The Asia Society Houston

The Asia Society’s new $48.4 million center opened to great fanfare last month, with former President George H.W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush chairing the grand opening event. “The Society has evolved into a very large and important organization in Houston and it’s very exciting to be a part of that,” said Fritz Lanham, Director of Communications and Marketing.

The big move

The nonprofit organization has been in Texas since 1979 but the new Museum District building is a major move for the Asia Center. Designed by award-winning Japanese architect Yoshio Taniguchi, the new Asia Society Center building greatly expands its capabilities. “We’ve done musical and dance performances at various venues around town but we never had our own theatre. Now we do. This gives us the opportunity to really showcase elements of Asian achievement,” says Lanham of the 273-seat Brown Foundation Performing Arts Theater. The space also includes the 4,000sf Louisa Stude Sarofim Gallery. “The building is kind of a work of art in itself. Mr. Taniguchi is known for his very elegant designs and his high standards for materials and workmanship. The limestone that makes up most of the exterior is from Bavaria and dates back to the Jurassic era, so it’s full of fossils,” he reveals. “There’s no other building that’s like this in Houston.”

 A rich history

John D. Rockefeller III founded the Asia Society in New York City in 1956. Rockefeller grew up surrounded by his parents’ collection of Chinese and Japanese ceramics, Japanese prints and Buddhist sculpture. His experience serving on the post-World War II peace mission to Japan led by John Foster Dulles increased his interest in U.S.-Asian relations. He created the Asia Society in 1956 as a nonprofit, nonpartisan, educational organization aimed at increasing Americans’ understanding of Asian history, politics and culture.

Australian Aboriginal performer and storyteller

In 1979, a group headed by former First Lady Barbara Bush and former Ambassador Roy M. Huffington formed the Texas branch. Asia Society now comprises 11 centers around the world – New York, Houston, Washington, D.C., Southern California, Northern California, Seoul, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Manila, Melbourne and Mumbai.

Policy and business

“Our definition of Asia extends from Japan in the East all the way to include Iran in the West. It includes Australia and New Zealand,” says Lanham. In an effort to increase understanding of Asian policy, the Center hosts regular evening lectures by renowned scholars and authors.

Arts and culture

“People can come here and see a concert of Iranian music or an exhibition of Chinese ceramics,” says Lanham. This month’s events include Coleman Barks and Friends Bring to Life Mystical Power of Rumi’s Poetry. “Barks is the leading English-language translator of the Persian poet Rumi. He brings with him a percussionist, a cellist and a dancer. It’s kind of a multimedia performance celebrating the work of Rumi,” he explains.

Education

In addition to hosting public programs and lectures, the 3,000sf Edward Rudge Allen III Education Center is dedicated to education and learning. Family days include crafts, dance and presentations. Adult classes will include Persian calligraphy and Tai Chi. The Asia Center is also organizing school tours. “Our mission,” explains Lanham, “is to bring Asians and Americans together to confront shared problems and challenges, to share with Americans the richness of Asian culture and to prepare them for a shared future.”

MAY EVENTS Coleman Barks and Friends Bring to Life Mystical Power of Rumi’s Poetry May 22 at 7:30pm Treasures of Asian Art: A Rockefeller Legacy Thru September 16

Asia Society Texas Center 

1370 Southmore Blvd. | Houston, TX  77004

713.496.9901  | www.asiasociety.org/texas

By Nadia Michel Photo courtesy of Asia Society Texas Center

March of Dimes®

March for Babies, Jeremy Keas Photography

The Houston Division of the nation’s leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby health anticipates a three-year repeat of hosting the largest, most successful fundraiser in the nation while joining forces with new partners to aim towards reducing the number of pre-term births in Houston.

Who would’ve ever thought that our 32nd United States President’s battle with a debilitating disease would change the lives of babies forever?  Well, Franklin D. Roosevelt’s successful platform to treat and end epidemic polio in the country through the launch of the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis (now known as the March of Dimes®) would later shift gears in 1958 to focus on preventing birth defects and infant mortality – changing the lives of babies forever.

