Voice of Hope, a long-time ministry serving West Dallas families, is selling raffle tickets for a chance to win an autographed and framed Clayton Kershaw jersey. Tickets are $100 and can be purchased online at http://voiceofhope.org/annual-dinner-2014/ now through January 28, 2014. The winner, who does not need to be present to win, will be announced at the annual fundraising event to be held on January 30, 2014, at 6:30 p.m. at the Belo Mansion, 2101 Ross Avenue. All proceeds from this fundraising event will help the organization fulfill its mission to educate and build strong character in children and to equip families with resources and skills needed to overcome and break the poverty cycle.

“As one of the long-time ministries serving West Dallas families, Voice of Hope has been here since 1982 giving hope and building communities,” said Ed Franklin, president and CEO of Voice of Hope.  “This event helps us raise critical funds to continue this work, which is transforming and strengthening this community.”

Following dinner, Ray Nixon, a long-time Voice of Hope supporter, will moderate a panel discussion with these three distinguished speakers:

Voice of Vision: Mike Rawlings, Mayor of Dallas

Voice of Spirit: Ron Washington, Manager of Texas Rangers

Voice of Faith: Joseph ”Skip” Ryan, Chancellor Redeemer Seminary and Professor of Practical Theology.

Two-time National League Cy Young Award winner and Dallas native Clayton Kershaw will present this year’s Award of Excellence, which honors a former Voice of Hope student who embodies the mission of the organization. Kershaw, pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers, spoke on last year’s panel.

The Honorary Chairs are Debbie and Bill Dunlap, and Event Chair is Andrea Pedigo. Sponsor levels begin at $5,000. Individual tickets, which are $250, are available on a limited basis. For more information about sponsorship opportunities, contact Ruth Hardesty, VOH director of development, at 214-631-7027, ext. 152 or rhardesty@voiceofhope.org. To purchase raffle tickets, tickets or sponsorships, go online to http://voiceofhope.org/ and click on the “Donate Now” box in the upper right-hand corner.

ABOUT VOICE OF HOPE:

Voice of Hope Ministries, Inc., founded in 1982, is a Christian community center founded on principles of self-help, spiritual enrichment and urban renewal. Voice of Hope Ministries exists to provide children living in the neighborhoods of West Dallas with strong character models, education support, life skills, and family support services needed to become productive Christian citizens. For more information, please contact Voice of Hope at 214-631-7027 or visit http://voiceofhope.org.

Voice of Hope’s (VOH) 2014 Annual Dinner: Can YOU Hear The Voices? will be held on January 30, 2014, at 6:30 p.m. at the Belo Mansion, 2101 Ross Avenue. All proceeds from this fundraising event will help the organization fulfill its mission to educate and build strong character in children and to equip families with resources and skills needed to overcome and break the poverty cycle.

Baseball ace left-hand pitcher Clayton Kershaw is also donating an autographed and framed jersey for the raffle. Tickets are $100 each, and the winner does not need to be present to win.

“As one of the long-time ministries serving West Dallas families, Voice of Hope has been here since 1982 giving hope and building communities,” said Ed Franklin, president and CEO of Voice of Hope.  “This event helps us raise critical funds to continue this work, which is transforming and strengthening this community.”

Following dinner, Ray Nixon, a long-time Voice of Hope supporter, will moderate a panel discussion with these three distinguished speakers:

Voice of Vision: Mike Rawlings, Mayor of Dallas

Voice of Spirit: Ron Washington, Manager of Texas Rangers

Voice of Faith: Joseph ”Skip” Ryan, Chancellor Redeemer Seminary and Professor of Practical Theology.

Two-time National League Cy Young Award winner and Dallas native Clayton Kershaw will present this year’s Award of Excellence, which honors a former Voice of Hope student who embodies the mission of the organization. Kershaw, pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers, spoke on last year’s panel.

The Honorary Chairs are Bill and Debbie Dunlap, and Event Chair is Andrea Pedigo. Sponsor levels begin at $5,000. Individual tickets, which are $250, are available on a limited basis. For more information about sponsorship opportunities, contact Ruth Hardesty, VOH director of development, at 214-631-7027, ext. 152 or rhardesty@voiceofhope.org. To purchase raffle tickets, tickets or sponsorships, go online to http://voiceofhope.org/ and click on the “Donate Now” box in the upper right-hand corner.

ABOUT VOICE OF HOPE:

Voice of Hope Ministries, Inc., founded in 1982, is a Christian community center founded on principles of self-help, spiritual enrichment and urban renewal. Voice of Hope Ministries exists to provide children living in the neighborhoods of West Dallas with strong character models, education support, life skills, and family support services needed to become productive Christian citizens. For more information, please contact Voice of Hope at 214-631-7027 or visit http://voiceofhope.org.

