The 17^thannual Puttin’ on the Pink Fashion Luncheon, with the Dallas Cowboys lineback Bradie James as the featured speaker, is set for March 23 at the Fort Worth Convention Center

The event to benefit women’s health screenings, breast diagnostics and educational materials for the underserved of Tarrant County will begin at 10:30 a.m. with a reception followed by an 11:30 a.m. fashion show and luncheon. During the luncheon guests will hear James speak about how cancer impacted his life with the loss of his mother to breast cancer during his sophomore year at Louisiana State University.  He has since launched Foundation 56 to honor his mother’s memory by helping others overcome the devastating disease.

Since 1991, sponsors have contributed more than $2.8 million to Puttin’ on the Pink, which is hosted by the Kupferle Health Board of the Texas Health Harris Methodist Foundation.  Contributions from these sponsors has underwritten three mobile mammography units that have provided screening mammograms to more than 38,000 women and other programs.

Individual tickets for the fundraiser are $100, and table sponsorships are still available.  For more information and raffle ticket purchases, visit www.texashealth.org/pop or call 817-317-5248.

Kathy Whitworth

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Fort Worth will benefit from the 2010 Kathy Whitworth Invitational (www.kathywhitworthinvitational.com) to be held March 14-16 at the Mira Vista Country Club in Fort Worth.

Proceeds from this international junior girls golf championship nationally ranked by Golfweek/Titleist and recognized by the AJGA Polo Golf Rankings will benefit the non-profit organization, which helps more than 12,000 disadvantaged Fort Worth youth each year. Sponsorship opportunities are still available, and details can be found at www.kathywhitworthinvitational.com

Whitworth, seven-time LPGA Player of the Year, boasts six major wins and 88 career wins, an all-time record for both men’s and women’s U.S. Tours. She was the Associated Press Athlete of the Year in 1965 and 1967, was inducted into the LPGA’s Hall of Fame in 1975 and won the PGA First Lady of Golf Award in 2006.

This year, 72 girls aged 12 to 18, from as close as Fort Worth and as far as South Korea, will compete in the Kathy Whitworth Invitational. Fourteen of those girls hail from the Dallas/Fort Worth area, and they include Tezira Abe, Arlington; Talia Campbell, Dallas; Grace Choi, Dallas; Emily Collins, Colleyville; Susanna Feather, Fort Worth; Katie Grady, Mansfield; Kaci McCarten, Plano; April McCoy, Carrollton; Chelsea Mocio, Fort Worth; Rachel Mulkey, Flower Mound; Jennifer Park, Carrollton; Natalie Reeves, Euless; Amy Ruengmateekhun, Garland; and Chaney Uhles, Fort Worth.

International competitors will include golfers from Taiwan, Thailand, Czech Republic, South Korea, Mexico, Canada, England, Italy, Japan, Philippines and Trinidad and Tobago.

The Kathy Whitworth Invitational was established in 1999 with two primary goals: to give talented girls the opportunity to participate at the highest tier of competitive golf on a premier championship course and to generate funds to support the mission of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Fort Worth.

“The young women who take part in this tournament are truly the golf stars of the future,” said Kathy Whitworth, “and what an honor it is for all of us to be part of the amazing work that the Boys & Girls Club accomplishes in this community.”

Whitworth currently resides in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and co-leads a youth golf clinic each year with the Mira Vista Country Club golf staff, prior to the invitational. This year, the clinic will be held at 5:30 p.m. March 11 and will include more than 100 disadvantaged youth from this area.
call 817.834.4711 or visit www.kathywhitworthinvitational.com for details.

Chairwoman Sheila Jayne Reynolds

Tarrant County’s annual Go Red For Women event, sponsored by the American Heart Association, is set for Feb. 16 at The Omni Fort Worth Hotel.

The fundraiser will begin with a mimosa reception at 10:30 a.m., which will include a silent auction. Also featured will be Estee Lauder lipstick stations where women can find the perfect shade of red.

With Sheila Jane Reynolds serving as luncheon chairwoman and Joyce Pate Capper taking the honorary chairwoman post, the luncheon and program are scheduled for noon. The event, taking place during National Heart Month, emphasizes heart health for women will be themed “Faces of Heart.”

Reynolds, who lost her mother to heart disease, said  ‘My mother really wanted to live a long and healthy life but didn’t have the chance.  This is why I ‘Go Red’ this February with the American Heart Association in Tarrant County. Together, we can all make a difference and save a life right here in our community.’

For more information or to purchase a ticket, call 817-698-5411.

