| Join Our List |
Be sure to check the "eConnection" List |
|
|
| Pot of Gold Luncheon - a Big Success! | | |
The 13th Annual Pot of Gold Luncheon presented by AT&T, raised nearly $140,000 in support of the programs and services of Rainbow Days.
Serving in double capacity as Mistress of Ceremonies and Honorary Chair, WFAA News Anchor Gloria Campos stated, "I have the great privilege of meeting people every day who are using their unique talents and skills to make a positive difference in their communities. Rainbow Days is a great example of this." "Each year, Rainbow Days gives children hope for a promising future by partnering with 81 different schools, homeless shelters and recreation centers in the Dallas community to serve over 9,000 children who are "at risk" for making bad choices, including over 1,000 homeless children.
Since 1982, Rainbow Days has served over 107,000 children in the Dallas area by providing them with the skills they need to make healthy choices, overcome adversity and stay drug-free. I want to take this opportunity to thank you all for making a commitment to our children and to this city."
Co-chairs Jimmy Epperson and Matt Ray agreed: "We are privileged to co-chair this exciting annual event. Funds raised from the Pot of Gold Luncheon have benefited thousands of homeless and at-risk children and families right here in our community. None of this would be possible without the generous support of our donors. We'd especially like to thank AT&T's presenting sponsorship for the fourth year in a row. Their continued support has meant the world to Rainbow Days and the families we serve."
Kicking off the festivities was the patron reception, held at the Preston Hollow home of Debbie and Jim Epperson. This was a lovely evening and a great prelude to the luncheon.
left to right: Advisory Board Member Jim Epperson,
Debbie Epperson, Cathey Brown,
Executive Board of Directors President Fred Halfpap,
and Luncheon Co-Chair Jimmy Epperson
Rainbow Days wishes to express gratitude to this year's major sponsors ($2,500 and up): Presenting: AT&T; Diamond: Nancy Ann and Ray L. Hunt; Platinum: Citi and Harper House; Gold: Marianne & Roger Staubach/Jones Lang LaSalle; Silver: Bank of Texas, Betty Ford Five Star Kids, FULBRIGHT & Jaworski L.L.P., Fred & Tammy Halfpap, Carolyn Hess & Jim McKinney, Jones Day, and The Advanced Group of Companies.
For more information on Rainbow Days and the 2011 Pot of Gold Luncheon, please contact Shawn Wills via email or at 214.887.0726 or visit our website.
left to right: Cathey Brown, Jim Jamison of AT&T, Mistress of Ceremonies and Honorary Chair Gloria Campos, and Executive Board Member and Luncheon Co-Chair Matt Ray
|
| Upcoming Volunteer Opportunities | |
Summer is just around the corner and for Rainbow Days that means one thing ... CAMP!
Please mark your calendars for the upcoming
Rainbow Days Summer Camps:
 Kids' University I and II Location:
The University of Texas at Dallas
800 West Campbell Road
Richardson, TX 75080
KU I Date: Monday, June 7 - Thursday, June 10, 2010
KU II Date: Monday, June 21- Thursday, June 24, 2010
Time: 10:00 a.m. - 3:05 p.m. (for both camps)
**Kids' University Mandatory Camp Orientation to be held Wednesday, May 26th at 6:30pm at the Rainbow Days' offices. Light appetizers will be served.
Camp Broadway I
Location: TBA
Dates: Tuesday, July 13 - Saturday July 17, 2010
Time: Tues. - Fri. 10:00 a.m. - 3:05 p.m.
Saturday: 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
**Performance: Saturday, July 17, 2010 at 11:00 a.m.
Camp Broadway II
Location: TBA
Dates: Tuesday July 27- Saturday, July 31, 2010
Time: Tues. - Fri. 10:00 a.m. - 3:05 p.m.
Saturday: 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
**Performance: Saturday, July 31, 2010 at 11:00 a.m.
 Outdoor Adventure Camp
Location:
Mt. Lebanon Baptist Encampment
1701 Texas Plume Rd.
Cedar Hill, TX 75104
Dates: Monday, August 9 - Thursday, August 12, 2010
Time: 9:30 a.m. - 4:00p.m.
Camp Volunteers are still needed for all summer camps!
**Please note: There is a 4-day commitment for each camp.
For more information or to volunteer to help with any of the camps, please contact Claudia Lemmon at 214-217-3838. |
|
Dallas Kids Read! | | |
 Thousands of brand new books, countless smiles, storytelling masters and costumed characters like Big Bird and the Cat in The Hat are just a few of the memories of the 15th-annual DallasKidsRead! festival held April 16 and 17.