Great historical move, FDR! March of Dimes® (MOD), through its chapters across the US, continues to lead the way with research breakthroughs to discover the genetic causes of birth defects, to promote newborn screenings, to prevent premature births and infant mortality, and to educate medical professionals and the masses about best practices for healthy pregnancy. In an average week in Texas, 7,723 babies are born; 1,001 babies are born pre-term (the pre-term birth rate in Houston is 13.6%, compared to 12.2%, nationally); 335 babies are born with a birth defect; and 48 babies die before their first birthday. Alarming statistics. MOD’s Houston Division remains committed to investing in research and engaging new partners to heighten awareness, funding and support for their signature initiatives and prenatal education programs that improve birth outcomes. Ohio native, twenty-plus year development/fundraising veteran and the mother to a now teenaged daughter who was born healthy and full-term, Ellen Efsic, executive director for March of Dimes-Houston Division, leads with passion, zeal and an appreciation for empowering women with culturally relevant prenatal education (Becoming a Mom/Comenzando bien® – culturally sensitive and relevant for Hispanic women; CenteringPregnancy® – health care assessment, education and support in a group setting; and Honey Child – a faith-based prenatal program targeting African-American women currently on the campuses of Greenspoint Baptist Church and Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church, to name a few) so that they, along with their families, play an active role in their pregnancy and care.

 Per Efsic, “Experiencing a healthy pregnancy with the birth of my daughter was one of the greatest blessings of my life and propels me to provide solid leadership to our Division, so that we continue to generate funding for lifesaving research and educational programs targeted at helping moms have healthy, full-term pregnancies and strong, healthy babies. The Houston Division is one of the top-performing Divisions in the country. Last year, our spring fundraiser, the Houston March for Babies, had over 45,000 participants and raised more than $3 million, making our event the largest and most successful MOD event in the country for two consecutive years. President of HEB Houston and our 2012 March for Babies chair Scott McClelland is confident that this year’s walk will surpass last year’s results. He’s been working very hard with our development committee in securing our presenting sponsor, Texas Children’s Hospital, and increasing the level of giving by newcomer and returning partners, including a number of sponsors at the $50K level.”

Rewind, Press Play! As of January 26, 2012, three area hospitals (Memorial Hermann Southwest, St. Joseph Medical Center and The Woman’s Hospital of Texas) established a 3-year commitment with MOD to serve as sites for MOD’s signature program, Healthy Babies Are Worth The Wait, a community intervention focused on reducing Houston’s prematurity rate via early prenatal care and hospital-based improvement programs to eliminate unnecessary Cesarean sections and inductions before 39 weeks gestation. “Pre-term birth is the leading cause of newborn death and even babies born a few weeks early can suffer higher rates of illness,” says Efsic.

2012 Houston March for Babies 

9am – The Woodlands/Woodlands Church at Fellowship Campus – Saturday, April 28, 2012 Houston, University of Houston/Robertson Stadium – Sunday, April 29, 2012 For team registration & more info, visit www.marchforbabies.org.

For the latest resources and  more  information, visit www.marchofdimes.com/texas 3000 Weslayan, Suite 100 Houston, Texas 77027 | 713.964.5423

By Susan M. Bynam | Photography by Jeremy Keas

Feel Good about Doing Good and Have a Good Time Doing It!

Music Doing Good Core Artists: (L to R) Aisha Ussery Adams, Delfeayo Marsalis, Marie Bosarge, Kenneth Gayle, Ray Younkin, Rodney Waters, Anita Kruse, Aaron Kaufman, David LaDuca and Phillip Hall. Photography by Evin Thayer

Houston, what do you get when you combine your love for music with your passion for helping people? You literally get Music Doing Good (“MDG”), a local, nonprofit performing arts organization which generates friends and funds for outstanding nonprofit organizations submerged in health, education, music and children’s charities. That’s what Marie Bosarge, president and founding visionary of MDG deems “philanthropy through music.” MDG believes in turning music into money by utilizing artistic performances for the public good via pooling audience ticket purchases to support worthy community-based organizations or a Spotlight Partner. MDG produces a distinctive public concert series that incorporates a variety of musical genres, interwoven with a central production theme, and in many instances, special expert guests, to ultimately take audiences on thought-provoking journeys.