2014 marks the 30^th anniversary of the Dallas Arboretum’s major floral festival Dallas Blooms with the theme “Birds in Paradise.” The festival is supported by ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Park Place Dealerships and Celebrity Cruises. Dallas Blooms begins on February 22, 2014, and runs through April 6, 2014. The garden explodes with color as more than 500,000 spring-blossoming bulbs burst, and the beloved peacock topiaries return to spread their colorful petal tails in the Jonsson Color Garden.

Brian Shivers, Dallas Arboretum board chairman, said, “Dallas Blooms is the Southwest’s largest floral festival with both local residents and out of town visitors who come to enjoy the breath-taking gardens. USA Today has named Dallas Blooms one of the ‘top 10 things that make you say ahh,’ and we invite the community to visit this spring.”

Dallas Blooms features tulips, daffodils, Dutch Iris and hyacinths, pansies, violas, poppies and thousands of other spring-blooming annuals and perennials.  The finale of this spring celebration is the mass flowering of the garden’s collection of 3,000 azaleas that bloom through the end of April.  

As part of Dallas Blooms, the Dallas Arboretum also launches its Bird House Exhibit, life-size playhouses designed by local architects to complement this year’s theme, Birds in Paradise. This creative exhibit is located in the Lakeside Exhibit Area. Children can play in these bird houses, while learning about bird predators, bird adaptations, how they find they prey, how they camouflage themselves and survive, how they migrate, how they create nests, lay eggs and more.

Throughout the festival and beyond, there are multiple events to celebrate the 30^th anniversary of Dallas Blooms.

Mommy and Me Mondays & Tiny Tot Tuesdays: February 24– April 6

Mondays & Tuesdays, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the Lakeside Exhibit Area

Children’s activities include face painting, petting zoo, nature art, and Kindermusik

In case of rain, check the website, Facebook or call 214.515.6500 the morning of the event. Activities may take place indoors.

Bird House Exhibit: February 22 – April 6

Open daily, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at the Lakeside Exhibit Area

See above for details.

Hanami: Cherry Blossom Viewing: Sunday, March 16: 12:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Located in the Pecan Grove, this Cherry Blossom viewing has become an annual tradition and the welcome of spring, with special thanks to the Japan American Society.

Rory Meyers Children’s Adventure Garden: February 22-December 31

Open daily, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at the north end of the Arboretum

Learn about birds from Stump the Tree, a costumed character who walks along the Texas Skywalk, a 240-foot walkway that takes visitors through the treetops. Look through the scopes on the Oasis and the Energy Tower to see all the migrating birds on White Rock Lake. Visit the 9,100-sq. ft. Exploration Center to solve CSI-inspired mysteries about birds. Watch “See the Unseen,” a spin browser that captures amazingly close details of a hummingbird in flight, pollen on a bat and more. Discover what birds are lurking through the Wildlife Blind in the Texas Native Wetlands. Identify various bird calls, along with bird and animal tracks, along the Dripping Springs Trail. Be sure to look for costumed character Eddie the Educated Eagle found in the larger-than-life eagle’s nest to learn about habitats.

Easter Activities:

Good Friday Children’s Concert & Activities: Friday, April 18, 2014: 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

Martin Rutchik Concert Stage, Dallas Arboretum

The Dallas Arboretum celebrates Good Friday with two concerts by Eddie Coker at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. Children’s activities include face painting and a petting zoo. DallasChild is the concert sponsor.

Artscape: Saturday, April 26 & Sunday, April 27: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Pecan Grove, Dallas Arboretum

Delight in the joy of spring when Artscape, the Dallas Arboretum’s juried fine art and fine craft show and sale, features outstanding artists from around the country. All artwork is of or about nature and the show features a variety of mediums including painting, sculpture, 2D and 3D mixed media, photography and more.

Cool Thursdays Concerts: April 10 – July 3: Gates open at 6:00 p.m.

Cool Thursday Concerts at the Arboretum return this spring, summer and fall with new and exciting national cover bands and some of the Metroplex’s best food trucks. The 2014 series will feature returning favorites such as Emerald City and the Molly Ringwalds as well as new acts like The Official Blues Brothers Revue, produced by Judy Belushi Pisano and Dan Aykroyd. Wells Fargo is the 2014 Cool Thursdays Sponsor.

Seated Tea: February 24-April 4

A favorite during Blooms is the Spring Festival Tea held at the Restaurant DeGolyer by Gil’s Elegant Catering from February 24 through April 4, 2014. Seatings are available at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., Monday through Friday in the DeGolyer Tea Room.  Reservations are required and can be made by calling 214.515.6511 or online at http://dallasarboretum.org/dining/seated-teas. The seated tea is only for adults and children ages 13 years and older.

