The Magdalen House, a nonprofit organization helping women achieve sobriety and sustain recovery from alcoholism at no cost and based on 12-Step spiritual principles,  is proud to announce that Nancy and Jack Zogg will serve as honorary chairs at this year’s Leave a Legacy “Live Loud and Free” concert held on November 3 at The Rustic. 

“Through their gracious gifts, Nancy and Jack Zogg have been integral to advancing the mission and realizing the vision of The Magdalen House. The couple generously gives both time and gifts in hopes of ensuring that the life-saving services provided by The Magdalen House are available to any alcoholic woman desperately seeking a transformed life,” says Director of Development at The Magdalen House, Kate Richter. “Nancy and Jack have funded portions of our First Step and Next Step programs, were generous contributors to the capital campaign to build the home on Gaston Avenue, and continuously invest their time to ensure The Magdalen House can meet the growing need for services within the Dallas-Fort Worth community. It is our privilege to honor Nancy and Jack Zogg as this year’s Leave a Legacy honorary chairs.”

Robin Bagwell will also be honored at this year’s Leave a Legacy event as the 2022 Paul Tate Advocate Award Recipient. Robin is a longtime supporter of The Magdalen House and has helped transform the lives of countless alcoholic women and their families throughout the greater Dallas-Fort Worth community. Bagwell generously supports many causes across the D/FW community, she has also supported a handful of other recovery initiatives, nonprofits, and events, including, but not limited to, Nexus, CARE, New Friends New Life, Recovery Resource Council, and the Dallas 24 Hour Club throughout the last twenty years. Robin values her own recovery and has been a part of a 12-Step fellowship for over 20 years. Service and fellowship are both essential to her recovery, and she finds purpose in helping others to live happy, joyous, and free. 

“The Magdalen House is infinitely grateful for Robin’s dedication to shattering the stigma surrounding the disease of alcoholism through her advocacy efforts,” says Richter.

The Paul Tate Advocate Award recognizes individuals who zealously advance awareness of The Magdalen House in the greater Dallas community. For over 20 years, Mr. Paul Tate has played an integral role in building The Magdalen House’s thriving community of recovered women and their families – one woman at a time. Mr. Tate has referred hundreds of women and their families to The Magdalen House, allowing them the opportunity to find clarity, hope, and joy in recovery, while promoting philanthropic efforts to keep the doors of The Magdalen House open and accessible for years to come.

Dallas FAN FESTIVAL is pulling out all the stops this weekend on all things pop culture. The recently announced schedule includes face-to-face interaction with stars, icons, characters, and genius artists as well as celebratory gatherings and contests for the most creative of fans and friends in North Texas and beyond.  From Star Wars to Stranger Things, Dallas FAN FESTIVAL 2022 is coming in with a bang, with some once-in-a-lifetime Main Stage experiences including:

• THIS IS THE WAY: A Q AND A WITH THE ARMORER EMILY SWALLOW on Friday, October 14^th at 5pm in the Main Theater
• COSPLAY MASHUP COMPETITION on Friday, October 14^th at 6pm in the Main Theater
• TO BOLDLY GO WITH GATES MCFADDEN AND JOHN DE LANCIE on Friday, October 14th at 7pm in the Main Theater
• FLY AWAY WITH BLACK CANARY – A Q AND A WITH KATIE CASSIDY on Saturday, October 15th at 11am in the Main Theater FROM CLARA TO CONSTANTINE WITH JENNA COLEMAN on Saturday, October 15 at noon  in the Main Theater
• DRAGONS, DOCTORS, AND RULING THE REALM WITH MATT SMITH on Saturday, October 15th at 2pm in the Main Theater
• A HOWLING GOOD TIME WITH COLTON HAYNES on Saturday, October 15th at 3pm in the Main Theater
• EXPLORING THE PATHS TO JUSTICE WITH STEPHEN AMELL on Saturday, October 15th at 4pm in the Main Theater
• MONSTEROUS COSPLAY COMPETITION on Saturday, October 15th at 5pm in the Main Theater
• DANCING WITH DESIRE - CONFRONTING THE ENDLESS AND MASTERING THE LIVING WITH MASON ALEXANDER PARK on Sunday, October 16th at noon  in the Main Theater
• "SURFER BOY PIZZA, THIS IS ARGYLE..." A Q AND A WITH EDUARDO FRANCO on Sunday, October 16th at 2pm in the Main Theater
• A TIME FOR DREAMING - EXPLORING THE ENDLESS WITH TOM STURRIDGE on Sunday, October 16th at 4pm in the Main Theater

