Kiko (two dachshunds and a boxer) hit $5,000, partly because guardians Alisa Weldon and Lynn Yeldell threw in a New Orleans-style feast. Yet another painting figured the image of great all-American black and tan dog Cora Haskins (strongly attached to Casey Haskins). It brought in $10,000 for Animal Trustees.
I laughed. I cried. I didn’t purchase. But I did add Petcasso to my list of must-do social events.
Permalink | Comments (2) | Post your comment Categories: Charity
February 21, 2010
Viva Las Vegas-Monte Carlo at the Austin Music Hall
Let’s get to the business at hand: The fashion show. Last year, I judged Sue Webber’s sleek, sexy, cool, confident parade of bedecked models for Viva Las Vegas the best fashion show of the year. In fact, the best I’d seen. In Austin. Ever.
Misti Poppitt and Troy Cormier
This year, the show earned lots of creativity points, as Webber explored the formal wear, casino couture and Mediterranean colors for a Monte Carlo edition of the gala for AIDS Services of Austin. Props — such as umbrellas in the opening number — were numerous, and humor often reigned. So did men. Last year, older, more macho models outranked the thin, willowy regulars. So Webber returned to that theme and amplified it, tweaked it.
Lorri French and Susan Burton
What she lost was consistency and development, and in some cases, class. Some models towered above their cohorts (My-Cherie Haley), while others broke the Austin mold (one fierce tattooed dude named Phoenix triumphantly broke with the macho mode). Uncharacteristically, technical glitches interrupted the flow of action. Still, at moments, the music, lighting, models and apparel came together in an exhilarating manner.
Yvonne and Trevor Schwartz
What about the rest of the night? No need to worry about the hardiness of these Austin partiers, even with Carnaval Brasileiro right across the river and competing fundraisers at the MACC, Four Seasons Hotel and elsewhere. Here, the assemblage cast around the charity gambling tables, wandered among the silent-auction items or lined up for cocktails and high-intensity grub.
Brittany Prejean, Brittany Brunson and Patrick Brunson
A beaming ASA board chairman Robert Dailey estimated the head count at the Austin Music Hall at nearly 1,000. We dallied with Austin Chronicle’s Stephen Moser, grandly positioned in a commanding chair at the end of the runway; Mint Owl’s Chris Cantoya and model-perfect Laura Aidan, 34th Street Cafe’s Cameron Lockley with friends Drew Wilson and Joe Pierce, adorable charity triplets Dr. John Hogg, David Garza and Joanna Linden (remember: Hispanic Scholarship Consortium fundraiser is Thursday!), Dell Children’s Armando Zambrano, and a wide-eyed Texas Rep. Donna Howard.
Drew Wilson, Cameron Lockley and Joe Pierce
Social footnote: I had every intention to round out the evening at Carnaval. I don’t know whether it was the transition from beach vacation, the clogged streets around the Palmer Events Center, or uncertainty whether I’d gain entry among the glittered masses (didn’t receive my OK until too late). For whatever reason, I instead headed home after just two social events my first night back in the saddle. There’s always next year …
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Charity, Style
February 8, 2010
Valentine's Gala Presentation at Hilton Austin
I have not yet penetrated the inner sanctums of the tradition-encrusted Symphony Ball and its aristocratic presentations of princess debutantes. Nor have I journeyed into the heart of Old Austin’s Bachelor’s Club, which has presented available bluebloods to private audiences for decades.
Katie Jones and Henry Kittredge
Saturday, however, I delved into the much more democratic Valentine’s Gala Presentation benefiting Hospice Austin. This dignified event was launched in a private home, moved to the Renaissance Austin Hotel, then, this year, headed downtown to Hilton Austin.
Joanne Kemper and Laura Deskins
More than 100 high school seniors were slated for group presentations. Slender young women wore sleek red gowns. Upright young men looked dashing in tuxedos. Proud parents, siblings and friends also got gussied up, some mothers in demure versions of haute couture.
Kayla Kopp and Ryan Orton
Before entering the candlelit banquet room, the guests lingered in the sixth floor lobby. (Mostly) men gravitated to the HD screens to watch the Colts dominate the first quarter of the Super Bowl, then cheered when the Saints roared back in the second quarter.
Rick and Elise Schram
Why book a gala during the Super Bowl? One male guest said: “I didn’t make the connection until last week. But my daughter looks great and who would miss this?”
Elizabeth Lowrey and Patrick Brinkmann
Indeed, how many times does your son or daughter walk the stage to be presented to polite society? Some may think I’m being sarcastic, but I’m fascinated by these threads of tradition borrowed from European and East Coast culture. In our Open City, I’m rarely worried these rituals will be taken too seriously.
Ann Bauer and Marjorie Mulanax
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Charity
January 27, 2010
Philanthropy Day Awards at Hilton Austin
Five things l learned from the Philanthropy Day Luncheon at the Hilton Austin on Tuesday.
A) The 313 members of the Austin Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals are serious about their work. Yet they don’t take it too seriously. They ribbed themselves and others during the Philanthropy Day Awards ceremony, which luckily started on time, since a bundle of honors were bestowed. (Austin Community Foundation’s Ken Gladish makes a brainy emcee.)
James Armstrong and Larry Connelly
B) The Austin Hilton can easily accommodate 1,000 diners for a comfortable, fresh, filling meal. What actually discourages event planners is the parking, which is tricky when the hotel also books a business convention, as it did Tuesday. (I walked.) This must explain why Zach’s Red, Hot & Soul and Dell’s Children’s Gala operate out of the cavernous Austin Convention Center.
Mary Tally and Donaji Lira
C) The winners of the awards — James Armstrong and Larry Connelly, 3M, Nikki Salzillo, Richard Hartgrove, KDK-Harman Foundation, Austin Junior Forum, Julie Morgan Hooper, Gene Attal and Oriana Wright — each came with a compelling story, told in brief, expertly executed videos.
Joanna Linden and Dr. John Hogg
D) This is why I stay for the meals at these events: Had a long, instructive conversation with lawyer and philanthropist Becky Beaver, who sat next to me, on governance of nonprofits. It was like a mini-seminar, with dollops of dish to go with dessert.
E) Event chairwoman Joanna Linden is an exceedingly graceful hostess.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Charity
January 25, 2010
Steve Hicks and the Rise Across Texas Challenge
The goal is $5 million. Already, donors have pledged $2 million. For one charity event.
Pick the right cause, at the right time, and one can line up the biggest names to back it.
And the news keeps on rolling in: You’ve probably already heard about the cross-state bike ride, slated for March 6-20. Or perhaps the launch party, set for Friday at the Mount Bonnell-area home of Sally and Mack Brown. (Drat! I will be out of town !)
It probably hasn’t sunk in, however, that, in a city where $1 million marks the outer limits for single-function fundraising, Hicks has already lined up $2 million and plans to pick up the other $3 million by the time the post-event buzz dies down later this year. Some of the Challenge dollars will go to other Rise Schools — which serves children with a developmental disability or delay — in Houston, Dallas and Corpus Christi. Yet the bulk of it will be devoted to building a stand-alone campus for the local Rise School, now housed, part-time, at a megachurch in Southwest Austin.
How does Hicks draft social superstars such as the Browns, Lance Armstrong, Gene Stallings, Kristin Armstrong, Tim McClure, Bart Knaggs, Evan Smith, Gov. Rick Perry, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, Attorney General Greg Abbott, Comptroller Susan Combs, Rep. Carol Alvarado and a slew of state senators — Kirk Watson, Jeff Wentworth, Rodney Ellis and Dan Patrick?
“They’ve asked me for favors,” the soft-spoken, mostly introverted Hicks says. “This time, I’m asking for one favor. And I’m not asking for myself. Not one has said no. Everybody I approached has helped in some way.”
Fewer than two dozen riders are expected to make the full trip from the Louisiana border to Presidio near Big Bend. Yet 200 celebrities will pedal from the Rise School to the Salt Lick in Driftwood on March 10 (an estimated hour ride). The public is invited to join them.
Donna Stockton Hicks and Sally Brown got the financial ball rolling for the local Rise School, run by Mandy Myers, after a granddaughter of Longhorn legend and Austin businessman James Street was born with Down syndrome. Their first event took in $50,000. A visit to the school converted Steve Hicks.
“These children touched something inside of me,” he says. “There’s no pretense. No ‘me’ gene. When I was growing up, they would have taken those kids away from their parents to be institutionalized. Now they can be main-schooled, have jobs, live fairly normal lives.”
During the ride, not long after the March 2 Republican gubernatorial primary, Hicks and Perry will jointly celebrate their 60th birthdays at the Hyatt Lost Pines Resort near Bastrop.
“I hope I can look back and think: ‘That was a pretty cool deal when I turned 60 and made a little difference.’ ”
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Charity, Sports
Dell Children's Gala at the Austin Convention Center
Like silk. That’s the best word to describe the Dell Children’s Gala at the Austin Convention Center on Saturday. Supple, smooth, classy. Few hard sells. Many opportunities to reflect on the value Dell Children’s Medical Center brings to Central Texas and beyond.
Steve and Amy Robertson
Too large for any other traditional gala venue, Dell Children’s takes over the upper reaches of the convention center. (A volleyball tourney occupied the lower southwest quadrant.) Check-in was effortless, and the black-tie guests ascended the double escalators with regal calm.
José and Lissandra Adames
A few wrinkles waited in the upper lobby. Bar stations were placed opposite the silent auction pods (cleverly installed on laptops), and across from an inventive appetizer display (cheese and fruit on little kabobs, arranged in tiers). Few people made it to the third station, however, because the crowd of 900 bunched up in that middle section for an hour or so.
Irina Marinova and Josh Bruckerhoff
Event designers did what they could to make an Olympian-sized hall into an intimate dinner setting. Lighting tightened the visible space. Video screens brought those tiny figures on the stage closer to those of us dining on the back row of tables. Performers dressed as insects and plants tied the zones together.
Kirkwood Johnston and Karen Ting
Plants and insects? You see, the theme was “growth.” Eventually, that explained the dark gray fabric splashed with green light, as well as the living centerpieces of orchids, maidenhair fern, etc. Although, I must say, the color scheme was almost too subdued, enervating.
Craig and Staci Falls
In general, arts galas are more entertaining than their charity brethren. The producers for visual and performing arts can predict the ebb and flow of audience energy, the minute direction of attention and focus, the need to saturate the senses. Dell Children’s is one charity event that keeps the entertainment and instruction balanced and generally upbeat. The inevitable testimonial videos — made with the help of the KEYE cohorts stationed at my table — emphasized hope and progress, not the horrific accidents and diseases that struck the young subjects.
Zuhair Khan and Faraz Khan
Dinner was fine, but I was even more impressed by the service, which exceeded even the standards of the Four Seasons Hotel for much smaller events. Why talk about dinner at all? Well, there’s not much social scuttlebutt to share when you are seated at the press-only table. My colleagues and I talked about the travails of the industry, but I learned nothing about the people who passionately back Dell Children’s.
David and Karen Lack
I spotted a few social lions — Larry Connelly and James Armstrong, Amy and Kirk Rudy (or at least Kirk), Mary and Rusty Tally — but the remaining 894 were mostly new to me. Which would have made table-talk with some of them all the more satisfying. Gala master Armando Zambrano told me attendance was a tad down from last year’s record crowd, but organizers were still hoping for a $1 million take. We’ll let you know when we find out.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Charity
January 14, 2010
Lance Armstrong and Sandra Bullock Haiti pledges
Ordinary people are sending in $5, $10, $100 apiece through various digital tools.
Celebrities were not far behind, many of them sending out pleas for massive relief on Twitter and Facebook. Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan and Adam Lambert were among those tweeting outside Austin. Eugene Sepulveda, Sloan Foster and Turk Pipkin are among the local socializers using social media for good.
Austin’s Lance Armstrong has donated $250,000. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have set aside $1 million for Doctors Without Borders. And George Clooney is set to host a Jan 22 telethon on MTV.
Permalink | Comments (3) | Post your comment Categories: Charity
December 11, 2009
Music for the City Launch at Highball
I must admit my first impression of the Music for the City event at Highball was not about the party, but the magnificent mob outside the roped sanctuary. On a Wednesday night. People with serious hair bopped between the long bar, the articulated banquettes, the scattered dining tables and vintage bowling lanes. The mood was bright and brittle, and I wouldn’t credit holiday cheer. By itself.
Fastball
The charity socializing, snug behind a velvet rope, filled Highball’s special-event area. The musical act easily held the stage. Then I realized it was Fastball. Yes, that Fastball, the power pop band behind “The Way” and “All the Pain Money Can Buy.” True, it’s been an age since they produced such a big hit, but what a way to kick off a charity series —- with mellifluous sounds from a gifted songwriter and his live team.
Alex and Angela Van De Walle
So what is Music for the City? From its Web site, it: “Exists to encourage and enable Austin’s artists to give back to the community by partnering with charitable organizations serving our city. (It) does this by producing benefit albums and concerts that directly benefit charitable organizations serving our city.” Ah, so a sort of CharityBash for music types.
Angela Dinkel and Clark Hamilton
I met founder Nate Navarro, a charismatic personality to watch, given this ambitious project. I also ran into Jason Poe of the sadly defunct Jets Under Fire, as well as his wife, Jade Poe, who reports for the NBC station in Waco and covered the recent Killeen shootings close up.
Jade and Jason Poe
Jason promises a new musical act, which I appreciate, since I always grouped Jets Under Fire among other quintessentially New Austin acts: Alpha Rev, Soldier Thread, Pompeii, Ghostland Observatory, Black and White Years and the nearly invisible Ghost of the Russian Empire. (Future column alert.)
Aaron Ivey and Nate Navarro
Anyway, a fertile evening at the Highball, story-wise, and confirmation that Karrie and Tim League’s latest entertainment outlet is a smash.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Charity, Music
December 7, 2009
Dancing with the Stars Austin at the Hilton Austin
The Texas Book Festival gala is smart …
Mort and Bobbi Topfer
The Texas Film Hall of Fame gala is glamorous …
Luke and Stephanie Lowenfield
Ballet Austin’s Fete is gorgeous …
Sidney and Paul Pan
The Austin Museum of Art’s La Dolce Vita is sensuous …
Brett Bachman and Elisabeth Challener
Zach Theatre’s Red, Hot & Soul is delirious …
Megan Bentzin and Adam Stuart
The Dell Children’s Medical Center Foundation gala is gargantuan …
Mary Talley, Kimberly Thomsen and Anne Elizabeth Wynn
Arthouse’s 5x7 event is wild …
Nathan Clark and Jordan McRae
The Center for Child Protection’s Dancing with the Stars Austin, presented by Lexus of Austin, is just plain fun …
Christi Ford and Shawn Traylor
Watching local celebrities wiggle, gyrate and generally shake their moneymakers with adept professional dancers is worth all the effort put in this year by co-chairs Mary Tally and Maria Groten …
Venus Strawn and Violet Bell
Sunday at Hilton Austin, Zach producing artistic director Dave Steakley won the giant disco globe award with a fast samba. Travis County Sheriff Greg Hamilton’s serious moves copped him the first runner-up spot, while former Miss Texas USA and TV personality Holly Mills-Gardner took second runner-up with a toss of her fringed dancewear …
Stephanie and Todd O’Neill (just married!)
High on my list were news anchor Michelle Valles and Paul Mitchell Systems’ Eloise DeJoria, who executed their sultry ballroom dances to perfection. Also impressive were Joanie Bentzin, Gigi Bryant, Charles Duggan, Richard Garriott, Susan Lubin (whose recorded voice was lovely!), Dan Neil and Mitchell Zoll …
A special treat: Mary Tally and the rarely spotted Kip Keller
Sure, there were nerves and flubs. But that’s all part of the fun. So was the Elvis impersonation by Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo, fronting a chorus line of local socialites …
The celebrity judges — Ed Clements, Carla McDonald and Evan Smith — yukked it up gracefully while giving every performer a perfect 10 …
This is one gala where everyone feels welcome. Republicans and Democrats participated side by side. Although two sources told me there was some backstage friction between the political parties. Well, competitive ballroom dancing, like politics, is a blood sport …
To keep it sweet, I hear more than $600,000 was raised for the Center for Child Protection, which works with law enforcement to help young victims of crime. See what you can do when you work together — and have fun?
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Charity
December 1, 2009
Andy Roddick Foundation Gala red carpet with Brooklyn Decker
“People like to be around Andy,” said former Longhorn pitcher Huston Street, in the understatement of the Andy Roddick Foundation Gala on Monday.
Andy Roddick
Friends and admirers of the tennis ace crowded into the Austin Hilton for the event that, two years ago, earned an eyebrow-raising $1.5 million.
Brooklyn Decker
Roddick predicted a lower take this year for his foundation, which supports children’s causes. “It’s tough,” he said. “We’re aware of the recession and what that means when you’re asking people to give.”
Chrissy Teigen and John Legend
Making it much easier is Roddick’s new partner in life — and charity, model Brooklyn Decker, who looked slim, elegant and well-jeweled. It was Decker whose friendship brought singer John Legend and girlfriend Chrissy Teigen to the event.
Huston Street
To help out, Elton John, who played at the the Roddick-Decker wedding last summer, auctioned off a chance to mold his playlist for the evening.
Bobby Bones
With his usual self-deprecating wit, Roddick said he himself would not be singing. “I don’t want people to leave.” He also
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Charity
November 19, 2009
Legacy of Giving at Chez Zee
Not all charity fundraisers rise to grand gala status …
Courtney Harker and Halley Grogan
And thank goodness! …
Gerry Tucker and Sharrion Jenkins
The Legacy of Giving holiday shopping event at Chez Zee is an ideal example …
Milton Dolittle, Libby Malone and Terry Quinn
Perhaps 100 people mingled and munched on focaccia while keeping a sharp eye on the displayed sparklers from Benold’s Jewelers. Milton Dolittle of Benold’s contributed thousands of dollars in stones and bucks to the benefit …
Linda Brucker and Bonnie Mills
Legacy of Giving incorporates the lessons of philanthropy into area school programs …
Kendal and Ken Gladish
A young program, incubated by the Austin Community Foundation, Legacy shows much promise in the 20 schools it now serves …
Lauren Peters and Cathy Casey
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment Categories: Charity
November 15, 2009
A Season of Celebration at the Four Seasons
My shoulders hang looser when I head to the Four Seasons Hotel, as I do once a week during the traditional social season …
Sherri West and Kathryn Scarborough Bechtol
Certainly not because of the construction-muddled parking situation — I walk or park in secret spots down the street — but because I know that every decorative appointment, every poised assistance, every ready refreshment will come off effortlessly …
Sara and Dick Rathgeber
Such was the case with the Season of Celebration for the Austin Children’s Shelter on Saturday. Besides saluting the charity’s 25th anniversary, the gala was the group’s the first since they moved into a handsome new home at the Rathgeber Village …
Brian D’Ambrosio and Katherine Cesinger
Dick and Sara Rathgeber looked pleased as punch at Saturday’s event. As always, Dick slipped me some off-the-record news that will inform my beat and others’ …
David Ackel and Sylvia Griego with Coal
Bedazzling co-chairwomen Kathryn Scarborough Bechtol and Sherri West banked on a winter theme, and guests arrived in full formal wear, including some discreet furs. The exceedingly clement weather on the Four Seasons terrace told a different story. (I’m sure no one complained!) …
Ron and Jo Ann Becerra
I’m positive Texas Tribune’s Evan Smith made a fine emcee; he always does. I was pulled away by conflicting social commitments.
Bryan Bourgeois and Anastasia Olenbush
Hopefully I’ll get to stick around for the 26th anniversary …
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Charity
November 13, 2009
Help Clifford Help Kids at the Austin Music Hall
Arriving late to my fourth Help Clifford Help Kids event, which raises bucks in the name of the late Clifford Antone for Austin Youthworks at the Austin Music Hall, I realized that these full-package parties attract three distinct crowds …
Melissa Miller and Lance Luckenbach
The Early Group often arrives directly after work, hungry for the casual conversation, cocktails, appetizers and silent auction …
David Elliott and Alison Davis
The Middle Group, perhaps dressed a tad more formally, is ready to sit down for dinner, listen to speeches and engage in deeper conversations (the chief luxury of these occasions) …
Charles Mercer and Kate Schirmy
The Late Group comes to party. Oftentimes, they’ve got energy to spare, unlike the Early Group, which has already left to relieve the babysitters …
Gaila Kenneally, Peka Holmes and Mimi Lopez
This group lapped up the horn-tastic stylings of Grupo Fantasmo. How could you not dance to that wall of Latinate sound? I met the Fantasmo Girls and other revelers who looked like they could last all night …
Rebekah Townsend and Kenneth Bobo
Not I …
Molly Johnson and Sarah Hunter
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Charity
Charity Bash SafeDate auction at the Ranch
Man, I wish I could have stayed for the entire Charity Bash SafeDate auction for SafePlace …
Alex Winkelman, Jen Shoemaker and Jenny Hunt
Not that I would have bid on the dates with the bachelors and bachelorettes (happily married that I am) …
Chris Perri and Shannon Schaefer
But the concept is intriguing enough and I hope it made a lot of money for SafePlace …
Amy Morehouse and Marisol Saenz
Meanwhile the crowd — which included date magnets Meredith Davis, Todd Phelps, Larissa Taylor, former Mayor Will Wynn, Adrienne Oujezdsky, Greg Boyd, Katie Stolp, Chad Sakonchick, Jen Shoemaker, Melaney Dobbs, C.K. Chin, Benjamin Lasseter, Roger Huerta, Zion Francis, Hugo Rodriguez, Allison Waddell, Joe Ross and Michelle Valles — lit up the Ranch early in the evening …
Beverly Gonzalez and Oscar Davila
Once again, Charity Bash is proving that philanthropy can be fun, through and through …
George Howard Heretakis and Maggie McCloud
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment Categories: Charity
November 9, 2009
Kyle Chandler & Brad Leland talk golf, charity, TV
“Friday Night Lights” stars Kyle Chandler and Brad Leland settled the whole thing over one hole of golf.
Three years ago, playing at the Wolfdancer Golf Club near Bastrop, they wondered aloud how they could give back to the community that had so thoroughly endorsed their high-school football drama.
“What would it benefit?” Chandler remembers asking.
“We’re doing a show about Jason Street (a fictional injured player) in a wheelchair,” Leland said. “How about spinal cord injuries?”
Thus was born the Beyond the Lights Celebrity Golf Classic, which lit up the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa the past two years, while raising money for Gridiron Heroes and the Buoniconti Fund.
During the event, which includes dinner and a concert, Chandler and Leland played with each 5-person team by sticking to one hole, as 150 golfers swept through the course.
“We talk about what we do for a living,” Chandler says. “We’re often more interested in what they do. It’s better than having them yell at you for making lousy shots. If you stay at the same hole, you don’t have to ride with people who are mad at you.”
“And that way we get to meet everyone at the tournament,” Leland says. “We reach out to them for the charities, asking how much they would donate if we made a certain shot.”
Over coffee at Jo’s on South Congress Avenue — after Chandler signed, red “East” caps from his fictional coach’s new team — the pair talked about enhancements for the next charity weekend, organized by Shelly Kanter and Heather Page, and slated for May 14-15.
“We’ll play golf on Friday,” Leland says. “Saturday is for the families. There’s a water park, a spa deal, canoes on the Colorado River and horseback riding.”
“Also a frisbee golf tournament,” Chandler says. “We want it to be as family-friendly as possible.”
The show’s partnership with Direct TV — which splits the broadcasts with NBC — supplies the event with more actors and professional athletes as celebrity players. Meanwhile, the stars continue to appreciate Austin’s easy way with the famous.
“They are always respectful,” Leland says of fans here. “People come up, not to say, ‘Hey, you’re Buddy Garrity,’ but instead, “Hey, I love your show. The whole family watches it.”
“I received the best compliment early on,” says Chandler, now more relaxed, since he’s moved his family to Central Texas. “A man said, ‘Thanks for representing this place the way you do, for respecting it and representing it.’”
Permalink | Comments (2) | Post your comment Categories: Charity
October 31, 2009
Planned Parenthood Gala at Renaissance Austin Hotel
The banquet room at the Renaissance Austin Hotel filled unto overflowing …
Travis County Clerk Dana DeBeauvoir, Rebecca Lightsy and Christy Ozman
Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright as the marquee speaker was surely one motivation …
Dianne Carr and Janet Gilmore
Another was the organization — Planned Parenthood — behind the gala …
Katie Hallberg, Andy Brown and Asara Strother
Indeed, it seemed that almost every Austin-area politician — Democrats at least — were prominently in attendance, and upbeat in spirits. (One observer dubbed the crowd: “Seriously old-school Austin liberals.”) …
Mark and Nancy Utkov
I missed most of the event, but grabbed a few key participants on the way out (near the cleverly placed coffee-to-go, something other gala planners should consider) …
Niyanta Spelman and Lulu Flores
The only complaint I heard: The live auction lasted way too long. The next night, at the Texas Book Festival gala, the crowd cheered when it was announced there would be no live auction …
Kevin and Austin City Council Member Sheryl Cole with Council Member Chris Riley
Now, such auctions can indeed work, done right, but perhaps organizers could be more judicious about electing to do so. Feels like a grassroots resistance against them.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment Categories: Charity
October 25, 2009
Black & White Ball at the Four Seasons
There’s always one event you wished and wished you could make …
Kristen Hanna and Jade Ausley
But life intervenes. The Black & White Ball for Texas Advocacy Project, which promotes justice for women who are victims of sexual assault and domestic violence, was always one of those parties that just didn’t fit into my calendar …
Damon and Adriana Moore
No, it doesn’t come with the naughty thrill of Truman Capote’s famed cavort by the same name …
Heather Bellino and Julia McCurley
But it’s a handsome, classy event, well-stocked with good-doers looking good …
Zita and Jim Daniel
Friday at the Four Seasons, I arrived and was scooped up by Julia McClurley, a force of nature …
Sherry Matthews and Shannon McCann
The rest was a whirlwind of introductions and chance meetings in a beguiling environment. Gosh how I wish the event wasn’t scheduled up against a phalanx of others so I could stick around. (Didn’t even make the SafePlace or Austin Planetarium fundraisers that night because of the scheduling train wreck.)
David Moreira and Meredith Estes
I mean, SafePlace up against Texas Advocacy Project? What were either planning committee thinking?
[For those of you counting, this was Party No. 14 out of 25 on this Big October Weekend. 11 more posts to go.]
Permalink | Comments (2) | Post your comment Categories: Charity
FuturoFund at Austin City Hall
Hoping to encourage philanthropy, primarily in the Latino community, FuturoFund raised a total of $50,000 from 100 Austinites in its first full year …
Jaime Aguirre and Maria Adame
Then current and, especially, future community leaders gathered at Austin City Hall on Friday for presentations from charities, voting from members and a reception …
Brie Fraco, Hector Torres and Perla Cavasos
Nonprofit groups vied for a $40,000 major grant and a $10,000 minor grant; Workers Defense Project won the former, the Literacy Coalition of Central Texas the latter …
Felipe Perez and Raul Alverez
To witness the birth of a movement! What a honor …
Veronica Chapa-Jones and Elma Adrete
I even left and came back rather than miss the mingling after the big vote.
FuturoFund founders John Michael and Priscilla Cortez
[For those of you counting, this was Party No. 13 out of 25 on this Big October Weekend. 12 more posts to go.]
