Kick-Off Party, Thursday, September 22

Silent and Live Auction, Sunday, October 9

Golf Tournament, Monday, October 10

Dallas, TX -   Preston Center Rotary presents the 51^st Westapher Charity Golf Tournament and Auction benefiting Nexus Recover Center on two separate dates this fall: October 9 and 10, 2016.

The Silent and Live Auction, chaired by Park Cities resident Karen Luter and Wylie resident Jonna LaGrone-Haynes, takes place on Sunday, October 9 from 6:00 until 10:00 p.m. hosted by Sue and Chris Jones in their Park Cities home.

The Golf Tournament, chaired by Roger Wyche with Tom Hotchkiss as co-chair, happens on Monday, October 10 at the Cowboys Golf Club in Grapevine, TX. Registration begins at 11:30 a.m. followed by lunch at noon. The tournament runs from 1:30 until 6:30 p.m.

Becca Crowell, president of Nexus Recovery Center, encourages the public to join in both events by registering now! The Silent and Live Auction provide a chance for guests to have fun bidding on exciting and fun items while supporting the life changing work of Nexus Recovery Center. Auction Tickets are $75 each and include access to the live and silent auction, dinner included. Applicable sponsorships include Auction tickets and a foursome to the Golf Tournament. Individual Golf Play is $350.00. Purchases can be made online at www.51Westapher.eventbrite.com  

 Fifty years ago Preston Center Rotarian Father Westapher and some church members played a game of golf to get better acquainted.  At dinner following the round, they "passed the hat" and made a donation to charity.  The ensuing tradition of the Westapher Charity Golf Tournament was born and has yielded fun, fellowship and the donation of hundreds of thousands of dollars for local worthy causes.

The Westapher Golf Tournament is the oldest golf tournament in North Texas. It continues to boast a great day of Golf at the Cowboys Golf Club, proceeds benefit Nexus Recovery Center. The Park Cities News/The Waters Family is a media sponsor.

For more information, visit the web site at www.nexusrecovery.org, email development@nexusrecovery.org or call 214.321.0156 ext 2102. 

Mission Statement: The mission of Nexus Recovery Center is to serve as a link to sobriety, independence, and dignity for low-income women and their families affected by addiction. We inspire hope, offer respect, and honor the unique differences of female addicts.

The Road to Pebble Beach starts at Dallas Athletic Club on Monday, October 3! 

The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) kicked-off the NKF Golf Classic recently at a party hosted by event chair George Price of Edward Jones at Top Golf in Dallas. This begins the Road to Pebble Beach!
           
Join us for the NKF Golf Classic on Monday, October 3, 2016 at the Dallas Athletic Club (DAC).  Registration begins at 10:00 a.m. with breakfast and lunch, and the practice facilities open. Shotgun starts at 12:00 p.m.  Immediately following the tournament, enjoy cocktails, hors d’oeuvres reception and dinner, followed by the awards presentation and auction.
         
Joining in the fun at Top Golf were two honorees from NKF’s 2016 February Bonné Sante event, Clay Quinn, “Quinning for Texas” founder and recipient of the Burl Osborne Awareness Individual Award and Brian Motsenbocker, whose family was presented the Gift of Life award. Also in the crowd were Marie Collins, Executive Director for North Texas; Neil Foote, President of the National Kidney Foundation North Texas and Mark Edwards, National Program Director.

         
The NKF Golf Classic is the premier amateur golf event for charity with nearly 35 events held throughout the country each year, raising $3.5 million for the National Kidney Foundation. The top finishing teams at each local tournament are invited to compete in the NKF Golf Classic National Finals at the Pebble Beach Resorts on January 12 through the 17th, 2017 where teams play a 54-hole tournament on the Pebble Beach Golf Links, Spyglass Hill Golf Course and the Links at Spanish Bay – one of the only events of its kind where you can win locally and move on to compete for a national title at the Pebble Beach Resorts. 

         
At Pebble Beach, there is an opening reception, gala and auction, Champions Celebration, PING Skills Challenge and a National Finals Gift Package provided by National Sponsors.   Since 1987, more than 290,000 golfers have teed off to help fight kidney disease, raising more than $90 million for the cause at the National Kidney Foundation Golf Classic events.
         
Sponsorships begin at $3,500 and go up to $10,000. Registration package for a foursome is $2,000. To register, visit nkfgolfclassic.com or contact Kristen McCaffery at 214-351-2393 or Kristen.Mccaffery@kidney.org  Details are also in the attached .pdf.
           