The “souper” fundraiser, Empty Bowls, will feature savory soups, delicious desserts and artistic bowls at the annual event, to be held this year from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Feb. 19 at Amon G. Carter Exhibit Hall, Will Rogers Memorial Center, 3401 W. Lancaster, Fort Worth.

This special luncheon, which benefits Tarrant Area Food Bank, is an opportunity to taste soups and desserts from top Fort Worth chefs, plus select a handmade bowl from among 2,000 created or painted by professional, recreational and student artists.

Tickets cost $25 and are sold only in advance, either online at www.tafb.org or by calling Susan Frye, community events director, at 817-332-9177, extension 10. Susan Frye, Community Events Director, 817-332-9177, ext. 110.

Empty Bowls’ proceeds benefit Tarrant Area Food Bank, founded in 1982. The non-profit organization is the primary source of donated food for 300 major hunger-relief programs in Fort Worth and the surrounding counties of Tarrant, Denton, Johnson, Hood, Parker, Cooke, Bosque, Erath, Hamilton, Hill, Palo Pinto, Somervell and Wise. Each month, the network distributes groceries to more than 40,000 families and serves more than 500,000 meals and snacks on agency sites. For details, visit www.tafb.org.

Park Cities residents Amy Llana and Anna Small will co-chair the Feb. 4th fundraiser.

Dallas-Fort Worth women are invited to The Clayton Dabney Foundation for Kids with Cancer’s 10^th“Kissed by an Angel” event from 7 to 1o p.m. Feb. 4 at the Bluffview home of Jenney and David Gillikin.

The evening of food, fun and cocktails will feature a silent auction, raffle, and an exclusive sale of bath, body and scented home products from Niven Morgan.  Proceeds from the fundraiser will go to the Clayton Dabney Foundation for Kids with Cancer to help ease emotional and financial burdens for families facing terminal childhood cancer. 

Park Cities residents Amy Llana and Anna Small will co-chair the fundraiser where the requested attire is “winter white.”  Tickets are $75 per person.  Out of each ticket purchased, $60 is considered a charitable contribution and will go to the Clayton Dabney Foundation.  To purchase tickets, contact the foundation office at 214-361-2600 or visit www.claytondabney.org. 

 A special hotel package will be raffled at the event, including an overnight stay at Hotel Palomar Dallas, a $50 gift certificate to Trader Vic’s, a $50 gift certificate to Central 214 and spa services for two at Exhale Spa.  Tickets for the raffle are $25 each or $100 for five.

“We hope the Kissed by an Angel event will help generate greater awareness about the Clayton Dabney Foundation for Kids with Cancer and its goodwill on behalf of families in need,” said Amy Llana, event co-chair.  “Not only will this be a fabulous night out for women and their girlfriends, but the funds raised will have an immediate impact on families when they need it most.  If we can help make the last stages of life more bearable for these children and their parents or help make a dream come true before they pass, there is no greater gift.”

Created in memory of Clayton Dabney, a Dallas child who lost his battle with cancer in 1995, the Clayton Dabney Foundation helps grant anonymous gifts, last wishes and financial assistance to families facing the last stages of terminal childhood cancer.  Clayton’s parents, Park Cities residents Shelby and Scott Dabney, founded the nonprofit. 

Since 1995, the foundation has served more than 1,300 families throughout the U.S, and has distributed more than $2 million.

Chef Noah Miller of Southlake’s Central Market will be taking the lead chef position for the Fourth Annual Celebrity Chefs, the Jan. 18th fundraiser at the Hilton in Southlake Town Square.

From 6 to 9:30 p.m. that evening, Miller will be joined by a team of other local chefs, in a charitable effort for SafeHaven of Tarrant County. In addition to presenting a signature dish, each chef will offer an exclusive dinner for the live auction. Serving as co-chairs are community volunteers Donna Burdette and Anna Saunders at this benefit sponsored annually by Mid-Cities Supports of SafeHaven.

This year’s chefs showing off their culinary creativity for guests to sample will be Chef Jaime Aguilar of Copeland’s of New Orleans; Chef Hans Bergman of Cacharel Restaurant and Grand Ballroom; Chef Sally Bolick and Chef Mike Swirczynski of Strong Bravo!! Catering and Event Planning; Chef Joanne Bondy of the Gaylord Texan’s Old Hickory Steakhouse; Chef Jon Bonnell of Bonnell’s Restaurant; Chef Susan Clark of Creative Memories Cakes & Catering;Chef Eric Hunter of Fire Oak Grille; Chef Brian Olenjack of Olenjack’s Grille; Chef Morris Salerno of The Grotto;  Chef Manuel Vera of Truluck’s Seafood, Steak and Crab House; Chef Chris Wilson of Market Street; Chef Mark Yamada of Trophy Club Country Club and Chef Charles Youts of The Classic Cafe.