The Cosplay Red Carpet is getting super-star treatment on Sunday, October 16^th from 2pm-5pm with THE CORUSCANT TEMPLE SABER GUILD Takeover:

• MEET AND GREET WITH THE CAST OF THE CORUSCANT TEMPLE SABER GUILD on Sunday, October 16th at 2pm on Cosplay Red Carpet
• PADAWAN TRAINING WITH THE CORUSCANT TEMPLE SABER GUILD on Sunday, October 16th at 2:15pm on Cosplay Red Carpet
• SO YOU WANT TO BE A JEDI? (OR A SITH!) WIT THE CORUSCANT TEMPLE SABER GUILD on Sunday, October 16th at 3pm on Cosplay Red Carpet
• PADAWAN TRAINING WITH THE CORUSCANT TEMPLE SABER GUILD on Sunday, October 16th at 4pm on Cosplay Red Carpet
• Q AND A WITH THE CAST OF THE CORUSCANT TEMPLE SABER GUILD Sunday, October 16th at 4:30pm on Cosplay Red Carpet

In addition to the Cosplay Red Carpet and Main Stage features, Dallas Fan Festival’s perennial main attractions include celebrity photo ops and meet and greets, the chance to meet legendary comic book creators, and an unrivaled shopping experience. This year, Dallas FAN FESTIVAL is ‘upping their game’ with Texas Gaming Empire, using premium gaming experiences to unite the gaming community via tournaments, leagues (High School, College & Amateur) & special events, while increasing life skills, providing educational opportunities & creating career pathways for gamers!

For the festive at heart, Dallas FAN FESTIVAL has announced themed days throughout the weekend:

• FRIDAY COLOR FEST - AN ART EXPLOSION! Comics, cosplay, chalk art, painting, and more - come explore the diversity and creativity of art in pop culture!
• HAUNTED SATURDAY - A HORROR FEST! Calling all ghouls, ghosts, and ghastly fiends, you won't want to miss this year's horrifying panels, terrifying activities, and monstrous cosplays!
• FAMILY FUN FEST on SUNDAY! Dance parties, crafts, carnival games, lightsabers, and more - it's time for fun for the whole family!

And ever a supporter of the community, Dallas FAN FESTIVAL has partnered with multiple North Texas non-profits  and Fan Groups to spread their messages and missions:

• BROADWAY DALLAS--Broadway Dallas brings all the top touring Broadway shows to Dallas each year. Visit the Broadway Dallas booth to learn more about their upcoming shows (such as SIX, MOULIN ROUGE, and HAMILTON). You can win tickets and other Broadway-themed prizes just by stopping by.
• CAUSE TO PLAY--Cause to Play is a non-profit organization comprised of cosplayers who volunteer for philanthropic and community events. Visit their booth to learn more about their volunteers and events they're appearing at in the community!
• FOUNDATION FOR SUICIDE PREVENTION--Established in 1987, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) is a voluntary health organization that gives those affected by suicide a nationwide community empowered by research, education, and advocacy to take action against this leading cause of death. They will be hosting a Mini March Out of Darkness on Friday, October 14^th at 4pm.
• GIRL SCOUTS OF NORTHEAST TEXAS--The Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas serves girls and adult volunteers across 32 counties. Stop by their booth to learn more about how they are meeting the urgent need for female voices, engagement, and leadership in STEM.
• Participating Fan Groups including the DFW Critter Crew, DFW LUG, DFW Cosplay Gallifrey and Star Garrison of the 501^st, will all be in the Community Zone at Dallas FAN FESTIVAL.

Dallas FAN FESTIVAL features three BIG days of citywide events, family-friendly attractions, and world-renowned celebrities who are available for Photo Ops and Autographs. Activities include themed days, costume contests, community partners, workshops, the chance to meet legendary Comic Creators, and an unrivaled shopping experience.

Tickets are on sale now. Hours and information are available at fanexpohq.com/dallasfanfestival.

DETAILS:  Dallas FAN FESTIVAL runs Friday, October 14 through Sunday, October 16, 2022

    Friday, October 14 from 4:00 P.M. to 9:00 P.M.

