D

Jack Tierney Selected for Double-Goal Coach Award

While movies are made about coaches who have made a difference in a youngster’s life, the vast majority of hardworking and dedicated coaches work with kids without note.

Liberty Mutual Insurance is making a note of St. Philip’s Saints coach Jack Tierney (pictured), who also participates in the BRIDGE Lacrosse Dallas program. The insurance company recently announced that Coach Tierney was one of 20 coaches in the country to receive the Positive Coaching Alliance’s “Double-Goal Coach Award” for his inspiring players to win and to learn “life lessons through sports.”

“Jack wins on the scoreboard, and more importantly, he wins by creating a positive, character-building sports experience for youth athletes,” said Jim Thompson, PCA’s founder/executive director and author of several books on coaching and sports parenting, including the just-released The Power of Double-Goal Coaching. “Ultimately, the youth athletes Jack coaches are the real winners, and as those athletes become tomorrow’s leaders our society as a whole wins.”

BRIDGE Lacrosse Dallas is a program that provides a “cross-cultural exchange between inner-city youth players and those from more affluent areas.”

According to BRIDGE Lacrosse Dallas President/Founder Edie Lycke, who nominated Jack: (more…)

Henry “The Fonz” Winkler Brought Life Lessons to The Destiny Awards Luncheon

Happy Days’ Arthur “The Fonz” Fonzarelli was a very cool Italian kid, whose parents abandoned him, in Milwaukee. He was a high school dropout, never married, and a bit of a ladies’ man.

Henry Winkler (pictured), who portrayed “Fonzie,” is the son of Jewish immigrants who left Nazi Germany in 1939 just before the Holocaust.  He earned a master’s degree from the Yale School of Drama and has been happily married since 1978.

So, what does the fictional character of the 50’s and the man who portrayed him have in common? Both have the ability and sincerity to influence others for their own betterment through life lessons. And that’s exactly what Henry did last Thursday when he came to town for the 10th annual Destiny Luncheon benefiting the St. Philip’s School & Community Center.

Known within the entertainment industry for being down to earth and having a genuine interest in others, Henry with Fredye Factor as his escort started of the day with a rise-and-shine appearance at St. Philip’s. (No problem for Henry since his Labradoodle and Great Dane usually are climbing all over him first thing in the morning back home in California) With parents lining the walls of the gym and uniformed munchkins (pictured) filling every seat in the bleachers, Henry had his work cut out for him. Within minutes of watching the interaction between St. Philip’s headmaster Terry Flowers and the youngsters, Henry looked right at home. You couldn’t help but wonder if Henry sorta wished he’d had a St. Philip’s in his life growing up.

One of the things that you learn from a St. Philip’s experience is the magic of Terry.

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TACA Silver Cup Luncheon Gets People Like Kenny Goss Thinking and Talking

What do international art collector/hottie Kenny Goss (pictured) and former JCPenney President and COO/Dallas Opera General Director John T. Cody Jr. have in common? Later. . . But first, let’s cover the 32nd TACA Silver Cup Award Luncheon.

If you just arrived in the area, you probably don’t realize that this luncheon is the pinnacle gathering of the area art groups and those who tirelessly support them. Each year a man and woman are honored for their efforts. This year the luncheon recipients were Cindy Rachofsky and John T. Cody Jr. (pictured) at the Anatole.

But before the luncheon, which is an artistic occasion in itself, past Silver Cup recipients, VIP’s and honorees gathered for a “catch your breath” reception. It also allowed for a group picture to be taken of past recipients with the “new kids on the block.”

After the official photos were taken, Cindy and John were presented with boxes that would have been too big for Santa to fit in his Christmas sack. Like two eager children, the two pulled off the ribbons, dug through paper stuffing, and discovered their silver cups (pictured).

But before you go off thinking that this heady group of art lovers was only involved in discussing the intellectual side of the arts, back up and rethink. (more…)

Go On the Carpet for the Resource Center Now!

You know it’s always more fun to watch the Academy Awards, the annual Super Bowl of celluloid, with a crowd of film lovers. If you hurry, you can still make it to “On the Carpet” to watch the distribution of the Oscars tonight. The annual fund raiser for the Resource Center is taking place at the Rose Room. General admission is $10 and VIP tickets are $25.

Co-hosts for the soirée include CW 33’s Roni Proctor, Dallas Morning News style master Jason Sheeler, and Kraddick Foundation – Kidd’s Kids and board chair Beaux Wellborn.

What can you expect? According to Resource Center’s Rafael McDonnell, how about –

Hosted by master of ceremonies Paul J. Williams and honorary event chair Hector Garcia, attendees will enjoy a night of fun, games, laughs and memories from the best movies of the year. Williams is an award-winning actor/comedian who has made his mark on scores of theater, cabaret and stand-up comedy stages across Texas, as well as New York City, Provincetown, Aspen, Key West and other cities. Garcia, a well-known Dallas restaurateur, also held a series of legendary Academy Award ©-watching parties in the 1980s and 1990s. They were held first at his home, then in Fair Park and finally the Lakewood Theater. At times, the parties also gathered food and donations for the Center’s food pantry. Garcia held the last of these parties in 2002.

Rainbow Days Presents 2009 Promise Award

Since 1982, Rainbow Days has provided 100,000 area children living in high-risk situations with skills and support. It has also trained more than 28,000 professionals, both state- and nation-wide.

Thursday Rainbow Days held its annual presentation at SMU’s Faculty Club of the 2009 Promise Award, that “recognizes outstanding individuals and organizations who are committed to substance abuse prevention and to helping children overcome adversity and stay drug-free.