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment Categories: Charity
The Big Give at KLRU Studios
In just two years, I Live Here, I Give Here has become an indispensable Austin institution …
Kim Miller Drummond and Karen Frost
As philanthropy reporter Andrea Ball has detailed, Patsy Woods Martin’s charity aggregator has demonstrated how to expand the circle of Austin donors. And its Web site is a crucial resource for the area’s top 300 or so nonprofits …
Andrea Rado and Emily Brown
So, despite the late hour, and six previous parties that Thursday night, I shot up to the University of Texas campus, found a lucky parking spot right in front of the Communications complex, and headed up to the sixth floor of the studio building for the Big Give …
Joshua Alcantar and Kelly Atkinson
Only a few dozen people remained. Volunteers were tidying up the remains of the silent auction. Valet parking dudes were finishing off the feed. But those who stayed at the KLRU “Austin City Limits” studio were transfixed by Austin’s own Elvis tribute band — Ted Roddy and the King Conjure Orchestra …
Will Hardeman and Caroline Collins
They danced and danced and danced, and the big band played as if hundreds were still in the room. Competing events? Who cared?
Brent Standefer and Melanie Burke
Meanwhile, Hospice Austin won a $10,000 charity competition (an increasingly popular way to spread the love). Without a doubt, Live/Give is here to stay.
[For those of you counting, this was Party No. 11 of 25 on this Big October Weekend. 14 more posts to go.]
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Charity
October 24, 2009
Lone Stars & Angels at GSD&M
Who can turn down a charity like St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital …
Michael Roberts and Amanda Walker
Even though the facility is in Memphis, Tenn., its constituency is global …
Ida Miller and Katie Ulpe
So, though the Lone Stars & Angels fundraiser competed with eight or more pressing, local events, it still made sense to drop by GSD&M …
Sharon Holt and Brad Perdue
First, you navigate by a fine string quartet in the lobby, through one refreshment stop, to linger in the silent auction zone …
Becky Kittleman and Wendy Miller
Then you’re outside in the GSD&M courtyard, under the moonlight (real and by design), where Larry Kille of Sterling Affairs lays a sterling spread, and bands play on the other side of a wedding-style arrangement of tables …
Terri Dailey (Omni Downtown) and Joe Brummer (MicroMain)
Altogether sweet.
[For those of you counting, this was Party No. 8 of 25 on this Big October Weekend.]
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Charity
October 22, 2009
Austin Children's Museum Fall Party at Paggi House
Sometimes, philanthropy must bridge a generation gap …
Geane Berduo, Misty Flanary and Laura Vaughn
The founders of the Austin Children’s Museum, who belong to my age bracket, have persevered …
Cameron Breed, Mike Nellis (ACM’s ED) and Lynn Meredith
But when considerably younger leaders eventually volunteered, the gap was spanned …
Chris Wallin, Suzanne Erickson and Katherine Wallin
Now that the relative youngsters have been activated, fundraising events feel fresh …
Trisha and JB Sandy McIlree
Like the ACM Fall Party at Paggi House on Wednesday. Party and purpose: That land out at Mueller needs a permanent museum on it.
Leon and Yanelyx Thompson
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Charity
October 14, 2009
Celebrity dancers announced at By George
“Quite the room tonight.”
Mary Tally and Eloise DeJoria
So judged Sidney Jones at the announcement party for this year’s Dancing with the Stars at By George on North Lamar Boulevard. The Austinite — who also owns a ranch so close to Mandola’s in Driftwood she can practically order from her front porch — pegged the mob of luminaries gathered in the women’s apparel boutique (soon to bring back men’s wear, too!) on Tuesday.
Michelle Chun and Susie Davis
You couldn’t swing a foxtrot partner without hitting somebody of consequence, as party chairwomen Mary Tally and Maria Groten prepped the attendees for the fast-rising gala, slated for Dec. 6 at the Hilton Austin.
Chief Art Acevedo and Maria Groten
The event, by the way, benefits the Center for Child Protection, which has doubled in size in six years and opened a handsome facility on its East Austin campus. Often mistaken for SafePlace, CASA or the Austin Children’s Shelter — all regular partners with the center — it teams with law enforcement to help young victims of abuse, especially in the period just after the crime.
Dan Neil and Alison Garsson
Let’s talk dancers: From the world of entertainment come game designer and cosmonaut Richard Garriott, stage producer Charles Duggan and Zach Theatre director Dave Steakley , former NFL star, current ESPN color commentator Dan Neil and TV host Michelle Valles.
Joane Bentzin and Gigi Bryant
From the law arena come Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo (promising a demonstration dance with faux convicts Tammy Buckman, Katrine Formby, Linda McCaul, Laurée Moffett, Jeanne Parker, Ann Schneider, Robin Segesta and Deanna Serra) as well as Travis County Sheriff Greg Hamilton and attorney Mitchell Zoll.
Susan Lubin, Charles Duggan and Carla McDonald
From fashion, there’s social superstar Eloise DeJoria and former Miss Texas Holly Mills-Gardner. Community activists, businesswomen and volunteers who’ll dance include Gigi Bryant, Joanie Bentzin, Susan Lubin and Carla McDonald.
Kim Thomsen and Richard Garriott
Also in attendance, but not dancing this year, were the likes of former Mayor Will Wynn, marketer Ben Bentzin , congressional candidate Jack McDonald, super-philanthropists Larry Connelly and James Armstrong, as well as newly appointed Humanities Texas trustee Venus Strawn.
Krista Hester, Shaun Bruno and Holly Mills-Gardner
Indeed, quite the room.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Charity
October 13, 2009
Reports from the OctoTea Party
It pained me to miss the OctoTea Dance Party at the Long Center on Sunday. But, thanks to two reliable sources, we can all catch a backwards glimpse at the event.
Graydon Parrish: “Steven Moser was decked out in black and turquoise. And he masterminded the purchase of a one-of-a-kind tan leather fringe coat though benefactor and art collector Charlotte Herzele, who also purchased the piano lesson ‘experience auction’ from Anton Nel.”
Mary Morrison: “I personally spoke with 24 couples, all but four of whom were newcomers to the event. Several remarked that they hadn’t heard of the dance until this year and all agreed it provided plenty of features to please everyone. The jazz lounge, with the Kris Kimura Group, turned out to be a great hang-out for all jazz enthusiasts, and the silent auction included loads of items and services with appeal for everyone.
Graydon Parrish: ” Chef Coi Burruss was there with girlfriend in tow. She and Patricia Paredes spent time chatting on the veranda in the aftermath of a fajita dinner. All looked extraordinary.”
Mary Morrison: “Along with several local celebrities, OctoTea was host to Jade Esteban Estrada, popular young actor and stand-up comedian, originally from San Antonio and now from New York City. We first met Jade when he appeared on Heath Riddles’ ‘Outcast’ program a few weeks ago, and we invited him to the dance. In addition to his own one-man shows, Jade has been seen on Comedy Central and ‘30 Rock.’”
Graydon Parrish: “For a while, many thought that the Miró print, ‘La demi-mondaine à sa fenêtre,’ has been stolen. (Organizer) Mark Erwin panicked, but 30 minutes later the mystery was solved. The collector had taken it home, much to the relief of the Octopus Club (the charity group that stages the dance).”
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Charity
October 6, 2009
Stuck in the Dallas Muck
While Austin was gliding through the chocolate goo at the Austin City Music Festival, Dallas socialites were mired in the mud caused by the same series of rainy fronts.
Dallas Morning News’ Alan Peppard describes the chaos at the Cattle Baron’s Ball for the American Cancer Society on Saturday. Early on at the “Disaster in the Pasture,” limousines got stuck in the muck. Then they couldn’t get out of the way.
“With 1,000 cars and 20 feet per car, you’re talking about using just under four miles of road with no place to turn them around,” said Keith Burris, chief operating officer of Jack Boles Services, the company in charge of valet parking.
“The sheriff’s office called me about 9 on Saturday night and said there’s 500 to 1,000 cars stuck,” said Al Luna, a volunteer firefighter who owns PAAC Towing in Kaufman County, home of the Star Brand Ranch where the ball was held.
“This is hardly the first Cattle Baron’s Ball to be plagued by bad weather.” Peppard writes. “At the 1981 ball at Southfork Ranch, heavy rains knocked out all power and Johnny Cash had to be coerced to perform an acoustic set. The 1988 ball was moved to the Automobile Building at Fair Park because of rain, and the 1998 ball had to abandon Ross Perot Jr.’s Circle T Ranch for the same reason. In 1991, heavy rains had people hiding under their tables as lightning danced around the metal stage and George Strait declined to leave his tour bus, where he was entertaining Larry Hagman.”
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Charity
October 1, 2009
Children in Nature Picnic at the Four Seasons
Charities can make a bigger impact through strategic alliances with like-minded charities, governments and associations, large and small.
Nancy Scanlan and John Watson (the original preserver of Westcave)
The Children in Nature Collaborative hitches together the Westcave Preserve, Texas Parks and Wildlife, National Wildlife Federation, Austin Parks Department, Austin City Planning, Lower Colorado River Authority, LBJ Wildflower Center, Austin Independent School District, Dell Children’s Health Center, St. David’s Health Foundation and the Children and Nature Network.
Lynette Holtz and Jenny McMillan
The organizations pool their resources to push children back into nature, in part to help alleviate some of the symptoms associated with “Nature Deficit Disorder” — obesity, ADD, mal-socialization, etc.
Juan Miro and Rosa Rivera
Westcave Preserve hosted the Children in Nature Picnic at the Four Seasons Hotel on Wednesday.
Rep. Elliott Naishtat with Susan and Bill Stotesbery
The weather gods approved.
Joe Llamas and Sarah Churchill
The event started with drinks in the ballroom lobby and on the terrace. It moved into the ballroom for an awards program and salad. The guests trooped out to the lawn overlooking Lady Bird Lake for a sweet dinner. (By this time, I’d moved on to another social event next door at Trio.)
Mireya Zapata and Rep. Patrick Rose
We’ll add the list of winners later today.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Charity, Sports
September 29, 2009
Out & About Apres Le Weekend Live Chat with Graydon Parrish
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Charity
September 27, 2009
The Smile Never Fades Dinner at the Long Center
The Austin hospitality industry embraces a large, but close community. The subset of wedding workers — event planners, florists, caterers, photographers, etc. — are even closer …
Vivian Smith (ED of Breast Cancer Resource Center of Austin) and Bill Bastas
So when gregarious wedding photographer Bill Bastas lost his wife to breast cancer, then later wrote about the experience, the wedding community closed ranks behind him …
Tom and Diane LeBleu
At first, they just threw a party/ That grew into an annual fundraiser for Breast Cancer Resource Center of Austin …
Jill Butler and Phyllis Rose
The 2009 Smile Never Fades dinner fit snugly into the lower, front lobby of the Long Center, which has perhaps the most enrapturing view of the downtown skyline for any dinner spot in town …
Barbara Formichelli, Alice Wilson and Runi Limary
I heard from those wedding workers and how much they contributed their time and resources to the event, so that the Resource Center would deliver its crucial services …
Jo Human, Floyd Human and Maria Fish
Permalink | Comments (2) | Post your comment Categories: Charity
September 25, 2009
2009 Nonprofit Excellence Awards at the Austin Convention Center
“We didn’t know what we were doing,” admitted several leaders of Central Texas nonprofits, “Until … “
Dave Shaw (Chairman-elect of Greenlights) and Bryan Jones (founder and CEO, Collider Media)
These endearing admissions of previous cluelessness came during the 2009 Nonprofit Excellence Awards at the Austin Convention Center on Thursday …
Kevin Workman and Patricia Hayes (Vice Chancellor of Texas State University System)
The admission alone is what I waited to hear for years, covering the arts, when I’d ask simple questions and find out that the nonprofit leaders in the 1990s often had no idea about quantification, transparency or best business practices …
Matt and Julie Kouri (Matt’s ED of Greenlights)
Greenlights for Nonprofit Success, the group that staged the awards ceremony, as well as the conference connected with it, has helped to change that culture. Credit Executive Director and self-described “nonprofit nerd” Matt Kouri and his board, staff and volunteers for some of those changes in consciousness …
Toya Haley and Joan Yaffe
During the ceremony, we saw clips from the now-required videos for four nonprofits (not surprisingly, the two slickest came from the Lance Armstrong Foundation and United Way).
Kay Kirschner and Susan Eason
We also heard from the winners of four Excellence Awards: Austin Community Design and Development Center for its sustainable alley flats project in the Guadalupe neighborhood won the Dell Foundation Collaboration Award; The Arc of the Capital Area, which provides an art studio for the developmentally challenged took the Ausitn Ribbon & Computer Innovation Award; Explore Austin, which introduces youngsters to the outdoors, snagged the Learning in Action Award (with lots of quantification); while the amazing Mothers’ Milk Bank of Austin took the Wortham Insurance Service Excellence Award for helping to save 7,000 fragile babies (including my godson Alfie) during its 10-year-history.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment Categories: Charity
September 24, 2009
Animal Trustees of Austin Luncheon at the AT&T Center
Austin teems with special charities …
Carol and Chris Adams
Animal Trustees of Austin flies under some radars, but has provided free or low-cost spay/neuter and veterinary services for tens of thousands of local pets since the mid-1990s …
April Downing and Scott Harmon
Wednesday, it staged its first-ever luncheon to kick off an annual fundraising campaign …
Zita Raymond, Jamie Barshop, Kim Stanford, Carol Davidson and Jan Davis
A perfect luncheon. Just the right length. Just the right crowd. Just the right venue. Even effective and live and video pitches …
Jess Jack and Mellie Price
Thank board president Carol Adams and her team, but also the crack crew at the AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center, relying on the inventive cuisine of dynamo chef Josh Watkins (formerly of the Driskill Grill).
Kevin W. Heady and Kelley Burrus
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Charity
September 21, 2009
Quckie interview: Rue McClanahan
Forever Golden Girl and breast cancer survivor Rue McClanahan will speak at the Toast to Sisterhood, Support and Survivorship champagne brunch and auction for the Breast Cancer Resource Center. It’s at 10:30 a.m. Sunday at the Renaissance Austin Hotel. KEYE’s Michelle Valles will emcee and fashion designer/breast cancer survivor Gail Chovan is one of the honorary chairwomen.
Rue McClanahan: My son has lived in Austin since 1994. I visit him at least once a year. It’s my favorite city, along with Manhattan. I always look forward to visiting Austin. I even like the weather!
What would you like to say about your encounter with cancer?
I was fortunate to have Dr. Larry Norton as my oncologist at Sloane-Kettering Hospital, in 1997. I also had family members and friends supporting me, and people across the country praying for me.
Did you have fun with the TV series “Sordid Lives”?
We finished filming “Sordid Lives” in early 2008. It was a very good experience. Del Shores is a comic genius.
What about with “Wicked”? That was something of a switch.
Playing Madame Morrible was a marvelous challenge which I reveled in. However, I don’t want to perform in a huge Broadway musical again. Other stage work, yes.
Have you seen Betty White in “The Proposal”?
I thought Betty White stole “The Proposal.” And she was in high company.
It was tough losing Estelle Getty and Bea Arthur over the course of just a few months.
Yes, I would prefer to have both Estelle and Bea amongst us, but only in good health. They were treasured friends.
Any more mountains to climb?
I’m embarking on a mountain-climbing adventure in a few months, a stage musical of my book, “My First Five Husbands.” We plan to tour it across the Midwest next year. It’s essentially a one woman show with four dancers andan opera singer — and me.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment Categories: Charity
September 17, 2009
Corks for Cancer at Moonshine
I love grassroots charities …
Karen and Kim Brown
And because cancer touches almost everyone’s life, cancer causes attract a lot of grassroots efforts …
Jennifer LaTouf and John-Scott Horton
My sister, for instance, throws a Cocktails for the Cure party every year in memory of her late husband. Here in Austin, we have events like Corks for Cancer …
Duane and Emily Anderson
Raising money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, it was a fairly intimate wine-tasting in the courtyard of Moonshine …
Laurie Newton and Mindi Heit
The guests didn’t overdress, which is an Austin bonus, and the weather — breezy and cooler — cooperated.
Joy Volk, Daniel Novak
Didn’t try any of the wines on Tuesday, but I’ll remember the charity.
Permalink | Comments (2) | Post your comment Categories: Charity
Out & About Hit or Miss: Heart Gallery
Here’s a new social blog feature: Out & About Hit or Miss.
In other words, what events I can make, and, just as importantly, which ones I sadly will miss. Tonight (Sept. 17), I’ll drop by the Women & Their Work Red Dot Sale, then the Busby Foundation’s Flavors of the Town at the Hyatt Regency, then the AU40 Happy Hour at Cissi’s.
Which means I’ll miss the Heart Gallery at Spazio for the first time in years. It’s open to the public and only $25. Along with the usual party, one can view photographed portraits of children ready for adoption.
“It creates great awareness for putting a face and a name with a child,” says Michele Golden, who introduced me to the charity years ago. “We have over a 60 percent success rate in getting these kids adopted. And that is the best thing.”
If you’re not already committed to the competing events, go.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Charity
September 16, 2009
The Beauty of Life at Renaissance Austin Hotel
Charity and style share a long, entwined history. In Austin, that tradition has been extended annually — and gracefully — by the Beauty of Life luncheon to benefit Hospice Austin.
Lisa Jessup, Helen Watkins and Mackenzie Martin
Tuesday, almost all the guests were women. So much so, speakers addressed the crowd as “Ladies …” And these women were unquestionably self-selected for the fashion and shopping genes.
Jean Marie Dina and Susan Shaffer
In fact, bracketing the luncheon, speeches and demonstrations were opportunities — to shop! A good portion of the atrium of the Renaissance Austin Hotel was rearranged into a bazaar for high-end goods and services. There, one could also pose for fashion spread in media event sponsor Glossy magazine (photographed by the talented Annie Ray, hers entirely superior to my party snaps shown here).
Patti David and Justin Porter
Spirited Anne Elizabeth Wynn, dressed in a boldly geometric red-and-black suit, emceed the luncheon portion of the event. She introduced Hospice Austin staff, volunteers and board members. We were reminded of the essential care provided by the nonprofit that started out as Christopher House.
Tammy Hale, Eric Sheppard and Jill Skinner
Then Wynn brought to the stage New York fashion maven Charla Krupp, whose best-selling “How Not to Look Old” is packed with tips for women of a certain age. She endorsed energetic engagement with life, Madonna-like confidence and dressing neither too old or too young. (Skirts right at the knees, ladies!)
Lisa Miller, John Miller and Amy Hansen
Krupp came with Do Bee and Don’t Bee fashion slides and a suitcase full of clothes to unload: Mamma jeans, muffin-top jeans, sweatpants, oversize T-shirts, etc. While most of her advice followed basic common sense, her presentation was light, amusing and sprinkled with local references. Ideal for a light luncheon.
Marjorie Mulanax and Anne Elizabeth Wynn
Earlier, four Hospice Austin employees paraded across the stage after style makeovers. Sometimes I think makeovers are over-rated. But the visual transformations from the “before” images projected on screens to the “after” effects before our eyes was pretty startling.
Absolute truth: I thought Hospice Austin executive director Marjorie Mulanax, who sat across the table from me, was actually a model, dressed as she was in an exquisite silver-gray outfit and coiffed to perfection. Also, she didn’t touch her lunch. Until after her makeover spotlight moment.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Charity, Style
September 14, 2009
Fall Fusion 2009 at Dell Jewish Community Center
Fall Fusion is part carnival, part theme party, part charity auction, part food fest, part serious ceremony …
“Adam and Eve” (the theme was famous couples)
Like a theatrical event, it snakes through the Dell Jewish Community Campus with costumes, snacks, live music and general hubub …
Dan O’Brien and John Halbur (“David Furnish and Elton John”)
Sunday, I encountered guests from 19 to 95, only a few of them in actual costume …
Gina and Amy Greenspan
Carol and Sandy Dochen received the LBJ Humanitarian Award, the serious part of the evening …
Leah Goldstein and Andrew Dochen
But given the fact that Mark Strama, Crystal Cotti, Kirk Rudy, Ken Herman, Elliott Naishtat and Marc Winkelman were present, some welcome and often humorous political conversation was inevitable …
Rep. Mark Strama and Crystal Cotti
Permalink | Comments (7) | Post your comment Categories: Charity
September 13, 2009
Night of the Child Gala at the Four Seasons
There’s almost no way to have a bad time at the Four Seasons …
Amanda Dudley, Jessica Gerard and Ann Davis
Which is why it remains a top destination for Austin galas …
Daniel and Julia Mercado
On a night crammed with social options, I spent part of Sunday evening at Night of the Child …
Ashleigh and Greg Wilkes
It raises money for A World for Children. It’s a group — new to me — that provides services for children in foster care …
Lacie Ritchie and Ellen Troxclair
The gimmick of the gala were gowns from St. Thomas boutique, auctioned through sealed bids with minimums starting at $89 …
Sharon Willis, Monica Burcham and Haythem Dawlett
Considering that the priciest outfit — lace-like coat worn here by fave model Bobbie Ragsdale — whatever you bid would be a bargain …
While the silent auction in the lobby seemed normal — how many signed Longhorn footballs or jerseys can we bid on? — the gown display was a bit innovative …
Bobbie Ragsdale, Heather Shaw
Models circulated through all the corridors, wearing identifying numbers as well as the apparel …
Oscar Laimez and Monika Sunholz
Since many of the female guests were also suitably gussied up, it was sometimes hard telling the models from the would-be purchasers …
Andy and Alissa Hutton
I love charity events where I know almost no one. (It means the universe of social givers continues to expand.) …
Summer Burns and Nate Paul
And here, I just knew the pros — models, auctioneers, photographers, waiters — the usual Four Seasons gang.
Jim and Julie Lavender
Permalink | Comments (3) | Post your comment Categories: Charity, Style
September 9, 2009
2009 Fortunate 500: Charity
2009 FORTUNATE 500
CHARITY
For a previously posted micro-profile of the Charity Top Picks, go here.
Heidi Adams. Planet Cancer
Joanie and Ben Bentzin. Center for Child Protection, Long Center, University of Texas
Donna and Philip Berber. A Glimmer of Hope Foundation
Gary Cooper and Richard Hartgrove. Zach Theatre, Austin Lyric Opera, Austin Museum of Art, Out Youth, AIDS Services of Austin
Jennifer and Ashton Cumberbatch. Council for Community Reconciliation, Seton Healthcare Network, Agape Christian Ministries, Greater Austin Chamber
Wilhelmina Delco and Dr. Exalton Delco, Jr. North Austin Medical Center, Huston-Tillotson University, Greater Austin Crime Commission
Susan and Bobby Epstein. Long Center, Jewish Community Association of Austin, Austin Film Society, Children’s Medical Center Foundation of Central Texas
Mark Erwin and Stephen Rice. Octopus Club, Lone Star Legal Copy & Imaging, Standard Answer
Rob Faubion and JoeLane Schumann. AIDS Services of Austin, Wright House Wellness Center, Austin Onstage, Project Transitions
Jesus Garza. Seton Family of Hospitals
Alan Graham. Mobile Loaves and Fishes
Kate and Robert Hersch. Heritage Society of Austin, Austin Film Society, Ballet Austin
Matt Kouri. Greenlights for Nonprofits
Brenda Kennedy. Jack & Jill of America, 403rd Judicial Criminal District Court of Travis
Cindy and Greg Kozmetsky. United Way, RGK Foundation, PeopleFund
Sterling Lands II. Greater Calvary Bible Church, Eastside Social Action Coalition
Susan and Craig Lubin. Austin Gastroenterology, Ballet Austin, Jewish Community Association of Austin
Patsy Woods Martin. I Live Here, I Give Here
Susan McDowell. LifeWorks, Austin Under 40
Heather McKissick. Leadership Austin
Earl Maxwell. St. David’s Community Health Foundation, Maxwell Locke & Ritter, Austin Area Research Organization, Long Center, Austin Community College Foundation, Austin Partners in Education
Dick Moeller. St. David’s Community Health Foundation, Enovate Enterprises, Water to Thrive, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans
Dr. Nona Niland and David Braun. Ann Richards School, Long Center, People’s Community Clinic, Center For Public Policy Priorities, UT School of Nursing Advisory Council, Niland Foundation
Denise and Randy Phillips. Promiseland West
MariBen Ramsey and Karen Kahan. Association of Junior Leagues International, Austin Community Foundation, Seton Fund
Beverly Scarborough. Texas Commission on Mental Health and Mental Retardation, Ballet Austin, Girl Scouts, Congregation Beth Israel
Lily and Yigal Saad. Anti-Defamation League, Austin Lyric Opera, Jewish Community Center Association
Amy Stanley. KeyStaff, Big Brothers Big Sisters
Venus and Bill Strawn. Center for Child Protection, Rise School of Austin, Women’s Fund of Central Texas
Margot and Grant Thomas. YouthLaunch, People’s Community Clinic, Town Lake Trail Foundation
Kelly and Richard Topfer. Topfer Family Foundation, Children’s Medical Center Foundation of Central
Doug Ulman. Lance Armstrong Foundation
Barbara Vackar. Austin Women’s Network, National Women’s History Museum, Leadership Austin
Isabel and Dave Welland. Miracle Foundation, Children’s Medical Center Foundation of Central Texas, Long Center
Alex Winkelman. Charity Bash
Amy and Al Wong Mok. Asian American Cultural Center
Armando Zambrano. Children’s Medical Center Foundation of Central Texas
For selected images Charity listees, go here.
COMPLETE 2009 FORTUNATE 500 LISTS:
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Charity, The 500
September 5, 2009
Fortunate 500 Top Picks: Charity
The Top Picks for the 2009 Fortunate 500 list of socially active area citizens were published in Glossy on Friday. In Out & About, we’ll mete out those Top Picks over the next few days. Then, beginning Tuesday, we’ll release the full lists and galleries.
Top Picks: Maria and Eric Groten
You always notice when Maria and Eric Groten sweep into a room. She’s the one with the soft, blonde mane, the unfurled eyes and the tennis-star features. He’s the sharpie with the clean pate, the quick smile and the unbridled passion for everything Austin. Actually, that’s something the couple shares. Eric, a partner and environmental lawyer at Vinson and Elkins, has headed the Zach Theatre board and served on the Ballet Austin board as well. Maria has chaired fundraising events for those to organizations, as well as the Long Center and the Center for Child Protection. They’ve already introduced their four children to the arts and to philanthropy (Maria likes to call herself the managing partner of the Groten family). This is a high-achieving brood who are sure to make several generations of positive impact on Austin.
For more 2009 Fortunate 500 updates, follow the category link below.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Charity, The 500
September 3, 2009
Charity Bartending at Ruth's Chris
Neat idea that should be copied: celebrity charity bartending …
Donaji Lira behind the counter
On Wednesday, it was apparel buyer Donaji Lira’s turn to take orders at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse …
Brenda Thompson and Ron Ramelli
A shiny crowd gathered among the overstuffed chairs and wood accents to machine-gun the orders at the former El Rey rep …
Robin Campbell and Joanie Reed
She earned $1,200 for the Texas Heritage Songwriters Association through the cash tips …
Mary Herr Tally and Linda Parker Traylor
I spent most of my time with clear-eyed publicist Brenda Thompson, whose reflections on life are even more acute than her observations on the Austin social scene.
Margie Hook and Mike Carr
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Charity
August 23, 2009
Helping Austin Ice Ball at the Austin Music Hall
Mighty proud of the Helping Austin Ice Ball …
Amy Kelly and Chris Langan
Just a few years ago, Helping Austin was a clutch of friends who could fit around a table at happy hour …
Michelle and Paul Weigand
Last year, they moved up to the Monarch Events Center, a nice, but hardly high-profile former movie theater near Highland Mall …
Craig and Amanda Moore
Now, thanks to Amy Stanley and friends … Helping Austin’s Ice Ball roared into the Austin Music Hall …
Bill Hopkins and Julie Nowlin
In other words, the charity big time … A VIP area upstairs got the action rolling (hey, has anyone else notice that the Green Water Treatment Plant just to the south is being demolished quickly?)
