Get ready to tee off for a day of philanthropy and fun at the 3rd Annual Life Changer Celebrity Golf Classic, benefiting Single Parent Advocate in alliance with The Scott Murray Scholarship Foundation. This highly anticipated nonprofit fundraiser promises a day of excitement and camaraderie on the green, all for noble causes.

Title:  3rd Annual Life Changer Celebrity Golf Classic

Date:  Tuesday, April 09, 2024

Time: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Location: The Clubs of Prestonwood – The Hills Clubhouse, 6600 Columbine Way, Plano, TX 75093

About the Course:

Designed by legendary golf course architect Dave Bennett, The Clubs of Prestonwood – The Hills Clubhouse offers an unparalleled 18-hole championship experience. Nestled in a private setting with a neighborhood ambiance, the course features rolling hills, tranquil waterscapes, and lush foliage that create a truly unforgettable backdrop for golf enthusiasts.

Distinguished Guests:

Join us as we welcome esteemed honorary chairs, Dallas Cowboys legend and Hall of Fame honoree Bob Lilly, alongside his wife Ann. Returning as celebrity emcee is an Emmy Award-winning broadcast journalist Scott Murray. Rub elbows with sports icons including Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Doug Donley, Cowboys safety Kenny “The Shark” Gant, Dallas Cowboys running back Timmy Newsome, as well as iconic actor Burton Gilliam, NFL wide receiver Mark Clayton, and cornerback Chris McAlister.

Exciting Prizes:

Play your best game for a chance to win fantastic prizes generously provided by Huffines Automotive Dealerships, celebrating their 100th year anniversary! Prizes include a car/SUV, an exciting trip, and a $500 shopping spree for golf gear. 

Supporting a Worthy Cause:

All proceeds from this event will benefit Single Parent Advocate, a nonprofit committed to providing resources, assistance, and empowerment to single parents and their children in Texas. A portion of the proceeds will also go towards educational scholarships through the Scott Murray Scholarship Foundation, supporting single parents and their children pursuing higher education. For more information on Single Parent Advocate, visit www.singleparentadvocate.org or to learn more about The Scott Murray Scholarship Foundation visit www.scottmurrayscholarshipfoundation.com. 

Why It Matters:

With 1 in 4 children in the U.S. growing up in single-parent households, the work of Single Parent Advocate is more crucial than ever. By supporting this event, you're helping to break the cycle of poverty and empower single parents and their children to thrive.

How You Can Participate:

Whether you're a golfer looking for a challenge, a company seeking sponsorship opportunities, or an individual wanting to volunteer, there are various ways to get involved. Visit www.singleparentadvocate.org/events to play, sponsor, or volunteer, and explore the different ticket packages available.

Join Us:

Don't miss your chance to make a difference while enjoying a day of golf and giving back. Mark your calendars for April 9th and join us at The Clubs of Prestonwood – The Hills Clubhouse for the 3rd Annual Life Changer Celebrity Golf Classic.

Dance

If you have ever seen “Riverdance,” you know that the rhythmic magic of Irish step dancing is enchanting to watch and to tap your toe right along with. At the North Texas Irish Festival, Celtic music comes alive in the steps of dancers of all ages, including those from The McLane School of Irish Dance, Maguire Academy of Irish Dance, Inishfree School of Irish Dance-Dallas, McTeggart Irish Dancers of North Texas and the Shandon-O’Regan Irish Dance Academy, who will delight audiences. Irish step dancers perform on a dedicated dance stage and also with musical performers throughout the festival.

Chef Stage and Whiskey Tastings

Chefs doing their own modern take on traditional Celtic fare, or using traditional ingredients in new ways, delight audiences who love to learn and sample the fare on the chef stage. And don’t miss special mixology demonstrations on Friday night! Whiskey tastings are also available through a special ticketed event located inside the North Texas Irish Festival.

Kids

Urchin Street at the North Texas Irish Festival is a special place where kids can find child-friendly entertainment, education, play and fun, including crafts, music, dance, storytelling, magic and mystery. Storytellers -- or “Shanachie” – will tell traditional Irish stories in the way that the Irish learned of their history for hundreds of years. 

