The Salvation Army DFW Metroplex Command has announced that Wynonna, award-winning country music icon, will be the featured guest speaker at its 2013 Doing The Most Good Luncheon on Friday, November 15 from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the Hilton Anatole Hotel, Chantilly Ballroom. Jan Pickens, Salvation Army Advisory Board Member, is this year’s luncheon chair.

The 2013 luncheon also serves as the kickoff of The Salvation Army’s 125^th Anniversary Celebration, which commemorates the 125 years the organization has served in Texas. The Anniversary Celebration will feature special events designed to expand the organization’s support base locally to include a new, younger demographic. Charlotte Jones Anderson, executive vice president and chief brand officer for the Dallas Cowboys, is chairing the 125^th Anniversary Celebration in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

Pickens said, “Of all The Salvation Army fundraisers, this local luncheon is the #1 Salvation Army fund-raising event in the world. With the kickoff of The Salvation Army’s 125^th Anniversary Celebration and Wynonna as our guest speaker, we look forward to a compelling and memorable event that will raise much needed funds for our mission to serve unmet needs in our community.”

Wynonna’s career began in the 1980s in the singing duo The Judds alongside her mother, Naomi.  According to TIME magazine, The Judds were credited with “single-handedly saving country music.” They received praise and accolades, including five Grammy Awards, seven Country Music Awards and 20 million records sold, making them one of the most successful duos in country music history. After The Judds disbanded in 1991, Wynonna began a solo career, and Rolling Stone magazine once referred to her as “the greatest female country singer since Patsy Cline.”

Wynonna has always pushed the boundaries of the country music repertoire. Impressive credentials such as more than 10 million albums sold, 6 platinum-plus/gold-plus albums, 16 Top Ten hits, a Top Female Vocalist Of The Year Award from the Academy of Country Music, and many sold-out tours—all come in second to her amazing ability to resonate with fans from all walks of life. Wynonna is also a New York Times bestselling author with her 2005 memoir, Coming Home To Myself. In 2012 she wrote a fictional book called Restless Heart drawing on her personal experience as a country music superstar. She also released an autobiographical musical journey, Her Story: Scenes From A Lifetime, a double-live gold-plus certified CD and DVD, which hit #2 on the Top Country Album charts. Whether she's touring, writing music or being a mom, Wynonna remains one of country's most recognizable and beloved music icons.

The Doing the Most Good luncheon is a fundraiser to support The Salvation Army's 70 programs and services in Dallas, Tarrant, Collin, Denton and Ellis Counties.  The programs address human needs in seven key areas: (1) homeless men, women and children; (2) families in crisis; (3) addiction recovery; (4) senior citizens; (5) children and youth; (6) veterans programs; and (7) disaster response.

Past luncheon speakers have included Former First Lady Barbara Bush, Former President George W. Bush, Amy Grant, J.C. Watts, Blake Mycoskie, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Karen Hughes, Tony Evans, Edsel Ford, Chuck Norris and Scott O’Grady.

Thanks to the generosity of the North Texas community, in 2012 The Salvation Army provided assistance to nearly one out of every 50 people in the DFW Metroplex and returned 87 cents of every dollar donated to services to our community.  “Because of the tremendous generosity of those who contribute to this luncheon, The Salvation Army is able to support more than 70 programs that care for the poor, feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, clothe the naked, love the unlovable, and befriend the friendless,” said Major Ward Matthews of the Dallas Salvation Army. 

In 2012, The Salvation Army provided the following to those in need:

* 999,802 meals for the hungry

* 155,826 nights of care at its homeless shelters

* $422,267 of emergency financial assistance

* 190,080 days of care for adults struggling with substance abuse

* 282,250 Christmas gifts through the Angel Tree Program

* 59,199 individuals assisted during Christmas alone

* $4.8 million of donated Christmas gifts

* 31,451 individual room visits at nursing homes

Tickets to the luncheon are $300, and sponsor levels range from $5,000 to $250,000. For more information on purchasing tickets, visit salvationarmydfw.org, call 214-637-8254, or email dfwmc_events@uss.salvationarmy.org.

ABOUT THE SALVATION ARMY:

The Salvation Army is a worldwide Christian organization that in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex provides more than 70 different programs and services to help make life better for individuals and families. Services include: substance abuse treatment, homeless shelters, life-skills classes, nonperishable food, Christmas gifts for children, disaster relief, domestic violence programs, emergency financial assistance, after-school programs, summer day camps, computer training, senior citizens services, and low-cost youth sports leagues.