Youssef Lahlou and Victoria Gutierrez
Then the mammoth hall filled up quickly … A dozen or so restaurants set up service booths …
Greg Williams, Matt Raines
A silent auction spread over the hall’s north quadrant … Goddess auctioneer Victoria Gutierrez handled the live action …
Taylor Perkins, Meredith Davis
Two things amazed: The amount of money (in the six-figure range) raised for Big Brothers Big Sisters (who can argue with that?) …
Bryan Baralt, Tiffany Williams
Also the fact that, out of hundreds of charity revelers, I recognized maybe three —
Megan Felker, Mark Harrington
Stanley, Rare publisher Taylor Perkins and former Mayor Will Wynn, looking so tanned and relaxed, he might as well have been wearing metaphorical flip-flops. Good for him!
Shay Bourgeois and David Alley
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Charity, Nightlife
August 21, 2009
Care Communities Gala at TDS Exotic Game Ranch
As one might guess, a social columnist attends quite a few charity events …
Michael and Rachel Feferman
I hear a lot of speeches from staff, volunteers, clients, board members …
Judge Wilford Flowers and Simone Flowers
I see a lot of inspirational videos, hear uplifting musical acts …
Jeremiah Padgett and Alex Underhill
I witness a lot of giving in various forms — live auctions, silent auctions, pledges, ceremonial gifts …
Jeanne and Lou Little
I nibble at mostly OK food and sip mostly OK wine …
Cindy Howard and Gary Bechtol
I meet new people; renew friendships with familiar figures …
Leora Visotsky, Melissa Frederick and Carol Johnson
So I think I know about charity events …
Lisa Jackson and Katie Sternberg
Then one sneaks up on me …
Steven Tomlinson and Eugene Sepulveda
Like the Care Communities Gala at the TDS Exotic Game Ranch …
Suzanne Deal Booth and Patricia Parinejad
As with most fundraisers staged at the ranch’s pavilion near Creedmoor, this one on Thursday was fairly informal and helped out a small-to-mid-sized charity that benefited from the free facility …
Stephanie Dodoo and Micah Barber
But when time came for the three speeches from the group’s awardees — Tarrytown United Methodist’s Rev. Ann Beaty, Entrepreneurs Foundation’s Eugene Sepulveda and singer/songwriter Sara Hickman — I was moved beyond words by their simple, yet articulate and often religious reasons for backing the Communities’ team strategy for caring for people with HIV-AIDS and cancer. Amazing stuff.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Charity, Nightlife
August 14, 2009
Girls on the Run at Gibson Guitar Showroom
Girls on the Run is fairly new to Austin.
Molly Robbins, Carrie Peasinger and Soky Lustgarten
Yet the charity has already chased fitness, achievement and esteem goals for girls internationally.
Karen and Albert Saenz
Seems like a snug fit for our charitable and health-conscious town.
Deanna Johnson and Mike Ethan Messick
Their first fundraiser at the Gibson Guitar Showroom attracted a healthy pack of men and women (mostly women) and a healthy assembly of auction items.
April and Ruben Ramos
Once I left, I wondered why nobody at the Gibson cultural and social center was talking about electric guitar pioneer Les Paul, who died earlier that day.
Julie Nelson, Ashley McLean
Maybe they did after the band played.
Permalink | Comments (2) | Post your comment Categories: Charity
August 4, 2009
Social inclusion at Promiseland West, Part 2
For Part 1 of ‘Social inclusion at Promiseland West,’ see post below …
Women flowed into the auditorium in loosely cinched summer dresses and jeans. Men wore Hawaiian prints, golf-wear and square-cut shirts. I spotted only one pair of shorts, but numerous flip-flops. Their attire might be termed “Sunday casual.”
Light jazz played over the PA system as folks entered the broad, comfortable theater. Bandstands stood in dramatic half-light on the stage of the recently renovated auditorium. Twin screens flashed deft multi-media projections on either side of the proscenium arch.
At the appointed time, a choir broke into energetic songs in what music critics might call a “soft rock” or “indie rock” style, although it might be classified as “contemporary Christian” on the radio because of the subject matter. After a scriptural reading and prayer, pastor Randy Phillips, shifting weight from foot to foot, detailed the church’s many programs — common in contemporary churches — niche ministries for men, women, youth, etc. but also for divorced and single parents.
A surprise guest, country giant Larry Gatlin, also a congregant, tearfully sang a newly minted song. Then Texas first lady Anita Perry introduced the featured speaker, “Friday Night Lights” and “Northern Exposure” star Janine Turner. Like an actress in a screwball comedy, Turner raced through her thoughts on single parenting, climaxing in a hilarious account of one day’s anxieties, chores and crises. Pressing to the stage, single parents then received gift bags and chances at family-friendly prizes.
Again, Promiseland West is not the only church taking this fresh path, but it seemed to this first-timer a thoroughly Austin way of socializing faith.
Permalink | Comments (2) | Post your comment Categories: Charity
August 3, 2009
Social inclusion at Promiseland West, Part 1
So far, other than covering the parties associated with the 2008 presidential debates, conventions, election day and inauguration day, this social column has veered away from politics. Similarly, we’ve edged away from that other traditional social taboo, faith, except in the context of charity or volunteer events.
Pastors Randy and Denise Phillips’ conscious efforts to make Promiseland West a “safe place” for non-churchgoers as well as regular congregants produce intriguing social results. Their church is far from alone in these inclusive efforts, yet the Phillips are particularly generous about sharing their stories, which explains the banks of television cameras and print reporters at their services Aug. 2.
Sunday mornings, once the most segregated hours of the week, are strikingly nontraditional inside the congregation’s home at Westlake High School’s Performing Arts Center. Attendees of widely varied backgrounds and races visibly and vocally embraced the music, speeches and scenography of a special event designed for single parents (already detailed in Andrea Lorenz’s news article of Aug. 3).
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Charity
July 31, 2009
Steve Hicks' Star-Studded Birthday Bike Trek
March 5-20, arcing across Texas from Orange to Marfa, the Celebrity Ride will be outfitted by Trek Travel of Madison, Wisc. The event’s advisory board includes Kristin Armstrong, Sally Brown, Bart Knaggs, Tim McClure and Evan Smith.
Also committed to participate are Governor Rick Perry, Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst, Attorney General Greg Abbott, Comptroller Susan Combs, Gene Powell, Andrea McWilliams and Ray Benson. Hicks has asked Lance Armstrong to serve as honorary chair (his response is pending).
Sponsorship levels come in at $100,000, $5,000 and $1,000, making it potentially the richest single Austin fundraiser in recent history. (Hicks shown here with wife and philanthropist Donna Stockton-Hicks.)
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Charity
Rise School Sportsman Club Dinner at the Four Seasons
For a relatively small charity, the Rise School packs a deep bench.
Mack Brown and Marie Cloutier
Giant University of Texas names: Sally and Mack Brown, Darrell Royal, Major Applewhite, etc.
Michael Clark and Tina Garza
Colossal names in business and philantrhopy: Steve Hicks and Donna-Stockton Hicks, James Street, Susan and John Cullen, etc.
Nancy Rucker, Major Applewhite and Steve Hicks
And of course the educators who created the school that blends typical and non-typical students.
Pam Fielding, Conley Covert and Mac Cromwell
Thursday at the Four Seasons, the Sportsman Club dinner climaxed with Coach Brown’s preview of the coming Longhorn season.
Amy Higgins and Toni McClelland
Expect even bigger news from the Rise School later in the day.
Permalink | Comments (2) | Post your comment Categories: Charity
July 29, 2009
Children's Foundation unrolls simple, effective calendar enhancement
The Children’s Medical Center Foundation of Central Texas, already a fundraising juggernaut, introduced an incredibly simple, effective calendar enhancement at a luncheon this week.
And it lists two dozen foundation social events for the coming year. Just the names, venues and dates. Oh. My. Gosh. The answer to my dreams.
If only other larger charities used the same elegantly uncomplicated strategy.
To review, the foundation raised $11 million last fiscal year for the $170-million-a-year Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas.
The biggest chunk of that money comes in large individual donations from traditional gifters (like the Dell, Maxwell and Topfer families), but increasingly, other foundations kick in as well. Social giving from charity events also makes up a large percentage, too. For instance, $1 million was raised at the annual Children’s Council Gala, which drew more than 1,000 guests earlier this year at the Austin Convention Center.
The foundation feeds various programs — like research projects on the center’s campus — also medical equipment and its endowment, now at $14 million. That’s quite an accomplishment, given that the $200 million facility is only two years old and 90,000 children passed through its doors last year.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Charity
July 25, 2009
Craig Rancourt farewell at The Monarch
Craig Rancourt took to Austin quickly …
Sally and Kelly Jackson
Within months, he and his partner Oliver Everette had met dozens of other active Austinites …
Linda Ball and Forrest Preece
The couple specialized in bringing those people together at low-key social events, often over food …
Paula Angerstein and Paul Grosso
So it made sense that, in farewell, Everette and Rancourt would throw a bounteous dinner party …
Richard Hartgrove and Gary Cooper
Everette is staying in town, helping to run L Style G Style magazine …
James Armstrong and Larry Connelly
Rancourt has taken a job with a pharmaceutical firm in Boston …
Jeff Kessel and Marla Camp
They’ll trade weekends, which means we can see the commuting couple in Austin or Boston …
Kevin Smothers and Michael Pungello
Their dinner party at the Monarch, catered by Whole Foods, had been underway for mere minutes …
Karen Odom Spezia and Roy Spezia
Before I realized that a high percentage of Austin’s most social — and generous — couples were not only in attendance …
Lynn Yeldell and Alisa Weldon
The had become close friends of Rancourt and Everette.
Dana Friis-Hansen and Mark Holzbach
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Charity
July 18, 2009
Red Hot Party at Oilcan Harry's
Did you know that Friday’s Red Hot Party for Project Transitions was the charity event’s 19th iteration? …
Emcee meets singer: Rob Faubion, Murrah Noble
I didn’t …
Bar owner Larry Davis, Outcast Radio’s Stephen Rice
Shame on me. I’ve concentrated on — and participated in — some other annual PT events, such as Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner …
Ann Rostow, Mel Karst Schmidt (the married couple met at a Red Hot event!)
But this sweet tradition at Oilcan Harry’s includes silent auction, an unflappable returning party captain (Rob Faubion), singers (Andra Mitrovich, Murrah Noble) and bountiful buffet and the usual eye candy …
JR Sanchez, Erica Amaya
Oilcan’s — which seemed hit by new competition among gay bars on the block just weeks ago — was filling up fast …
Jeff Rudluff, John Williams
A divine way to kick off a weekend …
Callie Thompson, Elaine Holton
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Charity
July 13, 2009
Ideas hatched at a Fortunate Feast
How can the city’s most social citizens reach out to those who are not?
Our guests entertained that question over dessert on Sunday.
Thus, they’ll likely earn spots on the Fortunate 500 list when it is published in September.
So how can they spread the word? And how can the Fortunate 500 help Austin, besides just recognizing those who strengthen the commonwealth?
First, our six guests — Eugene Sepulveda, Steven Tomlinson, John Hogg, David Garza, Oliver Everette and Craig Rancourt — bonded over personal stories as Kip and I served dinner.
(All the courses were taken from Terry Thompson-Anderson’s “The Texas Hill Country” — herb-baked goat feta cheese; lavender-infused sangria; chunky garden gazpacho; arugula and bibb lettuce salad; pecan-crusted pork tenderloin; blackberry crostada; tarte a la frangipane. If these sounds like an overly rich feast, the portions were small and we shopped rigorously for fresh, less expensive ingredients.)
What about a series of small Fortunate Feasts, like this one, weaving together the disparate personalities on the list?
No. One guest rightly judged that could turn counterproductive, seen as an exclusive, elitist exercise. The Fortunate 500 is an inclusive list, not a traditional blue book of high society.
Another suggested gathering people around common interests. Fortunate 500 discussions or retreats, say, on vital topics might work.
Hard to organize. Still, going in the right direction.
Social media could provide an answer. What if the Fortunate 500 coalesced around LinkedIn or Facebook groups, over even Twitter?
That might work, too, but it still feels exclusive, especially if only those 500 individuals or couples could join digitally.
Hey! What if the Fortunate 500 hosted those Central Texans not on the current list, bringing folks of different backgrounds into the civic conversation, connecting them to nonprofits and broadening their social horizons?
That proposal sounded the most promising to me.
The idea is still raw. Yet you might read a story soon about how to throw a Fortunate Feast — or Fest — deliberately matching the avidly social with the not-as-social.
And Austin may just understand itself a tiny bit better.
Permalink | Comments (3) | Post your comment Categories: Charity
June 21, 2009
Austin Shakespeare House Concert in Tarrytown
Movin’ on up … to the West Side.
Tom Cronk, Kathryn Cronk
Since Ann Ciccolella took the reins of Austin Shakespeare, the theater company has expanded its scope and reach well beyond its historical bounds.
Sharon Watkins, Jean Works
The group’s highest-profile backer during the Ciccolella era has been gaming magnate Richard Garriott, whose Elizabethan-style theater on Lake Austin makes for magical special events. Yet the Garriott connection only takes one so far.
Yvonne Tocquigny, Carol Arnold, Helen Foster
Thanks to board president Boyce Cabaniss, however, Austin Shakespeare shot up in the fundraising hierarchy by hosting a Caroline Herring house concert at Yvonne Tocquigny’s contemplative Tarrytown house.
John Bernadoni, Margo Thomas
The guest list was definitely A List — and I’m not talking about nightclub-snaps variety. Among the luminaries were Nancy Scanlan, Jo Anne Christian, Fern Santini, Sharon Watkins, Margo Thomas, Lucia and Paul Woodruff, Gabrielle Sheshunoff, Tom and Kathryn Cronk, Jodi and Fred Zipp and John Bernadoni.
Gary Deaver, Christy Ten Eyck
I could stay for just the first hour of the event, but I was so impressed, I wouldn’t be surprised if Austin Shakespeare zoomed ahead of other small-to-midsized theater companies in the nonprofit sphere.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment
June 18, 2009
Charity Bash for Heritage Society at Paggi House
Old-school charities, such as the Heritage Society of Austin, are learning from new-school charities.
Carsi Mitzner, A.J. Bingham
You see, fresh, grassroots groups such as Charity Bash are connecting younger Austinites to worthy causes, such as the Heritage Society.
Scheleen Walker. Rep. Donna Howard
Sure, the blithe Bashers primarily give parties.
Adam Greenspan, Claire Vo
Sure, the guests are shockingly toothsome.
Kathryn Ballay, Cody Dyce
But they are raising money and awareness — between $2,000 and $3,000 from the door alone at Paggi House on Wednesday — like few other organizations.
Donald Park, Carlos Garza
Charity Bash’s Alex Winkelman, Jessica Gross and Taylor Perkins are the new godlings of Ausitn social giving.
Carlos Ortiz, Michele Skelding
The crowd of 300 or so wilted gently on the Paggi House porches — ideal for such an event.
Liz Burkhart, David Levy
Love it when a pedigreed traditional social group blends with an upstart new one. Don’t you?
Brett Williams, Leslie Poulsen, Chase Newell
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment
May 30, 2009
Breakfast with the Winkelmans
Oh boy. What a morning. Breakfast with the Winkelmans. There’s Suzanne and Marc, who’ve accomplished so much in their lives, melding business, education, politics and charities. And they’ve raised three remarkable children, Eli, Alex and Jake, all social connectors in their own rights. They nimbly combine entrepreneurial with charitable instincts. So does Grandpa from Detroit, in for a visit and a welcome addition to the mass interview, which had me laughing and nodding in agreement from the get-go. Don’t want to give away too much, but I’m planning a major profile of the Winkelman family. These things take time to percolate. So expect it later in the summer.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Business, Charity
May 26, 2009
What Would It Cost ... No. 2
Downtown encloses between 200 and 300 full blocks, not counting the Texas Capitol grounds. Lets say 50 of them are in very good to excellent condition. Which leaves about 250 blocks to complete.
Architect and urban planner Sinclair Black once told me it costs about $1 million to bring a full city block up to the “Great Streets” standards he pioneered with the first AMLI block on Second Street.
That translates into $250 million or a quarter billion dollars. That’s a big amount to swallow. Yet considering how much federal stimulus money proposed for expenditure by state and local leaders on various freeway flyovers — almost the same amount according to Statesman transportation reporter Ben Wear — the comparative value for encouraging density, green transportation and development of small businesses seems an open-and-shut case.
Permalink | Comments (5) | Post your comment Categories: Charity
May 17, 2009
Roll 2 Walk at South Austin Athletic Club
I estimate it would take almost 20 years to attend one nightly event for each of the more than 6,000 public nonprofits in Central Texas (see previous post).
Carly Millican, Haven Peschko
So I’m grateful when a nonprofit unfamiliar — to me — holds a social gathering not three blocks from our house. And at a convenient hour.
Jack Goodman, Tracy Frazier
Roll 2 Walk, an aggressive recovery program which helps people transition from traditional physical therapy into gyms such as the South Congress Athletic Club, is the latest to cross my radar.
Aaron Johnston, Jeni Godwin
I met executive director Keith-Ann Steed and talked at some length with social connector Tracy Frazier.
Tracy Frazier, Keith-Ann Steed
The match between charity and facility — formerly the Austin Rehearsal Center under the SoCo retail strip — seemed comfy.
Katie Phillips, Bryan Phillips
The whole project sounds worthy. And the South Congress gym regulars mingled merrily around light drinks and snacks.
Katherine Piaget, Paul Johnston, Lauren Dekker
Bonus: If I ever decide to join a gym — trading the social interaction for the solitude of our improvised garage workout zone — I have my eye on no-nonsense South Congress.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment
No wonder I'm so tired
Receiving an early briefing on a breakthrough Greenlights for Nonprofit Success’ study, Eugene Sepulveda from the Entrepreneurs Foundation of Central Texas learned this week that Central Texas is home to 6,309 public charities. You read that right. More than 6,000. Read about it in Community Matters.
Nimble as ever, Sepulveda responds: “My personal opinion, No, not too many started. Like business startups, why would you ever want to stifle the initiative and innovation? Should so many exist? Probably half the number being reported don’t, but have you ever tried killing an incorporated entity? Most don’t complete that process.
“Should more be retired by their boards, merge with others or at least participate collaboratively? Absolutely. And, it’s especially incumbent upon those of us on the boards of more mature — even institutional — nonprofits to look and push for opportunities to merge, collaborate and ‘acquire’ other nonprofits. I find comparisons between peer communities enlightening.”
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Charity
May 12, 2009
There's No Such Thing as a Free Lunch Luncheon at Renaissance Austin
Years ago, in between graduate school and full employment, Kip and I depended on the People’s Community Clinic.
Amy Dunkelberg, Albert Lin
As do tens of thousands of Austinites who are among the millions of Texans without health insurance.
Perla Cavazos, Ruby Cavazos
Almost no one denies the vital role the clinic plays in Austin’s health. Just look at the list of notables on the There’s No Such Thing as a Free Lunch Luncheon Committee: Dr. Nona Niland, Becky Beaver, Karen Burgess, Mary Margaret Farabee, Dr. John Hogg, M.P. Mueller, Judy Osborn, Nina Seely, Maria Sifuentes, Julia Null Smith, Sabrina Streusand, Claire Stuart, Margot Thomas, Tricia Traeger, Alisa Wledon, Stephanie Whitehurst and Lynn Yeldell. Stellar.
Joyce Durst, Chris Long
The snappy folks around our shared table discussed their histories with the clinic, with children (including Chris Long’s best little boy in the world.) and with the state’s precarious health safety net. Most pertinent was a discussion sparked by Marc Gold about how aging and disabilities affect the gay and lesbian communities.
Obviously…
An effective tool employed by the luncheoneers, by the way, were the menu-card stands that held, instead, pledge cards and envelopes that were gathered up by the table leaders in a metal lunch box. Clever.
Marc Gold, Kathryn Miller, Brenda Thompson
Several readers have asked after Nick and Nora, our Labs. Rest easy. Both have recovered from their misadventure on the Turkey Creek Trail. Still, as you can see, they need some fitness training before heading to Colorado in June!
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment
May 10, 2009
Links & Lyrics at the UT Alumni Center
A tip to first-time gala-goers: If Ed Clements is on the bill, go.
Cyrus Shennum, Rhianna Horan
Red-maned and round-faced, the KLBJ sports talk host looks as cheerful in person as he talks on the air. He can deliver a stinging zinger, but he’s happier celebrating victory than finding fault in defeat.
Casey Laine, Conley Covert, Stephanie Cramer, Jonny Rodgers
Clements, as at home with Austin music as with sports, helped organize Links & Lyrics, a fundraiser for Alzheimer’s Association of Travis County. He’s generous with his time, but selective about his causes. He serves on the association’s working board of directors.
Linda Traylor, Jonathan Traylor
In contrast to the Trekkie confab for the Austin Planetarium down the street at the Bullock, this golf-and-guitar function lured the polished and groomed set.
Terra Schuh, Mark Schuh
Some bore natural face-paint from a day in the sun, but others looked cool, collected in their summery attire.
Robert Pitman, Andy Albright
The orange-tinged UT Alumni Center is perfect for such events, which included Darrell Royal, Becky Beaver and Mary Margaret Farabee among the guests. It’s especially gratifying to see Royal out and about, his eyes beaming with pride.
Lynne Ohmstede, John Schweitzer, Nancy Horton, John Horton
There’s a quiet, low-slung dignity to the center, renovated by famed architect Charles Moore, whose final years were spent in Austin.
Lezlie Glade, Frances Netherton
Good hosts. Good cause. Good crowd. Good spread. Good night.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment
Nerds at Play: 'Star Trek' for Austin Planetarium
The meth-addled street hustler intended to put me in my place. “I bet you were a nerd in high school,” he bleated, his emerald eyes narrowing like a cat’s.
Amy McFadden, Roz Mandola
His verbal dart hit its mark. Yes, I had been a nerd. No amount of retro-cooling in my twenties — in that manner awkwardly documented in “Freaks and Geeks” — took away the social stain.
John Rebok, Rich MacKinnon
By some measures, my high school, Houston’s Strake Jesuit College Preparatory, was 100 percent geek. At least my geeky pre-teen and teen tribes were various: Drama queens, debate dorks, Tolkien elves, Boy Scouts.
Lucas Martell, Luke Lovett
Ultimately, I created a dweeb society of one, by declaring myself a Wordsworthian. Favorite movie: “Ryan’s Daughter.” Novelist: Henry James. Composer: Claude Debussy. Painter: J.M.W. Turner. Poet: Who else? English Romantic William Wordsworth.
I was a teen, after all. Forgive me.
Jennifer Ayers, Stephen Scott
By relative adulthood, nerds traded places with the socially at ease. They frustrated evil forces in “WarGames” (1983) and “Weird Science” (1985). More crudely, they conquered bullying jocks and won romance in the “Nerds” movie franchise (1984-1994).
Kaiti Carpenter, Stephen Carpenter
In larger life, too, they ruled. Bill Gates and his compatriots often outranked sports and rock stars for fame, wealth and, eventually, good works. Gaming and computing went universal. In our pockets, we carry more digital power than the computers that sent our astronauts to the moon. (This is not an attempt at smutty humor.)
By 2000, one could say without irony: “We are all nerds now.” Contemplate some of our cultural heroes. Fashion nerd: Ugly Betty. Magician nerd: Harry Potter. iNerd: Steve Jobs.
All along, head-busting crack for many younger nerds were their comic books and science fiction novels. As they aged, fanboys and their fangirl allies made cultural history through their compulsion to get lost within “Star Trek,” “Star Wars,” “Batman” and other alternate realities.
Jenny Ainsworth, Dustin Hay
All this reeled through my head during a long, jubilantly nerdy fundraiser for the Austin Planetarium during the “Star Trek” premiere at the Bullock IMAX theater on Friday.
Nerdiest of all: The planetarium doesn’t even exist, except in the fantasies of its backers, who are growing in numbers from the evidence of their social gatherings.
More to come…
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment
May 8, 2009
Celestino for Dell Children's Medical Center Foundation at Spazio
Classic.
Venus Strawn, Sergio Guadarrama
Or at least classical.
Nevada Pressley, Daniel Zwiener, Shadia Omar
That’s the best way to describe Celestino.
Julie Maples, Caren Burbach, Monica Byram
That’s the line by Sergio Guadarrama, formerly of Austin, now of New York.
Tamara Dorrance, Lilly Moskal
A pristine runway show at the pristine furniture and art gallery Spazio showed off Guadarrama’s feminine, wearable designs.
Ana Perkins, Cyndy Perkins
Scalloped beads, stiff tops and soft drapes came in waves down the runway, a lot of it with a wedding sensibility.
Tyler Carr, Amer Elliot of Brilliant Magazine
The fashion show benefited — or at least showcased — the Dell Children’s Medical Center Foundation of Central Texas, the city’s most successful nonprofit start-up.
Amber Kuhaneck, Ashley Escobar
In just a few years, it has raised more than $100 million for the new medical center at Mueller.
James Tohill, Everdil Tohill
As usual with Austin events, the guests and their attire skewed all the way from punky hip-hop to highly polished high fashion.
Lukas Ulrich, Adriana Gudarrama, Brett Worrell
And there’s still a place for a man in a cowboy hat.
The Celestino group.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment
Three new Out & About personalities
I met three fascinating people this week, two in person, one by phone. I anticipate all three contributing tremendously to my understanding of Austin’s wider social scene.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Charity
May 6, 2009
Sheryl Lee Ralph on being a diva and a DIVA
Sheryl Lee Ralph is an original Dreamgirl.
Meaning, she starred as Deena Jones in the 1981 Broadway production of “Dreamgirls.” Since then, she’s enjoyed a career on film, television and, especially, as an organizer, fighting HIV-AIDS through her DIVA Foundation.
Out & About: I know you’re a diva. But what’s a DIVA?
Sheryl Lee Ralph: It’s an acronym for Divinely Inspired Victoriously Anointed about the Business of Driving Infectious Viruses Away. We do more than help divas with wig and wardrobe problems. The DIVA Foundation was created 1990 as a memorial to all those who I had lost to HIV-AIDS (during the 1980s). As part of the Original Four (Dreamgirls) in June 1881, I remember that time. It was an ugly time, one I will never ever forget. It’s important that we never forget so we don’t keep repeating it.
You’ve made your work with HIV-AIDS very personal. Where do you see the crisis now?
It’s still terrible. If sex could be death for men, who would be next? Of course, women. Think about where it hit first — the stigmatized and marginalized — the gay community. Then it spread to women of color, another group that continues to be marginalized. Not just marginalized, not even considered. It’s women now; it’s got to be children next.
You’ve enjoyed a varied career. What advice will you give the Huston-Tillotson students?
I want to encourage them to live their lives out loud. Be true to themselves. Get those relationships right that you have to get right: The one you have with yourself and the one you have with God. Nothing can stop you. Stop thinking the way your parents taught you to think. Think for yourself. Very often the first thing, when they graduate, students think ‘I’ve got to get a job.’ No. You might take time to find your passion. What would you do for the rest of your life for absolutely no money. Then find out how to make it pay. Most people think they are their parents second chance. You are your own first chance.
Permalink | Comments (2) | Post your comment Categories: Charity
May 3, 2009
Austin Children's Museum matures at Browning Hangar
The Austin Children’s Museum is growing up by growing young.
Jill Lane, Rebecca McKee
At the museum’s first nighttime gala, two longtime philanthropists told me on the way out that they felt much older than everyone else under the Browning Hangar’s arc. I’m glad they joined the crowd, because almost every event that I attend includes a sprightly mix of ages. This one, perhaps dominated by young parents — and a few with offspring on the way — was no exception.
Susan Engelking, Caitlin Reilly, Gail Papermaster
The circus midway theme was amplified by a troupe of clowning performers and, later, elegant, slow Blue Lapis aerial dancing of a sort familiar to most audiences through Cirque de Soleil saturation. (Zounds! The core body strength!)