Pets

The North Texas Irish Festival is pet-friendly! From dogs to rabbits, cats and even a squirrel or two, guests bring leashed pets to the festival to enjoy indoor and outdoor festivities. Need a new best pal? Animal rescue groups at the North Texas Irish Festival are happy to introduce you to animals to see if you might have a new “fur-ever” friend.

Hours, Admission and Location

Gates open on Friday evening, March 1, at 6 p.m.  Hours are 6 to 11 p.m. on Friday, March 1; 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 2; and 11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 3.

Admission is FREE on Friday from 6 to 7 p.m.; $15 after 7 p.m. A one-day ticket is $25 on Saturday or Sunday at the gate, while a weekend pass is $45. Discount tickets are available at area Tom Thumb and Albertsons stores for $20 for a one-day ticket starting February 1. Children under 6 are FREE when accompanied by an adult family member. Seniors over 65 or current military members (with valid military ID) receive $5 off all gate prices. Pets are allowed in on a short leash. Leprechauns (in full ceremonial dress and carrying pot of gold) are FREE.

Tickets are available online now, at Tom Thumb and Albertsons stores (starting February 1), and at the gates on the days of the event. 

Parking is available in and around Fair Park, or guests can take the DART (take the Green Line!) to the front entrance of Fair Park and the North Texas Irish Festival. Detailed directions and parking tips are available at ntif.org. Interesting in volunteering at the festival? Please visit ntif.org for more information. 

Social

Connect with the North Texas Irish Festival at:

• Facebook: @NTIFSCMA
• Twitter: @NTIF_scma
• Instagram: @NTIF_SCMA 

Sponsors

In addition to the hundreds of volunteers who support the festival by volunteering their time, other local civic and corporate partners make this festival possible. The North Texas Irish Festival is presented by the Southwest Celtic Music Association. Additionally, the festival is sponsored by Guinness, Tom Thumb, Albertsons, NBC 5, Audacy, Visit Dallas and the Dallas Tourism Public Improvement District.

About the Southwest Celtic Music Association Inc.

The Southwest Celtic Music Association Inc. (SCMA), a 501(c)(3), is the producing organization for the North Texas Irish Festival. Approximately 600 volunteers will help in organization, promotion and execution of this year's festival. The first such festival was held on March 5, 1983, at the legendary Nick Farrelly’s Lounge on Oak Lawn and was billed as the First Texas Céilí. This event was so popular that it has continued every year since on the first weekend in March as the North Texas Irish Festival. Shortly after the first festival, the all-volunteer Southwest Celtic Music Association Inc. was formed to promote the study, performance and preservation of traditional Celtic music, dance and culture. In 1984, the event was moved to Fair Park and its name changed to the North Texas Irish Festival. The Southwest Celtic Music Association Inc. is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit cultural corporation headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and serves a five-state regional area. The organization maintains a web site at www.scmatx.org.

The life of the Mardi will be at all five Shucks locations, which include food and drink deals, prizes, and live bands!

Aw Shucks and Big Shucks Oyster Bar will be celebrating Mardi Gras as big as New Orleans on Fat Tuesday, February 13, at its five locations in Dallas, Richardson, Lewisville, and Frisco. Shucks will offer free beads for the early birds, as well as food and drink specials (all day) and will be jamming with live bands at all locations from 5:30 pm - to 9:00 pm. Bands include The Members Only Band, The Big Daddy Band, Treble Hook, Mars Hill, and The Decades Trio. In the evening, there will be fun prizes given away at each location including Aw Shucks gift cards and Shucks Mardi Gras t-shirts. Laissez les bon temps rouler!

Shucks specials include:

• $5.00 house margaritas
• $3.00 draft beer
• $8.00 Sandia Swirl and Rojo Ritas
• $5.00 shrimp cocktail mugs
• Crawfish platter specials by the pound, with corn, and potatoes

Since 1983, Aw Shucks and Big Shucks Oyster Bar have been the best places in North Texas to enjoy raw oysters, shrimp, catfish, crab legs, po'boy boy sandwiches, a nice cold beer, and tasty crawfish when in season. With its seafood shack atmosphere, guests are guaranteed to have a great time. For more information on Aw Shucks and Big Shucks, visit awshucksdallas.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for the latest news and promotions. #shucksdallas