The Salvation Army’s religious and social service activities serve millions of men, women and children in more than 100 nations around the world. Volunteers, contributors, and other supporters make the services possible in local communities across the country. For more information, go to salvationarmydfw.org. 

Event raised $1.5 million to benefit new Charles A. Sammons Trauma and Critical Care Tower

Music from the Dave Tanner Band welcomed more than 900 guests attending the 2013 Robert S. Folsom Leadership Award at the Hilton Anatole Hotel on September 24. Musical selections from Mama Mia and Jersey Boys were played in honor of this year’s recipient, community advocate and retired Senior Minister of Highland Park United Methodist Church Rev. Mark Craig. Established in 2005, the award recognizes individuals whose demonstrated commitment and excellence in community leadership emulate the achievements of former Dallas Mayor Robert S. Folsom.

Each year, the event is personalized to honor the recipient, and this year was no exception. Dean Fearing, celebrity chef and friend of Rev. Craig, welcomed everyone as the Master of Ceremonies. “Tonight is all about Mark Craig and his favorite things. We want to say one thing you don’t hear nearly enough—‘thank you.’ That is our toast to you, Mark.” Rev. Steven Matthew, retired executive minister of Highland Park United Methodist Church, gave the invocation.

President and CEO of Methodist Health System Stephen L. Mansfield, PhD, FACHE, greeted guests and said that this is Methodist’s largest fundraiser. Last year, Methodist provided more than $125 million in uncompensated charity care, and this event plays an important role. “I believe that faith and healing, are inextricably linked. So it is a special honor for us to acknowledge Mark tonight on behalf of the thousands of patients who will be touched by your gift and your presence here tonight.”

Lana and Barry Andrews and Natalie and Mike McGuire served as event co-chairs.  Barry Andrews said, “I want to recognize and thank the Folsom family in attendance, Sharon and Steve Folsom, Debbie Folsom Jarma and Don Jarma. I also want to thank the three past Folsom recipients in attendance including Nancy Ann Hunt, Troy Aikman and Mike Boone. And our sincere thanks to Jason and Brill Garrett who hosted a fantastic patron party in their home for our major donors. It’s been such an honor for Lana, Natalie, Mike and me to serve as this year’s Robert S. Folsom leadership award co-chairs and be part of Highland Park United Methodist Church. Thanks to everyone here tonight, we have raised a record setting total of $1.5 million.”

Rev. Paul Rasmussen, HPUMC minister, served as the narrator of a “Masterpiece Theater”-themed tribute video highlighting rare books, one of Rev. Craig’s passions. Highlights comparing Craig to a “rare” individual came from Rev. Craig’s 95-year-old mother Louise Craig, his wife, Sandra, his sons Will and Sayre, his daughter Ali, SMU President Gerald Turner, Dallas Cowboys Coach Jason Garrett, Harlan Crow, Jim Francis, Randy Golden, Gail Hansard, Bill Shields, HPUMC Ministers Tova Sido and Dr. Susan Robb, Custer Road UMC Rev. Tim Morrison, and St. Paul UMC Rev. Elzie Odom, Jr .

Following dinner, dramatic sounds of sirens and helicopters filled the ballroom as lights flashed and Methodist Health System Foundation President and CEO April Box Chamberlain told the story of how more than 200 people may work together to save the life of one person who has an emergency. At the same time, Methodist employees lined up behind Chamberlain to show the level of support it takes to save a life. “You may not know that Methodist is one of only three adult trauma centers in Dallas, and 60,000 were served at Methodist Dallas emergency alone.  Recognizing this critical resource for our city, Mark Craig has chosen to designate your gifts—more than $1.5 million from this event—to building the new Charles A. Sammons Critical Care Tower at Methodist Dallas.” Scheduled for completion in summer 2014, the one-of-a-kind new trauma and critical care center will expand the hospital’s emergency department ten-fold. The capital campaign is happening now for those interested in donating.  

“We purposely chose 9/11 to break ground on this new critical care tower as a remembrance to those heroes who run toward the disasters,” Chamberlain added. “Tonight we honor Mark, another hero. But I think we can all agree that we can use another special responder who helped heal, strengthen and inspire our entire nation after 9/11, President George W. Bush.”

After the attendees gave him a standing ovation, President Bush said, “When Jim Francis first informed me that this year’s Folsom Award recipient was Mark Craig, I was pleased to accept the invitation to surprise and honor my good friend…and my preacher.” Rev. Craig has served as the Bush’s pastor and most recently gave the dedication prayer at the opening of the President George W. Bush Presidential Center in April. President Bush then shared the story of how one of Rev. Craig’s sermons provided inspiration for him to run for President of the United States.