The two-day event, supported by AT&T and benefiting Rainbow Days, was billed as a celebration of the imagination designed to foster a love of literature and reading among North Texas children. The festival's honorary chair was Laura Leppert, wife of Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert - and he turned out to be the event's biggest cheerleader playing a lead role in every event.
The weekend kicked off with a massive field trip on Friday for almost 4,000 Dallas ISD children at Friendship-West Baptist Church in southern Dallas. In addition to meeting some of the area and nation's top children's authors and illustrators, more than 8,000 children's books were given away to the students -- many who don't own any books or have very few in their homes.
The next morning DallasKidsRead! hosted a private breakfast for Rainbow Days program participants and children from other organizations who serve economically disadvantaged children. Held at Northwest Bible Church, the kids enjoyed music, dance, photo buttons and new books. In addition, Essilor Vision Foundation was on hand to conduct vision screenings - and Rainbow Days children received much-needed glasses for free!
Moving to NorthPark Center that afternoon, the DallasKidsRead festival for the general public attracted several thousand children who listened aptly as authors shared their books, learned about the art of illustrating, and enjoyed arts and crafts, musical entertainment, photos with storybook characters, free vision screenings and more.
In addition to Mayor Leppert, guest readers included Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Pauline Medrano (incognito as The Cat in the Hat), Dallas ISD School Board Chairman Adam Medrano, several airline pilots and Dallas police officers.
"Strong literacy skills are so important to a child's success in school and life, and this incredibly fun, high-energy weekend was a great way to get kids excited about reading," said Mrs. Leppert. |
| Out and About with Cathey Brown | | |
Congratulations to Cathey Brown for being recognized by the Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas.
Each year Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas recognizes three individuals who have provided extraordinary service benefiting women through their sustained service and leadership and have made a positive and lasting impact on the lives of women living in poverty. This year's honorees are remarkable examples of this effort.
-
J. McDonald Williams, Dallas Business Leader: Business Leadership Award
-
Diane Sumoski, Partner, Carrington, Coleman, Sloman & Blumenthal, L.L.P.:Louise Raggio Women's Legal Advocate
-
Cathey Brown, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Rainbow Days, Inc.: Nonprofit Executive Award
For almost 60 years, Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas
has provided help to those who could not afford a lawyer by providing free legal aid for low-income women seeking safety, security, and lives free of domestic violence and abuse. In that time, well over 1 million client families have benefitted from Legal Aid's representation. Single mothers with dependent children are the fasting growing poverty population in the country and over seventy-eight percent (78%) of all Legal Aid clients are female and half of those cases involved domestic violence.
On April 29, 2010 Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas recognized the three outstanding honorees listed above at the home of Lisa Blue Baron for their extraordinary service benefiting women in Dallas, especially those living in poverty. |
| Spotlight on James Duke - former Family Connection Program Participant | |
Throughout the years, Rainbow Days staff and Board Members are often asked if they are able to stay in touch with any of our former program participants. Though it is sometimes hard to remain in contact with everyone, there are those wonderful moments when Rainbow Days is able to track or keep in touch with some.
Recently, Rainbow Days had the great honor of reconnecting with a former program participant, James Duke - now a senior at Lake Highlands High School. James was the featured speaker at the 2010 Pot of Gold Luncheon. Belowis an excerpt from James's speech:
"My life was on a very destructive path. An unfortunate turn of events caused my family to seek help at a homeless shelter. Our living situation angered me and caused me to act out in bad ways. Seeing how disappointed my mother was when I was suspended from school, I knew I needed to make a change, although I didn't know where to start. I invested my time in a program at the shelter called Rainbow Days. Little did I know that Rainbow Days was going to change my life....with the helping hand of the Rainbow Days' program nothing was going to stop me from being successful for my mom and for myself. Five years later I am a successful and responsible teenager as I continue on my path of success playing football on a full ride athletic scholarship next fall."
~ James Duke, April 23, 2010
Thank you to all of our friends, donors, supporters, advocates, and volunteers for helping to inspire children like James "to live a life filled with hope and promise." |
|
|
eConnection is a monthly newsletter published by the staff of Rainbow Days, Inc. For more information on our programs, please contact us at:
8150 N. Central Expwy.
Suite 1600
Dallas, TX 75206
214-887-0726 / 214-887-0729 FAX
|
|
|