Laura Loudamy, Katherine Wallin
Of course, the organizers were most concerned about the impending storms from the north, but any tempests waited until the gala was completed.
George Farley III, LoRee Farley
Sure, events such as this one are much more difficult to stage than a mere luncheon for donors. Yet the singularity of the evening won’t be forgotten when the museum launches its drive for a home right there at Mueller.
Ellen Dorsey, Marsie Stauch
Speaking of — that campaign should start soon. I think the beauty and convenience of the development will encourage potential backers, as well as the proximity of other services for youngsters, including the Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas and the Rathgeber Village.
Amanda Webster, Brent Webster (she’s Gladiator Ally Davidson’s sister!)
I enjoyed this grown-up gala so much, I skipped the Flamingo-A-Go-Go event at The Monarch, which I’m sure shimmied and raised more money for cancer causes. Earlier in the day, voting for the Austin Critics Table nominations precluded several potential Derby parties and the Heritage Homes Tour.
Vandana Rawal, Rajiv Rawal, Gital Lal
Hey, if you can’t be flexible in this job, you’ll drive yourself nuts trying to partake in all the worthy socializing.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment
May 2, 2009
Social integers unite at Wildflower Gala
The Wildflower Gala unites people.
Malini Rajput, Vim Rajput
I talked to political legends and ordinary gardeners, working lawyers and rising artists, liberal activists and conservative donors at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
Victoria Corbett, Leslie Nowlin
Even the extended Johnson family was represented in contrasting modes by the legacy-minded Luci Baines Johnson and the whimsical Catherine Robb, who was wearing one of her grandmother’s White House gowns, despite being quite a bit taller than the late first lady.
Elena Barnes, Melanie Barnes
The night smiled on the gala again this year.
Deryn Davidson, Julie Krosley
The art — nature themed — improves every year, with big names like Lance Lescher and Kate Breakey leading the way. This time, credit super-active philanthropist Becky Beaver with that triumph.
Catherine Robb, Phillip Gibbs
I enjoyed a long conversation with John and Mary Jones, who usually fly under the social radar, but whose Austin home is complemented by a shared ranch, beach house and mountain cabin. (They obviously get along well with others.)
Mary Jones, John Jones
My (fake) cousin, Melanie Barnes, was there with her now-grown daughter, Elena. Last I saw her, she was a tender bud of a girl; now she’s a grown woman going off to college. Sigh.
Janet Wilson, Luci Baines Johnson
Some of my favorite people were there: Ray and Mary Margaret Farabee, Juan Miro and Rosa Rivera, Suzanne and Marc Winkelman.
Owen Brainard, Sally Brainard
The Center clearly appeals to Austinites concerned with the environment and sustainability as well as those more concerned with old-fashioned conservation and landscaping.
Kelly Ledford, Cassandra Jones
Not that those are conflicting goals, but that might help to explain the broad range of guests enjoying superior gala food and ambient music.
Claire Pinkerton, Joe Pinkerton
Does anyone hate the Wildflower Center?
Deacon Turner, Richard England
Personally, I love it when all the Austin partisans sit down together for the sake of art and nature.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment
May 1, 2009
East Night 2009
Is the Mexican American Cultural Center east? Or is it central?
Joaquin Mariel, Brent Perdue
PeopleFund’s East Night 09 took place at the MACC, which, except for some new construction, looks as stunning as it did when it opened.
Tanya Ladha, Jaime Noyola
Compared to the down-home Fiesta Gardens, where this group pushing economic opportunity staged East Night last year, the MACC is urban, cosmopolitan and — central. It will appear more so to the public as the Rainey Street neighborhood evolves and becomes more dense, inevitably.
Tina Fernandez, Lucia Fernandez, Margo Weisz
Not that East Night must take place east of Interstate 35. But it brings up a sore point: Too often, the highway is simplistically labeled the boundary between east and west Austin.
Eduardo Magaloni, Mary Palmer
Austin’s history is much richer and more varied than that, no matter which general statistics are brought to bear. And it is always changing. Always has.
Don Baylor Jr., Catherine Crawford
The MACC is — and should be — located centrally, because the heritage it serves is central to Austin. And PeopleFund, whenever possible, should be at the center of our attentions, too.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment
Toast of the Town at Mattsson/McHale residence
How could you not want to see the inside of Chris Mattsson and John McHale’s house?
Dana Friis-Hansen, Camille Lyons
The long, idiosyncratic residence opened eyes wide, back when Tom and Deborah Green had it built on Niles Road, perhaps Austin’s most exclusive address.
Dale Dewey, Karen Landa
Now it looks fresh and bright, thanks to Mattsson/McHale touches. And the art. Which is what a dozen or so people had come to see.
Jeff Russell, Scott Pennington
It was another small Toast of the Town fundraising event for St. David’s Community Health Foundation. The money actually accumulates over the course of several events, and goes to scholarships in the health sciences. Twenty-five are given a year and, when the newest crop comes in, 65 will be funded.
Maria-Gisela Mercado-Deane, Daniel Deane
I spent the most time with Dana Friis-Hansen, who was there to explain the hosts’ electic art collection for the gathering, and with flawlessly attired Karen Landa and Dale Dewey, who promised confirmation of some much-rumored business news soon.
Debra Pennington, Nancy Bowman
My favorite quote of the evening, however, came from Nancy Bowman, who said with convincing charm: “I read your column. Being from Old Austin, I don’t know any of the people you write about. But I read it.”
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment
Shout Out Awards at Covenant Presbyterian Church
I learned several things at the Shout Out Awards on Thursday.
Police Chief Art Acevedo, Niyanta Spelman
First, there’s an organization called Austin Voices For Education and Youth, which advocates strengthening schools and expanding opportunities for Austin’s youth.
Eric Metcalf, Fire Chief Rhoda Mae Kerr
Second, it’s helmed by a bold executive director, Amy Averett, who apparently can convince anyone of anything.
Jen Lentsch, Arturo Castellanos
Third, Austin civic leaders hold the group in high esteem. Police Chief Art Acevedo, Fire Chief Rhoda Mae Kerr and incoming AISD Superintendent Meria Carstarphen — as well as various candidates for area offices — made sure they showed up at the awards. Carstarphen even flew back from St. Paul just for the dinner at the Covenant Presbyterian Church on Northland Drive.
Jill Williams, Jerry Bock
And that’s the other thing I learned — the church just completed its $16 million fellowship and education building in time for the awards. The four-story complex includes facilities for adults, kids, Sunday school, even a gym. The church leadership sees it as a resource for the surrounding community as well as for members at Central Presbyterian. Expect to see more events there.
Meria Carstarphen, Amy Averett
On a final note last note, another dogged leader, Karrie League of Alamo Drafthouse fame, convinced me to attend, despite five competing social events that evening.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment
April 30, 2009
Concert for Candlelight at The Belmont
Certain charities glow.
Katie Moscoe, Anthony Gallo
I did not intend that statement as a pun. I swear.
Jason Allgood, Vanessa Johnson, Dennis Sims
Yet Candlelight Ranch, which provides Hill Country recreation for youngsters with disabilities, emanates uncomplicated good will from its staff, board and backers.
Laura Von Der Ahe, Leann Beadle, Ann Berry
Enfolded by a soft, forgiving dusk, Candlelight supporters gathered on the mod patio of The Belmont for a fundraising concert Wednesday.
Jenn Grogono, Martin Grogono, Wendy Wells
I stayed long enough to hear Phoenix Down, a stripped-down ambient indie act. The soft chords and suggestions of epic guitar eruptions complemented the occasion.
David Breed, Tara Gray
I met many Candlelighters, including past and present presidents David Breed and Tara Gray. Everyone, including board members, sensed that I didn’t need to be sold hard on the charity. Its growing reputation speaks for itself.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment
April 29, 2009
Signs from above
Walking while distracted, I spied two signs from a distance. Part of my mind misconstrued their religious meanings.
At University United Methodist Church on Guadalupe Street.
At first, I thought this announced a meeting of those who identified with the Roman governor of Judaea from 26 CE to 36 CE.
At the the First Church of Christ Scientist on Guadalupe Street.
An anti-homosexual admonition? Of course not.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Charity
April 28, 2009
Griffin School Re-Prom at Zilker Clubhouse
The Griffin School believes everyone should enjoy a prom.
Bryan Counts, Frog Froeba, Lawrence Morgan
So before the students at the microscopic North Campus liberal arts academy stage theirs, the adults have their way.
Eric Nelson, Marilia Souza
Faculty, staff, parents and former students gathered Saturday at the Zilker Clubhouse for a fundraising “Re-Prom.”
Natalya Medv, Tim Shelburne
That way, if the first prom — all those years ago — didn’t go well, then you’ve earned a second chance.
Rick Carpenter, Sarah Carpenter
The Dr. Seuss costume theme fit the imaginary regression to youth.
Richard Finley, Camille Latour, Chad Johnson
And the soulful band, T-Bird and the Breaks, got those prom dates up and thrashing.
Laura Britt, Suzie Roselle
My thanks to dear friend Lawrence Morgan, a Griffin trouper, for the invitation. And for Amazonian drag.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment
April 26, 2009
Doug, Lone Star Paralysis has already arrived
“Now that you’re here, we must have hit the big time.”
Eric Holle, Michelle Holle
So said Doug English, president of the Lone Star Paralysis Foundation. Wrong, Doug. You and your cause smacked the big time long before I crashed your gala at the Four Seasons Hotel.
Jeff Quade, Ali Cooper
After all, you were an All-Star defensive tackle for the Detroit Lions in the 1970s and ’80s after triumphing with the University of Texas Longhorns. And although you’re now 55, you’re still ruggedly handsome, with hands so big you could enfold both of mind in your fist. (Talk about a startling handshake.)
Gary Brightwell, Kristen Rini
And your foundation, which seeks a cure for spinal cord injury, has been raising hundreds of thousands of dollars on a regular basis. Your Four Seasons event drew 500 guests and netted between $200,000 and $300,000, despite lower admission prices this year.
Sadie Corrie, David Corrie
Sorry I couldn’t stay for comedian Bill Engvall’s set. He’s the classy component in the blue-collar comedy brigade. He even joked, in advance, that the American-Statesman was one of his favorite newspapers. (Good save, Bill.)
Doug English, Bill Engvall
One thing that distinguished this event was the swarm of security officials. Not as many as Tuesday, when Vice-President Joe Biden swooped into town, but numerous enough to arouse comment.
Curtis Meeting, Virginia Lee
Lone Star spokeswoman Emily Schmitz said extra force was necessary because of high-dollar auction items such as a signed Rolling Stones jacket. Plus Gov. Rick Perry showed up with his secret service.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Charity
April 25, 2009
ASH gets bigger BASH for '09
ASH BASH is not new. Yet it has been renewed.
Helen Heard, Chase Heard
The event raises money for the Austin State Hospital, a taxpayer-supported institution that nevertheless is always short of resources.
Dianna Pickens, Richard Smith
Backers sell patient and professional art at ASH BASH. That’s made it a rare blend of community and charity, staff and volunteer collaboration.
Alexis Ledesma, Joshua Sampson
Different this year was the push from a group of social connectors to make it a headliner event. Among the many supporters was Marcy Hoen, particularly adept at networking business, social and artistic assets.
Roi James, Dr. Amy Myers
Among the familiar faces I encountered on the 18th floor of 816 Congress was Richard Smith, former columnist for the American-Statesman and longtime cable news commentator. Among my new acquaintances was a social sparkler, Donna Pickens, wife of former state Rep. Ace Pickens. This West Texas bundle of kinetic energy told me more fascinating stories in five minutes than most people can muster in five hours.
Richard Gonzalez, Megan Jaster
With several hundred guests present in the raw office space, BASHers estimate that attendance at this year’s event perhaps doubled previous outings. We wait to hear the net take.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment
April 22, 2009
Tracking Austin's social giving
Is charitable giving down? Is social giving up?
But what about social giving? Does anyone track that?
We attend several fundraisers each week and organizers routinely report record nets. Perhaps this is because they are spending less — 25 percent, say, rather than 30 or 40 percent — on the events themselves. That tends to improve the bottom line.
Those fundraisers are one component in “social giving.” I like to define it as “giving in front of other people.”
Some donors prefer to write checks in private. Nothing wrong with that.
Others give through social outlets — parties, auctions, athletic races, meetings, volunteer opportunities, giving clubs.
This kind of giving increases the social bond among the givers and with the nonprofit group. One is contributing time or treasure in public, not for vanity — although that universal human weakness can play a part, surely — but because putting your name on something in front of other people means you believe in it.
Austinites, I suspect, are particularly drawn to social giving. We are a participatory society by nature. And the idea giving here is not limited to some imaginary upper crust.
Studies have shown that, on a dollar or per capita basis, we are not a spectacularly charitable city, however. Our history of serious philanthropy is alarmingly short.
Yet Austinites give in increments. And they give in public. And that does not seem to have disappeared in a bruised economy.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Charity
April 20, 2009
Rise School of Austin Gala at the Steve Hicks-Donna Stockton-Hicks Residence
I always feel privileged to visit the home of Steve Hicks and Donna Stockton-Hicks. The Renaissance Revival manse, planted on a serene piece of hilly Pemberton land, is like something out of an antiquarian’s dream.
Steve Hicks, Donna Stockton-Hicks, James Street
You cross a vine-covered ravine to reach a cluster of buildings. The big one, restored to its original integrity by Stockton-Hicks, rises to your right. Two matching outer buildings peek out from greenery to the left.
Mandy Myers, Mack Brown, Sally Brown
Out back, one finds a civilized terrace bracketed by loggias and overlooking a professionally dappled lawn, more out-buildings, a beautifully shaped pond and manicured gardens. It’s the kind of design synthesis so secure in its origins and surroundings, it could date back 500 years, not just a few decades.
Susan Cullen, John Cullen
I had returned Sunday for the Rise School of Austin Gala. Aimed at children with Down Syndrome and other developmental delays, the Rise School also integrates typically developing kids with its primary clients, as I learned from Dinah Street’s uplifting address to a dignified group seated under a modest tent.
Dinah Street, Ryan Street
She was only one of many Streets — Austin sports and business royalty — in attendance, along with her husband Ryan and his father, James. The latter brought in plenty of marquee power, along with Edith and Darrell Royal and Mack and Sally Brown.
Lisa Youngblood, Wes Youngblood
Horns were hooked, and some of the live auction items included access to coaches and players next football season. Among the other big shots I greeted under the tent were John and Susan Cullen (he teams with Hicks at Capstar Partners), Venus Strawn, resplendent in a floral frock, as well as that super-couple, Michelle Valles and Ray Benson.
So I felt triply blessed, by the surroundings, the guests and the commendable cause.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment
Starry, Starry Night Gala for Girls' School of Austin at the Four Season Hotel
You learn things at galas. I learned about the Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders at two parties the past season. I learned about the Girls’ School of Austin at a gala on Sunday.
Suzanne Quinn, Cathleen Sutherland
Talking to parents, teachers and backers, I heard familiar praise: That the single-gender experience within a small student body and even smaller classes is highly effective for certain types of students. (It did for me: I attended the similarly structured Strake Jesuit in Houston.)
Alva Learmonth, Jennifer Hotz
On another scale-related issue, the school’s Starry, Starry Nights Gala fit the Four Seasons Hotel banquet rooms like Cinderella’s shoe. No crowding. Plenty of time and space for the silent auction in the lobby. (Hint to organizers: Cash bars undercut auction sales. Not that I was indulging, mind you.)
Elizabeth Nieto, Jenny Smrekar
I didn’t stick around for the grub, either, but I’ll gamble it was special. Almost always is at the Seasons. And the staff sets the gold standard for service in town.
MaryPat Bolger, Frank Curry
In fact, they go too far sometimes. I kid them about their over-protective policies regarding guests’ privacy privileges. Once, a concierge refused to tell me the correct name of a gala over the phone, as if fact-checking the title might compromise the event’s security. Can’t be too careful, I guess.
Brandon Smith, Farren Smith
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment
April 17, 2009
Crawfish Boil for the Busby Foundation at Stubb's
Because fraternities and sororities are, by definition, closed societies, it’s easy to forget, if you are on the outside, that they often do good works. And they do so without much publicity.
Guy Perry, Nicole Perry
(In fact, they could use some expert media relations advice. Maybe one of those crack University of Texas teams of publicity-skilled students could take them on as projects, one at a time.)
Anne DeVries, Tracie Dickey
Phi Delta Theta, for instance, stages a huge fundraiser for the Busby Foundation, a local charity that provides support for families dealing with ALS.
Peggy Mosteller, Tim Mosteller
It is named for Bo Busby, who, before his death in 2006, seems to have met everyone, including many of these pre-, post- and present-fraternity brothers, along with family and friends. He headed Hill Partners Corporate Services, LLC as well, so the crowd included representatives from law, business and real estate.
Tim Gray, Melissa Gray
The Phi Delta Theta Crawfish Boil has reached its fifth year without any sign of diminution. The central draw is the huge tubs of the reddish pink critters, piled high on butcher paper. Beer is the beverage of choice.
Griffin Byatt, Crystal Lincoln, Travis Alvarado
They also came for Bob Schneider, the consummate professional, who is capable of attracting a crowd of 1,000 more intense followers to the outdoor Stubb’s stage, even though he plays Austin almost every week.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment
April 15, 2009
'One Peace at a Time' Party at Austin Museum of Art
Turk and Christy Pipkin apparently can do no wrong.
Roni Gendler, Jonathan Saad
They’ve waltzed their way through several careers worth of entertainment.
Kate Gose, Matt Naylor (the movie’s editor/associate producer)
More recently, they’ve turned their prodigious energies to the global stage, where they work to solve massive problems, in the terms of the latest Pipkin movie, “One Peace at a Time.”
Courtney Rainwater, Caroline Boudreaux, Myndi Garrett
The earlier “The Nobelity Project,” which focused the minds of Nobel Prize winners on crushing issues of hunger, poverty and such, attracted a national cast of celebrity supporters.
Mariel Falbo, Fred Falbo
Some of those were in attendance at the Austin Museum of Art, for a “One Peace at a Time” pre-party; at the Paramount Theatre, for the premiere screening, and at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, for the after-party.
Philip Berber, Turk Pipkin, Christy Pipkin, Donna Berber
Founders of various charitable foundations, including Glimmer of Hope and Miracle, were present, as were big names on the social and philanthropy scene.
Nav Sooch, Whitney Casey
We met a few for the first time, caught up with others, and also made a fool of ourselves, failing to recognize some of the city’s most notable notables.
Charles Duggan, Garth McGuire
The pre-party was spiced up by Leslie Moore’s Word of Mouth Catering’s niblets and some of the best Texas wine from Becker Vineyards.
Suzanne Winkelman, Sherry Matthews
The only thing missing was Amy’s Ice Cream, although instead we got a chance to meet Amy and Steve Simmons, which is even better.
Eloise DeJoria, Eddie Safady, Donna Berber
We quizzed producer Charles Duggan about his plans to jump back into the local theatrical gambit. And we spent the most time with the Winkelmans, a multi-generational family social entrepreneurs who have blazed new trails for conscience and commitment.
Anika Kunik, Steve Simmons
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment
April 7, 2009
Media Relations 8: Sweet Media for Sweet Leaf Tea
At the McCombs School of Business, students in Ben Bentzin’s marketing class spend a good chunk of the semester helping out local businesses with recently acquired skills. Banking off that premise, I geared my quickie media-relations workshop for those particular semester-long projects during two of Bentzin’s classes on Thursday.
I’m now tracking several students marketing/media relations groups. It will take a while to enter the reports into the system. I promise to follow them for at least a month.
As usual, each group of six or more students divided up the tasks of pitching me live — via Facebook, Twitter, e-mail, texting, imaging, phone and face-to-face — and I responded honestly as a working journalist.
Student Group: Sweet Media
Austin Client: Sweet Leaf Tea
A classic case of excellent marketing making for weak media relations: Deftly named Sweet Media proposed a story for Austin-grown Sweet Leaf Tea: “Granny goes on tour.” The reference, of course, was to the Sweet Leaf logo lady, and food goliath Nestle investing millions in the local company so it could expand outside niche markets.
Yep, that’s true. Trouble is, our Biz department had already done a banner story on the the Nestle venture. What fresh idea worked for the social columnist? Sweet Media never quite got there during our short class time. But there’s still plenty of time to develop this story online…
My suggestion: Talk about Sweet Leaf’s success as a cocktail mixer promoted through lifestyle marketing in this city. It’s amazing.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Charity, Food
Media Relations 7: Five Media for Eliza Page
At the McCombs School of Business, students in Ben Bentzin’s marketing class spend a good chunk of the semester helping out local businesses with recently acquired skills. Banking off that premise, I geared my quickie media-relations workshop for those particular semester-long projects during two of Bentzin’s classes on Thursday.
I’m now tracking several students marketing/media relations groups. It will take a while to enter the reports into the system. I promise to follow them for at least a month.
As usual, each group of six or more students divided up the tasks of pitching me live — via Facebook, Twitter, e-mail, texting, imaging, phone and face-to-face — and I responded honestly as a working journalist.
Student Group: Five Media
Austin Client: Eliza Page
Elizabeth Serrato’s Second Street District boutique, Eliza Page, is well known in style circles. So the student group, Five Media, had a problem: How to make Serrato’s story fresh?
Through electronic messages, they emphasized Serrato’s outreach to local jewelry designers. This is a promising pitch, but as of yet, too vague and general. Which designers? And why?
The vague pitch is hardly uncommon. I just received one from an Austin source who has been pushing his ballroom dancing program for what seems like decades, and it’s the same every time: Do a story on us. What story? Let’s be specific.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Charity, Style
Media Relations 6: Pinnacle Media Solutions for Solid Gold
At the McCombs School of Business, students in Ben Bentzin’s marketing class spend a good chunk of the semester helping out local businesses with recently acquired skills. Banking off that premise, I geared my quickie media-relations workshop for those particular semester-long projects during two of Bentzin’s classes on Thursday.
I’m now tracking several students marketing/media relations groups. It will take a while to enter the reports into the system. I promise to follow them for at least a month.
As usual, each group of six or more students divided up the tasks of pitching me live — via Facebook, Twitter, e-mail, texting, imaging, phone and face-to-face — and I responded honestly as a working journalist.
Student Group: Pinnacle Media Solutions
Austin Client: Solid Gold
Right away, the women of Pinnacle Media Solutions personalized their pitch for Solid Gold by suggesting that Nick and Nora, our Labs, would love it. Would appear that Solid Gold is a place to purchase goods for your pets
“New dog-friendly boutique, Solid Gold, comes to East Austin. Come in to shop for high-end, organic and fair trade clothing with your dog!” arrived one e-mail from Pinnacle.
Attempts to follow up on the Internet and by phone determined that Solid Gold is in fact a good place to shop for human clothing and accessories, as well as to sample the usual day-spa services. But for pets? Not according to the receptionist or the Web site.
Wonder why I got this pitch so wrong. Maybe Pinnacle can explain.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment Categories: Charity
Media Relations 5: Music City Media for Austin Java
At the McCombs School of Business, students in Ben Bentzin’s marketing class spend a good chunk of the semester helping out local businesses with recently acquired skills. Banking off that premise, I geared my quickie media-relations workshop for those particular semester-long projects during two of Bentzin’s classes on Thursday.
I’m now tracking several students marketing/media relations groups. It will take a while to enter the reports into the system. I promise to follow them for at least a month.
As usual, each group of six or more students divided up the tasks of pitching me live — via Facebook, Twitter, e-mail, texting, imaging, phone and face-to-face — and I responded honestly as a working journalist.
Student Group: Music City Media
Austin Client: Austin Java
Austin Java has been breaking ground on the local coffee house scene for years. Now it’s introducing a “green roaster.” The lively gang with Music City Media — see them rocking out above — seemed extremely jazzed about the concept.
Yet they had a hard time telling me what it meant. Somehow, the smoke from the roasting is recycled — or something. I look forward to a more complete explanation later, because anything “green” is worth investigating.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Charity, Food
Media Relations 4: Omar's Media Solutions for Greenlings
At the McCombs School of Business, students in Ben Bentzin’s marketing class spend a good chunk of the semester helping out local businesses with recently acquired skills. Banking off that premise, I geared my quickie media-relations workshop for those particular semester-long projects during two of Bentzin’s classes on Thursday.
I’m now tracking several students marketing/media relations groups. It will take a while to enter the reports into the system — and it’s going slower than I though it would. I promise to follow them for at least a month.
As usual, each group of six or more students divided up the tasks of pitching me live — via Facebook, Twitter, e-mail, texting, imaging, phone and face-to-face — and I responded honestly as a working journalist.
Student Group: Omar’s Media Solutions
Client: Greenling
Greenling is an organic food group. It is throwing a soiree at a private home in San Antonio, with selections of Greenling products. The best recipes will go into a planned Greenling Central Texas seasonal cookbook.
Omar’s made the tasting soiree sound inviting. Yet is in San Antonio, way outside my usual beat. Additionally, despite the links to an Web site about the event, I was still unsure after our various correspondence what exactly the promised Greenlings were. (Actually, it’s singular, and Greenling is a an organic delivery service.)
Since it’s an Austin company, I’m cool with reporting on their future events, as long as they are closer to home. Although we travel, most newspaper work has always been local, local, local.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Charity, Food
April 5, 2009
Media Relations Group 3: Voyage for HomeAway
At the McCombs School of Business, students in Ben Bentzin’s marketing class spend a good chunk of the semester helping out local businesses with recently acquired skills. Banking off that premise, I geared my quickie media-relations workshop for those particular semester-long projects during two of Bentzin’s classes on Thursday.
I’m now tracking several students marketing/media relations groups. It will take a while to enter the reports into the system, but by the end of the weekend, they should be launched. I promise to follow them for at least a month.
As usual, each group of six or more students divided up the tasks of pitching me live — via Facebook, Twitter, e-mail, texting, imaging, phone and face-to-face — and I responded honestly as a working journalist.
Student Group: Voyage
Austin Client: HomeAway
The Pitch: The group calling itself Voyage could not hope for a better client. HomeAway, the vacation rental Web site, is among Austin’s fastest growing companies. Its product is well-designed, useful and associated with good times.
Cleverly, some of the electronic pitches referred to a recent Out & About posting about my heading to Alaska. This personalized the messages, especially delivered via social media. It broke the ice, so to speak.
During the phone and face-to-face pitches, however, Voyage reps offered free or discounted services, something no journalist with integrity could accept. How could they have known? It’s a learning experience. This energetic group will find a way to reconfigure their pitch for a story.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Charity
April 4, 2009
Adoption Coaliton of Texas Gala at the Austin Club
The cause is peerless. The institution demonstrably effective. The supporting evidence is moving in the extreme.
Lara Wendler, Austin City Council Member Mike Martinez
Yet the Adoption Coalition of Texas Gala at the Austin Club seemed a bit out of joint. At 8 p.m., the guests moved from drinks in the foyer area of the main upstairs room to the dinner tables. Yet dinner — even salad, or water — was yet to come. By 9 p.m. some were heading for the door.
Jason Reese, Stacey Reese
Presentations, anecdotes, testimonials, a video took up the next hour as the guests appeared both transfixed by the message, but restless with the staging. (At first, I lingered in the foyer with about one fourth of the guests, then moved around the dining area to take photos and ask questions.)
Catie Beck, Clinton Butler
Coalition director Tracy Eilers runs a tight ship, and nothing would interrupt the presentation, not even an errant video. What she might not have realized is that each part of the program was rhetorically effective on its own. Repetition can turn into overkill.