Discounts:

Group discounts for 20 or more are available with advance registration by calling 214.515.6520. C.C. Young is the Senior Thursday sponsor.

For more information on Dallas Blooms’ 30^th anniversary, Artscape and other events, call 214.515.6500 or visit the Arboretum’s website at www.dallasarboretum.org

About the Dallas Arboretum

The Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Gardens is located on the southeastern shore of White Rock Lake at 8525 Garland Road, Dallas, Texas 75218.  The Dallas Arboretum is also the home of the internationally acclaimed Rory Meyers Children’s Adventure Garden. The Arboretum is open daily from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. General admission is $15 for adults, $12 for seniors 65 and older, $10 for children 3-12 and free for Arboretum members and children two and under.  There is an additional cost of $3 per person for entrance into the Rory Meyers Children’s Adventure Garden. On-site parking is $10.  The Dallas Morning News is the principal partner of the Dallas Arboretum.  The Arboretum is supported, in part, by funds from the Dallas Park and Recreation Department.  WFAA is an official media sponsor for the Dallas Arboretum.    

The National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) national chapter has selected Sandra Beach Lin to be inducted into the NACD 2013 Directorship 100. The NACD Directorship 100 identifies the most influential people in the boardroom and corporate governance—those who participate in actual board work and those who influence how that work is done.

Lin, retired president and CEO of Calisolar (now Silicor Materials), is a board member of American Electric Power, Interface Biologics, PolyOne and WESCO International. Prior to Calisolar, Lin served as corporate executive vice president at Celanese. Lin serves on the board of Junior Achievement USA and is a member of Women Corporate Directors and the Women’s Leadership Council at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business.

About NACD:

National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) is the only membership organization focused exclusively on advancing exemplary board leadership. NACD was founded in 1977 as the only national membership organization created for and by directors. Its mission is to  advance exemplary board leadership — for directors and by directors.Based on 35 years of experience, NACD identifies, interprets and provides insights and information that corporate board members rely upon to make sound strategic decisions, confidently confront complex business challenges and enhance shareowner value. To learn more about North Texas Chapter of NACD, visit http://www.directorship.com/ or call 214-363-3284.

On November 6-9, 2013, the seventh graders of Providence Christian School of Texas toured a few of Texas’s most famous sites in Austin, San Antonio, and the Houston area. After studying their significance earlier this year, the historical sites proved to be realistic visuals for the class.  The students first stopped in Austin, the capital of Texas. Their tour began with Texas’s elegant, 1888 Capitol building constructed of limestone and granite. They viewed the authentic courtrooms and the famous statues of Sam Houston and Davy Crocket. The class discovered interesting facts about the Texas government. In addition, the students toured the magnificent Texas State Cemetery, visiting many legendary Texans’ graves. The cemetery originated as the burial place of Edward Burleson, a general and vice-president of Texas, but expanded into a Confederate cemetery during the Civil War. The students enjoyed hearing stories about the famous Texans from the 1800s. To end the day in Austin, the seventh graders enjoyed an evening bat cruise on the Colorado River and observed thousands of bats take flight.  

On the second day, the students traveled to the Natural Bridge Caverns in the San Antonio area, which are extraordinary caverns extending hundreds of feet below the surface.  The students toured this natural phenomenon and were captivated by the unique rock formations beneath the earth’s surface. Later that day, the students visited the famous Alamo where William Barrett Travis wrote in his letter the legendary words “Victory or Death!” The seventh graders were privileged to recite Travis’s Letter in front of the Alamo and hear stories of the courageous men who fought there. Later that evening, they enjoyed the San Antonio Riverwalk cruise. 

The third day, the seventh grade class visited the Gonzales Courthouseand County Jail.  In Gonzales, they viewed the authentic “Come and Take It” cannon that began the first battle of the Texas Revolution in 1835. The class spent the remaining part of the day at the NASA Space Center in Houston. At the space center, they enjoyed the shuttle simulator and the DaVinci exhibit. 

On the final day, the seventh graders toured the San Jacinto Monument. Ascending to the top of the monument, they observed the battlegrounds where the Battle of San Jacinto took place. Next, the students traveled to a World War II Battleship Texas, and surveyed the rooms inside, including kitchens, doctors’ offices, and the enlisted men’s quarters. 

For the Providence seventh graders, the trip enhanced the students’ knowledge of Texas history. While visiting the many historical sites in Texas, the students enjoyed spending time with fellow classmates and touring the beautiful state of Texas.

Sophia Love and Emma Kackley are Class Seven students at Providence Christian School of Texas.