Thanks to the Murzin family’s efforts, Coffee Park in University Park is barrier-free and includes a trail system with dioramas depicting the history of University Park, new picnic facilities, athletic field improvements, park entrance signage, decorative fencing, expanded acreage on the park’s northern edge (made possible because of the Northwest Parkway Wall) and the City’s first barrier-free playground to provide fun for children of all ages and abilities.

Photo provided by A Child Can Do All Things

” A Child Can Do All Things Luncheon” Chair Alicia Wood (pictured left with, from the left, Blackie Holmes, Jerry Bradley, Christina Murzin, and Heather Pujats) announced at a breakfast at Tiffany & Co., that the Murzin family and the City of University Park will be awarded  the “Child Impact Award” at the annual luncheon on Tuesday, March 30, at Brook Hollow Golf Club.

In an addition to the presentation of the award, a NorthPark Center-sponsored fashion show under the direction of Rhonda Sargent Chambers will feature clothes from Barney’s New York, Peek. . . Aren’t You Curious, and Play @ Planet Funk.

For ticket and sponsorship information, just check here.

Sarah Losinger (pictured)will receive the Ruth Altshuler Award for her dedication and support of DCAC.

Individual tickets are $150 with a nice $20 discount for members of the Coalition to End Crimes Against Children.

The mission of the DCAC is to improve the lives of abused children in Dallas County and provide national leadership on child abuse issues.

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: “He cajoles, encourages, teases (in a positive way), bellows, jokes, prods, kids and anything else he needs to do to get the players to hear what he’s saying and remember it. And what he’s saying is not just about lacrosse but also about values, such as commitment, responsibility, respect and integrity.”

In accepting the award, Cornell University graduate Jack said, “It is truly an honor to be recognized by the Positive Coaching Alliance. Their work in fostering positive behavior on and off the field is inspirational. While the award is, by definition, bestowed upon one person, it represents the collective efforts of the BRIDGE Lacrosse Dallas organization and St. Philip’s school.”

Congratulations to Jack, Liberty, and the kids in the BRIDGE Lacrosse program.

Happy Days’

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.

With a combination of Benjamin Franklin wisdom, Morgan Freeman cool and Dr. Huxtable charm, he shows respect for the students and expects it in return. With statements like, “If we were both alike, one of us would not be necessary,” he gets his message across that the students are there for more than adding and subtracting. Self-esteem and preparation for adulthood are just as important. St. Philip’s students have an air of confidence, not cockiness about them, that is rooted in their pride of achievement thanks to Terry, his staff, and the parents who are so involved with the school.

Then Henry spoke to the hundreds of students. While the parents may have remembered him from his leather-jack days as Fonzie, the kids recognized him from his series of children’s novels about Hank Zipzer: The World’s Most Amazing Under-Achiever and more recent television shows and movies.  It didn’t matter which character they recalled because Thursday they got to know Henry. Masterfully talking to the entire gym full of students and adults, he made them feel like an old friend admitting that life had not been a snap of the fingers for him.

• His parents had called him “dumb dog” because he didn’t seem all that bright in school.
• The only thing that he was good at in school was lunch.
• Test scores placed him the bottom percentile as a youngster.
• His father, who owned a lumber company, had been disappointed in his son for not taking over the family business which he had brought over from Germany. “You mean it didn’t have anything to do with the Nazis?” Henry asked his father.
• He discovered that he was dyslexic at the age of 31.

When he discovered he suffered from dyslexia, he admitted that at first he was very angry. It all made sense. Because of the condition he had been made to feel dumb and lack self confidence throughout his childhood and early adulthood. Then he realized that if it hadn’t been for the dyslexia, his life might have been entirely different.  He might have not gone into acting, gotten the role, met his wife, had his kids, etc.

But he also knew that no child needed to carry the burden of poor self-esteem. To carry on a campaign to counter this situation, he started his Hank the Zipzer series, became a major supporter of various children’s charities (United Friends of the Children, Children’s Action Network, Cerebral Palsy Telethon, Toys for Tots, the Special Olympics, and the Los Angeles Music Center’s Very Special Arts Festival for Children), and motivated youngsters and adults to communicate.

That last one is very important to Henry. As he told the graduating class of Austin College in 2002, “Thank you for listening to me. . . my parents never did.”

After he got a standing ovation from the students, it was picture time and he settled right in with the multitude of kids surrounding him (pictured).

Then it was on to Belo Mansion for The Destiny Award Luncheon, where once again he was on time, extremely at home with one and all, and championing the cause for children.

But the luncheon wasn’t just to see Fonzie/Henry, though. It was also to present awards to outstanding members of the community who have time and time again been role models and gone the extra mile for the community. This year’s Destiny Awards were presented to:

• Jewish Family Services – Organization
• Annette Simmons - Leadership
  
• AT&T – Corporation
• Linda Walker - Unsung Hero
  

In the crowd was Shannon Skokos (pictured), who had a pencil and tablet for conversing. Seems that between spring allergies and hollering for the Mavericks, she had lost her voice. . .  Barbara and Stan Levenson arrived looking ever fashionable and wonderful. Barbara looked especially relieved reporting that Stan’s recovery from cancer had been highly successful. Stan, with a twinkle in those bluer-than-blue eyes, smiled that Barbara had been doing all the heavy lifting at their agency during his recovery. . Ever gracious and articulate Pat Smith (pictured) handled emcee duties with ease despite wearing the highest of platform heels. To the delight of the crowd, she confided that she and husband Emmitt were expecting a baby in October. . . Laura “First Lady of Dallas” Leppert (pictured) admitted that she and husband Tom had to miss the Faith Hill concert in Fort Worth due to a prior commitment. That’s one problem Mayor T just can’t solve. How to be in two places at the same time. . . Liz Minyard-Lokey (pictured) kept getting pats on the back for chairing the flawless event. . . Alas, Annette Simmons was out of town and had to send a sub to accept her award.

