Pig puckers pack purse

Twelve candidates vied to pucker up to a piglet named Ringmaster at the recordbreaking 12th annual Kiss a Pig Gala March 15 at John Q. Hammons Center in Rogers.

The gala raised $1.15 million for the local office of the American Diabetes Association, doubling the goal of $575,000, according to Rachel Drake, manager of the Northwest Arkansas chapter of the American Diabetes Association, in a March 27 email. She added that Kiss a Pig is now the largest fundraising gala in Arkansas.

The mission of the association is to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes, and the funds raised will go toward research for both type 1 and type 2 diabetes and local programs, Drake said. The theme was Under the Pig Top, and more than 1,700 people attended the event, which included dinner, a live auction, a silent auction, circus performers, a performance by Blues Traveler and a pig-kissing ceremony.

The gala celebrates the pig, which provided the first source of insulin. Candidates from large and small businesses in the area competed for a chance to kiss the pig.

Clark Tyndall of the Emerson Group won the large business category by raising $206,017 and got to smooch the swine. Dave Incao of Elmer’s Products Inc. was runner-up for the large business category with $205,389 and also got to kiss the pig.

Other large business category candidates were Jeff Fischer of Abbott Nutrition, Joe Grady of Walmart, Tarah McConnell of 3M and Angie Muldoon of Sam’s Club.

Dr. Missy Clifton of Premier Dermatology locked lipswith the pig after winning the small business category with $133,270. Dr. Kris Hanby of Ozark Orthopaedics was runner-up with $80,542 and also kissed Ringmaster. Other small business candidates were Toni Bahn of University of Arkansas Athletics, Becky Grigg of MARS Advertising, Mark Levine of 4HireCause.

com and Lasun Russell of Lasun’s Painting.

Bahn got the opportunity to kiss Ringmaster as well by winning the High Hoof Award, which is awarded to a candidate based on commitment to cause, creativity andsphere of influence, according to an ADA press release.

Scott Huff, senior vice president of consumables for Walmart Stores Inc., was the honorary chairman for the event, and Don Struzyk was named volunteer of the year.

Neile Jones and Jon Williams were the masters of ceremonies.

The live auction raised $206,000 with items such as a 2012 CMA Music Festival guitar signed by multiple artists, a hog hunt in northern Florida and trips to Napa Valley, Mexico and New York, Drake said.

AT A GLANCE Kiss a Pig Gala

Who: Northwest Arkansas

chapter of the American Diabe

tes Association

When: March 15

Where: John Q. Hammons

Center in Rogers

Amount raised: $1.15 million

Information: 464-4121

Northwest Profile, Pages 42 on 03/30/2014

Upcoming Events