Joey Calderazzo and Branford Marsalis Photography by Stephen Sheffield.

Bosarge and executive/creative director David LaDuca have worked tirelessly, yet creatively to propel MDG’s mission. Through its pioneering concept of “micro-philanthropy,” MDG ensures that each concert merges like-minded audiences who share a passion for helping others by offering levels of admission with tickets ranging from the minimum suggested concert donation price to the micro-philanthropy club level. Club level ticket purchasers pay more to secure a “Mix Tix” (VIP) ticket, providing a two-fold benefit: Patrons not only enjoy the concert, but simultaneously support a worthy cause. Additionally, “Mix-Tix” holders also enjoy an informal wine and hors d’oeuvres pre-performance reception. Per LaDuca, “When you come to our concerts, not only will you be entertained by a broad spectrum of world-class talent from our core artists and special guests, but you also get to meet and interact with individuals who share our vision for effecting great social change in the world through music.” The 2011-2012 MDG performance schedule has already claimed artistic merit with “BREAK THRU,” the season opener on October 21, 2011, at Rockefeller Hall that explored diverse musical genres on stages – spanning from Sam Cooke to Chopin – and proceeds of ticket sales benefited The Parish School. In November 2011, MDG premiered the performance/exhibit “Marilyn! Babydoll Reflects”– remarkably capturing famed Marilyn Monroe’s triumphs and troubles via a red carpet, gala affair filled with memorable music, a world-class exhibit featuring Monroe’s personal memoirs and a fundraising opportunity to support The Harris School. And, Music Doing Good is ecstatic about the continuation of its performance seaSON in 2012! COUNT IT ALL GOOD, HOUSTON! Julie Lambert, marketing, public relations & events manager for MDG, shares, “We are honored to be working with Ronny Cox (singer and veteran actor of movies like Deliverance, Robocop and Total Recall) who will join us on March 9 at The Ensemble Theater for Art of the Singer Songwriter, an evening of storytelling and song, benefiting Healthcare for the Homeless-Houston. MDG aims to bring national talent to Houston, like Grammy award-winning saxophonist Branford Marsalis and the Joey Calderazzo Duo to – Houston –slated for March 23 at The Hobby Center. This season, we are also launching Music Doing Good In Schools, an innovative, interdisciplinary musical-arts outreach/enrichment program for students 7 to 18 years of age who want to heighten their creative skills. The program will culminate with a live musical production, staged and presented by the participating students, on May 10 at The Hobby Center. Now, how’s that for feeling good about doing good and having a good time doing it?

For more information about Music Doing Good and a complete listing of its 2011-2012 season, please visit www.musicdoinggood.org or call 713.524.2854 x4923. 4203 Yoakum Boulevard, Suite 200 | Houston, Texas 77006

Hope Stone, Inc.

Houston-based, performing arts nonprofit not only keeps hope thriving for the art of dance, theater performance and children’s outreach, but brings life to a one-of-a-kind residency program that supports performance artists in the early stages of their artistic journey.

Although performing arts remain lively, diverse and exciting in Houston, arts education is clearly lacking in our society. A sluggish economy and lack of funding to support arts education programs tend to be the biggest culprits. Yet those concerned few who continue to believe in the magic of the arts and embrace the mind-boggling impact it continues to have on diverse populations surge forth without hesitation to create exciting pathways for gifted artists in search of artistic development, growth and success.

That’s Jane Weiner, in a nutshell.