Bella Guzman, Steve Guzman
State Sen. Steve Ogden was thanked many times for his honorary chairmanship. Ogden admitted that, as a senator, his speech would naturally exceed 10 minutes, and nobody would argue with his smooth, funny, practiced delivery. He spoke touchingly about his adopted son, Chaz, and his wife, Beverly, whom he volunteers to solve the most difficult problems.
(Pregnant with their second!) Crystal Cotti, State Rep. Mark Strama
Yet the emotional highlight of the evening was the appearance by Alice Jones, a Vietnamese American child who spent 16 years in foster homes, but was not adopted, even by her last foster parents. She met Eilers and told her that story, and, at age 36, the computer programmer from Houston was adopted by Kate Held, originally from the Carolinas.
Judge Andy Hathcock, State Rep. Valinda Bolton
Jones and Held told stories you couldn’t imagine even in novels. They were the evening and the message: “There’s never a time in life when you don’t need a family.” Bless them both.
Alice Jones, Kate Held
KVUE and Fox 8 were recognized for running segments on children available for adoption. Eilers, as well as the gala chairwomen, were presented with bouquets. The crowd included several prominent politicians (I met for the first time Mike Martinez’s new bride, Lara Wendler. Mozel to both of them.)
State Sen. Steve Ogden, Beverly Ogden
A quick word about the private Austin Club as a gala venue. It’s tight for a crowd this size. The grandness of the bar/dining area suits some purposes, not others. I, of course, mourn the building’s passing as a theater (Miller Opera House), but you know, it kind of works for events like this. I’d like to see more there.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment
Michael Huff Charity Casino at Gibson Guitar Showroom
The fans arrived early. The NFL players a bit later. The Michael Huff Charity Casino at the Gibson Guitar Showroom dovetailed neatly with Texas Relays-related festivities, which means it was just one of many social commitments hosts and guests made on Friday.
Kathy J, Tee Lynee, Comfort Agara, Brandy Broussard, Raquel Raquel
Still, guests were shy about playing the games of chance and skill until former Longhorns Michael Huff and Derrick Johnson sidled up to the tables.
Nicole Durand, Vince Galloway
Both men — Huff alert and fastidious, Johnson tall and quiet — drew the similarly dressed women (associated models travel in flocks to certain parties) and the hip-hop attired young men to the play.
Jennifer Mueller, Gregg Mueller
The music, however, early in the evening was bright jazz. People steered toward hearty food from Renee’s Catering. Others gravitated to the sports photos, signed jerseys and musical instruments that dominated the silent auction.
Karen Viotto, Dan Viotto (austin.com)
I wavered for a bit, wondering if my youngest brother remembered how he idolized Early Campbell in the 1970s. A framed and signed jersey beckoned. And his 50th birthday is not that far off.
Michael Huff, Marques Haynes, DJ Warrior
The NFL players didn’t seem too gregarious early in the evening. Polite when addressed, they tended to seek the margins of the room, as if they’d had their fill of the spotlight.
Dondra Wilson, Derrick Johnson, Cissy Stasio
The early closing of Highland Mall and some Sixth Street clubs during the Relays weekend popped up in several conversations. Everyone seemed baffled. The unwelcoming act just didn’t jibe with the Austin ethos.
Mike Hissey, Rhonda Hissey, Brian Northridge
The revelers didn’t let it dampen their spirits. Non-sports celebrities and ordinary ticket-purchasers mingled easily with the NFL elite, who could have benefited from an ID system. People don’t really look like they do on TV or from Row 73.
James Carranco, Chris Zabaneh
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment
Media Relations Group 2: All About MEdia for Neighborhood Longhorns
At the McCombs School of Business, students in Ben Bentzin’s marketing class spend a good chunk of the semester helping out local businesses with recently acquired skills. Banking off that premise, I geared my quickie media-relations workshop for those particular semester-long projects during two of Bentzin’s classes on Thursday.
I’m now tracking several students marketing/media relations groups. It will take a while to enter the reports into the system, but by the end of the weekend, they should be launched. I promise to follow them for at least a month.
As usual, each group of six or more students divided up the tasks of pitching me live — via Facebook, Twitter, e-mail, texting, imaging, phone and face-to-face — and I responded honestly as a working journalist.
Student Group: All About MEdia
Austin Client: Neighborhood Longhorns.
The Pitch: This group chose a nonprofit client that uses the charisma of UT sports to promote achievement in elementary and middle schools. “Are you a sports fan?” the clever marketers asked. Of course, had they been reading me regularly, they’d know the answer, but a good opener. Then they made an enticing pitch via various media: Interview Mack Brown, Colt McCoy and Quan Cosby during a “Lunch with the Coach” session.
Although I’d just met Cosby for the first time at the Beyond the Lights Celebrity Golf Classic, the chance to chat with Brown and McCoy is rare for a reporter who does not work for the newspaper’s sports department. And they are big names. I jumped at it. Only trouble — the lunch was the previous week, so the pitch missed its target. I hadn’t emphasized enough in the prep time that the subjects had to be entirely factual.
Hey listen, keep trying, guys. Good cause. Good celebrity gets. If you can get them.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Charity
April 2, 2009
Exclusive Report: Preview Party for the Lance Armstrong Foundation Headquarters
He wanted to help at least one other person with cancer. He has, instead, helped millions. Lance Armstrong started his drive against cancer way back in the 1990s, while he was still under a possible death sentence from the disease and before he won seven Tours de France.
Thursday night, a few dozen invited guests previewed the Lance Armstrong Foundation Headquarters, home for 70 or so staff members on East Sixth Street. “We began as friends and family determined to beat the disease,” Armstrong said. “Now it’s a great organization, efficient and effective with a special place to work.”
NASA astronauts Karen Nyberg, Mark Kelly
Guests, staff and board members milled around the former lumber yard and paper warehouse, which the architects at Lake Flato and The Bommarito Group have turned into a buzzing hive of bright activity (LiveStrong yellow is a contributing color). The primary room is shared among all, with saw-toothed skylights high above the cubicles to let in plenty of light. Smaller rooms that look like packing crates are placed at strategic spots for meetings and such.
Public Strategies’ Mark McKinnon, Annie McKinnon
Incredibly, 95 percent of the original building materials were reused and recycled. A Nike-backed fitness room waits off to the side and a “pit” for mass meetings and meals backs the west wall — itself leading to a patio. WiFi ties everyone together and allows them to migrated around the 30,000 square-foot building. (In the foundation’s previous offices on MoPac, there was no space large enough for the staff to meet, and the employees were separated into three separate suites.)
Foundation Employees Nos. 2 & 3: Liz Kreutz, Renee Nicholas
“Dealing with such a heavy subject, it’s good to have such a light, happy place to work,” said Renee Nicholas, Employee No. 3 at the foundation, and dealing with her own breast cancer challenge now.
Jack Reed, Sally Reed, Foundation President Doug Ulman
I talked with Eric Shanteau, the Austin Olympian who overcame testicular cancer to prepare for the World Games in Rome. (He checked out the competition at the NCAA swimming finals in College Station last week.) I met Bill Gimson the “$3 Billion Man,” who was recruited from the Centers for Disease Control to run the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (recall Armstrong’s championing the taxpayer funding proposition).
Becky Treviiño, Philip Chang of the Young Leaders Cancer Council
There was Ramona Treviño, principal of the University of Texas elementary school across the street, and, wearing his jaunty hat, Public Strategies’ Mark McKinnon (he’s on the foundation board). Doug Ulman spoke eloquently — he’s the former Brown University soccer player who went three rounds with cancer, met Armstrong by e-mail, and now is president of the foundation.
UT diversity specialist Martha Oestereich, UT elementary school principal Ramona Treviño
“It’s been a once-of-a-lifetime opportunity to be part of the design and part of the staff teamwork, and to be embedded in the community as we are on East Sixth Street,” Ulman said. “I was always excited to go to work, but now I’m really excited.” The building will open to the public April 21. (According to the foundation’s amazing spokeswoman, Rae Bazzarre, Armstrong discovered the building while on an East Austin bike ride.)
Armstrong’s key players: Mark Higgins, Bill Stapleton
Among the most touching mementoes is a table with five chairs from Z’ Tejas, representing the place where Armstrong first dreamed up LiveStrong with Bill Stapleton, Bart Knaggs, Gary Seghi and John Korioth over lunch. Even the menu is there.
Andy Miller, Dr. Amelie Ramirez, Bill Gimson, head of the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas
At the evening’s climax, NASA astronauts Karen Nyberg and Mark Kelly presented Armstrong with his yellow jersey they took into space, where it traveled around the Earth 200 times and a distance of 5.8 million miles.
Clayton Christopher, Natasha McRee
Kelly shared a quick anecdote about hearing that he and his family would get to meet the first man on the moon, Neil Armstrong. When he asked his daughter, then 8 or 9, if she was excited, she said, “Yes, I get to meet Lance Armstrong!”
Nick Denby, Eric Shanteau, Olympian
Oh, and how was the comeback competitor doing after his extensive collarbone repair? He looked and sounded as healthy as ever. “I feel like a patient again,” he said. “But it’s going good for those of you who were wondering.”
Permalink | Comments (2) | Post your comment
Media Relations Group 1: UT ME for Amy's Ice Cream
At the McCombs School of Business, students in Ben Bentzin’s marketing class spend a good chunk of the semester helping out local businesses with recently acquired skills. Banking off that premise, I geared my quickie media-relations workshop for those particular semester-long projects during two of Bentzin’s classes on Thursday.
I’m now tracking several students marketing/media relations groups. It will take a while to enter the reports into the system, but by the end of the weekend, they should be launched. I promise to follow them for at least a month.
As usual, each group of six or more students divided up the tasks of pitching me live — via Facebook, Twitter, e-mail, texting, imaging, phone and face-to-face — and I responded honestly as a working journalist.
Student Group: UT ME
Austin Client: Amy’s Ice Cream
Pitches for stories so far: On the surface, it would seem that Amy’s Ice Cream, the longtime Austin institution, would make an easy pitch for media coverage. Fun food. Fun service. Just fun. Yet UT ME ran into a common obstacle with its first tweets, e-mails, etc. — finding a story angle that the media has not already covered.
It was not until the face-to-face pitch that I heard — a saw mimed — a part of the Amy’s experience I didn’t know about: The employment application sketched on a paper bag. Applicants can do with the bag whatever they want — make it into a balloon, whatever. I didn’t know that. Or maybe I just forgot. Next step: Research to see if we’ve covered that particular element in a big way before, and if so, when? UT ME, your move.
Well done. Well done.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Charity, Food
March 30, 2009
Michael Huff on his NFL Celebrity Weekend
Michael Huff is back. The former Longhorn defensive stand-out, 2005 Jim Thorpe Award winner and current Oakland Raider is returning to Austin for his second annual NFL Celebrity Benefit this weekend. We talked with him by phone from California.
Growing up, I never had that kind of support around me. I had it from my family, but not from outside. Just to see NFL players and be around them would have brightened my day and focused me even more.
Your charities are Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas and Women Called Moses Coalition and Outreach Center in Dallas. Why?
I love kids. I don’t have any, but I love being around them. Visiting the hospital, seeing what some are going through, it tests my heart. As for the (Dallas center for abused women), I’m close to my mom, and I always wonder if what happened to them, happened to her.
You grew up in Irving, where you family still lives. Is Austin like a second hometown?
It’s my one-and-half hometown. (He laughs) I was there five years. Coach (Mack) Brown is like my dad. The other players were like my brothers. You go through all that blood, sweat and tears, you never forget it.
But you’re in California now.
I live in Texas; I work in Oakland. I’m a Texas boy at heart. It’s hard to get adjusted out here.
It’s not a coincidence that your event coincides with the Texas Relays, right?
The Texas Relays have always been big in my life. I’ve been running track since I was 5. And you know, the athletes are already in town, so it’s easier to get them involved. And for the people at the track meet, it’s hot outside, they can come into the air conditioning for a while, the go back to the meet.
It’s such a social weekend. A lot going on.
A lot going on. We have trouble getting rooms for all the players. We have to plan a year out. We’re thinking of maybe syncing more closely with the Relays down the line.
So NFL players on the basketball court. Quite a sight. Did you all play high school basketball?
Everybody except me. I was the one not blessed with any basketball talent at all. I may be the best worst basketball player. I look good in my shoes and everything. But not dribbling or making shots. There are guys out there dunking, making me look bad.
So you keep up with Michael Griffin, who owns a house here.
Griff, he’s the one I keep in touch with, yes. I lived with him at Texas. I’m gonna hang out at his house, drive all his cars. Always keep up with Griff.
Playing in the NFL must be quite a switch from college ball.
You don’t appreciate it until you leave. I tell (the new players), cherish every moment at Texas. It’s the best out there. The NFL is all business, not as much fun. There’s not that bond you have in college. That’s where it happens.
Events and stars: The second annual Michael Huff NFL Celebrity Benefit includes a visit to the Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas, a private Evening with the Stars casino night, and the NFL celebrity basketball game at the Austin Convention Center (12:30 p.m. Saturday). Among the participating celebrities: Tim Crowder, Denver Broncos; Michael Griffin, Tennessee Titans; Antoine Harris, Atlanta Falcons; Chris Houston, Atlanta Falcons; Chris Johnson, Oakland Raiders; Derrick Johnson, Kansas City Chiefs; Aaron Ross, New York Giants; Roy Williams, Dallas Cowboys; and more.
Tickets: $20 at participating H-E-B locations, both University Co-op locations and Mitchie’s Gallery. A limited number of $50 VIP tickets are also available. Children under 5 free.
Permalink | Comments (2) | Post your comment Categories: Charity, Sports
March 28, 2009
Beyond the Lights swings at Hyatt Lost Pines
First it was stormy. Then balmy. Ultimately, it turned cold and windy.
Marvin Kanter, Irene Kanter
The Beyond the Lights Charity Golf Classic not only survived the March weather madness at the Hyatt Lost Pines Resort, it thrived. Everything was incrementally delayed.
Bill Wendlandt, Kelly Rees
The impeccably landscaped resort suits the annual event, which raises money for paralysis causes, to a T. The hotel staff, however, did not appear sufficiently drilled about the presence of the parties, leading to several cases of forgivable confusion.
Manuel Oblitas, Debbie Oblitas
Right away, Statesman executive features editor Kathy Blackwell and I were taken under the wing of a charismatic couple, Marvin and Irene Kanter. Parents of celebrity wrangler Shelly Kanter, this pair have stored up two lifetimes of perfectly polished stories.
Andy Reese, Quan Cosby
Marvin was, for decades, a football referee for college and high school games. He knows sports cold. Irene served as a high school teacher and administrator. She once put together a triumphant quiz bowl team by astutely guessing the members’ intellectual strengths.
Brad Sham, Paul Sham
They’ve been married 60 years, and, one of their late-life pleasures has been appearing in movies and television shows as extras — “the sophisticated elderly couple” was their speciality — they once dance all night for their silent role. They’ve also traveled from Rome to Tasmania and their delightful anecdotes could fill a dozen blogs at least.
Ed Goble, Caroline Boudreaux
Here’s one that I can’t wait to share: They were taking an older friend — in his 90s — out to dinner at Austin Land and Cattle Company. When they requested the check, they discovered that the gentleman at the next table had already picked it up. Astonished, Irene was determined to track him down. She squeezed out of the waiter a name — Robert Diaz. But Irene couldn’t contact anyone by that name to thank. Ideas, anyone?
Glen Powell, Jr., Glen Powell, Cyndy Powell, Leslie Powell
I talked with Texas basketball great Bill Wendlandt, who filled me in on the coach Abe Lemons’s years of the late 1970s, early ’80s. (The things you learn while waiting to eat!)
Sean Teegarten, Aimee Teegarten (Sean is Amiee’s artist brother)
I met UT football star Quan Cosby and “Voice of the Dallas Cowboys” Brad Sham. After catching up with the always newsworthy Turk Pipkin, I met Caroline Boudreaux, whose Miracle Foundation applies an entrepreneurial approach to helping the world’s neediest people.
Jesse Plemons, Courtney Peterson
Turning a corner, I ran into that fabulously talented family, the Powells, including hard-working actor Glen Jr. and his sister, “Endurance” competitor Leslie.
Drew Waters, Tim Doty
Dinner, served cowboy style, was actually quite sophisticated and yummy. After the auction, I ran into, at various tables, “Friday Night Lights” actors Aimee Teegarten, Jesse Plemons, Kyle Chandler and Brad Leland, each with their own take on the weather and the event. (I congratulated them on the report that “FNL” has been extended for two more seasons.)
The shot I waited patiently for all evening: Kathy Blackwell, Kyle Chandler
We didn’t stick around for Stonehoney, as the wind whipped up the Colorado River valley, and guests huddled under blankets at the resort’s hillside amphitheater. Yet our evening was already memorable without the musical cherry on top.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment
March 25, 2009
Heisman, Olympic winners among additional stars for Beyond the Lights Celebrity Golf Classic
On Friday at the Hyatt Lost Pines Resort, “Friday Night Lights” stars Kyle Chandler and Brad Leland will top the bill (we also singled out Kyle’s wife, screenwriter Katherine, and “FNL” regular Dana Wheeler-Nicholson.
Well, that’s not all. Also in the tournament will be Heisman Trophy winners Ty Detmer and Chris Weinke (above), Greenbay Packer placekicker Mason Crosby and Austin musician Bob Schneider.
KVUE sports director Mike Barnes, sports doctor Andy Cappucino, radio host Ed Clements, actor Blue Deckert (Mac McGill on “FNL”), college football great Koy Detmer, actor Richard Dillard (Frank Pickford in “Dazed and Confused”), former NFL-er Gale Gilbert and actor Burton Gilliam (“Blazing Saddles”) will play along.
All-around personality Turk Pipkin actor Jesse Plemons (Landry on “FNL”), actor Glen Powell Jr. (“The Great Debators”), actor Steve Prince (“FNL”), baseball pro Bruce Ruffin, KXAN sports director Roger Wallace, actor and model Drew Waters, former UT golfer Susan Watkins, and football/baseball player Chris Weinke are also slated to play golf.
Others, including “FNL” actors Aimee Teegarden and Liz Mikel, won’t be out on the course, but will be part of the evening activities.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Charity, Sports
March 20, 2009
Beyond the Lights with Kyle Chandler+ 3
For Parts 1 & 2, see posts below…
It might surprise some that Kyle Chandler arrived in Austin with few preconceptions about his new, temporary home.
“I didn’t have a fixed impression before I got here,” Chandler says. “I traveled a lot between Los Angeles and Atlanta, where my mother lived, but never stopped here. When I flew in for the show the first time, I saw the ‘Keep Austin Weird’ bumper stickers. I’m from DeKalb County in Georgia, and that just grew too fast, and I realized that could happen here. I think I understood the bumper sticker before I understood the town.”
“It doesn’t feel like a big city,” he says, praising the pace of life here. “It’s like an old friend. It felt that way when we started shooting here, and it’s felt that way ever since.” How did the family decide to move here permanently?
“It just happened real quick,” says Katherine Chandler, originally from Los Angeles. “We drove out here — we hadn’t been in the car together for so long in a while — and by the time we got here, we said ‘We’re moving to Texas.’”
The Chandlers realized the Hill Country might be a good place to raise children.
“They are going to become little cowgirls,” she says of her girls, 7 and 13. “We going to do the goats and horses and dogs. They’ve never had that. You’ve got to do it before they get too old and they think it’s boring.”
Both are looking forward to spending more time diving into Austin’s social scene.
“I love this stretch of road,” Katherine Chandler says of South Congress Avenue.
She hasn’t sampled much of the music community so far, because she usually has the children with her, but she’s looking forward to more of that. “It’s great. It makes you feel young again.”“This town has everything,” Kyle Chandler says. “Sports. The arts. It’s an amazing town. It’s full of life.”
Perhaps that’s why the Chandlers decided to live here — and give here.
Beyond the Lights Celebrity Golf Tournament Friday, Hyatt Lost Pines Resort www.beyondthelights.org
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Charity
Beyond the Lights with Kyle Chandler+ 2
For Part 1, see post below …
“I gotta tell you that the show has changed me in a lot of different ways because of the people I’ve been introduced to (including people who deal with paralysis),” Kyle Chandler says, taking a break from a magazine photo shoot at Hotel St. Cecilia off South Congress Avenue. “I’ve got a chance now, with this show, to do some good in the world. I’m not trying to make a big statement.”
Getting involved in the paralysis movement has taken Chandler around the country, including a recent fundraiser in Miami, where he was starstruck by the football hall of famers in attendance. Yet he saved his ongoing admiration for the people trying to help the paralyzed youngsters.
“They are changing people’s lives,” he says. “There’s no doubt about it. Little deeds can change the world. It’s true”
The idea of a local charity golf tournament did not play into his natural strengths. “I’m not a great player,” he says. “If I break a hundred, I’m happy. if I’m breaking 90, I’m having a really good day. If I’m down near 80, I’m getting really nervous. Eighty was my best ever.”
More to come …
Beyond the Lights Celebrity Golf Tournament Friday, Hyatt Lost Pines Resort www.beyondthelights.org
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Charity
Beyond the Lights with Kyle Chandler+ 1
Three years into a possible five-year Austin residency, and the cast of “Friday Night Lights,” once just celebrated — if well-behaved — visitors, are evolving into Central Texas citizens.
Brad Leland, who plays the key role of Dillon team backer Buddy Garrity, is finding more ways to spend time away from his North Texas base (he attends so many local events, one could be forgiven for thinking Leland’s already moved here).
Dana Wheeler-Nicholson, a standout in the comparatively small role of Angela Collette, already lives here full-time, not just during the shooting season.
And as NBC and DirectTV negotiate a two-year pick-up deal — an announcement is expected within days — the “Lights” cast has deepened its social investment here with the second annual Beyond the Lights Charity Golf Tournament, scheduled for Friday.
The event, which benefits organizations for paralyzed high-school football players, includes an evening of musical entertainment with country rock stand-outs Stonehoney, “Lights” cast member Liz Mikel (Smash’s imposing mom) and former cast member Chis Mulkey and his band (he also played a coach).
More to come…
Beyond the Lights Celebrity Golf Tournament Friday, Hyatt Lost Pines Resort www.beyondthelights.org
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Charity
March 12, 2009
Magic Johnson, Jennifer Holliday at HT Masked Ball
Last year, I attended the President’s Masked Ball for Huston-Tillotson University.
It was one of those multi-event evenings, so I didn’t stay too long. Yet I got the distinct impression, however, I had met some of the event’s leading lights, gathered the news and looked forward to the possibility of a 2009 edition with more generous time to report.
Well, a combination of missed invitations and medical issues on my part forced me to skip the ball this year. Not a year to miss: Jennifer Holliday and Earvin “Magic” Johnson were two of the surprise guests.
Parade of Masks winner Machere Gibson, with judge Jennifer Holliday
Let me repeat: Jennifer and Magic. Two of the biggest stars in the firmament. Drat!
Johnson made a $25,000 donation. Holliday judged the Parade of Masks competition and offered an encore performance of “And I’m Telling You I’m Not Going.” (Looks like I’m the last person to sing it in public. Just give me time.) The event raised $200,000.
Well, we’re not going to be caught flat-footed again. A big name is coming to the HT graduation ceremonies at the end of the semester. We’ll drop just about anything to be there.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment
March 8, 2009
Faceted Jewel: Hogg/Garza House, 2
For Part 1, see post below …
The doctor is related to, but not directly descended from, Jim Hogg, the state’s first native governor, and his daughter, the Houston arts-and-parks patron Ima Hogg. He grew up mostly in Gilmer, along with other East Texas relatives in the Hogg family. A natural host, Hogg speaks with a Deep South lilt rarely heard in Austin.
Garza and Hogg met here — they were driving identical white Ford trucks, which started their first conversation — and while the doctor came with a family history of art collection, Garza also shares a love of Latino art, including Mexican painter Ruben Herrera, a distant relation, whose work will be exhibited at Mexic-Arte Museum soon.
The Mexic-Arte connection is not coincidental. In fact, for Garza and Hogg, it’s the main point for opening their home in April. The up-from-grassroots museum will hold its annual gala — a 25th anniversary celebration — at the home, instead in one of the usual downtown institutional suspects.
“By saving some money that might go to a hotel, we’re giving more money to the community,” says Mexic-Arte board president-elect Carlos Martinez, who promises a big announcement at the gala. “We’re going to put that $20,000 or $40,000 back into museum operations.”
“It’s especially exciting for us when you consider that architecture is also an art” says museum director Silvia Orozco.
Timely belt-tightening is a fair reason to hold a more domestic gala this season (other groups, including Austin Lyric Opera, are going that route). Yet I can guarantee that most of the expected 150 couples will come away with infinitely more descriptive storiesfrom the Garza/Hogg jewel than they would from a hotel ballroom.
The People’s Community Clinic gathering there Thursday buzzed like few other parties in months. Guests peeked into every cranny, relaxed on every terrace, scrutinized every view. The couple, who’ve been together six years, also plan a fundraiser for the Hispanic Scholarship Consortium.
“I was raised to leave the world a better place,” Garza says of his multi-generational Austin family.
Time will tell, but this faceted beacon could one day be considered a major player — perhaps a major masterpiece? — among all those mid-centuries.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Charity, Style
March 6, 2009
First foray: People Community Clinic party at Hogg/Garza house
I left my home for less than an hour. First time in many days.
Laramie Gorbett, Chris Swanson
The party’s location lured me from the sickbed. The West Lake Hills home of Dr. John Hogg, radiologist, and David Garza, construction company owner, is simply that dazzling. (More on the Kevin Alter-altered home in a later post.)
David Alan, Lisa O’Neill, Joe Eifler
The cause was pure. People’s Community Clinic has been providing front-line health care for the uninsured for decades — it was my medical refuge of first resort between graduate school and full-time employment.
Norma Nuñez, Adds Canales
The guests circulated among the several wide-eyed rooms, terraces and decks on the steep, tree-secreted property. Despite their numbers, they never seemed cramped in the 7,000 square feet of art and entertainment.
Janell Chesnut, Tom Chesnut
I’m grateful to friend — we’ll call him KS — who not only sprung me from my home and drove me to the party, but also took these snappy pictures of guests during our short time there. To me, it was all a pleasant blur, except the channeled time spent with John and David, the subject of my next posting.
Permalink | Comments (2) | Post your comment
February 26, 2009
CharityBash at Molotov
Kids today! Running around. Going to clubs. Raising money for charities. Wait. That’s a good thing, right?
Zach Gostout, Jen Ohlson
Charity, once the exclusive province of older generations, has been embraced with enthusiasm by twentysomethings who you might expect to be spending their club years in a whirl of frivolousness.
Andy Nguyen, Sherrie Nguyen
Oh sure, there were always the young, saintly types who gave up two or three years to help the needy. But where were the masses?
Alexandra Pineda, Charlotte Ice, Alex Winkelman
Thanks to Facebook — and trustworthy sources like Alex Winkelman and Matt Curtis — I discovered the latest CharityBash, meant to introduce giving opportunities to youngbies.
James Kinney, Derrick Boyb
The crowd did what crowds do — massed in certain places, split off for intimate conversations, but also asked questions at two tables — one explicitly devoted to the I Live Here, I Give Here program.
Jill Bauerlein, Blair Newberry
Met or re-met all sorts of young leaders, including the bursting-with-energy Winkelman, the forward-looking Jason Williams and somebody we’ve tracked from afar, Craig Saper, who skipped from the Austin stage to movies and TV in Los Angeles, and now back in Austin working in advertising.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment
February 25, 2009
Mardi Gras from El Buen Samaritano at the Austin Music Hall
Mardi Gras is an easy choice for a party theme. El Buen Samaritano, the group that helps immigrants, chose it for its gala — not coincidentally, on Fat Tuesday.
Mallary Snodgrass, Sabina Palermo
I arrived way early. A Cajun band played on the stage of the Austin Music Hall. VIPs — including ubiquitous Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo — roamed the area upstairs.