ABOUT PETERSON MANAGEMENT GROUP

Peterson Management Group is a family-owned and operated restaurant management company with 12 restaurants located across North Texas. Founded by Bob Peterson and Scott Holyfield, two guys with larger-than-life personalities, it all started in 1983 with eclectic seafood shack restaurants, Aw Shucks and Big Shucks Oyster Bar. They are the best places in North Texas to get raw oysters, shrimp, catfish, crab legs, po'boy boy sandwiches, a nice cold beer, and some tasty crawfish when in season. In addition to Aw Shucks and Big Shucks, Peterson Management Group opened Blue Goose Cantina in 1984, where fantastic made-from-scratch Mexican food, legendary cocktails, top-notch service, a fun atmosphere and a kick-ass attitude come together. The restaurant chain has repeatedly been voted the best in North Texas for its winning combination of food, fun, and signature margaritas. Today, Nick Peterson, son of Bob, leads the family business, serving as its CEO. For more information, visit PetersonManagementGroup.net.

Dive into a sea of delicious options this Lenten season with Aw Shucks and Big Shucks Oyster Bar! From Ash Wednesday on February 14 to Easter Sunday on March 31 at any of the locations in locations in Dallas, Richardson, Lewisville, and Frisco, Aw Shucks and Big Shucks have got a lineup of mouthwatering specials that will make your Lent experience a flavorful one.

For those looking to reel in the Lenten season with a special Friday lunch or dinner, Aw Shucks and Big Shucks have you covered with a limited-time price on their Grilled Tilapia Plate. Available for an incredible price of $8.99 on Fridays from February 16 through March 29, this mouthwatering dish features two filets of grilled tilapia served with rice and a vegetable medley. It's a perfect way to add a touch of variety to your Lenten menu.

Aw Shucks and Big Shucks have a variety of options to choose from throughout Lent. Whether you're a fan of shrimp, crawfish, crab legs, salmon, catfish, or oysters, Shucks has got you covered, prepared your favorite way—boiled, grilled, or fried.

If you're in the mood for something lighter, dive into one of the tantalizing soups. Maria's Clam Chowder, a New England-style chowder topped with bacon and parsley, or Caldo de Mariscos, a fish and head-on shrimp concoction with vegetables in a spicy broth, will warm you from the inside out. Served with cilantro, onion, lime, rice, and bread, it's a satisfying option for those looking to stay on the lighter side of Lent.

And for those who prefer their seafood between slices of bread, Aw Shucks and Big Shucks offer the ultimate fried catfish, shrimp, or oyster po' boys. It's a taste of the South that will have you coming back for more.

This Lent, make a splash with Aw Shucks and Big Shucks Oyster Bar. Your taste buds will be thanking you, and you'll be counting down the days until next year's Lenten dining. Get ready for a seafood celebration that's simply shell-tastic!

Celebrating 40 years, Aw Shucks and Big Shucks Oyster Bar have been the best places in North Texas to get raw oysters, shrimp, catfish, crab legs, po'boy boy sandwiches, a nice cold beer, and some tasty crawfish when in season. With its eclectic seafood shack atmosphere, guests are guaranteed to have the best shuckin’ time. A division of Peterson Management Group, a family-owned and operated restaurant management company, there are five locations in North Texas. For more information on Aw Shucks and Big Shucks, visit awshucksdallas.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for the latest news and promotions. #shucksdallas

ABOUT PETERSON MANAGEMENT GROUP

Peterson Management Group is a family-owned and operated restaurant management company with 12 restaurants located across North Texas. Founded by Bob Peterson and Scott Holyfield, two guys with larger-than-life personalities, it all started in 1983 with eclectic seafood shack restaurants, Aw Shucks and Big Shucks Oyster Bar. They are the best places in North Texas to get raw oysters, shrimp, catfish, crab legs, po'boy boy sandwiches, a nice cold beer, and some tasty crawfish when in season. In addition to Aw Shucks and Big Shucks, Peterson Management Group opened Blue Goose Cantina in 1984, where fantastic made-from-scratch Mexican food, legendary drinks, top-notch service, a fun atmosphere and a kick-ass attitude come together. The restaurant chain has repeatedly been voted the best in North Texas for its winning combination of food, fun, and signature margaritas. Today, Nick Peterson, son of Bob, leads the family business, serving as its CEO.