Weiner, the Bowling Green University graduate (degree in deaf/elementary education, with a minor in dance), newly hitched (her better half, the wonderful Eric Mallory) and mother to 5 furry children (3 cats and 2 dogs), has lived and breathed dance and the performing arts for as long as she can remember. As founding executive director and artistic director of Hope Stone, Inc., the main hub to Hope Stone Dance Company (a professional dance & theater performance company), Kid’s Play (Hope Stone’s outreach arts program for children ages 6-18) and HopeWerks (an innovative residency grant program offered to emerging choreographers and performance artists), Weiner provides stellar artistic guidance and instruction to kids on the cutting edge of gifted and talented and young, gifted artists who teeter on the brink of uncertainty and desire to establish long-term careers in dance and the performing arts. Her decision to be a beacon of hope to aspiring artists didn’t surface overnight, but rather is the composite of privileged opportunities of working with some of the highly esteemed in the industry; a firm belief that there is no greater gift than being an “open door” for others; strong advocacy for the advancement of the arts; and the muse of her younger sister Susan (a 17-year breast cancer survivor), whose middle name (“Hope”) would emphatically snag naming rights to Weiner’s performing arts organization (hence, the name Hope Stone).

Per Weiner, “Prior to my transition to Houston 15 years ago, I experienced a wonderful dance career touring the United States and internationally for 11-plus years as one of the founding members of the Doug Elkins Dance Company in New York. When Susan was diagnosed with breast cancer, I moved to Houston to be with her; it was a tough period for her, yet she experienced a host of miracles and is still here to talk about it. After Susan got on her feet, I began to explore “the arts” in Houston and grew to love the “open arms” community here – enough to establish Hope Stone, Inc. in 1997, where we initially concentrated on community artistic performance, art outreach to at-risk children, and community dance and movement classes. The Kid’s Play program was created in 2002 to make arts education accessible to all children, with satellite locations in Houston, Katy and New Orleans and recent partnerships with four new schools and after-school programs (Harbach-Ripley Charter School; Positive Playdates; Cristo Rey Jesuit College Preparatory School of Houston and Change Happens). We now service more than 500 kids. In 2004, we snagged a small, renovated loft to create Hope Center, our home for both our year-round dance and movement classes for children and adults and for our nationally acclaimed professional dance company, Hope Stone Dance Company. In 2006, we moved into the Tribeca Lofts, our current 3,500sf space in Houston’s historic Fourth Ward. With the support of a hard-working, savvy board of directors, we’re working hard to expose art to even more people.”

HopeWerks, a space grant offered to budding performing artists, is clearly an “open arms” concept, and to date, one-of-a-kind in Houston.

Many new artists struggle with the expense of creating and presenting work and even starting a new company. Through HopeWerks, select artists are given 3 months of unlimited rehearsal time at Hope Center to create and debut their work, as well as learn all the business aspects of presenting a performance. “While dancing in New York, 98% of our rehearsal space was free because of the generosity of 3 gym owners who understood our struggle as artists and were kind enough to make complimentary accommodations available to us. I believe that young performers today deserve the same testing ground and the same opportunity. Through HopeWerks, I empower young artists and provide them workspace to explore their creativity without them having to worry about paying the rent and the electric bill and other associated costs. I am happy that I am in position to give back to our community in this way.”

Hope Stone, Inc.
1210 W. Clay Street, Studio 26
Houston, Texas 77019
713.526.1907
www.hopestoneinc.org

By Susan M. Bynam
Photography by Gabriella Nissen

I Am Waters Foundation
From the Runway to the Streets: Elena Davis gives Houston’s homeless a message in a bottle

Rags to riches
Elena Davis has graced the pages of Cosmopolitan and Harper’s Bazaar, but life wasn’t always so glamorous for the founder of I Am Water. One of four siblings, Davis was raised in California by a single mother who struggled to make ends meet. “We led a very transient lifestyle. I went to a dozen different schools. Food was an issue because we relied on food stamps. My mother was often at work or school, so my older brother Doane always made sure we got something to eat, even if it was just sharing a can of soup.”