And let’s not forget the sponsors, who made the event happen like:

Title Sponsor – Citi

Magna cum laude – Balfour Beatty

Dean’s list sponsors – AT&T, Liz and Tom Halsey, Liz Minyard-Lokey, and Southwest Securities

Honor roll sponsors – Bridge Lacrosse Dallas, Dr. and Mrs. Bob Kramer, Mayor and Mrs. Tom Leppert, and Mona and David Munson

A true scholar sponsors – Bank of America, Steve Becker, Center Operating Group, Claude Connelly, David Cowling/Amy Youngquist, DART, Mike Davis, Episcopal School of Dallas, Susan and Hollye Fiske, Jewish Family Services, The Hockaday School, Diana and Todd Maclin, Martineau Petroleum, Nancy A. Nasher and David J. Haemisegger, Northern Trust Bank, Parish Episcopal School, Raymond Construction, Andrew Sinwell, Bonnie and Peter Smith, St. Mark’s School of Texas, St. Philip’s Foundation, Strong AV, and Weber Shandwick

Table sponsors — Fulbright & Jaworski LLP, Anne and Wes Goyer, Suki Jarzemsky, Schatzie and George Lee, Seabridge, Dan Stansbury Jr., T. Howard and Associate, Texas Instruments, and Weber Shandwick

Friends — The Adolphus, Chamberlain’s Steak and Chop House, Chocolate Secrets, Kelly and Norman Green, and Neiman Marcus

Just bring a gently-used- or new-child’s clothing or toys to Capriccio and you’ll get a ticket into the restaurant’s celebration/fund raiser benefiting Captain Hope’s Kids. Once inside you’ll have “complimentary bites, drink specials, and live music by the Very Verys.”

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

Photo provided by Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children

The Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children has got the Olympians beat. Earlier this month, 14 young amputees (pictured) took the 29th Annual Amputee Ski Trip to Winter Park to learn how to ski at the NationalSports Center for the Disabled.

Photo provided by Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children

After watching these young people in action (pictured), one can’t help but wonder if facility should be renamed the NationalSports Center for the Highly Enabled. Their dexterity, balance, and determination to ski truly makes them athletes of world class.

Texas Scottish Rite’s staff has long “recognized that snow skiing is well suited for amputees, and with special equipment they often excel at the sport. The goal of the trip is to foster a sense of self-confidence, discovery, and independence for these special children.”

This gratifying program is absolutely free to the patients thanks to the generosity of American Airlines, their partners, and TSRHC medical staff and chaperones.

Photo provided by Bryan's House

Bryan’s House‘s Executive Director David Thomas has been selected to serve on the education subcommittee for the Task Force for Children with Special Needs.

Photo provided by Aardvark Communications

While many of the celebs in town for the All-Star game were supporting Dallas’ economy by exercising their credit cards at NorthPark, two of the beyond-well-known-names of the super universe were working with kids. LeBron James and Shawn “JAY-Z” Carter (pictured from the left) worked with 100 kids from the East Dallas Club of the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Dallas Saturday afternoon.

Yes, there were the mandatory media opps, but when it came to the mentoring part of the program, LeBron and JAY-Z met privately with the students.

“We are so thrilled that Sprite is giving students from the Dallas Elevators Powered by Coca-Cola program and BGC the opportunity to meet and interact with two of America’s most talented and celebrated individuals, JAY-Z and LeBron James,” said Charles English, president  of the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Dallas. “It is great to see that they care about the community and want to provide this special session to young people.”

The Dallas Elevators Powered by Coca-Cola is designed to provide real-life inspiration and role modeling in several key areas of personal development through structured learning and interaction with top leadership from different industries. Through the Heart of a Champion curriculum, students learn about integrity, honesty, perseverance, and other character-building traits that make a successful individual in the business world.

Photo provided by Aardvark Communications

Thanks to Sprite, they were also able to provide scholarships to Dallas Elevators participants like Adriana Cedillo (pictured with LeBron and JAY-Z) on behalf of the two super nice guys.

“Giving back to the community is part of everything that we do,” said Santiago Blanco, VP Sprite & Flavors for Coca-Cola North America. “It is fitting for Sprite to partner with creative and iconic individuals like JAY-Z and LeBron James, who inspire today’s youth to be original and innovative.”

But then at the last minute a donation from Diane Brierley and an increase in raffle ticket purchases kicked the grand total up to a whopping $125,000, which luncheon chair Lynn McBee presented to Equest Therapeutic Riding for its programs.

“I am honored to present a check to Equest from the luncheon proceeds,” said Lynn.  “The difficult economy makes it even more meaningful as we help sustain these important therapeutic riding programs for children and adults.”

2010 luncheon chair Nancy Carter is already planning the fall luncheon.