About National Kidney Foundation:  The National Kidney Foundation, a major voluntary 501(c)(3) nonprofit health organization, is the leading organization in the U.S. dedicated to the awareness, prevention and treatment of kidney disease for hundreds of thousands of healthcare professionals, millions of patients and their families, and tens of millions of Americans at risk.

 (Photos by Suad Bejtovic)

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Join us on Saturday, October 1, 2016!

   Zoo To Do kicked-off the celebration of its 25^th Anniversary Silver Safari with a private soirée at the Dallas Zoo recently.  A cool breeze was in the air and everyone was in a festive mood as they boarded the trams piloting them to the Simmons Safari Base Camp featuring a close-up view of the Giants of the Savanna, the exhibit ranked No. 1 in Texas by USA Today’s 10 Best travel rankings. Little did anyone know that just four days later, a male African elephant calf would be born to Mlilo, one of the elephants rescued by the Zoo from drought-stricken Swaziland earlier this year.

Zoo To Do chairs (Park Cities and Uptown residents) Hal Brierley, Don Glendenning and John Levy set the scene with the perfect backdrop for photos outside, showcasing the elephants roaming around their habitat, and inside, a table set with photos from the past 25 years along with gourmet delights created by the Zoo’s Executive Chef, Jacob Hunter, paired with wines curated by East Dallas resident Hayley Hamilton Cogill, a certified sommelier and certified specialist of wine.

Special appearances were made by hometown guests, including Chimalsi the African crested porcupine, and a beautiful flamingo strutted the scene welcoming everyone, which brought smiles from the crowd.
         
Gregg Hudson, president and CEO of the Dallas Zoo, thanked everyone for their support and for attending the evening’s event. Joan Walne, Zoo board chair, announced that this is the 25th anniversary of Zoo To Do and introduced the three Zoo To Do chairs: Brierley, Glendenning and Levy.
         
Mr. Glendenning thanked Mary McDermott Cook, who has signed on as honorary chair, saying Mary is the one who made the zoo cool, and who recruited many of her friends attending the event to stay dedicated to the Zoo, now with over 1 million visitors a year. He gave her a hug and a round of applause from all filled the air. The Eugene McDermott Foundation is the presenting sponsor of this year’s Zoo To Do.
         
Mr. Levy thanked Ruth O’Donnell Mutch and Christy Berry, Host Committee chairs; Decorations chair Ellen Winspear; Underwriting chair Kevin Hanrahan; Live Auction Committee chair and Addison resident Barbara Daseke; Silent Auction chair Denise Zook-Glazer; and Diane Brierley and Cindy Gummer, who have signed on as Past Chair Committee co-chairs.
         
Ms. Gummer  invited all of the past chairs to the front for a photo, announcing 1992 and 1993 chairs Ruth Mutch and Christy Berry; 1994, Amy and Michael Meadows; 1998, Nancy Saustad; 2000, Diane Brierley; 2002, Laura and Tom Leppert; 2005, Barb and Steve Durham; 2006, Mary McDermott Cook; 2009, Patty and Dennis Stone; 2010, Ellen and Don Winspear; 2012, Diane and Mike Gruber; 2013, Emily and David Corrigan; and 2014, Tiffany and Paul Divis. She finished up by saying, “And Chuck and I chaired in 2015, along with our wonderful sons, Chris, Jay and Ryan Gummer!” A full list of the past chairs is attached.
         
Characterizing the three 2016 chairs as the “Three Amigos,” Mr. Brierley brought chuckles from the crowd, saying they have now broken the “Glass Floor” in chairing this event and expressed heartfelt thanks to all of their supporters and friends.

Helping create this memorable party were Honorary Chef Dan Landsberg and Chef Chair Sarah Barr, both of Dragonfly at Hotel ZaZa, along with Chef Wrangler Brett Krafft of the Hilton Anatole.

Slated for Saturday, Oct. 1, 2016 at the Dallas Zoo, guests and patrons of Zoo To Do 2016 Silver Safari will stroll through the award-winning Giants of the Savanna exhibit, sample exquisite dishes from over 25 of Dallas’s premier chefs and restaurants, and enjoy interactive animal demonstrations and musical entertainment. Following dinner, guests will move to the Wilds of Africa plaza for a live auction featuring rare Zoo experiences, travel and more! Finally, partygoers will dance the night away with music from Party Machine.

         
Zoo To Do is a major source of funding for the Dallas Zoo. With the proceeds from the event, the Zoo is able to continue providing outstanding education, entertainment, and wildlife conservation.