At age 16, Davis moved to Paris. On her second day, she scored a photo shoot with GermanVogue. “I never stopped working after that,” she says. Avoiding the pitfalls of the supermodel lifestyle, she built a solid career. “I never went to parties. I was afraid to go out at night because of the terrible neighborhoods I grew up in,” she recalls. Eventually, she returned to the US and was able to help her siblings pursue their own dreams.

In 2009, Davis founded I Am Waters, a nonprofit foundation that provides safe, transportable water to homeless individuals and shelters. During the summer of 2011, I Am Water delivered 300,000 bottles of water throughout Houston, Ft. Worth and Austin.

Giving water, hope and inspiration
Access to safe drinking water is a real problem for the homeless, especially during the hot summer months. “If you are homeless, you can’t get the key to the gas station bathroom. If you try to access a faucet or a hose, you might be trespassing,” says Davis. “And the shelters don’t have the funds allocated for take-away water.”

Staying hydrated is key when it comes to overcoming difficult situations. “What we are hearing from the shelters is that the homeless who come in and use services are able to go on more job interviews and stay away from the shelter longer because they have three to five of our bottles that they can put in a bag.”

Those bottles are labeled with inspirational words: LOVE, HOPE, PEACE and DREAM. “When a homeless person finds out that a bottle of water was made expressly for them, that it wasn’t a castoff or a second-hand thing, with this specially branded package, it makes them feel that somebody on the outside knows that they’re there,” Davis explains. “It has a big impact on how they perceive themselves.”
The true face of homelessness
“The homeless label engenders preconceived notions that they are mentally ill or have been in prison,” says Davis. “We want to shift that perception. They could be anybody.” In fact, 1 in 3 homeless are families, according to I Am Water. Those individuals – including children and single parents – may be less visible but their stories are often compelling. “They are just people, like anybody else. We all have a certain idea of what we want for our life, but then life happens. You can’t always predict whether you’re going to lose a job, or if someone in your family will get sick, or if you are going to become sick and end up spending all of your money and having to sell your house and the life that you had to pay off bills. These are very common stories.”

As part of their Image Campaign, I Am Waters has made a habit of photographing the individuals at the shelters it serves. A copy is offered to the subject and another is used in published material to put a face on homelessness. The photos are taken on white backgrounds. “It’s about removing them from their environment. A lot of how we perceive ourselves is based on the cues we get from those around us. When we show them the printed, laminated photographs, it brings out a flood of hopes and dreams,” she says. “It’s very powerful. Some of them haven’t been photographed since they were children.”

Keeping it green
I Am Waters bottles are 100% recyclable. The Foundation provides shelters with recycling services to help reduce waste. But another factor is helping keep litter to a minimum. “As it turns out, we’ve heard from the shelters that the homeless collect the bottles because the words mean so much to them. They peel the labels off and stick them on their wheelchairs, tents and sleeping bags,” explains Davis. The Foundation also minimizes its carbon footprint by bottling all its water locally in Lubbock.

I Am Waters Foundation is a nonprofit organization that relies entirely on private donations to fulfill its programs and has been supported with gifts from $10 to $100,000. To make a donation, go to iamwaters.com/donate/.

By Nadia Michel
Photography by Sofia van der Dys

The Altus Foundation

Taseer Badar

In 2010, more than 50 million Americans were reported as being uninsured. With the struggling economy and high national unemployment rate, the number of U.S. citizens without health insurance is growing continuously. In an effort to provide healthcare for the underprivileged and uninsured in the Houston, Beaumont and Baytown areas, Altus Healthcare Management Services – a healthcare organization established by a determined group of medical and financial specialists at ZT Wealth with the goal of ensuring the benefit of the health care dollar – has expanded their philanthropic efforts by creating a new nonprofit, the Altus Foundation.

