Eyes on Arlington: Adopt a symphony musician

By Faye Reeder

Love of family has to be one of life's most fulfilling emotions, so maybe we should open our minds to expanding that family — regardless of our age or stage in life.

Intriguing?

If the answer is yes, then consider adopting a Symphony Arlington musician.

It's a great deal because you don't have to worry about the daily care, feeding and upbringing of your musician; you can enjoy just the easy, fun part of having a relationship with a special and talented member of the orchestra.

Here's how it works: Contact Symphony Arlington manager Bethany Thomey to set up the adoption. You can adopt the conductor for $1,000, the concertmaster for $500, a principal chair for $250 or a section musician for $100. The adoption is renewable each year.

In return, your name will appear next to your adopted musician in the symphony program handed out at each performance. You'll also get to meet your musician in person and be photographed with him or her so that the photo can be displayed on a special link on the symphony website. Why not bring the whole family to meet your adopted musician and showcase your “family” photo online? What a unique and special memory to make and a remarkable way to instill an appreciation of symphonic music within your family.

“All the funds raised through the Adopt-a-Musician program will help the orchestra to continue to provide great music for our community,” said Thomey, adding that it might create a little bit of good-natured competition among the musicians to see who gets adopted first.

Call Thomey at 817-385-0484 to learn more. Check out the latest about the symphony at www.symphonyarling- ton.org

Let’s do breakfast

An event that’s been around for more than 50 years is definitely one you don’t want to miss. Bet you’ve already guessed that we’re talking about the Pancake Day that the Kiwanis Club hosts each year. Mark the calendar for Saturday at First United Methodist Church in Arlington.

Kiwanians will be mixing up some yummy batter to pour on the griddle and serve up some hot and tasty pancakes to guests at the event — all you can eat! There’s also sausage and all the beverages to round out a perfect breakfast. Service is from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. so it could be breakfast and/or lunch.

Besides filling your tummy, you can also walk away with some great deals on merchandise and services available in a massive silent auction of more than 200 items, reports President Russell Hildrebrandt and event chairman Jeremy Normand. And be sure to let the kiddos drop a coin and watch it spin in one of the Wishing Wells. The wishing well coins add up to meaningful dollars to give to local projects.

According to Kiwanian Al Becker, the club has raised more than $700,000 after five decades of successful events with the money going to a slew of Arlington causes like Bikes for Tykes, Arlington schools, scholarships, Reading is Fundamental and dozens of others.

“Pancake Day has become something of a tradition in Arlington, and we hope to top last year's turnout, which came close to 1,400 people. That's a lot of pancakes to flip, but we're proud to do it,” said Becker

Tickets are $5 each at the door or call 817-496-1535 to get them in advance.

Red Hat Society

A lively group of women wearing the signature hat of the Red Hat Society gathered at Wolfgang Puck’s Dallas eatery recently to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Scarlett O’Hara chapter of the well know women’s organization.

The chapter was founded by local women Susan Eaves and Marti VanRavenswaay in 2003 with the goal of making new friends and spending quality time with old friends. The club is affiliated with the national organization, described on its website as a “global society of women that supports and encourages women in their pursuit of fun, friendship, freedom, fulfillment, and fitness.”

Eaves said their chapter has 35 members and meets monthly on the first Saturday. The group has enjoyed activities including trips, shopping outings, cruises and charitable projects. For example, it donated 100 teddy bears to the Arlington Police Department in memory of a member who died. Theater outings and trips to Austin and San Antonio are on the agenda for more fun in the future.

“Every June we join over 400 chapters for Red Hat Day at Lone Star Park, and several members have been to the RHS National Convention. Last July we attended a patriotic luncheon at the Summit in Grand Prairie,” said Eaves.

Among guests at the recent party were Jean and June Bible, Ronnie Greiner and Cindy Spiva (current Queen Mothers, aka co-presidents), June Morris, Margie Austin, Carolyn Cross and Bernice Franks to name a few.

To join the Scarlett O'Hara chapter, contact Queen Mother Cindy Spiva at 817-465-8066 or email c indyspiva@sbcglobal.net or email Queen Ronnie Greiner at vlgreiner@sbc- global.net.

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