News Briefs
PuttinÂ’ on the Pink raises funds,
promotes awareness
A record $250,000 was raised for local cancer efforts during the 14th annual PuttinÂ’ on the Pink benefit luncheon and fashion show hosted by the Kupferle Health Board of the Harris Methodist Health Foundation on March 20.
The money will provide mammograms and cervical, colon and bone-density screenings for underserved women in Tarrant County. A portion of this yearÂ’s proceeds will also provide funding for training and education for Harris Methodist Fort Worth HospitalÂ’s lymphedema program and womenÂ’s health educational materials for the hospitalÂ’s Center for Women and InfantsÂ’ Health.
A highlight of this yearÂ’s event, which was co-chaired by Dr. Jennifer Hinkle and Molly Hardgrove along with honorary chair Carolyn Hardgrove, was the presentation of the 2007 Doris Kupferle Altruism Award to Dr. Kathleen Crowley.
Master of ceremonies NBC5 News Anchor Mike Snyder pulled in a record $76,000 in just three minutes for the fashion event, which was under the direction of international fashion producer and model Jan Strimple. Six area stores provided goodies, including Betty Reiter, Dolce Vita, Walker Row, John L. Ashe, Ella Bella and The Wardrobe.
Since 1993, sponsors and attendees of the PuttinÂ’ on the Pink event have helped raise more than $2.1 million.
— Betty Dillard
Texas Longhorn sale
benefits cancer research
More than $2 million was rounded up at the 2007 Texas Longhorn Legacy Sale III benefit auction in Grapevine March 30-31. This yearÂ’s black-tie event was co-hosted by Bill Hudson Jr. of HudsonÂ’s Salvage LLC and who ranches in Mississippi and Texas, Red and Charline McCombs whose ranch headquarters are at Johnson City, Texas, and Joe and Lorinda Valentine of Panther Creek Ranch in Lott, Texas.
Proceeds of $160,000 from more than 100 lots benefited the University of Texas, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center (McCombs Institute) and the Fenza-Gaynor Family Endowment for Cancer Research at Penn State College of Medicine.
This yearÂ’s top-selling cow, owned by Hudson, brought in $82,000. Hudson donated all of the proceeds to the Fenza-Gaynor endowment. The second-highest lot, a heifer named AllenÂ’s 84, sold for $64,000.
“We’re satisfied with the results,” said Joe Valentine. “This is one of the top cow sales in the country. We have a whole lot of fun raising money for a great cause.”
—Betty Dillard
Area universities get $1.3 million
for collaborative research
Three North Texas universities – including the University of Texas at Arlington – have received $1.3 million in grants to collaborate on medical research projects.
Thirteen teams of researchers made up of faculty members from the UT-Arlington, the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas and the University of Texas at Dallas, will work together to try to solve various medical problems.
Each team will receive up to $100,000 for its projects. The funding came from philanthropic and state sources, according to the three universities. The funding will allow the researchers to attract additional external funding from conventional sources, such as federal agencies, according to the universities.
“These are immensely promising projects,” said Dr. Ron Elsenbaumer, vice president for research at UT-Arlington in a release. “They will create new approaches to managing pain, heart disease and cancer. The social benefit is simply immeasurable.”
Among the research projects are: designing a biodegradable stent; a study of the enzymes and proteins involved in DNA repair; a study that focuses methods to remove bacterial bio-film from cochlear implants; examining the neurological basis for self-harming behaviors among pediatric patients; and the development of technology for the retrieval of kidney stone fragments.
“These projects have the potential to have enormous impact on the science and practice of medicine,” said Dr. Alfred Gilman, executive vice president for academic affairs, provost and dean of UT Southwestern Medical School in a release. “This program is another step forward in expanding collaborations among the UT institutions in the Metroplex and exploring the interdisciplinary topics that are driving advances in medical care.”
— Robert Francis
James Baker to speak on buyout
at Fort Worth Chamber breakfast
James A. Baker III, the nationÂ’s 61st Secretary of State to President George H.W. Bush, will discuss plans for the TXU buyout at the Fort Worth Chamber of CommerceÂ’s Executive Roundtable breakfast on April 11, 7:30-9 a.m., at the Fort Worth Club.
Baker, who served as White House Chief of Staff to presidents Bush and Reagan, will serve as advisory chairman to the investment group acquiring TXU. The group is led by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. and Fort Worth-based Texas Pacific Group.
Baker led presidential campaigns for presidents Ford, Reagan and Bush over the course of five consecutive presidential elections. He is a senior partner in the Houston law firm of Baker Botts. In 2006, Baker and former U.S. Congressman Lee H. Hamilton served as the co-chairs of the Iraq Study Group, a bipartisan blue-ribbon panel on Iraq.
There is no charge to attend the breakfast. For more information, call the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce at 817-336-2491.
–Betty Dillard
Shorthorn hooks accolades
The Shorthorn, the student newspaper of the University of Texas at Arlington, has been named best Texas daily college newspaper by the Texas Associated Press Managing Editors.
The award was given for newspapers published during 2006. David Ok and Princess McDowell were editors-in-chief of the publication.
The award marks the fourth consecutive year that The Shorthorn has won the award.
“This is a huge honor for our students and for the University,” said Lloyd Goodman, UT-Arlington Student Publications director. “A lot of our experienced staff graduated and moved on to professional jobs last year. The Shorthorn had more ups and downs than usual. This award speaks great things about the students who stepped up to top Shorthorn positions to lead a very inexperienced staff.”
—Marsha Brown
Hill School adds Grapevine campus
There will soon be a Hill School of Grapevine, affiliated with the Hill School of Fort Worth. Located at 3500 William D. Tate Ave., the school will open in time for the start of the 2007-2008 school year. Kathy Edwards will assume the role of principal in Grapevine. Edwards joined the school in 2003 and is currently the middle school division head in Fort Worth.
— Marsha Brown
Cliburn Amateur tourney
names May-June lineup
The Van Cliburn Foundation has announced a lineup of 75 pianists who will take part May 28-June 3 in the fifth International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs.
The contenders, representing 23 states and an international complement, include Fort Worth businessmen David Franklin Hibbard, James Randolph Raphael and Clark Daniel Griffith.
Other Texas-based participants will include Anne Simpson Blakeney and Laura Anne Onsgard, both of Dallas; and Viktors Berstis of Austin, Dr. Joel M. Goodman of Carrollton, Mark S. Graham of Denton, Marisa Naomi Haines of Murphy and Carl Henry Schaer of Houston.
Inaugurated in 1999 as the first such amateur competition in the United States, the Cliburn Amateur tournament takes place at TCUÂ’s Ed Landreth Auditorium, with three rounds divided into 11 concerts.
Semifinal rounds on June 1-2 will narrow the field of contenders to six, with final rounds on June 3. Prizes include cash awards of $2,000, $1,500 and $1,000, in addition to various special-category honors. Jurors include the acclaimed conductor John Giordano, formerly of the Fort Worth Symphony, and various medalists from past sessions of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition for professional keyboard artists.
Past Cliburn Amateur winner Michael Hawley will preface the competition with a live Webcast from Fort WorthÂ’s Cliburn Recital Hall. The presentation can be seen online at 6 p.m. May 25 at www.cliburn.org. Complimentary seating is available to the first 150 people who sign up online.
—Michael H. Price