Wesam Chtay, Chris Watters
People were ready to party, but I wasn’t going to make it.
Liliana Ary, Gabriela Garcia-Proctor
Interactions among my various heart medications felled me, causing my quads to lock up with pain. (A sweet lady, who had spent the day hanging the festive decorations, came over to minister to me as I collapsed on a chair in the lobby. Kindness of strangers…)
Leslie Quinnelli, Eric Quinelli
Was sorry to leave the good party and to miss the Austin Toros game, but sometimes your social critic must call it quits.
Vicki Salinas, Carlos Salinas
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment
February 22, 2009
Viva Las Vegas! at the Austin Music Hall
OK, by the time this come out, all the Oscar commentary will be done. Well, most of it. I’ll share my few late thoughts tomorrow.
But first, a look back at the previous night. Viva Las Vegas! for AIDS Services of Austin: Our awards. Best Austin fashion show ever — precise, rhythmic, sexy, imaginative. Best use of venue: Austin Music Hall. Best six-ring circus for a charity gala with 700 guests.
And now, just images … you’ll see why.
Daniel Quick, Christopher Journey, Sean Barfield
Ben Solis, Stephen Rice, Trenton Grale
Maria Mastel, Babette Crowder
Laura Ritter, Brian Ritter
Thomas Wagner, Alexandra Romano
Scott Crews, Scott Cooper
Guatum Sarda, Sumita Sarda
Jason Sadeghbeigi, Kendall Hightower, Marco Vaccaro
Zach Miller, Courtney Maple, David Miessg
Zion, Lupe Valdez
Anthony Dominguez, Sonia Dominguez
Caitlyn Howe, Chris Marcus
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment
Links Town Lake Mardi Gras at Hilton Austin
As service organizations, go Links, Inc. has built an exemplary record over the course of more than 60 years. (It was founded in Philadelphia in 1946.)
Gerry Tucker, Gloria Williams
Along with good works, Links wove a crucial social network for African American women.
David Davenport, Chiquita Eugene
At times, it has flown below the general radar, but from the look of the crowd of 400 at the Mardi Gras-themed gala the Hilton Austin, it’s as crucial to the community as ever.
Gina Harris, Edra Anderson
Numbers were down this year — more than 500 attended the last gala — easily blamed on the economy, but I wonder if the conflicting CASA and ASA events made a dint.
Tondalaia Botts, Michael Botts
No matter. Raising tens of thousands of dollars, especially to support college education, is always uplifting.
Herb Dyer, Felicia Herring
I long ago vowed to find out more about Links every chance I get. Again, I wish I could have lingered for more of the Mardi Gras spirit, but it was off to the third gala of the evening.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment
CASAblanca at the Four Seasons Hotel
Politicians, judges and Olympians mixed for the CASAblanca event at the Four Seasons Hotel. It was the first of three big galas I attended Saturday night. (Kip played my stand-in at a smaller Austin Lyric Opera affair at Joe and Tana Christie’s.) And to think, some people think there’s not enough occasions for dressing up in Austin! (Lots of metallic threads that night.)
Gerri Davis, Dale Davis
CASA of Travis County, of course, is Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children, the group that advocates for the young and the vulnerable.
Ben Sheppard, Jill Sheppard
To me CASA means that our children have a chance,” Judge W. Jeanne Meurer has said. “The children I see that have CASAs have a greater chance of leading normal, happy, healthy lives. CASAs make a difference in a way that words can never express. We hope as time progresses that we will have a CASA for every child and every family. That’s a dream right now, and hopefully it will become a reality.”
Greg Bobrek, Stephanie Brobek
I ran into Judge Meurer at the CASA event, a personal hero, who always put children, not politics first. Told her so.
Chris Eckerman, Kirsty Coventry
As the title suggests, this event was informed by the movie by that name, and so one room was reserved for charity gambling. Organizers expected 380 attendees and a take of approximately $200,000.
Yolanda Conyers, Denice Conway
The little casino actually helped out the pre-dinner guest flow, as it took some traffic volume off the Four Season’s shallow banquet lobby, set up with tempting silent auction items.
Stephanie Brobek, Leticia Marquez, Nancy Hill
Other heroes among the guests included Olympic swimmer Eric Shanteau, whom I had interviewed at the Hilton Austin before his cancer diagnosis. I’ve followed his recovery and ongoing competitions, but that’s no shock, coming from our swim-mad household.
Beth Stabile, Vance McMurry, Brandi McMurry
Given that household propensity, it was a thrill to ask a tall, willowy beauty her name, only to find out it was multiple-medal-winner Kirsty Coventry. Like a dolt, I asked why her name was familiar, only to gush like a tween at a Jonas brothers autograph session when she made the Olympic connection.
Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg, Lee Copeland
I know personality-plus swimmer Garrett Weber-Gale was there, too, but couldn’t locate him. Wish I could have stuck around. But at least two more galas beckoned from other downtown hot spots.
Jeri Moss, Eric Shanteau
So, into the night. Along the way, I discovered Submerged, Niles Patel’s new watering hole at East Second and Trinity streets. Didn’t have time to explore, but it looks enticing — and Patel reports a Mexican restaurant will take the place of Tierra del Fuego and the accompanying building. So a little traffic could build across the street from Fleming’s, Roy’s, P.F. Chang’s and Fogo da Chao.
Stephanie Sobotik, Judge W. Jeanne Meurer
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment
February 18, 2009
Galveston at the Bullock
The precarious nature of Texas barrier islands has been on my mind lately. Katrina and Rita set the stage for this reflection. Their smaller kin, Ike, wreaked even more havoc.
Still, we continue to return to the islands several times a year, especially to our cherished Surfside, one sandbar down from Galveston. The sea is a powerful draw.
Recently, I’ve concluded that the Texas isles are best left to temporary activities — tourism, fishing, eco-tourism.
I mean, a medical school with billions of dollars worth of sensitive equipment perched on a sandbar? Please.
Last night, Galveston returned to consciousness through a press preview of the Bullock Texas State History Museum’s upcoming exhibit, “Forgotten Gateway: Coming to America Through Galveston Island.”
Curator Suzanne Seriff has put together a thoughtful series of information stations about the surge of immigration through Galveston, and, to lesser extent, twice-hurricane-destroyed Indianola down the coast, in the late 19th Century.
It’s not a happy story. People were persecuted at home, so they came to Texas, where they were persecuted again. Lots of that.
So why did they come? And why did they stop?
Perhaps the exhibit’s most potent contributions are the sections on the intense marketing of Texas as a destination — and Galveston as a port of entry — and the anti-immigrant backlash of the early 20th Century that closed off the spigots. Americans in general — and Texans in particular — have always harbored ambiguous feelings about immigrants, our ongoing interior dialogue.
But what really shut Galveston down as a port of entry was the deadly hurricane of 1900. The exhibit acknowledges that fact, while hedging a bit on its continued sea-related activity in the 20th Century.
I don’t buy that. It was the hurricane. It’s always the hurricane. The Indians knew better. The Spanish knew better. When will we learn?
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Charity
February 16, 2009
Servicing Pease Park on Heart Day
We don’t often snatch a chance to pat some do-gooders on the back, just for showing up to improve an Austin park. OK yes, Matthew McConaughey and Pres. Bill Clinton made national news sprucing up our Rosewood Park over the weekend. But other reporters covered that … and we wanted some service action represented in Out & About.
Snow White-Coe, Cody Coe, Clara Bush, Nicholas Martinez
On Saturday members of the Gamma Beta Phi service fraternity (UT) teamed with the board of directors for Eeyore’s Birthday Party to check erosion control on the park’s hills. The Eeyore’s group — known as Friends of the Forest — plan to make this an annual Valentine’s Day event.
Richard Craig, Scott Sexton, Snow White-Coe, Cody Coe
Nothing like a little reportorial competition to get some attention for a worthy group.
Permalink | Comments (2) | Post your comment Categories: Charity
February 15, 2009
Heart Ball at AT&T Center
Guests and hosts are still breaking in the AT&T Executive Education Conference Center at the University of Texas. The hotel, restaurant and meeting complex is meant to serve UT-sponsored business conclaves, primarily, but some of its services are available to the local public.
Maria Adame, Angela Curtis
Among those services are spruce banquet facilities. There’s something doubly tempting about attending a charity event — like the American Heart Association of Austin’s annual Heart Ball on Saturday — here because the digs are untried and therefore somewhat exotic to your slightly jaded social columnist.
Liz Ross, Melissa Shockly
Styled in the master-planned Spanish Renaissance manner to match the historical campus, the complex surrounds a contemplative courtyard, while various lobbies jig and jag around interior spaces, announced via the ubiquitous flat screens that signal a contemporary corporate culture. Approached through the lower lobby on University Boulevard, it’s a short sprint over to the west wing to access the banqueting area, manned along the way by alert center staff.
Brooke Liddell, Josh Liddell
The antechambers for the well-proportioned banquet room proved a bit narrow and cramped for the Heart Ball’s combination of silent and live auctions. Nobody seemed to mind, however, as striking couples in temperate formal wear — some adjusted to the sudden return of winter outside — mixed with medical and charity professionals.
Joanne Corum, Eric Corum
We spoke with some avid Out & About column readers, which is always a revelation for both parties — finding out who actually follows the social scene in print, for me, and discovering the man behind the bright little mug shot in the newspaper, for others.
Tama Williamson, Brooke Adair, Jodi Williamson
Still cedar-fevered, my voice rasped through the evening, while I met Miss Teen Austin 2009, who vowed I’d hear from her again when she is crowned Miss Teen Texas later this year.
Lucy, Ricky
A sweet 1950s sitcom theme pervaded the rooms, as Lucy and Ricky Ricardo impersonators joshed with guests (improvisational posing is something we’re seeing more often), and, later Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo and Fox 7’s Loriana Hernandez traded harmless jibs and jabs from the podium. (Watching his public ease, once again, I ask myself: Is Acevedo destined to become Austin’s second Latino mayor of the modern era?)
Police Chief Art Acevedo, Loriana Hernandez
Heart Association’s Glen Huschka estimated attendance at 300 and the early take at $300,000. No sign of recession here, although, as with other recent Austin galas, the decor and dress were tempered appropriately to the times.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment
February 5, 2009
KIPP Dinner at the McDonald Residence 2
For Part 1, see post below …
After dessert, we assembled in the living room for an informal version of “Texas Monthly Talks,” as Smith interviewed KIPP co-founder Mike Feinberg and Washington Post reporter Jay Matthews, who has written a book, “Work Hard. Be Nice,” about the “most promising schools in America.” We also heard from a KIPP grad Rocio Mendoza, who was lifted from the scarred Gulfton area of Houston to attend the Hotchkiss School, Stanford University and now University of Texas Law School.
Grant Thomas, Clayton Maebius, Andrew Maebius
The facts speak for themselves. Feinberg and co-pioneer Dave Levin revolutionized public schools by insisting that kids from ignored urban neighborhoods could attend college, if the emphasis on long, comprehensive study started early. No shortcuts. Students, including those at KIPP Austin, perform well on standardized tests, but they also appear prepared for the rigors of university life as well.
Our panel
KIPP was on every lip, as was the potential candidacy of host Jack McDonald, as a Democrat, for U.S. Congress. He’s gathering chits and plowing into demographics for a strongly possible run for the 10th District seat, should incumbent Michael McCaul gun, as expected, for Texas Attorney General when the statewide Republican leadership gets scrambled by a Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison gubernatorial run.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment
KIPP Dinner at the McDonald Residence 1
If you want to sell an idea, do so over dinner, and preferably at the home of Carla and Jack McDonald.
To discuss the Knowledge is Power Program, the Perficient CEO and his supremely savvy wife gathered about 40 guests at their Lake Austin home, so polished one could eat off the walls, ceilings and floors. Instead, we sat at two long tables, glowing under candles, to dine on the labors of Andrew Francisco, formerly of Vespaio, now executive chef with Word of Mouth Catering. The menu included a stuffed quail so tender it vanished from the bone.
Nav Sooch, Carla McDonald, Jack McDonald
The McDonalds know their way around a guest list. Present were political heavies (Mayor Will Wynn), super-pundits (Texas Monthly’s Evan Smith), arts and education backers (Chris Mattsson, Jeanne and Mickey Klein), postmodern philanthropists (Nav Sooch), super-connectors (Eugene Sepulveda, Steven Tomlinson), proven educators (Grant Thomas, Jill Kolasinski, the latter leader of KIPP Austin) and even the author of “The Engine 2 Diet,” City of Austin fireman Rip Esseltyn.
Eugene Sepulveda, Jill Kolasinski, Rip Esselstyn
I sat next to Margot Thomas, long of Hyde Park, who regaled me with stories of growing up in a Jewish-Catholic household in New Orleans. (Both Gulf Coasters, we date events by the closest hurricane.)
More to come…
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment
February 4, 2009
Leadership Austin Engage Breakfast: Cracking Austin's Glamour Scene 4
You already have my opening remarks for the Engage Breakfast held by Leadership Austin at Chez Zee yesterday. The group, which trains Austin’s next round of community leaders in business and nonprofits, is so well organized, my thoughts were solidified and published online — posted in three parts as “Cracking Austin’s Glamour Scene” (follow the “Style” category link below — well in advance and employed for my print column yesterday.
Jeanne Guy, Lulu Flores, Megan Spencer
So instead, I’ll focus on three subjects that came up in the discussion and will be explored for future columns.
Paul Jaquez, Anish Michael
First, economist Jon Hockenyos took my idea of the glamour scene and added the concept of a “glamour class,” which he defined as people who move to Austin without needing a job here. They either come with settled means or they can work long-distance. So you don’t attract this class with a semiconductor plant or a construction job because they are here, instead, because they could live anywhere, but prefer Austin’s physical, social and cultural attractions. (He reminded everyone that the Texas Hill Country was listed as the No. 1 destination listed in the New York Times travel story earlier this year.)
Maria Adame, Edward Kargo, Liz Craft
Asking a familiar, but always important question, theater producer Jason Neulander asked if all the new downtown density and development would price artists out of Austin. This is a claim that Hockenyos and I had heard for years, but when I ask artists fed up with the cost of living here, where they are headed, they usually say “New York” or “San Francisco” or someplace with double, triple or quadruple our cost of living. I threw out the unquantified supposition that Austin hangs happily onto the lowest rung of “destination cities” for America’s young and restless. You could probably name 12-15 other places people say they like to move to — cost of living is higher in all of them. Must explore.
Bill Noble, Jane Garrison
One last question, asked by moderator Jim Walker, choked me up. In documenting Austin’s new cafe society — clustered around movies, fine dining, arts, nightlife, music and fashion — am I finding this to be a “white” scene, leaving out the city’s minorities? I can truthfully respond that I expected that, but instead I’ve been deeply gratified to find it not the case. Granted, those on the lowest end of the economic spectrum cannot usually participate in the glamour scene, but the there is gorgeously heterogeneous when it comes to race, age and sexuality.
I credit a younger generation, which doesn’t appear to classify people the way my generation did. And I am so beholden to them.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Charity, Style
February 1, 2009
A long overdue apology
Today, I apologize sincerely to those whom I mocked (behind their backs) when they were debilitated by cedar fever.
During my 25 years in Austin, I had escaped the dreaded spawn of the mountain juniper. My low-level mold allergies consisted mostly of sniffles, sneezes and days when I sounded like Lauren Bacall in “Applause.”
On the advice of kind readers this windy, drought year, I’ve medicated the dasher with Zyrtec, Mucinex and aspirin. I’ve employed the humiliating netipot method and concocted exotic teas from herbs and spices. All this while trying to avoid contraindications with my heart meds.
I’m still a zombie.
Wednesday and Thursday were complete busts (six events missed all told). Friday, I made three early parties (obviously, not drinking), but lost all steam before the Bass Concert Hall “World of Sound.”
Saturday, I was well enough to circulate among the Austin and Houston bigwigs at the Blanton gala, but before I could make it to the other three events, I was hacking up my lungs in the parking lot of a convenience store on South First Street.
Luckily, that spot was convenient enough to home. So I called it an evening at 8:30 p.m. Today, I’ve barely moved from the couch. My body aches. My will is sapped.
Tomorrow morning, the doctor.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Charity
January 29, 2009
Cedar fever waits for you
You either suffer from cedar fever. Or you will.
Until 2009. My first attack came out in West Texas, where junipers (called cedars) blot the land. Then, this week — oy!
Last night, barely able to move from the couch, I missed four social events. If any reader attended the Austin Technology Council’s predictions panel at the Four Seasons, Texas Monthly Live with state legislators at Scholz Garten, salute to former UT coach Fred Akers or the DJ spin-off at Qua and has some telling stories or pictures — send ‘em to mbarnes@statesman.com.
I’ll slap ‘em on the screen. Meanwhile, I’ll crawl through Thursday.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Charity
January 28, 2009
Time for Science & Technology
We’ve got the perfect spot: The state-owned, block-sized surface parking lot at Congress Avenue and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, opposite the Bullock Texas History Museum and the Blanton Museum of Art. Perhaps the state could collaborate with private donors and the University of Texas to complement the sweet and graceful, but painfully undersized and inaccessible Texas Memorial Museum (right) by building on this prime and very public location.
In the past couple of years, we’ve visited the reconfigured science museums in New York and San Francisco. Both are huge attractions. In a city like Austin, where a good third of the economy is dependent on technology — and another thick slice on tourism — that we offer no charismatic center for saluting science, engineering, etc. is nigh on scandalous.
Recession? A good time for a public works project.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Business, Charity
January 27, 2009
Catching up with Jeff Gray and Candlelight Ranch
Now, as you might assume, people talk to me about their abiding interests at parties seven nights a week. Yet the more I heard of their story, the more I wanted to know. Today, Jeff and I met for coffee at Dominican Joe at Congress and Riverside.
Three years ago, the Grays’ daughter, Reese, was diagnosed with a lymphatic disorder. Reese spent her entire life — under six months — in hospital rooms. That’s where the parents met Dr. David Breed, a neo-natal specialist.
He told them about an enchanted place on the lake where kids could be adventurous — no matter their disabilities.
“We felt an instant connection,” Jeff said.
What caught their imagination on the first visit — three months after their daughter’s death — was a 12-bed tree house 20 feet in the air that was wheelchair accessible. So the Grays, who have two other children, raised $50,000 to name the tree house after Reese.
Jeff, who works in IT, is already tendering fresh philanthropic opportunities. Yet the couple remains deeply invested in Candlelight Ranch, which has erected a new ropes course and a zip line with special harnesses for children in wheelchairs.
Every small charity should be so lucky to find a Tara and Jeff Gray.
Permalink | Comments (2) | Post your comment Categories: Charity
January 25, 2009
Prohibition Party at Caswell House
Most Austin costume parties are halfway affairs. Even the annual Carnival Brasileiro attracts revelers who are less interested in dressing up than in gaping at those who dress almost exclusively in body paint.
Karen Manroe, Kelly Sharp
Not so for the Prohibition Party for Lone Star Paralysis Foundation. The event, which has moved from a private residence to the atmospheric Caswell House, appeals to masses whose apparel would have looked appropriate during the late 1920s or early 1930s.
John O’Shaughnessy, Julie Spink
The men stuck mainly to tuxes and other formal wear, accessorized with period hats and ties, while the women favored feathers, fringe and furs (fake or not).
Chris Milano, Tracy Milano, Timothy Owen
The charity, by the way, searches for a cure to spinal chord injury. “Our mission is to work ourselves out of business,” Foundation President Doug English has been quoted as saying.
Rachel Tice, Chris Tice
Several of the foundation beneficiaries were present and in party mode, despite the difficulties of negotiating parts of the crowded Caswell House in a wheelchair.
Magda Prokopinksa, Carie Martin
The house on 15th Street and West Avenue filled fairly quickly, upstairs and down, although the crisp night kept the guests off the balconies during the early part of the evening.
Lori Latrell, Kelley Wilks, Will Portales
Oddly, the music roamed all over the 20th Century. Where are the White Ghost Shivers when you need them?
Jill Evans, Frank Harren
Another side note: When people take the trouble to don costumes, they don’t hesitate to allow social columnists to take their pictures. A little costume and make-up liberates even the most camera-shy (see my Mother Ginger gallery).
Ali Cooper, Kirsten Klindworth
I would have stuck around, but I promised to check out a new lounge downtown, so I headed on foot toward West Sixth Street, through the historic neighborhood, which, sadly, is now reserved mostly for offices, silent at night.
Jackie Kenyon, Donna Piazza
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment
January 19, 2009
The Big Squeeze for Texas Folklife at Lowell Lebermann's
Located a block off ultra-exclusive Niles Road, Lowell Lebermann’s renovated manse is stately unto baronial. Though located on a modest slip of land, the formal brick exterior and gardens announce “East Coast” if not “Europe,” while the interior decor and tile-work pull the viewer back “West” with hints of “Mexico.”
Anthony Ortiz Jr., Guadalupe Ortiz
It’s a suitable residence for the beverage distributor and political influencer, who started his business empire with little more than small-town grit and determination. It’s also ideal for small-to-medium fund-raisers, like Texas Folklife Resource’s Big Squeeze event on Sunday.
Leslie Jaffe, David Jaffe
“The Big Squeeze” is the name of the nonprofit’s accordion throwdown and also of Hector Galan’s documentary film, which was previewed in Lebermann’s pool house/guest house.
Ana Madrigal, Sheree Scarborough, Cristina Balli
The actual throwdown/festival is slated for Houston’s Miller Outdoor Theater on June 6. Accordion hopefuls have until March 1 to enter the competition.
Chris Gebhard, Susan Morehead
The fundraiser was low-key, classy. I caught up word-spreader extraordinaire Sheree Scarborough, who, in the past, landed gargantuan coverage for UT’s Blanton Musem of Art and Ransom Center. She’s on the verge of expanding her oral history of civil rights pioneer Ada Anderson into a book-length project.
Hector Galan, Arturo Lomas Garza
I also spoke with David and Leslie Jaffe, he from New York, she Chicago-via-New York. They arrived in the mid-1980s to work on Sematech and embarked on a romance with the city. We exchanged views on several topics, but I was completely taken aback when Leslie thanked me for mentioning my partner Kip so often in my column. Well, it is called “Out & About” for a reason.
Daphny Dominguez, Rico Ainslie
Along the way, I was delighted to greet two humble but accomplished cooks — Doyal Nelms, board chief for TFR and a nimble caterer, and Donald Wertz, Lebermann’s private chef of longstanding and one of the sweetest guys around. (Although, for some reason, I kept calling him David.) He showed me the gleanings from his herb garden, which is an excellent way to utilize the old Pease plantation land.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment
January 16, 2009
Michael Huff Celebrity Weekend set for April 2-4
Then there’s that other category: The celebrity visitor. Former Longhorn and current Oakland Raider Michael Huff fits that bill. He’s planning a second annual charity event, April 2-4, timed to the socially rambunctious Texas Relays. Playful Huff’s efforts will benefit Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas and the Women Called Moses Coalition and Outreach Center in Dallas.
The highlight of the weekend is a basketball game pitting NFL players against one another. Some, like Roy Williams, are actually built something like basketball players.
Invited celebrities include: Tim Crowder, Denver Broncos; Cedric Griffin, Minnesota Vikings; Derrick Johnson, Kansas City Chiefs; Dominic Rhodes, Indianapolis Colts; Shaun Rogers, Cleveland Browns; Stanford Routt, Oakland Raiders; Bo Scaife, Tennessee Titans; and Kasey Studdard, Houston Texans.
We tried to slip in an interview or two last year, but the sports reporters were far better at nailing down their
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment Categories: Charity, Sports
Coffee with Dick Rathgeber 3
For Parts 1 & 2, see posts below
Early on, Dick Rathgeber mastered the art of working with journalists, too. He’d give key reporters the whole story, off the record, before a big announcement or vote. That way, the print and broadcast reports reflected checked facts and more than just the sound bites dropped at press conferences.
“Most people don’t trust journalists,” he says. “But they don’t know the rules of engagement. They don’t know that you guys have a pretty strong moral ethic. You’re not going to burn a source. Not if you pick up the phone and ask one person ‘What’s the real story here?’ Not in a million years.”
“The other night you saw me at that Austin Community Foundation event with a drink in my hand,” he says. “If you had gone and smelled that drink, you would have smelled it was a 7-Up or a Sprite with a twist of lime. People are very uncomfortable if they are drinking and you are not. So you have to have a drink in your hand.
“You can go to a party, then, and a guy’ll have two or three drinks, and you’ll hear he’s sold a piece of dirt and you ask a very innocuous question: ‘What’s land out there bring?’ ‘Well, I got $10,000 an acre.’ If you’d called and asked him, he wouldn’t give you the answer. But in a social setting, he’ll tell you anything.”
Rathegeber shared situation after situation when he’d recall one factoid that turned around a project. To him it’s all a big jigsaw puzzle, which he describes as resembling wartime intelligence.
“If you wanted to describe me in a word, it’s probably, ‘relentless,’” he says. “You keep knocking. You just keep knocking.”
Everything in “Dealmaking” relates money to faith.
“If you accept the idea that it’s really not yours, you’re just here managing it for a while, you can give a lot of it away,” he says.
Why a book?
“I really wanted to replicate myself,” he says. “There are so many things I learned the hard way. I had to pay tuition for what I learned. I’m hoping there’ll be those who’ll read this and say, ‘Hey, I can do that.’”
Rathgeber emphasizes that his method could work for anybody with a charitable mindset, not just the wealthy.
“A lot of these stories involved very little money or no money” he says. “It’s something that just about anybody can do.”
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Charity
Coffee with Dick Rathgeber 2
For Part 1, see post below…
Dick Rathgeber is best known for his charitable work. Years ago, he cut a crucial land-swap deal that made possible the Salvation Army headquarters downtown. He set up a model for building hospital hospitality houses and helped provide the planning framework for the Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas project at the former Mueller Airport.
Along the way, Rathgeber (pictured with Pauline Lewis, board member with the Austin Childrens Shelter) pioneered the practice — at least in Austin — of insisting that business partners and philanthropists pool their interests to achieve multiple goals.
In one example, he talked about a prisoner-reform program that turned around only 2 or 3 per hundred clients, when perhaps it would be better to invest in childhood development programs that nipped criminality in the bud.
“You have to ask, ‘Is there a sustainability factor?’” Rathgeber takes care of that, in part, by teaming with groups such as the Junior League. He always offers matching funds — and strictly insists they are matched — and finds “meaningful placements,” or opportunities for continued volunteering.
If Rathgeber intended “Deal-Making” as a handbook for aspiring philanthropists, he also wrote a valuable, if non-chronological history of post-war Austin. One can follow the behind-the-scenes negotiations that led to certain subdivisions, charitable facilities and, especially, the web of relationships among Rathgeber’s generation of leaders. (Not much hint, however, about the projects that Rathgeber famously opposed. He’s not out to settle scores here.)
“People say when they read the book, ‘I had no idea how that happened.’ he says.
More to come …
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Charity
Coffee with Dick Rathgeber 1
“Whatcha doing, Dick, holding court?”
Granted, Austin businessman and philanthropist Dick Rathgeber held his audience of one in thrall, but no, he was not speaking in monarchical mode at the Exposition Road Starbucks, as a passerby suggested.
Instead, the round-faced man with the perpetually round eyes was putting finer points on observations from his semi-autobiographical, semi-inspirational book, “Deal-Making for Good: Smart Giving = Significant Living.”
“Your deal is always made from the other side of the table,” Rathgeber says. “You ask: ‘What do they want from this deal?’ Then you find out, ‘How can I let them have my way?’” Rathgeber has been doing that for decades.
As many who follow the Austin business community know, Rathgeber built up a demolition company, because, according to his practiced line, “I met a guy in the wrecking business who couldn’t read or write, and he was making money hand over fist. I thought: How hard could it be?”