    Saturday, October 15 from 10:00 A.M. to 7:00 P.M.

    Sunday, October 16 from 10:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.

The Irving Convention Center is located at 500 W. Las Colinas Blvd, Irving, TX 75039

ABOUT:  With over a million fans and counting, FAN EXPO HQ attracts pop culture enthusiasts, locally and internationally, to come together to celebrate all things fandom. Collectively it hosts nearly one million fans annually at FAN EXPO Dallas™, FAN EXPO Canada™, MEGACON Orlando, FAN EXPO Boston™, FAN EXPO Denver, FAN EXPO San Francisco, CALGARY EXPO, FAN EXPO Chicago, FAN EXPO Philadelphia, FAN EXPO Portland, FAN EXPO New Orleans, FAN EXPO Cleveland FAN EXPO Vancouver™, Toronto Comicon, Dallas FAN FESTIVAL, and EDMONTON EXPO.  The latest schedule of events is available here on their website, along with up-to-date ticket information. Discover. Celebrate. Belong.

The month of October is often known as Rocktober in education due to the long stretch of school days leading up to the holiday season.  During this time period teachers and students often begin to feel the early signs of burnout and feeling overwhelmed.  Uplift Education took a proactive approach last school year by getting input from staff and families about adding a fall break to help give teachers an opportunity to rest and renew before launching into the second quarter of the school year. This staff and student vacation time is to stay committed to the network’s commitment to prioritizing student and staff well-being.  The new fall break added this year to the school calendar serves to recognize the strain the last two years have placed on schools, and how school networks are dealing with calls to put more emphasis on mental health supports and social-emotional learning.

“We’ve had a lot of conversations over the last year talking about our academic calendar, and specifically one of the requests that were shared with us from our survey to parents was to look at a fall break as part of this conversation,” Dr. Washington, President of Uplift said. 

It is widely known that there is a relationship between academic performance and well-being, the better your health is, the better your academic performance.

Uplift’s school year has gotten off to a strong start for its 23,000+ students.  The network has enjoyed seeing its students show up each day excited to learn and deeply engaging in their studies. “Students have grown academically so much over the last ten weeks, and the network looks forward to seeing them meet or exceed grade-level expectations at the end of the school year and get the nation back from the learning loss that hit everyone during the pandemic,” Dr. Washington said. 

Uplift intentionally prioritizes student and teacher well-being. They have also heard overwhelmingly from their staff that they need more opportunities to refuel and to plan during the school year to keep up with the growing demands of being a teacher.

While students will receive a full week off, Uplift teachers and staff will return to campus after a three-day break and engage in two full days of training and planning before returning the following week. Uplift is hopeful that well-deserved rest, renewal, and planning time will ensure that their teachers are ready to jump-start the second quarter of learning on a positive and impactful note. We deeply appreciate our staff, students, families, and communities’ partnership and commitment to Uplift Education. 

Dallas FAN FESTIVAL loves Dallas and is showing that love by hosting several community organizations during the pop culture playground’s three-day event running from Friday, October 14 through Sunday, October 16, 2022, at the Irving Convention Center.

“We invite all of our fans and attendees to support the local community by checking out groups like the 501st Garrison, Broadway Dallas, Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas, and participate in fun events like the Pet Adoption Fest at Dallas FAN FESTIVAL,” says Katie Loomis, Show Manager for Dallas FAN FESTIVAL.

Participating non-profits include:

BROADWAY DALLAS--Broadway Dallas brings all the top touring Broadway shows to Dallas each year. Visit the Broadway Dallas booth to learn more about their upcoming shows (such as SIX, MOULIN ROUGE, and HAMILTON). You can win tickets and other Broadway-themed prizes just by stopping by.

CAUSE TO PLAY--Cause to Play is a non-profit organization comprised of cosplayers who volunteer for philanthropic and community events. Visit their booth to learn more about their volunteers and events they're appearing at in the community!

FOUNDATION FOR SUICIDE PREVENTION--Established in 1987, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) is a voluntary health organization that gives those affected by suicide a nationwide community empowered by research, education, and advocacy to take action against this leading cause of death 

GIRL SCOUTS OF NORTHEAST TEXAS--The Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas serves girls and adult volunteers across 32 counties. Stop by their booth to learn more about how they are meeting the urgent need for female voices, engagement, and leadership in STEM.

