The most gratifying part of fundraising is the handing over of the checks to the recipients. After months of efforts and activities, the Les Femmes du Monde group proved that point on Thursday, November 12, when they presented Children’s Health and the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth with early Christmas gifts. Here’s a report from the field:
The ladies of Les Femmes du Monde met at the home of Amy and Mitchell Malone last week to hand out checks to the two beneficiaries of the Woman of the Year gala in October, The Child Life Program at Children’s HealthSM Children’s Medical Center and the International Education Program of the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth.
Chaired by Venise Stuart, the gala event at Dallas Country Club honored Virginia Cook as the Woman of the Year. It was an intimate affair, attended by 350 friends and supporters in the social and business community with Geraldine “Tincy” Miller as honorary chair – a former Woman of the Year – and Jody Dean, KLUV 98.7 FM as the emcee.
Les Femmes du Monde President Alyce Heinirch has always been one to treat her guests to homemade casseroles and delicious desserts. This celebration luncheon was no different. She made chicken breasts stuffed with wilted spinach and a delicious cheese, a sumptuous potato au-gratin casserole, luscious and crispy on the top, dripping with a secret sauce and a cranberry Jell-O mold taken from her Helen Corbitt cookbook from years ago. Dessert was a chocolate tart topped with raspberries and whipped cream. It was all accompanied with wine and coffee, making for a perfect ladies luncheon.
Jan Ward and Alyce Heinrich*
After the luncheon, Alyce announced the new slate of offices as approved by the board and a majority vote was taken and approved the slate, naming Jan Ward as President, 2016 and Sharon Ballew as President-Elect for 2017.
She then brought out the checks, each for $37,000, to each beneficiary. Kyra Barnett accepted the check on behalf of Children’s Health and James Falk, on behalf of the World Affairs Council of Dallas Fort Worth.
Jim Falk and Whitney Schneider*
The Child Life Program’s primary goal is to minimize the impact of illness on a child’s normal growth and emotional and cognitive development. This involves establishing supportive relationships with patients and families and providing them with developmentally-appropriate information that helps them prepare for, understand and cope with their healthcare experiences.
The International Education Program (IEP) at the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth seeks to educate students and teachers on how international events affect their lives, their communities, and their country. The goal is to empower students to become effective, active global citizens and leaders in the community. Celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2014, this program has impacted more than 1 million students and trained more than 8,000 teachers since its inception in 2004.
* Photo credit: Chris Waits