The mission of the Altus Foundation is to develop resources for patients in need of healthcare services at an Altus healthcare facility utilizing philanthropic support and patient and community educational programs. The official announcement of the newly established foundation will happen December 3, during ZT Wealth’s black-tie, invitation-only 10th Annual Toast to Living Well affair. Other scheduled activities for the gala will include a substantial gift to The Rose, a local nonprofit whose mission is to reduce deaths from breast cancer by providing screening, diagnostics and access to treatment for all women regardless of their ability to pay.

ZT Wealth’s partnership with this nonprofit organization is especially important as The Rose provided 9,000 free patient breast care navigation services to Houston’s uninsured women in 2010 alone. “This partnership with The Rose will be a tremendous asset for our patients, our physicians and the communities we serve,” said Taseer Badar, Chief Executive Officer of Altus Healthcare Management Services and ZT Wealth. “We are very proud to contribute to The Rose’s legacy of ensuring that women needing treatment for breast cancer receive the best possible care.”

As President of the Altus Foundation, Badar is both excited and proud to establish the foundation and to be able to help those who are less fortunate. “We have five major goals for instituting the Altus Foundation,” said Badar.

“Those goals are to partner with communities to provide financial support and educational opportunities for Altus patients, including cancer and hospice patients, and to build and establish collaborative interactions between Altus and the communities we serve, including physicians, our vendors and community members. Also, we desire to provide cancer-screening and prevention services to the communities we live and work in, offer financial support for cancer patients undergoing treatment, and lastly, provide health-related educational programs for the communities we support.”

As a company, the executives of Altus HMS feel a personal responsibility to serve the community. “We at Altus have been fortunate and blessed. Establishing the Altus Foundation is our way of giving back to the community,” said Badar. “We strive to support those organizations whose missions dovetail with our foundation’s mission. Specifically, those who offer needed healthcare services to patients unable to pay for them.”

For over a decade, ZT Wealth has established powerful partnerships with clients seeking a comprehensive resource for financial freedom based on traditional, well-planned investing. Now, this trailblazing company is looking for ways to pay it forward, and their recent partnership with The Rose is just the beginning.

The establishment of the new Altus Foundation is a testament to their commitment of developing opportunities that will allow Altus Healthcare Management Services to reach out to Houston and its surrounding areas to provide quality healthcare without excluding those with low incomes.

“We wanted to establish a way for those who have received care at our facilities to get the help they need – whether at an Altus center or via our hospice program – and to provide support for others who need care and cannot afford it,” says Badar.

To learn more about the Altus Foundation, visit www.AltusHMS.com.

Securities offered through EDI Financial, Inc., Member FINRA/SIPC/MSRB

Advisory Services offered through EDI Investment Advisor Corporation

12221 Merit Drive, Suite 1020, Dallas TX 75251 214.528.4090

ZT Wealth, Inc. is not affiliated with EDI Financial, Inc./EDI Investment Advisor Corporation

The Independent Advisors and Independent Registered Representative of ZT Wealth, Inc. are affiliated with EDI Financial, Inc./EDI Investment Advisor Corporation.

By Kimberly Crowder

blue cure Foundation

Blue Cure Foundation.
Local non-profit aims to take a global stance of dispelling myth of prostate cancer being an old man’s disease.
by Susan M. Bynam

Prostate cancer is the number one cause of death from cancer in men of all ages. Previous reports have noted that prostate cancer is rarely found in men younger than 40.

Yet, Gabe Canales, a strong, healthy-looking, successful public relations executive, found himself in the early stages of prostate cancer at the tender age of 35 and didn’t even know it. A random physical would reveal that this lifelong athlete had the disease although he experienced no symptoms and had no family history of cancer.

Prostate cancer tends to develop in men over the age of 50 and although one of the prevalent types of cancer in men, men may never have any symptoms (as in Gabe’s case), may never undergo therapy and because men with the condition are often older, may eventually die of other causes unrelated to the disease. This year in America, an estimated 33,000 fathers, husbands, brothers and sons of all ages will lose their battle to the disease, and per the National Cancer Institute, 240,890 new cases will be diagnosed. These are exorbitant numbers that call for a far-reaching stance to bring even greater awareness to communities, globally.