Texas Woman’s University Students Create Specially Designed Clothing Line for Patients with Scoliosis at Scottish Rite for Children

The patient-friendly ensembles were presented to Scottish Rite for Children on Dec. 8.

Fashion design students at Texas Woman’s University (TWU) have created yet another line of “help couture” to address the specific needs of different people — in this case, patients at Scottish Rite for Children who are being treated for scoliosis, an abnormal curvature of the spine. TWU’s Mass Production Techniques class designed and created 16 stylish ensembles that consider the experiences of patients undergoing treatment with the use of medical devices. On December 8 at Scottish Rite, they presented the fashion-with-function garments, which includes three different types of tops and three different types of bottoms that are all interchangeable, even down to the packaging.

Approximately two to three percent of the population in the United States is diagnosed with scoliosis, or about six to nine million people. While many children diagnosed with scoliosis only require observation or minimal treatment, some develop significant curves that cannot be corrected without surgical intervention. Severe cases are treated by gradual decompression and lengthening of the spine in preparation for surgery, which can involve a patient being placed in halo-gravity traction. In halo traction, a metal ring is held in place by pins affixed to the skull. This device is then attached to a pulley system that connects to the child’s bed, wheelchair or walker and uses weight to slowly stretch the spine.

Halo traction can make independent dressing and wearing typical youthful styles quite difficult, so the TWU students designed fashions featuring widened necklines, snaps and zippers in non-traditional locations, fun colors, and mix-and-match sets of tops and bottoms.

To inform their designs, TWU students visited the world-renowned Scottish Rite to learn more about the wants and needs of the pediatric patients being treated surgically for scoliosis. The project required a fundamental shift in the design, patterning and assembly process.

"Fun colors, fun gadgets on there, where they can actually feel independent, even though they're dependent on the hospital for a lot of their needs," said Remy Odukomaiya, Fashion Design lecturer at Texas Woman’s University. "The students started brainstorming. How are you to get a top over the halo? How do they open it up? What if there's no nurse and they need to get that off on their own and you want to give them a sense of independence? So, we started drafting and redrawing and redrafting and redrawing till we got to a point where I said, I think we got the answers.”

The clothing donated to Scottish Rite is the most recent example of TWU students designing innovative lines to create solutions for people in different circumstances. In 2022, TWU designed garments donated to Denton community organizations serving men without housing, with each design offering thoughtful features like generously sized pockets, reflective fabric and adjustable drawstrings.

"It's a whole different level of thinking," further states Odukomaiya. "It's not only about the aesthetics anymore; it's about the function. You're designing it, but what's the function of it? Is it useful? Is it needed? Those questions have to be answered."

About TWU:

Texas Woman’s University is the nation’s largest woman-focused university system with campuses in Denton, Dallas and Houston. Founded in 1901, TWU has built a reputation on contributions in nursing, healthcare, education, the arts and sciences, and business. TWU’s inclusive culture prioritizes experiential learning, leadership, service, discovery, and health and wellbeing, and national media have recognized the university as a top college for student-parents, veterans and social mobility. In 2023, TWU publicly launched Dream Big, a $125 million fundraising effort to support programming, equipment, scholarships and faculty. To learn more about the campaign or the university, visit dreambig.twu.edu or twu.edu, or connect with TWU on Facebook @TexasWomansUniversity, Instagram @txwomans, Twitter @txwomans, and LinkedIn @texaswomansuniversity.

About Scottish Rite:

Scottish Rite for Children has been dedicated to giving children back their childhood for more than a century. The institution is a world-renowned leader in the treatment of pediatric orthopedics, such as scoliosis, clubfoot, hand differences, hip disorders, sports injuries and fractures, as well as certain related arthritic and neurological disorders and learning disorders, such as dyslexia. The organization conducts innovative research and provides high-level education opportunities for medical professionals around the world. Scottish Rite operates two campuses, including a hospital in Dallas and an ambulatory surgery center in Frisco, Texas, and is known for being a bright, child-friendly place that does not look, feel or smell like a health care institution. Patients receive treatment regardless of their family’s ability to pay. For more information about services available at the Dallas or Frisco campuses, volunteering or donating, visit scottishriteforchildren.org.