Non-Profit

Birdies for Charity keeps Colonial at top of leaderboard

A $3.7 million purse raised from the Birdies For Charity campaign of the 2009 Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial made the Fort Worth initiative the largest of the 25 national PGA Tour events.

The Birdies For Charity program is a component of the PGA Tour’s national fund-raising drive.

Local nonprofit groups secured the pledges for 25 area charitable organizations from businesses and friends, while the pro golfers made 1,412 birdies during the championship.

The final amount of total charitable contributions generated from the 2009 tournament is expected to be even larger. The total figures will be announced at the annual Colonial Charities breakfast in December.

“It’s incredibly gratifying to see the community support of our Birdies campaign to this extent in a difficult economy,” said Tournament Chairman Chuck Scherer.

As a bonus, the Birdies For Charity pledges were matched by $156,500 from Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, Colonial Country Club and local companies.

Everman kids get new specs

Students in need at Townley Elementary School in Everman were treated Nov. 10 to free eye exams and new glasses in an initiative launched by Fort Worth-based Alcon Foundation and Essilor Vision Foundation.

Officials from the two foundations unveiled a new, brightly-colored Mobile Vision Van – a “vision clinic and lab on wheels” – that will provide a one-stop shop for students.

Long-term plans are to expand the program to other school districts in Tarrant County.

Tribute to Wilkie

Volunteers of America Texas will recognize Valleau Wilkie Jr., executive vice president of the Sid W. Richardson Foundation, for his service and commitment to North Texas at the Legends Luncheon at noon Dec. 2 in the Fort Worth Club.

A New Englander, World War II veteran and former prisoner of war, Wilkie has served the foundation since 1973. He graduated with history degrees from Yale and Harvard universities and later taught and coached sports. His leadership positions with organizations include the National Association of Independent Schools, New England Association of Schools and Colleges, U.S. Office of Education, Southwest Educational Development Laboratory, Conference of Southwest Foundations, Council on Foundations, Foundation Center in New York and National Charities Information Bureau.

For tickets and information, call Volunteers of America Texas, 817-529-7314.

Walmart donates truck, food

A refrigerator truck valued at $85,000 donated by the Walmart Foundation recently rolled into the Tarrant Area Food Bank. The gift also included 12 pallets of Walmart’s Great Value-branded products and fresh apples.

The store’s holiday-giving initiative, Walmart Gives Back, will provide $32 million in monetary and in-kind donations to charitable organizations across the U.S. The donated truck to Tarrant Area Food Bank is one of 35 that Walmart and Walmart Foundation are giving to Feeding America food banks in local communities nationwide.

Thanksgiving basket drive

Throughout the month of November Cancer Care Services will be collecting food items and monetary donations for its Thanksgiving Basket Food Drive. The Fort Worth-based agency will help feed 15 families affected by cancer with a full Thanksgiving meal.

For information or to make a donation, call 817-921-0653.

Art grants available

A new $5,000 matching grant from ARTSNET is available to individual artists and nonprofit arts organizations in North Tarrant County.

ARTSNET, through the help of its Arts League, will match city dollars to artists of all genres that reside in one of the following cities: Bedford, Colleyville, Euless, Haltom City, Hurst, Keller, Richland Hills, Southlake and Westlake.

The grant guidelines and application will be posted by Nov. 15 at  www.artsnetc.org. Deadline for individual artists is Jan. 15 and Nov. 30 for nonprofit arts groups. Checks will be distributed in mid-March.

Professionals, students collect food 

The Greater Fort Worth Section 1416 of American Society for Quality partnered with the Golden Key International Honour Society at the University of Texas at Arlington in a recent food drive.

Members from the two groups collected 246 food items totaling 204 pounds to help feed 20 North Texas families. The food items will be donated to Mission Arlington/Mission Metroplex.

Style event benefits Goodwill

Ann Taylor LOFT at 326 Lincoln Square in Arlington is teaming up with Goodwill Industries of Fort Worth for a special style event from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Dec. 5.

In exchange for a donation of gently used pieces of clothing to support Goodwill’s mission of empowering the disabled and disadvantaged, customers will receive free style advice from an expert at Ann Taylor LOFT.

Paws and Claws cause

Watermere at Southlake, Southlake’s first and only master-planned development for adults aged 55 plus, recently donated 500 pounds of cat litter to Paws and Claws Rescue Inc., a nonprofit no-kill organization based in Fort Worth.

Paws and Claws hosts pet adoptions at the Petsmart behind Ridgmar Mall in Fort Worth on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month. For information, call 817-491-7283.

bdillard@bizpress.net