Later, college-educated Rathgeber moved from destruction to construction, developing neighborhoods all over Austin, including parts of Lost Creek and Avery Ranch. He did so by scrutinizing development ordinances, tax laws and regional plans. Also, a good deal about human psychology.
For instance, he helped the Avery family part with their land by ensuring their name would be enshrined on road signs and neighborhoods, securing its place in popular history.
More to come…
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment Categories: Charity
December 17, 2008
All Called & What's Your Response at Annie's West
Leaving Mother Egan’s, suddenly chilled, I spied Annie’s West across Sixth Street. I’d heard good things about the new bar through the industry grapevine, though I had initially left it off the XL Bar Guide. Here was a chance to check it out.
Lahoma Dade, Angie Gatewood
It’s a handsome spot, feeling a bit wider, roomier than J. Black’s next door. (Probably the same dimensions of The Ranch, which sits above it.) Dark wood and clean lines give it a touch of class. A large bar — but not fully stocked, where was the Knob’s Creek and Woodford Reserve? — was well tended as a DJ expertly spun a mix of holiday and retro tunes.
Evelina Solis, Shelton Green
Then I noticed the patrons. They were handing out fliers on subjects like generational faith leadership and human trafficking. I got to know some of these pleasant activists, identified as part of All Called and What’s Your Response. Swell of Annie’s West to host them this wintry eve.
Shawn Swain, Emily Tillerson
Permalink | Comments (2) | Post your comment
Any Baby Can at Thistle Cafe
The early-childhood development charity, Any Baby Can, holds its big annual fundraiser at the TDS Exotic Game Ranch and Pavilion. Yet Tuesday the group thanked its longtime donors and new board members with a low-key affair at the classy Thistle Cafe, which deserves more business like this.
Susan Bohn, Bill Bohn
Recently, the organization merged with Candelighters, which provides outpatient care for needy children with cancer, among other services.
Matt Lyons, Julianne Lyons
I talked with volunteers, doctors, accountants, managers and just plain people devoted to good works. I was particularly interested in how the economy is affecting such nonprofits. One veteran adviser said the groups benefited mightily from the merger, which trimmed duplicate positions and activities.
Lauren Lockhart, Dr. Sharon Lockhart
That made sense. Yet I think one reason Austin has so many overlapping charities is that so many people want to get involved. While efficiencies of scale are reasonable, one thing a city like Austin offers — unlike older, more established places — is the opportunity to contribute to good causes, even without excessive means or social hegemony.
Nancy Marroquin, Betty Meyer, Laura Payne
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment
December 8, 2008
Dancing with the Stars-Austin, Part 2
See Part 1 in a post below
After previous contestants husband-and-wife team Venus and Bill Strawn cha-cha-ed their way into the hearts of the crowd, the real competition began. Cha cha was the preferred form — besides Acevedo, Meghan Danahey and Mitch Jacobson chose that style, while Larry Connelly mixed it in with foxtrot and the hustle. Former “Apprentice” competitor Roxanne Wilson executed a cunning paso doble, a strategy second-runner up Wally DeRoeck blended with tango after a recent trip to Argentina.
Sam Santmyer, Tim Sittler
Amy Simmons of Amy’s Ice Cream attempted the deceptively difficult quickstep, while slinky Karen Hawkins paired mambo with quickstep. In easily the best outfit of the evening, Maria Groten hustled as the white fringe on her tiny athletic figure shimmied. Plastic surgeon to the Austin stars, Dr. Robert Clement, went regional with a two-step swing combo.
Raquel Hill, Brandon Coleman III
The winner was Ronda Gray, a former middle-school teacher and camp leader, who was cheered by a gang of begowned young women. Gray could teach dancing, not just follow her professional partner in the swing mode.
Vaughn Brock, Mark Williams
Congratulations to her and to event organizers Mary Tally, Stacee Bell, and professional ballroom dancer Sabrina Barker-Truscott. What a dinner and show at the Hilton Austin — 900 people bidding on auction items and helping the center even in tough economic times.
Blake Byram, Monica Byram
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment
Dancing with the Stars-Austin swings to the top
Austin hosts some 120 galas a year. That’s one every third day.
Some, like the Ballet Austin Fete, have earned a reputation for enduring glamor. Others, such as the Nobelity Project benefit, attracted unprecedented numbers of celebrities earlier this year. The Long Center opening weekend staged unmatched grandeur in 2008, partly because of pent-up expectations for the new performing arts center.
U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul, philanthropist and planner Bobbi Topfer, and former Mayor Roy Butler
Add a newcomer to the gala big leagues. In only its second year, Dancing with the Stars-Austin not only grossed well over $400,000 — results and net are still being tallied — to benefit the Center for Child Protection, it attracted an unusual mix of socialites and the rarely social. Among the attending politicians who are not seen out that often — Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott and U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul.
Texas A&M System Board of Regents Chairman Bill Jones and his wife Johnita
Law enforcement and education were well represented. Chairman of the UT System Board of Regents and banker James Huffines, with his wife Patty, one of last year’s contestants, sat at our table. Chairman of the A&M System Board Bill Jones and his wife Johnita sat nearby (Chairman Jones, also partner with the law firm of Vinson & Elkins, L.L.P., competed last year and joked his way through judging this time). Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo not only performed the cha cha briskly with a professional dancer, he won second place in the audience vote (the judges agreed to give all 11 competitors perfect 10s).
UT System Board of Regents Chairman James Huffines and his wife Patty
More to come in Part 2.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment
December 5, 2008
The A-Gays fly at The Monarch
A sometime party game: Name Austin’s A-Gays. It’s not as easy as it sounds. Back during my Houston youth, a gang of bankers, doctors, executives and retailers were easily pegged as occupying a separate social plane. (My invitation to the Diana Awards must have been lost somewhere in my bare efficiency apartment.)
Grayson Parrish + “OutCast” host Heath Riddles
Not so in open, sentient, engaged Austin. Here, the list is permeable and mostly defined by those who give their time or treasure to worthy causes. Thus, the several hundred who flocked to The Monarch’s mod, ground-floor public rooms on Friday for an Equality Texas benefit were rewarded with an outstanding selection of men and women, singles and couples, straight and gay, old and young.
Zoe King, Heidi Bloch
I’m a bit squeamish about recording the cocktails served at parties like this, but my goodness, the bartenders were working up a storm. My champagne with vinegar-soaked sugar cube was divine, then another drink was invented before my eyes — magnificently bitter. Restaurants provided food stations and the crowd migrated from the jazz band to quieter corners, such as the terrace, where the Stephens — Moser and Rice — acted out the Gillian Girl montage from “Valley of the Dolls.” (Had I stayed any longer, I might have done the Shubert Alley scene, my speciality.)
Haylie Rudy, Alex Rudy
If I started a list of names, I’d be in big trouble, because everybody there was somebody worth noting. My favorites, however, were sisters Haylie and Alex Rudy, who complained of the teasing they received at school every time their famous, handsome parents, Amy and Kirk Rudy, appeared in the newspaper. Well, Haylie and Alex, it’s your turn…
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment
December 4, 2008
Scaling back holiday socializing, Part 1
Event planner Marcy Hoen felt Nov. 13 was the ideal date for an augmented Austin State Hospital benefit.
“We postponed it because of the economic crash,” Hoen says of the pre-holiday affair, which was meant to “class up” the annual event and double the take to as high as $70,000. “I’ve spoken with many other fundraising friends in Austin and they are massively scaling back their financial goals”
The council decided to wait until 2009. They join a long line of party-givers and party-goers cutting back this holiday season because of the economy. Nobody says socializing will stop — or even slow down that much — but costs will be cut and expectations trimmed.
Don’t even think about a holiday replay of the year’s most lavish bash, the weekend-long opening of the Long Center in March, for which donors coughed up more than $1 million by some estimates.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment
December 3, 2008
Invigorated Austin Community Foundation gala
New faces air-kissed old at the Tuesday gala for the venerable Austin Community Foundation. The charitable group, which manages numerous funds, has opened up its leadership in recent years. Not unlike the similarly esteemed Austin Area Research Organization, whose leadership I met earlier in the day.
ACF bigwigs: JoLynn Free, Max Sherman, MariBen Ramsey, Ken Gladish
Civic do-gooders of all stripes streamed into the Four Seasons banquet rooms. I talked briefly with developer and philanthropist Dick Rathgeber about his book on maximizing one’s giving (it’s undergoing a title change). Community leader Lynn Meredith told me about a flight out of Cuba during the first days of the Iraq War and how a few hours in an airport sparked a discussion about “changing the world.” (Also about her writer/editor daughter.) Classy Nancy Scanlan reported on the multiple weddings of her eccentric Houston kin (one between two hunters with a shotgun-shell-shaped cake).
Lynn Meredith, Linda Benge
The group just seemed reinvigorated by the collision of ages, backgrounds and interests in the room. The event proved a sterling example of a trend I heartily endorse: Old Austin socializing with New Austin for the greater good.
Sam Bryant, Carol Burdette, Milo Burdette
Permalink | Comments (2) | Post your comment
December 2, 2008
On Austin culture's of social sentience
Gathering thoughts for a brief conversation with the leadership committee of the Austin Area Research Organization, which I’m meeting in less than an hour.
I think the group was struck by some lines in a recent Out & About column, which went something like this: “I’m not one of those who celebrate Austin’s weirdness. I celebrate the culture that nurtures weirdness. And by that I mean the city’s openness, engagement and social sentience.”
Those who want to “Keep Austin Weird” often mean “keep Austin funky.” They believe that’s somehow integral to Austin’s character. Hence their opposition to downtown high-rises, the Domain, the Long Center, the city’s burgeoning glamor industries (movies, nightlife, fashion, fine dining, etc.) and any form of gentrification. They associate these changes with snobbery, exclusiveness and, worst sin of all, inauthenticity.
Sentient Austin, on the other hand, embraces the funkiness of the past, as well as the small-town qualities that antedate the Armadillo Age. Yet they also are open to modernity, urbanity and, for want of a better word, classiness. They recognize the value of the suburbs, while emphasizing the overwhelmingly aggregate values of urban living.
The larger, Sentient culture is, in fact, more inclusive than the Weird=Funky cultural subset.
More to come on statewide parallels, friendliness vs. openness, local examples of sentient socializing and why I just like the word “sentience.”
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment Categories: Charity
November 24, 2008
Benolds Holiday Spree for Legacy of Giving
We usually publish our own party pictures. Yet connector Lisa O’Neill was gracious enough to forgive my absence from the Benold’s holiday party for the Austin Community Foundation’s Legacy of Giving program that I thought a few snaps from the event would help salve the wound. Looks like some social heavy hitters attended the jewelry and charity event.
Judi Knotts, Milton Doolittle (owner of Benold’s), Lynn Meredith, Linda Brucker (executive director, Legacy of Giving) and Kenneth Gladish, (president/CEO of Austin Community Foundation)
Sally Rivero, Valerie Lyng, Joy Selak
Lauren Peters, Linda Brucker, Renee Francese
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Charity
November 21, 2008
Flag football for a cause during the Sugar Free Bowl
The Sugar Free Bowl is a city-wide tournament featuring men’s and coed teams. Delta Epsilon Psi organizes the event, now in its sixth year, to benefit juvenile diabetes causes. The donation ceremony can be viewed 2:30 p.m. Saturday at the University of Texas Intramural Fields at Guadalupe and 51st Street.
Honoring Vishal Bhagat, who struggled with juvenile diabetes and died in a swimming accident, the fundraiser has spread across the nation to 20 campuses. Wish we were going to be in town for this one, but my quick trip to East Texas intervenes. Hope to have earlier notice next year.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Charity, Sports
November 15, 2008
Help Clifford Help Kids at Austin Music Hall
What recession? Sure, some charities have postponed their fundraising events, hoping for healed financial prospects by spring. Yet it seems some causes are worth supporting no matter how far the economy plunges into the tank.
John Paul DeJoria, Susan Antone, Mayor Will Wynn, Olga Campos, Eloise DeJoria
Help Clifford Help Kids, which started as a community service project by the great music promoter, Clifford Antone, has grown exponentially, thanks in part to his surviving sister Susan Antone. She’s an enthusiastic backer of American Youthworks, the alternative education group that benefits from this annual party.
Abe Zimmerman, Evonne Atlas
Jack McDonald, who, along with wife Carla, won a huge crystal vase to commemorate their “Cliffy Award,” reported that the event grossed $250,000, which is all the more remarkable because the organizers keep costs low at the Austin Music Hall. Net will probably come out to $200,000, a substantial chunk of the downtown school’s budget.
Blake Rocap, Nisha Rocap
It helps when billionaire John Paul DeJoria is on stage playing auctioneer, spicing the bids with extra goodies. He and wife Eloise have more than proven their commitment to their adopted community. Add a hot set by Delbert McClinton and the Music Hall’s tailoring for such events, and you have, once again, one of the year’s best galas. Even in a recession.
Bill Shands, Megan Breitenwischer
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Charity
November 13, 2008
Update: Oscar Brockett
Brock, as he is known, now retired, is 85. For the past year, he’s been in and out of the hospital. I caught up with him last night in his condo overlooking downtown Austin. And Brock proved as lively as ever, his color good and his mood upbeat. He’s about to complete another book, this one on theater design, always a time of relief for the prolific author.
I can tell he misses going out. For years, he’d accompany me to movies or theater once every week or so. Brock also socialized graciously, helping out with the annual Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner events staged by the Spice Boys for Project Transitions, for instance. Let’s hope his health improves enough, so that he can partake in his beloved Austin more fully soon.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Arts, Charity
November 10, 2008
Strake Jesuit never goes away
Do you receive mailings from your high school? I do. Every week.
Let me explain. I attended Strake Jesuit College Preparatory in Houston. Highest intellectual standards. But also part of an oligarchical strategy for sweeping the elite into the arms of the Catholic Church.
So how do the Jesuits manage a $12 million annual operating budget and continue to build as if Strake was a red-hot MBA program? I’m curious because I cover scores of charitable groups as social columnist, and many of them could learn from this fundraising juggernaut.
They turn to donors. Lots. Most of those come from alumni who graduated in small classes since 1965. The overwhelming majority live in Texas, and those mostly in the Houston area.
And the school tracks alumni like bounty hunters. I receive more slick, sophisticated mailers from Strake Jesuit than from all my other associations combined. And, sadly, I’ve still not given them a dime.
Well, they’re always building more athletic facilities for winning teams — Strake and its Dallas counterpart were among the first private schools admitted into the University Interscholastic League. They play with the big boys.
Not that I mind, but the ex-jocks who run the alumni groups already know how to appeal to school spirit. (I don’t donate to UT’s athletic foundation either — and I’m a dyed-in-orange fan. They print money.)
Jesuits never seem to honor teachers who I admired or fund programs I’d love to see encouraged. (On the other hand, congrats to national champion debater Todd Lupfert (‘09) and his coach Jerry Crist. Jesuits were always good at debate.)
Michael Barnes (‘72) admires the school’s gumption and Barack Ombama-level organizational skills, but no sale. Yet.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Charity
October 29, 2008
Watching and being watched, Part 4
Continued from previous posts …
If his slim book could be compared with any other, it would be Peter Brook’s elegant and immensely influential 1968 contemplation, “The Empty Space,” which identified four types of theater: “Deadly, Holy, Rough and Immediate.”
“He was among those who first opened my mind to what is possible in theater,” he says. “I should have recognized that I internalized so much from Brook.”
What, then, are we looking for, ultimately, as humans, in theater or socializing? Emotional connection, Woodruff says.
“We praise emotions in the theory in our culture but we don’t represent them,” he says. “We may be nervous about getting too close to them.”
So why are emotions so important?
“Understanding is something we do with our emotions,” Woodruff says. “Theater draws that out of you. And a good theater watcher can understand with his emotions. And it feels good to exercise the emotions. And we feel enormous pleasure in being connected to other people. In theater, the connection can be at the deepest and most raw level.”
The connection can also be made out there on the party circuit.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment
Watching and being watched, Part 3
Continued from previous posts …
“A good audience understands what it watches, through an emotional attunement that is governed by ethical virtue,” he writes. On the largest theatrical scale, football games fascinate him, even if he’s not a close follower of the sport. (Ironically, he holds the Darrell K. Royal Professorship in Ethics.)
“How can you connect with people more directly than at a UT football game these days?” he asks. “It’s the most powerful form of theater, especially on a college campus.”
“I’m fascinated by emotion and the role of emotions in our lives,” says Woodruff, who wrote plays before he saw his first one onstage, and imagined the enacted dramas of his father’s opera recordings growing up in rural western Pennsylvania. “Opera brings out the big emotions like no other art form does. The Greeks in theory didn’t believe in emotion. The teaching was that a virtuous man would not betray grief or anger. And yet the Greek tragedies are overwhelmed with huge emotions.”
Woodruff faults those around him who don’t watch carefully. “I overhear my colleagues talking about students,” he says. “Even the professors best at paying attention can fail to see (students) as fully developed characters, in theatrical terms. ‘That little obnoxious student,’ they say. It might help to know that, say, the student’s mother loves him, or maybe it would help more to know his mother hates him. There’s always a back story.”
To be continued …
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment
October 28, 2008
Watching and being watched, Part 2
Continued from previous post …
Woodruff’s ideas come in clustered thought-bursts: Watching people encourages a capacity for caring through emotional connection. Virtue comes easier to those who pay attention to the conditions of others. Certain kinds of human experiences depend on witnesses, especially witnesses whose imaginations enable cognitive empathy.
“Humans don’t exist as independent, lonely trees on the veldt,” he says. “We are who we are through our interactions. A large part of that interaction is paying attention to each other in more theatrical ways.”
I’d add to the theatrical mix more social events: Backyard barbecues and glittering galas, book signings and movie premieres, musical concerts and club gatherings, intimate dinner parties and vast outdoor festivals. In other words, everything Out & About covers.
After all, while socializing, we also seek emotional connection by giving and taking attention. An intimate dinner party entails as much ritual, spectacle, choreography and improvisation as does the small theatrical presentation.
Given his rigorous training, Woodruff subdivides theater into categories and separates the functions of plot, character, action, choice, mimesis and sacred space. He delves into the dialogue in “Hamlet,” “Antigone” and other seminal dramas.
Yet his breakthrough conclusion is that theater leads to, not escape from the self, as entertainment so often promises, but “human wisdom — knowing ourselves.”
Photo courtesy of AdTechBlog.com
To be continued …
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment Categories: Arts, Charity
Watching and being watched, Part 1
Theater is people watching people doing something worth watching.
So concludes Paul Woodruff, philosopher, classicist and University of Texas dean of undergraduate studies.
Socializing also is people watching people doing something worth watching. So concludes your Out & About social columnist.
The difference: In the latter activity, the watcher engages the watched more directly. As a former theater critic, I was drawn to the logic of Woodruff’s argument in “The Necessity of Theater: The Art of Watching and Being Watched,” which will be discussed at the Texas Book Festival on Sunday.
“People need theater,” Woodruff writes. “They need it the way they need each other — the way they need to gather, to talk things over, to have stories in common, to share friends and enemies. They need to watch, together, something human.”
Woodruff ranks theater alongside religion and language as essential distinguishing human characteristics. I’d add socializing to the list, for many of the same reasons.
Both kinds of watching and being watched, social and theatrical, start early in life. “We hardly take ourselves very seriously unless we can get others’ attention,” the slender, hesitant Woodruff says at rain-splashed Mozart’s Coffee Roasters on Lake Austin Boulevard. “The first thing we know as an infant, after finding a mother’s breast, is how to get her attention. And newborns are excellent at that.”
Yet the process doesn’t stop there.
“Learning how to give attention is a little harder,” he says. “We are naturally wired for getting it more than giving it.”
To be continued …
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment
KLRU Block Party at Austin Music Hall
By the time I arrived at the KLRU block party, the Brad Paisley fans were already funneling out of the Austin Music Hall. Looked like the public television fundraiser was a success — with what was likely a rousing speech by general manager Bill Stotesbery; these are heady times for the ACL station — but what about those of us trying to spread the love around to multiple events on an October Friday?
Jose Navia, Erica Navia
We had DJ Chicken George. It never ceases to amaze me how Austin’s nimble spinners can keep a crowd — or what’s left of one — not only entertained, but writhing deliriously well into the night. DJs are prime social connectors, touching the soft pleasure spots in our deep brains, shedding mass inhibitions and uniting disparate individuals into emotional cohesion.
Mark Pedini, Sara Robertson
DJs — underpraised in a town of four-and-five-piece bands and singer-songwriters — help keep Austin Austin. I’m not one of those columnists who celebrate Austin weirdness — and plenty was on display at the Music Hall — for its own sake. What I salute are the forces that generate or nurture weirdness, those dedicated to the real defining qualities of Austin — openness, sentience and social connection.
Beau Armstrong, Tamara Mewis
Who’d have bet a block party would spark such “deep thoughts”?
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment
October 27, 2008
Diamonds & Denim without Rona
Entertainment journalism pioneer Rona Barrett could not make the Diamonds & Denim affair because of illness, but the fundraiser for Family Eldercare was nonetheless frisky at the historic Caswell House. Besides the usual food, drink, music and auctions, guests copped little cowboy boots in their favorite team colors.
Pat Hunt, Betty Hegarty, Lynn Roberson
I spoke at some length with local Eldercare representatives and backers, such as Karen Langley and Julie Freeman, who explained that many of their clients are assigned to the nonprofit group by courts because of abuse or neglect. Ill treatment of vulnerable children receives a lot of attention in this community, but parallel crimes against the elderly are generally swept under the carpet by the media.
Karen Langley, Julie Freeman, Alyce Parsons, Janelle Parsons
Also spoke with Alyce and Janelle Parsons of the Parsons Group Inc., the for-profit operation that provides housing for elderly in need. I kept noticing connections to the Central California region I’d just visited (Rona lives in Santa Ynez; Fess Parker Wineries donated vintages; Santa Barbara inns donated rooms to the auction.) Turns out my detections were not far off — Parsons is based in Santa Barbara, as Alyce explained, and the company pays all the expenses for fundraisers like this.
Keith Brandon, Aleasha Brandon (they actually building the housing for the needy elderly)
If only all for-profit partners behaved that way! Check out the explanatory video on the Family Eldercare site.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment
October 23, 2008
The Night Smiles at Umlauf Sculpture Garden & Museum
It doesn’t take much to draw a crowd to the Umlauf Sculpture Garden & Museum on a crystalline autumn evening. This week’s occasion was debut of the Kay and Hayes Pitts Family Pavilion. That’s a rather long name for a lovely niche in the gardens for weddings and other such formal occasions.
Colleen Briggs, Peggy Frary, Barbara Kelso
Already, the repository of Austin’s most celebrated — and sometimes misunderstood — sculptor hosts hundreds of weddings, parties and other social events each year. It’s the mainstay of the nonprofit arts group. This curled platform, defined partly by water and made formal by a metal overhang, feels organic, green, emotionally taut.
Ransom Baldasare, David Webber
Dignitaries were present: sculptor Charles Umlauf’s widow Angeline, modernist painter Michael Frary’s widow, Peggy, museum director Nelie Plourde.
Erin Rogers, Rachel Farris, Jessica Bourne
Also social luminaries, such as Nieman-dressed Karen Landa, Ohio-electioneering-bound Robert Nash, architect David Webber and his euphoniously partner Ransom Baldasare and salon owner Barbara Kelso. The catering, by Lyndie Clement, was elaborate and exquisite. Tunes by trumpeter Ephraim Owens made the night smile indulgently.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment
October 21, 2008
Links' Harlem Nights at Renaissance Austin
Links of Austin joined up with the Susan G. Komen for the Cure to sponsor “Harlem Nights” at the Renaissance Austin Hotel. I’ve never witnessed a snazzier-dressed gathering, as folks filtered between two jazz bands in outfits inspired by the Harlem Renaissance.
Chrystle Swain, Carmen Francis
Charitable gambling complemented dancing in two party rooms.
Jimmy Earl, Vanessa Earl
Links Inc. has so successfully pushed its “service through friendship” goals that it can share its good will on such an evening with the equally admired breast cancer association.
Carl Rounds, Sako Rounds
I ran into Bernadette Phifer, director of the Carver Museum and Cultural Center, who urged a full evening of enjoyment. But I had to move on to the next event. Perhaps next year.
Marjon Christopher, Damon Johnson, Kenya Johnson
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Charity
Save Austin Music at One World Theatre
Like certain other events on this busy weekend, the Save Austin Music fundraiser started slowly, but swung definitively upbeat once the artists started playing. Politicians rubbed shoulders with hard-core musicians on the plaza where Hartt and Nada Stearns plan a new amphitheater at One World Theatre.
Hartt Stearns, Paul Oveisi, Dan Dyer
That’s right—the former Iluminada is now Mrs. Stearns.The longtime couple and owners of One World got married in a surprise Nevada ceremony. They hid their wedding gear from their families in order to spring the happy event on them. So romantic.
Lea Koury, Michael Hale
Save Austin Music appears to have grown up alongside the Austin Music Task Force’s studies on the future of the city’s artistic infrastructure. The best explanation came from musician and budding entrepreneur Greg Vendetti, who talked about the kinds of changes in civic culture that would be needed to keep Austin musical.
Tracy Cook, Shannon Cook
Public request: Greg, send me three paragraphs so I can share with readers.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment Categories: Charity, Music
October 20, 2008
St. Jude's Benefit at GSD&M
Some social events appeared slow to start on this long weekend of receptions, galas and parties. The fundraiser for St. Jude’s Children’s Medical Center at GSD&M’s offices was lightly populated during the early hours. (At one point, there were more of us photographers than socialites in one room.)
Keli Sotelo, Creed Ford
The band “Lonestar” played its heart out to an empty dance floor. The food spread was sumptuous, though, and gala-goers began to filter in just before the announcements and honors. Eventually, the event took off, according to my sources. Good to hear. Worthy cause.
Maggie Bowman, Nigel Bowman, Terry Kuzmich
We talked for a while with Heather Page and Shelly Kanter, who work behind the scenes for the “Beyond the Lights” Golf Celebrity Golf Classic, which benefits the Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis and stars the stalwarts from “Friday Night Lights.” (We’ll give you a heads up about the dates for 2009, which will not compete with SXSW.)
Heather Page, Shelly Kanter
Nigel Bowman, a Brit transplant, emphasized the transformative experience of visiting St. Jude’s Memphis center. “You expect it to be depressing,” he said. “It isn’t.”
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Charity
October 19, 2008
This post contains untrue reports
I split Tamara Bell’s PR & Entertainment class into seven groups for an exercise in pitching stories to a journalist. Each University of Texas six-member team chose a fictional marketing firm name and cooked up an item for my column. Then each member of the seven teams chose a method — texting, tweeting, Facebook, e-mail, phoning or face-to-face conversation — to pitch me directly in real time. This class was sizzling.
WARNING: SOME OF THESE ITEMS ARE FALSE. PATENTLY.
Insiders: We represent Will Smith and we would like to offer you a pass to the premiere of the screening of his newest film, “Seven Pounds.” After the screening we will provide with a face to face interview with Smith to discuss the movie. (Not likely that such a small firm would handle Smith, but these pitchers made me giggle helplessly with their improvisations.)
Medley 6: We represent Heisman hopeful Colt McCoy who will be making a special guest appearance on the hit television show “Friday Night Lights.” We are offering you an exclusive interview with McCoy on set to discuss his transition from the field to the studio. (Despite the obvious NCAA obstacles to this story, the team pitched it enthusiastically, convincingly.)
Blackbook PR: Our client Randy Jackson, will be attending Alpha Phi’s Red Dress Gala and Fundraiser this Saturday. Mr. Jackson is an avid supporter of cardiac disease research and we are offering you an exclusive interview, a ticket to the gala, and unlimited photo opportunities. (Nice pitch. And one that would be easy to deliver.)