The recipients were:

• Individual Volunteer: Mitzi White
• Corporate Partnership: Ronnie J. L. Ward & Son
• Local Partnership: Animal Crackers
• Community Organization: Oak Lawn United Methodist Church
• Foundation: Thompson & Knight
• Unsung Hero: Melissa Preston
• National Partnership: Kids in Distressed Situations
• Board Member: Carolyn Hess
• Government Agency: Protecting our Children Outreach Ministry – A Division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture
• Government Official: The Honorable Mayor Tom Leppert and Laura Leppert
• Memorial: Jeff Blandford
• Corporate Volunteer Group: KPMG’s Network of Women (KNOW)
• Educational Partnership: The Safe and Drug-free Schools Program of the Dallas Independent School District
• Youth Services: Melissa Medina

Dallas Dozen’s Cindy Rachofsky to be Honored Friday at TACA Silver Cup

If you haven’t had a chance to read about the Dallas Dozen in this month’s issue of D, you might not know that Cindy “Homecoming Queen” Rachofsky (pictured) is one of the DD’s.

Photo provided by Dallas Opera

This Friday Cindy’s also going to chalk up another honor. She’ll join the illustrious list of recipients of TACA’s Silver Cup Award along with the Dallas Opera’s main man John T. Cody Jr. (pictured) at the Anatole.

The luncheon is presented by Chase and Neiman’s. Ticket info is available by calling 214-520-3930.

Just in case you’re wondering who are the people behind the scenes making this shindig happen, here you go: (more…)

Deadline Looming for 2010 Obelisk Awards Nominations

If you’ve been putting off that nomination for the 2010 Obelisk Award, you’re up against the wall. The drop dead deadline is Friday! But never fear, you can do it. The Business Council for the Arts has made it easier than ever. Just go on line and fill out the submission form.

Remember the purpose of the award is to “recognize and honor business volunteers and businesses in North Texas whose support has had significant impact on the region’s arts and cultural environment in 2009.”

Categories include: (more…)

Tuesday Morning’s Kathleen Mason Receives Virginia Chandler Dykes Award

SweetCharity’s roving reporter Glenn Hunter filed this story:

Just before the start of last Thursday’s 8th Annual Virginia Chandler Dykes Leadership Award Luncheon at the Belo Mansion—a presentation of Texas Woman’s University and the Bank of Texas–this year’s recipient of the award was shown an old photograph that brought back a flood of warm memories.

The framed, black-and-white picture showed Dykes honoree Kathleen Mason (pictured), now president and CEO of Tuesday Morning Corp., with her then-boss, Mildred Quattore, on a retail buying trip decades ago in Madrid, Spain. Mildred, who attended TWU when it was known as Texas Woman’s College, is Mason’s long-time business mentor.

In her talk accepting the award Mason acknowledged her debt to Mildred, whom she called an “early, unsung” retail pioneer. “When I was a new buyer on that trip to Madrid, little did I know that I would be able to honor her today,” Mason said of Mildred, who’s now in her 80s and was unable to attend the luncheon due to recent back surgery. “I know what an education did for me. And I know what a mentor meant for my life.”

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TACA Silver Cup Award to Salute Cindy Rachofsky and John Cody Next Friday

In 1979 before there was a Meyerson Symphony Center and when the Dallas Theater Center on Turtle Creek was still considered the new-kid-on-the-block, Dallas’ numero uno fundraiser Annette Strauss created the TACA Silver Cup Award.

(Yes, we’re talking about Annette the Socialite before she was Annette the Mayor of Dallas.)

This very hardworking and savvy lady recognized the need for recognition of one man and one woman who had made outstanding contributions to the arts in Dallas. Annette also saw the opportunity to raise funds for the arts by presenting the awards at a luncheon.

Since then, the TACA Silver Cup Award has been presented to 30 men and 30 women who have been instrumental to the incredible growth of the Dallas arts community. On Friday, March 5, Cindy Rachofsky (pictured) and John Cody Jr. (pictured) will have their names officially added to that list at the TACA Silver Cup Award Luncheon sponsored by Chase and Neiman Marcus.

Now, we know what you’re thinking. Cindy and John probably gave a bundle of money and this is their thank you. Oh, we thought we knew you so much better than that. Both Cindy and John have been down in the trenches working tirelessly to not only encourage others to support the arts, but to make the various arts accessible to those without the means.

As luncheon chair Rebecca Fletcher put it so perfectly, “Cindy and John are giants in the Dallas arts community. It is our privilege to honor them and shine the spotlight on two volunteers who are setting an example of excellence in all they do.”

To show their appreciation, members of Big Thought, The Dallas Opera, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Dallas Wind Symphony, Fine Arts Chamber Players, Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra, and Meadows School of the Arts of SMU will perform at the luncheon.

Shameless bragging: SweetCharity is the very proud blog sponsor of the TACA Silver Cup Award.

By the way, we realize that you probably haven’t memorized the other 30 pairs, so here they are: (more…)

Honoring Dr. Bobby Lyle Was Easy and Tough

The Hearts of Texas Award Luncheon organizers knew darn well that honoring Dr. Bobby B. Lyle (pictured) with the 2010 Lifetime Award was going to be both easy and tough.

“Easy” because Bobby is the prototype for which the award was created by the Volunteer Center of North Texas — “to recognize individuals in North Texas area, who have dedicated themselves to the betterment of the community through the donation of their time, talent and resources.” To say Bobby fits the description is to understate his accomplishments. From the Salvation Army to the Boy Scouts of America to SMU, he has not just contributed his time, money, and effort. No, Bobby has taken on each task and relationship with a commitment that would stagger even the most accomplished CEO.

On the other hand, honoring Louisiana-born Bobby was going to be “tough” because he has a tricky way of shying away from accolades. Perhaps that’s why his name is unfamiliar to those who aren’t down in the trenches. As Jack Furst put it, “Bobby allows others to take the credit for what he’s done.” (more…)