THE BLUE CURE FOUNDATION, a non-profit founded by Gabe Canales in June 2011 post his journey with prostate cancer, seeks to eradicate these statistics, create a national platform of awareness, encourage annual screenings at a younger age, and promote the adoption of healthier lifestyle habits known to aid in the prevention of prostate cancer and save lives.

After all, it’s not just thought of to be an old man’s disease anymore. Just ask Gabe Canales, a living testimony.

Currently on Active Holistic Surveillance, Gabe shares “the cancer is monitored with quarterly blood tests, annual biopsies and I am on a strict diet and take immunotherapy supplements.” At the age of 37, Gabe is criss-crossing the country to appear on TV news shows, utilizing his PR expertise to touch communities with his Foundation’s message that early, yearly screenings, coupled with a healthier diet (organic, preferably), healthier lifestyle (organic and natural products, highly recommended), and consistent exercise habits are critical to reducing the number of prostate cancer-related deaths, annually. Per Gabe, “Prior to being diagnosed with prostate cancer, I avoided physicals and paid little attention to my diet. I knew nothing about the prostate or how to treat it once I found out I had the disease. After conversing with male friends of all ages, I discovered how little was known about the disease. Through vigorous self-study and consulting with some of the world’s top cancer specialists, fortunately, my cancer was detected early to undergo successful treatment. My expansive 20-plus year career as a PR professional has been instrumental in getting Blue Cure on the map. I am confident I can use my PR-marketing talent to put a spotlight on America’s #1 male cancer and make a monumental difference through Blue Cure.”

And, in a short period of time, Gabe has created a “blue” movement (the “blue” side of the “pink” breast cancer movement, but instead, for prostate cancer) that has garnered support from local and national celebrities (Houston philanthropist and fundraising visionary, Carolyn Farb; former U.S. Secretary of Education, Dr. Rod Paige; director of the Integrative Medicine Program at MD Anderson Cancer Center, Dr. Lorenzo Cohen; actress, Fran Drescher; actor-comedian, Bob Saget; Houston Texans, Matt Schaub and Mario Williams—to name a few) and from hundreds all around the world. Per Gabe, “Blue Cure has already reached millions of Americans through radio, print, TV and online media, yet global outreach and research funding are vital to soar Blue Cure’s mission to even greater heights. Blue Cure intends to target younger males through sports, celebrity and entertainment tie-ins and females (who greatly impact men’s health choices) through fashion and the arts. We hosted our first annual Fashion Presentation event in September at Neiman Marcus in Houston, helping to raise awareness to a younger generation and also grow the event with Neiman Marcus in other cities across the country.”

What’s on the horizon for Blue Cure?

Stay tuned for the 2011/2012 Runaround Series presented by key supporter, Sun & Ski Sports—the first run being a 15K event on December 3, 2011; Blue Cure is honored to be the beneficiary of proceeds from this dynamic initiative.

Remember: Think “blue” for prostate cancer…and, keep the “blue” movement going!

For more information about Blue Cure, Gabe Canales’ journey with prostate cancer, Blue Cure’s global outreach efforts, and how you can help to make a difference in our communities, please visit www.bluecure.org.

BLUE CURE FOUNDATION
Gabe Canales, Founder
Website: bluecure.org

Great Art and Philanthropic Efforts Make Causal Connection in a Big Way

Childhood hunger and homelessness spark the attention of a gourmet international market and talented local artists to implement a public art project to benefit a nutrition program at a local nonprofit.