         
Sponsorships range from $7,500 to $50,000. Underwriting ranges from $7,500 to $100,000. Individual tickets are $750 each and a VIP ticket pack is $3,000. For more information, visit the website at http://www.DallasZooToDo.com or contact Stephanie Thompson, events manager at 469-554-7441 or email her at Stephanie.Thompson@DallasZoo.com.

Photos by Cathy Burkey.

Mark your calendars for Saturday, April 8, 2017 for the annual gala
AWARE Affair Celebrate the Moments

          AWARE president and Park Cities resident Venise Stuart has announced the grant recipients for the 2016 – 2017 year. Applications were submitted from nonprofit organizations located in Dallas and Collin County which are working on the front lines in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease.  The final selections have been made and the recipients are:

• Center for BrainHealth: Support for research aimed at slowing the rate of cognitive decline in patients with Early Mild Cognitive Impairment;
  
  
• Juliette Fowler Homes, Inc.: Support for an expansion in the Art Therapy Program for residents who live with various stages of Alzheimer's and related dementias;
  
  
• NorthPark Presbyterian Church: Support for the Casa de Vida program offering affordable respite care for caregivers of individuals diagnosed with beginning-to-middle stage dementia being cared for at home;
  
  
• Presbyterian Communities and Services Foundation: Support for the Grace Caring Fund which provides a safety net for Alzheimer's and dementia residents experiencing financial hardship ensuring that they can continue living at Grace;
  
  
• The Senior Source: Support for Senior Companions (volunteers) to provide independent living services to adults with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias;
• Texas Winds Musical Outreach: Support for Musical Therapy Concerts for Seniors in Priority Facilities;
  
  
• University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center: Support for the Clinical Neurology Fellowship Program.

          AWARE is dedicated to fighting Alzheimer’s disease, and its mission is to provide funding and support to nonprofit organizations that are working on the front lines to fight this disease in Dallas and the North Texas region. Through the Dallas Foundation’s Field of Interest grant program, applications to the AWARE fund were received from nonprofit organizations located in Dallas and Collin County that are working on the front lines in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease. Through the grant application review process, AWARE selects the most outstanding groups that provide services, programs, education, and resources to those suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, their families and caregivers, and to organizations doing valuable research to find a prevention and cure.

          AWARE is proud to support nonprofit organizations that share its mission and are also dedicated to fighting Alzheimer’s disease. “Together we will make a difference.”

          The grants are partially funded with proceeds from the annual fundraiser, AWARE Affair Celebrate the Moments, chaired by Angela Fontana and Andre Szuwalski along with Penny Reid and Thomas Nolan, happening on Saturday, April 8, 2017 at 6:00 p.m. at the Hilton Anatole Hotel in Dallas. The event features a silent and live auction, three course dinner and dancing to the fabulous Georgia Bridgewater Orchestra.

           AWARE membership is open to the public. AWARE provides its members important opportunities to participate in a variety of ways to become engaged in the all-important fight to end Alzheimer’s disease.

          * Network – Members participate in a network of individuals, many of whom have a personal experience with Alzheimer’s disease through a family member, friend, medical or other professionals in the field.

          * Education – Members learn the latest information about the causes, treatment, and research on Alzheimer’s through meetings, field trips, and speakers.

          * Resources – Members work collaboratively to share information and best practices in the compassionate care of loved ones with Alzheimer’s disease.

* Donations – Members know that grant recipients of the AWARE fund have been professionally vetted by The Dallas Foundation to ensure that money invested in our local community is leveraged for the best possible results in the fight to end Alzheimer’s disease.

          For more information on AWARE Affair Celebrate the Moments, the grants and membership in the AWARE organization, visit the website at www.awaredallas.org  The Dallas Foundation, a 501(c)3 publicly supported charity, is the fiscal sponsor of AWARE.
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Best Actress Kaiden Maines from Waxahachie High School and Best Actor John Frederickson from Guyer High School leave on Sunday, June 19^th for New York City where they will represent their high schools and DSM as they compete and make their Broadway debut in the National Awards on Monday, June 27th

(June 14, 2016- Dallas, TX)    The 5^th Annual Dallas Summer Musicals High School Musical Theatre Awards (DSM HSMTA) Best Actress Kaiden Maines from Waxahachie High School and Best Actor John Frederickson from Guyer High School leave on Sunday, June 19^th for an all-expense paid trip to New York City where they will represent North Texas and Dallas Summer Musicals as they compete and make their Broadway debut in the National High School Musical Theatre Awards (the Jimmy™ Awards) on June 27^th where they have a chance to win prizes and scholarships, which vary by year.
         

