Armed with Scrabble tiles and prodigious vocabularies, Literacy Council of Benton County backers entered battle in the 11th annual Scrabble Wars benefit.
Players could compete with one of two types of teams -- traditional (rule-following) or "dubious." Dubious teams were able to purchase additional tiles and/or "bribe" judges to accept questionable words. The winning traditional team, "NWACC Scholars," consisted of Evelyn and Charles Jorgenson, Jacqueline Jones, Rob Earp, Ashley and John Robinson and Tim and Patty Sullivan. Those taking home the "dubious" honors(?) were "Predestined to Win:" Healy Ikerd, Cathy Rogers, Mary Shaw, Melissa Thompson, Nancy Verlage and Cindy Walters.
Scrabble Wars
Who: Literacy Council of Benton County
What: Supporters vied for vocabulary victories at the 11th annual benefit.
When: Jan. 27
Where: Four Points by Sheraton
Information: (479) 273-3486 or goliteracy.org
Supporters forum
Who: Northwest Arkansas American Heart Association
What: Northwest Arkansas is one of seven markets nationwide to pilot the national association’s My Research Legacy program.
When: Thursday
Where: Advantage Solutions in Rogers
Next: Go Red for Women, Feb. 27; Northwest Arkansas Heart Walk, April 14; 2018 Northwest Arkansas Heart Ball on May 12
Information: (479) 439-6800, heart.org/fayettevi… or myresearchlegacy.org
Proceeds from the evening will help the group achieve its mission of increasing "adult English literacy by developing volunteer tutors to teach adult students to read and write English, because literacy changes lives."
Literacy program offerings include adult basic literacy, English as a second language and tutor training. The group serves more than 200 adults annually and relies on trained volunteer tutors to do so. The council currently has some 45 tutors and approximately 75 students on a waiting list for an available tutor with a schedule that meshes with their work hours.
Northwest Arkansas American Heart Association board members and other sponsors gathered for a forum Thursday featuring Dr. Jennifer Hall, chief of the AHA's Institute for Precision Medicine. The local office recently announced that the Northwest Arkansas market has been selected to be a pilot market for the institute's My Research Legacy program.
The program is "is an online research network created by the American Heart Association's Institute for Precision Cardiovascular Medicine. It empowers everyday people to share their information to advance scientific research on health and well-being." Volunteer participants go to myresearchlegacy.org and enter their health data to be analyzed for the study.
Hall told those gathered that the information gleaned from participants "is the new gold" that could lead to "the next great breakthroughs" to prevent strokes and heart disease. She said the new research endeavor is marked by three pillars -- science, the AHA's 100-year-old trusted brand and 30 million volunteers who help support the nonprofit organization.
Those gathering with the Heart Association included Dr. Margaret Tremwell, Suzy and Chuck Fehlig, Dr. Rick Kyle, Scott Roberts, Lisa Christianson, James Ely, Reg Yarbrough, Jake Springer, Andy Kaufman, Melody Martens, Ed Morgan and John Roberts.
For more event photos -- nwadg.com/photos/society.
Columnist Carin Schoppmeyer can be reached by email at [email protected].
NAN Profiles on 02/04/2018