The Big Picture: The curtain rises on the 15th annual Austin Film Festival tonight with Oliver Stone’s “W.” We have an exclusive interview with Mr. Stone for you. (This one might be better for the film critic than the social columnist, but the team pitched it well.)
6-Pack PR: Our client is Andy Roddick and we would like to extend to you an invitation to the wedding of Roddick and his fiance, Brooklyn Decker. You will also receive an exclusive interview with the newlyweds. Let us know if you are interested. (Bingo! I’d kill for this story.)
PrAd: Our client, Greg Daniels, is being honored by the Austin Film Festival as the 2008 Outstanding Television Writer. We would like to invite you to the award luncheon this Saturday honoring his work on “The Simpsons” and “The Office” and give you an exclusive interview concerning the new Office spin-off with Amy Poehler. (Another one perhaps better for the television writer, but well placed.)
Note: In a record for the opening exercise in this workshop, variations on which I’ve offered dozens of times, Tanya Schurr guessed in 4 seconds my coffee date two hours earlier — Brendan Hansen. (She had read my blog in advance.)
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment Categories: Charity
October 16, 2008
The Rise School Benefit with Donna Stockton-Hicks
“Which shoe store do you represent?” asked the doe-eyed young woman at the door. Excuse me? She explained that almost all the revelers at the stately Pemberton home that night were ladies, and most of the attendant men were shoe salesmen. Huh.
Donna Stockton-Hicks, Kristin Armstrong, Venus Strawn
The estate in question was none other than the home of radio magnate Steve Hicks and busy philanthropist Donna Stockton-Hicks. A 1920s Renaissance Revival creekside mansion has been adroitly renovated by Stockton-Hicks, who exposed the glowing wood and tiles and let the masterpiece speak for itself. (It far outstrips its better-known sibling, Laguna Gloria.) Everything, including the garden’s belvedere, has been rendered in the utmost taste. The Hicks plan to reconfigure the sumptuous gardens and expand the south lawn for even more social space.
Kathy Taylor, Mike Genug (the close friends swear they didn’t coordinate outfits. And yes, her name is Mike.)
Stockton-Hicks, looking supremely comfortable in this Old World atmosphere, explained why the Rise School of Austin has attracted so many influential friends. Designed for children with Down syndrome, it has quickly become a savior for parents unsure of where to find the appropriate early childhood education. Sally Brown, wife to everybody’s hero — this week — UT coach Mack Brown, is a prime force behind the school, which is expected to expand to all the Big 12 campuses.
Garden’s Patty Hoffpauir with Vicki Howard, Nikki Mackenzie
Stockton-Hicks is a generous hostess, but she sticks to causes in which the Hicks family participates personally. This week’s event was immaculately organized (save the valet parking snafus) and climaxed with a shoe-related performance by Austin Cabaret Theatre’s Stuart Moulton doing his best Cher drag. You just never know when and where Cher will turn up.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Charity, Style
September 29, 2008
Titling the blogs
Only one student in the Entertainment Journalism class at St. Edward’s University maintained a blog previous to Aug. 25. Now all 16 are posting daily (with some gaps).
Without prompting from me, they chose evocative titles. Some examples: “I See” (Beth Sanchez); “Crowd Noise” (Geoff West); “Ipso Facto” (Christian Cabazos); “Shallow Thoughts” (Marc Sherman); ” Valletta (Celeste Diaz); “Kid in Austin” (Victoria Estrada); “What I’d Say” (Ian Gillespie); “Day by Day” (Mackenzie Jenkins); “Le Fou” (Jen Obenhaus); “Caroline Attack” (Caroline Wallace); What’s Good” (Danielle Bauman); “That’s Entertainment” (Claire Cella); and “A Sleepy Company” (Alison Willis). The others are well-written, but their titles are just direct, descriptive. Click on the hyperlink above for examples.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment
September 25, 2008
Darrell Royal at Barton Creek event for Longevity Foundation
Regal coach Darrell Royal could attract a decent crowd for a game of gin rummy. Give him a worthy cause and he’ll fill the pale-colored banquet rooms at the Barton Creek Resort to capacity.
Darrell Royal, Linda Cole, Bob Cole
The cause in question Wednesday was the Longevity Foundation. Inspired by Patrick Howard, a five-year-old boy who died of a degenerative genetic disorder called ataxia-telangiectasia, the foundation supports various kinds of biomedical research in such disorders, as well as diseases such as cancer.
Marc Labate, Teresa Labate
The event, however, was cheerful. The throng had gathered to hear the pickin’ of songwriters Paul Overstreet, Scotty Emerick and Dean Dillon. (I didn’t stay long enough to report whether coach used his famous “red-light” technique to hush the audience. Coach speaks, people obey.)
Lee Walker, Michelle Westling
We spent some time catching up with KVET’s Bob Cole, who shared (unprintable) stories about Austin celebrities. He also noted the evolution of Austin’s social scene during the past three decades, from a “party of five” mentality to a much more diverse and egalitarian brew.
Carl Orend, Claire Orend
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Charity
Austinites at the Clinton Global Initiative
“It’s been great to catch up with Wangari Maathai, with whom we worked with on Nobelity Project, and to talk with her about the school we sponsor in Kenya,” Turk Pipkin said. “We’ve committed to building an adjacent high school so that 800 kids in the area won’t have to quit school after eighth grade. We’re also launching a tree-planting initiative in early 2009 and are talking to Wangari and the greenbelt movement about being one of our key partners to plant large numbers of trees and remove millions of tons of CO2 from the atmosphere.”
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Charity
September 22, 2008
Octo Tea Dance at the Long Center Plaza
Regular participants anticipate the Octo Tea Dance with relish. We understand why. More than 1,000 celebrants spread over the magical Long Center plaza for the charity event on Sunday, raising something in the order of $65,000, according to one organizer.
Ryan Sorrsek, Neal Sanchez
The event dovetails into the Octopus Club activities, which raise cash for AIDS Services of Austin year-round. Folks like Lew Aldridge, Mark Erwin and Oliver Everette spend a good deal of time making that magic happen.
Laura McQuary, Jose Minguell
Last year, it was held at the Oasis. In the prominently public plaza, the tone was a little more formal — fewer shirts whipped off during the hours of dancing. Still, no lack of playfulness from the crowd, who gravitated to the “disco floor” light show, permanently installed on the edge of the plaza.
Hector Gonzalez, Michael Escobedo
Some of the action spilled inside to various lobbies, including a jazz retreat in the Kodosky Donor Lounge. For the grown-ups.
Benson Kelsey, Tim Grondin, Ric de Barros
Permalink | Comments (2) | Post your comment
Fall Fusion at Dell Jewish Community Campus
Two themes for the Fall Fusion Party at the Dell Jewish Community Campus: Endeavor and “Saturday Night Live.” The realty and development company, including principals Jeff Newberg, Andy Pastor and Kirk Rudy, were saluted. The sketch comedy show provided the characters and activities for the JCC gym.
Adam Ramirez, Lauren McKendall
The place was packed with food, drink and fun. The organizers predict the event will raise a good $200,000 which is well above average for a seasonal gala, even one with more than 500 guests dressed in mostly business casual.
Marcia Levy, Robyn Sperling, Tracy Solomon
A few things about attending an event at the JCC: The grounds are capacious, the parking generous and the place makes sense socially. The rooms feed into one another in a rational way. It’s also a pretty straight shot from downtown. We’re compiling a list of social venues for Glossy, and the JCC hadn’t yet come up, but after Fall Fusion, it went way up on my list. Sen. Kirk Watson, Suzanne Newberg
The organizers graciously urged me to stay for the presentations later in the evening, but I’d already made the round trip to Houston for one party, and had yet another social obligation in the wings. Next time, next time. Kirk Rudy, David Brenner, Karen Brenner
Permalink
| Comments (0)
| Post your comment
I don’t think the power of the Heart Gallery sank in until this year. I mean, intellectually, I understood that the program improved Central Texas adoption rates by drafting top-notch photographers to produce portraits of the candidates. It seemed like a worthy cause, but I never paid close attention. Jackie, Tracy Eilers, Michele Golden Then I realized how lucky our godson, Alfie, who just entered first grade, was to be adopted as a newborn. The older kids don’t have that advantage. And think of going through life without parents to call about your latest news. (Or, in my case, to worry about when they won’t evacuate during hurricanes. BTW: They are fine. Got power and water before everybody else.) Dr. Ryan Burke, Dr. Prachi Midi Anyway, modishly dressed Lytle Pressley is kind enough to lend his modern furniture store on West Sixth Street to the Heart Gallery every year. And this year’s party brought out the warm-hearted and the longtime advocates, like Judge Rhonda Hurley, who I ran into earlier this week at the Kozmetsky Center opening. Carlos Gonzalez, Ana Lisa Garcia
Permalink
| Comments (0)
| Post your comment
Categories:
Charity
It’s hard not to be impressed by the Kozmetsky Center for Child Protection. One of the largest public-private projects to aid child protection services took almost a decade to build. It sits on former state school land — once called Vision Village — and it presents a reassuring, child-friendly environment for alleged victims of abuse. Lisa Wade, Judge Rhonda Hurley, District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg The buildings are set back on the tree-shaded East Austin campus. Millions of dollars were raised in the private sector to construct this safe environment, which would otherwise fall to law enforcement to provide. Joanie Bentzin, Ben Bentzin, Sheriff Greg Hamilton Current board president Ben Bentzin spoke eloquently on the subject before introducing donors, designers and staff, as well as a short, moving video.
Venus Strawn, Mary Herr We spoke with District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg, who spent years advocating for the project, also briefly with Travis County Sheriff Greg Hamilton (still not too comfortable in front of cameras, but that will come in time) and Judge Rhonda Hurley, who spent a good deal of time with Statesman reporter Chuck Lindell for his recent series on child protection.
Marcia Williams, Michelle Herrera Also dallied with the aptly named Venus Strawn and her friend, the lustrous Mary Herr, who is organizing the Center’s “Dancing with the Stars” benefit later this fall. She had tried to convince me to participate as a dancer. I refused. But if she goes for an “American Idol” theme …
Permalink
| Comments (0)
| Post your comment
Categories:
Charity
The studiously traditional Enfield house of business and political kingmaker Lowell Lebermann — it would look right in Virginia foxhunting country — was enough of a draw. But the more inspirational reason to attend the reception at Lebermann’s was the fundraising for the Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders. Nancy Scanlan, Carla McDonald, Michelle Krejci Right away, we met these leaders-in-the-making, wearing plaid uniforms, directing traffic and serving excellent nibbles. Then we mixed with parents, who had nothing but praise for the AISD academy, which is expanding to include high school classes soon. Eddie Safady, John Thornton We also hung with a particular subset of the Fortunate 500 crowd who will appear familiar to readers — Linda Ball and Forrest Preece, Carla and Jack McDonald, Julie and John Thornton, Evan Smith, Nancy Scanlan, Lee Walker, Eddie Safady, Ellen Richards, Brenda Thompson and Karen Frost (who brought along her mother, evacuated from Houston). Parents Sonya Banda, Neva Price It was a particular honor to spend a few minutes with ARS teachers and the school’s supremely competent executive director, Michelle Krejci. Rest assured, these leaders will mold the next generation of leaders. Deborah Dodds, Lee Walker
Permalink
| Comments (0)
| Post your comment
Categories:
Charity
Continued from post below… Richard’s family, including stepmother Bobbi, already have made a huge impact on Austin. The Long Center for the Performing Arts is just one of their projects. Yet most of the family’s civic investments go to health care and related charitiets. (Another portion of the foundation’s magnanimity helps charities in the Chicago area, where Richard’s sisters live.) “We pay a lot of lip service to musicians, but we don’t do a lot to support them.” says Richard, who generally stays out of the spotlight himself. He’s delighted artists actually use the services. “They are so appreciative and so taken aback when we reach out to them. That’s huge for them. And for us. In fact, they pass along their slots to other musicians when they take jobs with benefits.” HAAM Benefit Day, Oct. 7, includes Austin City Hall festivities, a concert at Antone’s with Gary Clark Jr. and other local bands. More than 90 bands have pledged to play at restaurants, clubs and retail outlets that day. Meanwhile, area businesses pledge 5 percent of their profits or make cash donations. The Cain Foundation, represented by entertainment attorney Wofford Denius, will make a $10,000 matching grant that day.
Permalink
| Comments (0)
| Post your comment
Categories:
Charity, Music
Some fundraising events are still finding their way. Paddlefest, which helps float the Texas River School’s efforts to bring outdoor living to kids without normal access to its wonders, is not one of the city’s biggest or most profitable affairs. But it’s got a lot of heart — and, now, a magical location. I’d never ventured out on the docks of the Texas Rowing Center, located across from Austin High School on upper Lady Bird Lake. At dusk, especially, it’s a bit of heaven, the sunset spiraling in reflections on the lake, a slight breeze passing across the waters and folks settling down for basic grub, local music and short ventures on the boats, including a non-boater-friendly raft. Duncan McLaurin, Linda Overton, Matt Ritchie Joe Kendall, one of the main men behind the school, told me that more than 4,000 children, normally terrified of the river because they don’t swim, have paddled up and down the lake, learning about its natural processes and, along the way, water safety. He’s planning campouts down below Longhorn dam, which should be even more challenging. Linda Firestone, Erin Flynn Anyway, the backers of Paddlefest, including board members Linda Firestone and Erin Flynn, expressed mild disappointment that the turnout was pretty thin on a September Saturday, but I assured them that their location was unmatched and that on a cooler Sunday later in the season, they’d likely draw more lake lovers. Mickey Filpi, Cloe Justice Then it was off to Antone’s to hear Jets Under Fire and, for starters, Beaux Loy, who has an amazing vocal instrument and made a bang-up starter for the Alpha Rev bill. Skipped the Rev this night to entertain brother Christopher and his wife Juliefrom Houston at Cru, where we shared a silky bottle of tempranillo and a very late supper. The Cru crew was extremely professional about staying open so late, too.
Permalink
| Comments (4)
| Post your comment
In the course of an evening out, one fit athlete offered to get me out into the Hill Country on a bicycle, while another tried to lure me onto Lady Bird Lake in a kayak.
Joe Weismantel, Audrey Neville, Sarmed Rashid Did they think that, just because I walked to their separate fundraising events along a multi-mile stretch of the hike and bike trail, that I could actually join something like the Texas 4000, a cycling road ride from Texas to Alaska to raise money to fight cancer?
Luci Baines Johnson, Nancy Brown Hardly. Although the promise of adventure is tempting. The course is actually more than 4,500 miles and is billed the longest charity ride in the world. Hey, Alaska is my next intended road-trip frontier, so …
Stella Jang, Dane Edwards The tribute gala dinner for Texas 4000 at the Four Seasons Hotel resembled any other posh affair at the incessantly busy lakeside retreat. (Spied at a wedding next door: Texas basketball legend Jody Conradt.) Tempting silent auction items were lined up for the cocktail reception, then the revelers took their seats in the ballroom for the hotel’s usual creative banquet fare.
Pratish Kanani, Olege Esenkov, Anju Kanani We talked a some length with aspiring journalist Dane Edwards, also with Luci Baines Johnson, who sat with event chairwoman Nancy Brown and informed me about attempts to bring the world to the gradually more open-to-the-public LBJ Ranch, including a mass bike ride out there come spring. She’s been riding herself lately, by the way, and looks fit as a country fiddle and not a day over 40.
Permalink
| Comments (1)
| Post your comment
For decades, Concordia University Texas has slept quietly in the shadow of the University of Texas and other Central Texas institutions of higher learning. Then, two mammoth real estate deals transformed its former Central Austin campus into a construction zone, making way for an ambitious multi-use complex, while the students, teachers and staff moved to a wooded corporate campus in the fast-growing northwest corridor. Penny Cedel, Pres. Tom Cedel The deal forged ties between the Lutheran university and the business community, especially real estate interests, similar to the way St. Edward’s University has expanded rapidly based on the attractiveness of its South Austin campus. Similar claims could be made for other non-University of Texas schools that have benefited from region’s new-found wealth and sense of civic responsibility, and the gaps between their backing and UT’s vast statewide, even international resources. William F. Thomas, Joyce Thomas Among the tall-hats at Concordia’s gala at the Four Seasons on Thursday were real estate titans like Tom Stacy, business connectors like Charlie Betts and more traditional philanthropists like Jo Anne Christian. We also chatted with gracious college president Tom Cedel and his wife Penny, and suitably excited development officers like Amy Huth and Jackie Macha Faulkner. Nacole Thompson, Doris McDonald This was an early crowd — they arrived in throngs 30 minutes before the advertised cocktail hour and zoomed into the ballroom as soon as the doors opened. That added to the sense of occasion and anticipation for the first Concordia gala of the new era. Tom Stacy, Melinda Stacy And what better place to connect Old and New Concordia than the Four Seasons, which remains ideal for this particular scale (300+ diners), this kind of fund-raising goal ($100,000+) and this particular demographic (generally older, more comfortable than at other nonprofit events I attended this week). The hotel’s staff is trained to attend to the tiniest details, down to a glass of ice water retrieved from the in-house restaurant, Trio, because I couldn’t face the tropical walk home without adequate hydration. Amy Huth, U.S.M.C. Sgt. S.E. Irvin , Jackie Macha Faulkner
Permalink
| Comments (1)
| Post your comment
Categories:
Charity
So many social connections surged at J. Black’s on Tuesday, it was hard to keep track. First, Strata TX held a happy hour, which makes sense, because the young professionals club for the Texas Cultural Trust significantly brings down the average age for the trust’s statewide supporters and helps spread the word about what this trust does (primarily backs the Texas Commission on the Arts and educational programs about the arts, as well as some individual young artsts). Erin Ivey, Marc Fort Second, another group, Grounded in Music, held a simultaneous happy hour. This is another collection of twenty- and thirtysomethings putting their shoulders to the fundraising grindstone, this time for extracurricular music programs in schools not lucky enough to have well-heeled PTAs to pay for teachers. And they hire top musicians, too, keeping their operating budget to $40,000 by doing all the rest of the work with volunteers. Jacquelyn Sorcic, Jeff Kreinik But the best part was that the two groups met together in the narrow raised lounge behind the main U-shaped bar (where nightlife prince Brad Womack held court that dusk). Collaborating on the event meant their supporters cross-pollinated, something every charitable group in town should do. (I’ve seen it work for the Catalyst 8 folks on several occasions, for instance.) Huey Houston, Leah Smith Then it was off to dinner with the ever-gracious Stephen Rice and Mark Erwin and our instantaneous friends, Oliver Everette and Craig Rancourt at Eastside Cafe. We all left pleasantly stuffed and content.
Permalink
| Comments (0)
| Post your comment
Right away, at Angels on the Runway, I ran into Kelli and Keith Lawson. The newcomers from Washington D.C. — like newcomers sweetly do — asked about the event. They wanted to know everything. Kelli Lawson, Keith Lawson Well, it’s an annual fashion show. And one with some name designers — this time layer-lover Robert Comstock from Aspen and New York, courtesy of Keepers men’s wear on Congress Avenue — as well as promising locals, such as Joanna Ruley-Garza and Stephanie Jimenez. But not all the beauteous models are experienced, so the action on the runway can be a bit tentative. Mary Lee, Jenny Hoff, Maureen McCann, Catie Beck The venue is the Austin Music Hall, which needs explanation. A multi-use facility, rebuilt from the ground up, its main flat floor is well suited to fundraisers like this one, as well as to rock concerts. But not so much for other performing arts events. The acoustics have improved from near-catastrophic levels earlier this year and the hall fits neatly with its 360 Tower and Ballet Austin neighbors.
Bennett Pifer, George Heretakis The charity benefiting from this party is Heart House, which provides after-school educational services for the needy. I explained to Kelli and Keith that it was among several dozen young, fast-growing organizations built mostly with new money, not old, and therefore perfect for entry-level participation. Amy Holloway, Chris Engle Well, I hope Kelli and Keith liked the event. And yes, in Austin, unlike bigger, more established cities, you can make a difference right away.
Permalink
| Comments (1)
| Post your comment
Pretty people get a bad rap. Shallow? Petty? Inaccessible? Not in my experience. At least not in Austin. Of course, my marital status lowers any potential sexual tension while interacting with pretty people on the job. Not being particularly pretty myself actually works my behalf, too. When I approach someone at a party or club for conversation, I’m clearly not making untoward advances. Sam Ryan, Tasha McCarter Austin Under 40 is not an organization for pretty people. In fact, it recognizes high achievement in multiple fields as well as unusual civic benevolence. Yet the happy hour held for its volunteers at Imperia on Thursday could easily be mistaken for a mixer for shiny young professionals. I must have met 50 of them in the space of an hour. Yann Curtis, Meredith Estes, Jorge Padilla At first, a hundred or so engineers, marketers and other high achievers clumped near the Warehouse District restaurant’s bar, ordering drinks spiked with Tito’s Homemade Vodka. But once a buffet opened back by the new sushi service area, the AU40 followers spread out, allowing more breathing room.
Brian Cheng, Victor Yu
We talked with one smiling gentleman, Brian Cheng, for some time. At first, he pretended to be among the AU40, but in fact, he was on a business trip from Chicago. Turns out he grew up with Imperia managing partner CK Chin in Southwest Houston. So lots of Houston connections to discuss. Jim Kaighin, David Landry “I’ve known him since he was just six feet tall,” Cheng joked about our towering host. “Back when he was 14 years old.”
Permalink
| Comments (0)
| Post your comment
One of the benefits of this job is meeting people who shape Austin. Only a few of them do so with sheer money or raw influence. Rather, they lubricate the social machinery that improves the region’s civic health, introducing the idea people to the practical types who can make good things happen.
Tiffany Allen, Kevin Cobourn At times, one can almost glimpse the future of the city in the faces of leaders in the making. I often experience this shivery foresight at functions for the Austin Under 40 Awards or Leadership Austin, two groups that encourage the blending of social sentience with enlightened self-interest. Shams Siddiqi, Sarah Siddiqi That feeling overwhelmed me at the opening of Acton School of Business’ new campus on East Riverside Drive on Saturday. Framed by the hilltop scenery, traditionalist architecture and tech-savvy classrooms, former, current and future students of the innovative MBA program for entrepreneurs mingled, nibbled breaded shrimp and sipped freshly squeezed margaritas. Joseph Koszusko, Laura Lee Kozusko I talked to several dozen of them, as well as to instructors, staff and family members, all eager to cheer the program that encourages a “life of meaning” alongside highly honed business skills. (Also some respectful A&M and TCU grads.) They ogled the video equipment that would record and place online every arched eyebrow in every classroom discussion among the next 30 students at the school. Rodrigo Rodas, Jeff Sandefer (At least one expressed apprehension about the thoroughness of the documentation. “We can’t kid around too much,” he said.) Suzi Sosa, Roy Sosa Jeff Sandefer, the unconventional oilman behind the program, spoke ever so briefly. Mostly people wanted to meet the Actonians from around the world, who might be changing it soon. Dave Chun, Sarah Stasney-Chun We also spoke with Georgia Thomsen, the hyper-competent Acton executive director, who glided from one circle to another, looking as much like a star athlete or model as a top administrator.
David Gian, Dori Eversmann, Jeff Eversmann We took an unusual number of pictures at this event, in part because the urge to document overcame any impulse to proceed to the evening’s next social commitment. After all, these images might tell the future.
Vince Lopresti, Danielle Lopresti, Georgia Thomsen
Permalink
| Comments (1)
| Post your comment
Categories:
Business, Charity
September 19, 2008
Heart Gallery Party at Spazio
September 18, 2008
Grand Opening of Kozmetsky Center
Ann Richards School Party at Lowell Lebermann's
September 17, 2008
Richard Topfer and HAAM Benefit Day, Part 2
September 8, 2008
Paddlefest at the Texas Rowing Center
September 7, 2008
Texas 4000 Tribute Gala at the Four Seasons
August 31, 2008
Concordia University Gala at the Four Seasons
August 27, 2008
Grounded in Music and Strata TX at J. Black's
August 26, 2008
Angels on the Runway at Austin Music Hall
August 22, 2008
Pretty People Can Be Nice, Part 1: AU40 at Imperia
August 17, 2008
Changing the world at Acton School of Business
August 12, 2008
Catching up with Alisa Weldon at Cissi's Market
Over mellow coffee at Cissi’s Market, we discussed the long-planned renovation of the shop, which will soon include a wine bar — much needed on South Congress Avenue — new edible offerings and rebranding of the market’s successful Kohana Coffee. (Weldon teamed up with Cissi’s Victoria Lynden after her magazine ran a profile of the entrepreneur.) We also talked about other intriguing personalities who have appeared on the L Style G Style cover — such as self-effacing philanthropist Lew Aldridge — and about the possibility of licensing the magazine’s concept to other cities, similar to the Santa Fe-based group whose nationwide cooperative eventually included Edible Austin.
To that end, Weldon has formed another strategic partnership, this time with Oliver Everette, recently of Portland, Maine. According to their plans, Everette will help take the magazine into its second year and develop the licensing concept. We hear Everette is another discreetly effective social connector, having helped with the upcoming Octo Tea 13 organized by the Octupus Club to benefit AIDS Services of Austin (the event at the Long Center features DJ Roland Belmares and DJ Seth Cooper.)
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment
August 10, 2008
Ice Ball at the Monarch Center
It never ceases to amaze me that, in Austin, a simple grassroots gathering at a private home or small business can blossom into a major fundraising event with just a little tender loving care. Amy Stanley and friends started Helping Austin with a get-together four years ago in her Keystaff Inc. headquarters on Anderson Lane. The money they raised went to Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Central Texas. People had fun. They did good.
Carol Cain, Eric Stumberg, Amy Stanley
Stanley’s gang moved downtown for the next parties, then chose the Monarch Event Center near Highland Mall for its Ice Ball on Saturday, partly for ready parking, a relatively central location and “good deal,” says Stanley. The former Lincoln Theater multiplex in what was once an upscale center has been lightly renovated to include a flat floor for a sizable banquet room.
Keri Anthony, Bryan Clark
What’s so neat about a group like Helping Austin is that almost nobody at the festive event, cooled with icy concoctions, was recognizable from the gala circuit. Dressed eclectically from frayed jeans and cowboy hats to metallic gowns, they had made their own community of socializing and benevolence, raising approximately $30,000 for Big Brothers, Big Sisters, while extending good will beyond the traditional Austin circle of philanthropy.
Rebecca Kan, Russell Lubojacky
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment
August 7, 2008
The Acton School of Business model
An article in the Aug. 7 American-Statesman business section explains why the highly ranked Acton School of Business, which opens its new East Riverside Drive campus this week, is so effective. Classes are limited to a few dozen highly motivated students who spend 100 hours each week working on cases and projects. Their discussions — teachers speak only to ask questions — in comfortable, flexible classrooms are recorded in HD video and professors respond the verbalizations online.
A few Rules of Engagement for my 2008 class borrowed from Acton: 1) Arrive on time. 2) Be prepared to open the case. 3) Listen respectfully. 4) Build on previous points. 5) Direct your comments to your classmates. 6) Articulate your arguments systematically. 7) State your assumptions. 8) Give evidence to support your claims. 9) Participate wholeheartedly.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment
August 1, 2008
2008 Fortunate 500: The Complete List
Remember, this is our annual list of Austin’s most social citizens. It honors those Central Texans who go Out & About for the good of the greater social fabric.
Almost all our picks were originally nominated by readers, then followed by our social spies during the subsequent year. (I chatted with most of them, too, at the 1,000 or so social events I attended in the past 12 months.) So now is a prime time to alert us to people who contribute above and beyond to the social scene, so they can be eligible for the 2009 list.