Tickets costs $125 per person, with proceeds benefiting SafeHaven’s programs for children. Tickets are available by calling Donna Burdette at 817-545-7012 or emailing donnaburdette@tx.rr.com

 For more information about the non-profit organization, contact SafeHaven at www.safehaventc.org or call 817-535-6462.

The Southlake Woman’s Club is accepting grant applications but their deadline is this coming Friday, January, 15^th, so procrastinators get cracking!  

According to the Southlake Woman’s Club’s Art in the Square Website, the Southlake Women’s Club Foundation is “dedicated to helping community organizations that focus on enhancing the lives of children and families in Northeast Tarrant County.”

Last year this organization gave away over $100,000 and they have a whole pile of money to give away this year.

If your 501©3 organization could you a bit of cash, go to the Southlake Woman’s Club Art in the Square website, www.artinthesquare.com, click on the “Our Charities” tab on the left hand side of the page then click on “Grant Request Application.”  There you will find further information and where you can download the Grant Request Application form.

Remember, the deadline is this coming Friday, so go there right now!

Sheila Jane Reynolds

The 2010 Go Red for Women Luncheon returns to Tarrant County Feb. 16 at the Omni Fort Worth Hotel.

The event, planned for the middle of National Heart Month,  will be given the theme “Faces of Heart.” Female survivors of heart disease will share their stories with luncheon guests, and guests also will have the opportunity to bid on auction items.

Chairing the fundraiser will be Sheila Jane Reynolds, who lost her mother to heart disease, with Joyce Pate Capper serving as the Honorary Chairman. 

 ‘My mother really wanted to live a long and healthy life but didn’t have the chance,” Reynolds said. ”This is why I Go Red this February with the American Heart Association in Tarrant County. Together, we can all make a difference and save a life right here in our community.’

For more information on the 2010 Go Red for Women luncheon in Tarrant County, call 817-698-5411 or visit www.heart.org/tarrantcountygoredforwomen.

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A charity event will be colored blue this December in hopes of raising some green for an adult cancer camp.

Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Hurst-Euless-Bedford will host its 24th annual charity fundraiser Friday at the Dallas Marriott Las Colinas. This year for the first time the event will be a holiday party, “Blue Christmas.” Proceeds from the party will benefit the Bluebonnet Retreat, a program operated by Texas Health HEB and the only adult cancer camp in north Texas.

More casual that its black-tie balls of the past, this year’s fundraiser will feature a more casual atmosphere. Food stations will be scattered throughout the room, and the band Crawfish will provide music for dancing.

Chairing the event are Lynda and Leighton Railsback, with Gloria and Don Siratt serving as honorary co-chairs.

Tickets are still available for this event designed to kick off the holiday party season. Individual tickets are $150 with table sponsorships starting at $2,500. Information for ticket purchase is available through Cathy R. Sheffield at 817-317-5252 or by visit www.TexasHealth.org/HEBGala.

Val Wilkie, center, accepts his award from Carla Jutson, Meals On Wheels executive director, and Kurt Kulpa, chairman of the board.

Meals On Wheels, Inc. of Tarrant County honored Valleau Wilkie, Jr., executive vice president of the Sid W. Richardson Foundation and XTO Energy, with the Spirit of Giving Award at its annual donor appreciation event Nov. 5 Annual Donor Appreciation Event at Villa de Leon, Fort Worth.

Wilkie was named the first-ever recipient of Spirit of Giving Lifetime Achievement Award, given in recognition of individual philanthropic leadership that has provided a positive impact on the community.   The honoree has been involved with Meals on Wheels for more than 30 years.  

Additionally, XTO Energy was selected to receive the 5^th Annual Spirit of Giving Award for its commitment to the Meals On Wheels Golf Classic as the title sponsor the past five years. Tim Petrus, executive vice president of Acquisitions, accepted the award on behalf of XTO Energy.

Previous recipients of the Spirit of Giving Award include the U.S. Rep. Kay Granger, Pier 1, The City of Fort Worth, Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley and the Tarrant County Commissioners. 

Meals On Wheels Inc. of Tarrant County is a nonprofit agency dedicated to delivering nutritious meals and providing or coordinating needed services to the homebound. Meals are prepared in Meals On Wheels’ own kitchen to insure the highest quality food at a reasonable cost.