During those nine days, they will be immersed in all things Broadway, including working with Broadway professionals as one-on-one coaches at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University; enjoy dinner at Sardi's and see a Broadway show; participate in daily lunchtime meet-and-greets with Broadway stars, composers, writers and producers;
meet with top Broadway casting agents; compete in front of top Broadway producers and casting agents for final standing and finally, perform at the Minskoff Theater where THE LION KING plays.

Kaiden said, “I am very, very excited to have this opportunity.  I feel so blessed. Out of all of the talented people in Texas, and all of our fellow nominees, John and I get to be the ones who go to New York and compete, so I feel very honored to represent DSM and the state of Texas! I'm excited to go and really just absorb what all the instructors and incredible people we're working with have to say. I'm a human sponge.  I like to take in everything and remember it and use it to better myself.”
         

John said, “I have never been to New York before and I am so excited to get to go and perform. My very first time I go to New York, I get to perform on Broadway! This is just a dream come true. Honestly, it is so incredible. Like Kaiden said, to get to go up there and represent the talent that comes out of Dallas. This area is so full of incredible talent. I'm certain that each and every one of our fellow nominees could go up there and win the whole thing! But yes, I'm super excited.”
         

DSM’s HSMTA remains the largest program of its kind in the state and the second largest program of its kind in the country and has been recognized by the National High School Musical Theater Awards as their official affiliate program for North Texas.
         

Just this past April, Kaiden won the Best Actress award for her performance as Lady of the Lake in Waxahachie High School’s production of SPAMALOT and John won Best Actor for his performance as Bert in Guyer High School’s production of MARY POPPINS at The 5^th Annual Dallas Summer Musicals High School Musical Theatre Awards show at the Music Hall at Fair Park.
         

Based on Broadway’s Tony Awards^®, DSM’s HSMTA brings together show business veterans, community leaders and celebrities to spotlight the achievements of high school students and their school’s musical theatre programs.

Dallas City Council members were present along with HSMTA founding sponsors Leah and Jerry Fullinwider, Lakewood residents and Honorary Chairs Holly and Brad Reeves, Preston Hollow resident and HSMTA Chairman John R. Clutts; Tina Walsh, the recipient of the inaugural Leah and Jerome Fullinwider Award; Richardson resident and DSM Chairman of the Board Ted Munselle, DSM HSMTA Program Manager Tracy Jordan, Ron Corning WFAA Channel 8 reporter and DSM HSMTA emcee, award presenters and judges.

The DSM HSMTA Angels Host Committee raised over $128,000 to benefit HSMTA and scholarships. Seven cash scholarships of $5,000 each were presented to outstanding participating students. To date, DSM has awarded $135,000 in cash scholarships to outstanding students.

This year has broken all records for participating schools in HSMTA. There were 67 schools participating showcasing 70 shows, representing 33 school districts across North Texas. Among the 67 are also 7 private schools. In addition, 6 schools have entered two musicals this year for the total of 70 productions which were evaluated. This represents a new all-time high of schools, teachers and students taking part in the program. This is more than double the first year’s total of 30 schools participating.
         

Since DSM’s First Annual HSMTA in 2012, this has truly developed into a regional program, accepting schools as far away as Denton and Allen to the north, Waco to the south, Abilene to the west and Paris, Texas to the east.

Clutts said, “We all encourage Kaiden and John as they make their journey to New York – such an exciting time in their lives! We thank the community for its continued support, and our heartfelt gratitude goes to the judges, teachers, parents, students and volunteers for their dedication, which is a testament to this very important education outreach program and contributes to its significant growth. We look forward to even more schools participating next year.”
         

Tracy added, “It is important to encourage these talented students to follow their dreams and goals and to draw attention to the excellent work being done in education in musical theater in our area schools. This is a wonderful opportunity for Kaiden and John and we wish them all the best!”
         

DSM encourages everyone to follow Kaiden and John’s experience in New York City through DSM’s blog at https://dallassummermusicals.wordpress.com/ and Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/DSMHSMTA  and the website at http://www.DSMHSMTA.org  
         

HSMTA media sponsor is People Newspapers.
         

For questions, contact Tracy Jordan, the program manager at 214-413-3951 or tjordan@dallassummermusicals.org   
          National program website: http://www.nhsmta.com/pages/frequently-asked-questions