Have you ever considered the notion that creating impressive art and cultivating influential change in a community share commonalities? Think about it. Creating art entails the conscious production or arrangement of sounds, colors and/or forms in a manner that affects the sense of beauty; elevate this endeavor with high-quality execution and consider your product – immensely impressive. Impacting positive change in communities requires investing time, energy and self with other persons, places or things to foster and nurture relationships to ultimately create some type of benefit. The commonalities between creating impressive art and cultivating solid, community relationships? Well, if you conclude they both (1) require the human touch, (2) suggest that one removes fear and apprehension while engaged in the act, and (3) can be one of the most rewarding experiences in life – I wouldn’t necessarily crown you a genius, but let’s just say applying good, old-fashioned common sense is truly one of your specialties. And, when the Tcholakians (family owners of the soon-to-open downtown gourmet international market, Phoenicia Specialty Foods) joined forces with SEARCH Homeless Services (a Houston-based nonprofit that houses and equips homeless individuals and families with pertinent resources to mainstream them  into society as productive, responsible citizens) and six notable artists in the Houston community, the PHOENICIA KIDS MKT ART PROJECT was launched in anticipation of bringing greater awareness of childhood hunger and nutrition to the forefront.

Guess what? 1.35 million American children are homeless on any given night. Families and children are the fastest growing segment of the homeless population. Doubtful about this?  Check the statistical information of the National Coalition for the Homeless. It’s there; trust me. Homelessness is a serious matter, Houston. Yet, the human touch, tenacity and outreach by local change agents Cookie Ashton, Mary Aldrich, Scott Carden, Rose Hohenberger, Armando Rodriguez – all local artists, led by 20-year veteran artist Katherine Houston (revered for her abstract paintings on plexiglass) – to an array of hopeful, homeless youth housed at SEARCH, sparked a 3-month art initiative through June 2011 that will not only support funding a nutrition program for them, but undoubtedly serve as a springboard for a professional art career for one, if not several, of these bright, smiley youngsters. Take just one glance at their beautifully crafted, painted designs of paper and canvas embellishments (steered by Katherine, her art colleagues and the Phoenicia management team) to corroborate that true talent not only emanates from Katherine’s dream team of artists, but dwells heavily among the youth within the perimeter of SEARCH. The kids’ designs have been intermixed to create a 10 x 13 public art mural for display on Phoenicia’s building in downtown Houston beginning May 16th. The mural will also highlight Phoenicia’s grand opening in June and remain on display the entire month. Per Katherine, “Fifty pieces of art provided by participating artists will be auctioned during Phoenicia’s grand opening event; 100% of the proceeds will benefit SEARCH’s young darlings and support SEARCH’s and Phoenicia’s quest of developing a solid, nutrition program for them. This has been an extremely rewarding experience for me and the participating artists. Although this art project officially comes to a close in June, our relationship with these children will continue on an ongoing basis. It is the desire of the artists to persist with nurturing the kids at SEARCH via art classes and through other avenues of support. We want to do our part in meeting the needs of these children and what better way to do so than by exploring our talent with them.”

For more information about the grand opening of Phoenicia Specialty Foods in downtown Houston and other Tcholakian family-owned establishments, visit www.phoeniciafoods.com.

Longing to bring greater awareness to childhood hunger and nutrition? Interested in transforming lives of homeless children and families at SEARCH? Visit www.searchhomeless.org or call Chelsea Wade, Development Associate, at 713.739.7752, x293.

PHOENICIA KIDS MKT ARTPublic Art DisplayMay 16-June 30, 2011Phoenicia Specialty Foods (downtown location)

PHOENICIA SPECIALTY FOODS(new downtown location)1001 Austin StreetHouston, Texas 77002281.558.8225www.phoeniciafoods.comEmail: info@phoeniciafoods.comSEARCHHomeless Services2505 Fannin StreetHouston, Texas 77002Chelsea Wade, Development Associate713.739.7752 x293www.searchhomeless.orgKATHERINE HOUSTONArtistSpring Street Studios1824 Spring StreetHouston, Texas 77007www.katherinehoustonart.com

By Susan M. BynamPhotography by Amitava Sarkar