Rev. Craig thanked President Bush and everyone in attendance. “First I’m humbled and honored to receive the award with Bob Folsom’s name on it. He is a great man, great family, he’s a great leader to Dallas and this community. He’s a great friend to many and most of you here today. This award isn’t about me; this is about a great hospital. Your support of Sammons Trauma Critical Care Tower is fantastic and all the money that you have given is wonderful. It’s the largest capital investment in southern Dallas in many, many years. That’s fabulous. Methodist Hospital is special. It’s special because it looks south and it has never left the south. That’s where the pain, that’s where the suffering is. It’s always been there to help people less fortunate than most of us.”

Past Folsom Leadership Award recipients include Robert S. Folsom (2005), Nancy Ann Hunt (2006), Troy Aikman (2007), Laura Bush (2008), the late Norman Brinker (2009), Pat and Emmitt Smith (2010), Trevor Rees-Jones (2011), and Mike Boone (2012).

Methodist Health System is a nonprofit organization. For those interested in supporting the Robert S. Folsom Award or other vital health care and community programs, please contact Methodist Health System Foundation Vice President of Development Joy Duncan at 214-947-4555 or joyduncan@mhd.com. More information is available at Foundation.MethodistHealthSystem.org/Folsom.

Providence Latin teacher Donna Gerard has devoted forty-four years to her students and profession and to teaching other teachers. Beloved by her fellow teachers and students alike, it comes then as no surprise that she recently received The American Classical League’s highest award, the highly coveted and venerated Merita Award. This annual, prestigious award is bestowed by peers and given to a teaching professional who demonstrates sustained and distinguished service to the Classics profession and the American Classical League.

Having taught for more than thirty years, in 2004 Gerard intended to retire from her career in the Richardson school district. She did not, however, want to leave teaching entirely. Through the years, she had tutored Providence students in Latin and was impressed by them. She interviewed at Providence, began teaching in the 2004/2005 school year, and has enjoyed every minute of teaching Latin at Providence since then. Gerard said, “I like the fact that [at Providence] I really get to teach. It’s not about testing; it’s not about gimmicks; it’s about learning and what’s good for the students. And I like the fact that we’re building character at the same time.”

Gerard did not know she had been nominated for the Merita Award until she learned she had received it. Her daughter, also a Latin teacher, submitted her mother’s curriculum vitae upon receiving an email at her mother’s home congratulating Donna on her nomination. Her daughter chose to keep the nomination a secret from her mother, so Gerard was greatly surprised to learn she had received the award.  

This summer, Gerard’s entire family traveled with her to Memphis where she received the award at the American Classical League’s annual conference. She said, “Latin has been my life work, so it is incredibly rewarding and very nice to hear your accolade read publicly.” At the conference, one young woman whom Gerard had taught working with the Texas Junior Classical League, approached her after she received the award and said, “I just want you to know you were always my inspiration. I wanted to be like you.”

Besides this recent honor, Gerard has had many accolades. In 2004, she was chosen as the Texas State Teacher of the Year in Latin, and the Most Influential Teacher at Richardson High School in 1989-1997, 1999, 2001, and 2004. Since 1990, she has been active as a consultant for the Advanced Placement Program in the teaching of AP Latin teachers as well as providing training for the grading of the AP exams. She is a consultant for the popular Cambridge Latin program and is a sought after conference speaker and seminar leader. She is also very involved with Cambridge University and their team of British professionals shaping their Latin course.

Dr. Tony Jeffrey, Providence headmaster, said, “In every way, she has made an enormous difference in our profession and the lives of our students. We are honored to have a Latin teacher as committed to the field and the students as Donna is.”

About the Merita Award

As a means of recognizing and celebrating excellent classicists, The American Classical League presents the Merita Award annually in recognition of classicists sustained and distinguished service to ACL and the profession at large. Recipients are nominated and then selected by a committee of peers for outstanding work in teaching, publication, and/or service to the classical profession.

About Providence Christian School of Texas

Since 1989, Providence Christian School of Texas has provided academically able students from preschool to 8^th grade with a challenging educational experience designed to help them know, love, and practice that which is true, good, and excellent, and to prepare them to live purposefully and intelligently in the service of God and man. Providence’s core values are faith, family, intellect, counterculturalism, and stewardship. More information about the School can be found by calling 214-302-2800 or by visiting www.pcstx.org.