FAYETTEVILLE — The Brandon Burlsworth Foundation honored longtime United States Rep. John Paul Hammerschmidt with a soldout benefit dinner on Oct. 22 at Fayetteville Town Center.
State and national leaders came together to pay tribute and express gratitude for his service. The evening’s speakers included Alice Walton, Thomas F. “Mack” McLarty and former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta.
Barbara and former President George Bush and former President Bill Clinton both sent regards via a video shown at the dinner.
Alice noted the impact Congressman Hammerschmidt has had on our area, saying, “He gave our airport its wings ... Northwest Arkansas would not be what it is today without John Paul Hammerschmidt.”
The fundraiser brought in $435,000 for the foundation that is the legacy of the late Brandon Burlsworth. The Razorback football walk-on-turned-standout died in a car accident in 1999, days after signing with the Indianapolis Colts.
The foundation has a number of programs that carry on Brandon’s plans to help underprivileged children, the largest of which is Eyes of a Champion. The statewide children’s eye care program helps provide vision exams and glasses to low income, uninsured children. The four-year-old initiative is working toward becoming national.
Karlee and Ed Bradberry opened their downtown Fayetteville home for a predinner VIP reception. Those gathering to visit with the statesman before dinner included Charlene and Stanley Reed, Tom Garrison, Jim Lindsey, Frank Broyles, Dorothy Morris and Don Munro, Don Tyson, Barbara and David Pryor, Donna and Lewis Epley, Susan and Asa Hutchinson II and Archie Schaffer.
A few dozen American Heart Association supporters got a head start Tuesday evening on shopping for their donations to the Purse-onalities silent auction that is part of the Go Red for Women luncheon. The luncheon fundraiser, slated for Feb. 15, includes workshops and speakers that focus on women’s heart health.
The kickoff event, at the Fayetteville home of Leslie Lentz, offered the trifecta of shopping, chocolates and wine. Local stores came together with suggestions for purse packages.
Those perusing pocketbooks included Cindy Bryant, Suzy Fehlig, Pamm Prebil, Barbara Reinsvold, Jamie Davis, Courtney Johnson, Deb Euculano, Dina Davis and Christina Hinds.
Nearly 90 women fi lled the dining room Wednesday at Ella’s Restaurant in Fayetteville for what hostess and coordinator Denise Garner called a “lunch and learn.”
We were treated to a frank, yet enjoyable, discussion about breast cancer and advances in screening, diagnosis and treatment with renowned breast cancer researcher and surgeon Dr. V. Suzanne Klimberg.
Dr. Klimberg is the first recipient of the Muriel Balsam Kohn Chair in Breast Surgical Oncology in the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.
She told us there is a “wealth of knowledge,” at the cancer institute in Little Rock, where many of the advances she shared with us have been made.
Denise’s co-hostesses included Roberta Billingsley, Leslie Belden, Ann Rosso, Nancy Trammel, Susan Hui, Gaye Cypert, Julie Roblee and Pam Parks.
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OUR TOWN COLUMNIST CARIN SCHOPPMEYER CAN BE REACHED BY E-MAILING CSCHOPPMEYER@ NWAONLINE.COM OR BY PHONING 872-5049.
Our Town, Pages 11 on 10/31/2010