Participating Fan Groups including the DFW Critter Crew, DFW LUG, DFW Cosplay Gallifrey and Star Garrison of the 501^st, will all be in the Community Zone at Dallas FAN FESTIVAL.

As always, community organizations will be participating in special events including:

PET ADOPTION FEST-- Are you ready to be a hero? Come meet some super dogs that need a forever home! Our adoption fair will include shelters from the Dallas area on Saturday, 10/15 in Programming Room B 

THE LAS COLINAS SYMPHONY--Experience the soundtracks of fandom with the Las Colinas Symphony Orchestra! Check our schedule closer to the show for performance and panel times, and for info on our musical petting zoo!

Dallas FAN FESTIVAL features three BIG days of citywide events, family-friendly attractions, and world-renowned celebrities who are available for Photo Ops and Autographs. Activities include themed days, costume contests, community partners, workshops, the chance to meet legendary Comic Creators, and an unrivaled shopping experience.

Tickets are on sale now. Hours and information are available at fanexpohq.com/dallasfanfestival.

DETAILS:  Dallas FAN FESTIVAL runs Friday, October 14 through Sunday, October 16, 2022

    Friday, October 14 from 4:00 P.M. to 9:00 P.M.

    Saturday, October 15 from 10:00 A.M. to 7:00 P.M.

    Sunday, October 16 from 10:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.

The Irving Convention Center is located at 500 W. Las Colinas Blvd, Irving, TX 75039

ABOUT:  With over a million fans and counting, FAN EXPO HQ attracts pop culture enthusiasts, locally and internationally, to come together to celebrate all things fandom. Collectively it hosts nearly one million fans annually at FAN EXPO Dallas™, FAN EXPO Canada™, MEGACON Orlando, FAN EXPO Boston™, FAN EXPO Denver, FAN EXPO San Francisco, CALGARY EXPO, FAN EXPO Chicago, FAN EXPO Philadelphia, FAN EXPO Portland, FAN EXPO New Orleans, FAN EXPO Cleveland FAN EXPO Vancouver™, Toronto Comicon, Dallas FAN FESTIVAL, and EDMONTON EXPO.  The latest schedule of events is available here on their website, along with up-to-date ticket information. Discover. Celebrate. Belong.

Each year, Super Lawyers recognizes the top lawyers in Texas through a patented multiphase selection process. The Texas lawyers who receive the highest point totals during this selection process are recognized in Texas Super Lawyers’ Top Lists. Dallas-based family law attorney Kris Balekian Hayes is among five percent of Texas attorneys added to the highly sought-after list. To be recognized by the Super Lawyers List, honorees undergo peer nominations, evaluations and independent research. Each candidate is evaluated on 12 indicators of peer recognition and professional achievement. Selections are made on an annual, state-by-state basis. The objective is to create a credible, comprehensive and diverse listing of outstanding attorneys that serves as a resource for attorneys and consumers searching for legal counsel. 

“It is an honor to be recognized as a top attorney in Texas,” says Kris Balekian Hayes, managing partner of Balekian Hayes, PLLC. “Getting a divorce is an incredibly stressful and difficult process – that’s why it is so important to choose an attorney you can trust. It’s our policy that while honesty may cost us, we owe it to our clients to give it to them. This philosophy has rewarded us with recognition by industry leaders and referrals from our loyal clients.”

After completing her Bachelor of Business Administration at Southern Methodist University in Dallas., Kris earned her law degree at St. Mary’s University School of Law in San Antonio. She continued her education by earning a Master of Business Administration at St. Mary’s University School of Business. With more than 20 years of experience practicing family law, she is dual-certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in family law and child welfare. She is one of 47 family lawyers in Texas that carries a dual certification in both of these areas. She is a credentialed mediator in all civil, family and CPS matters. Today she serves as managing partner of Balekian Hayes, PLLC, based in Dallas, TX.

Led by Kris Balekian Hayes, the family law attorneys of Balekian Hayes PLLC are dedicated to fighting for their clients and their clients’ children. From contested divorces, to child possession disputes, to out-of-court mediation and arbitration proceedings, the firm provides the knowledge and expertise needed to help people during what can be one of the most stressful times in their lives. To learn more about Balekian Hayes, visit https://www.bh-pllc.com/.