THE SOCIAL FRONT
Soup Sunday
On Feb. 1, Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families hosted its 25th annual Soup Sunday at Rogers Convention Center. The honorary chairs were Kayln Chance of Walmart and Lindsay Rabicoff of Sam’s Club, and the event chair was Channing Barker of Walmart. Approximately 1,000 guests and volunteers circulated the ballroom, sampling more than 37 kinds of soups, breads and sweets from local restaurants and vendors. Guests also enjoyed live music by The Cocktail Club and kid zone activities such as face painting, mascots and STEM crafts. The event featured a Golden Ladle Award, determined by soup-loving attendees who voted for their favorite soup. The Golden Ladle Award first place went to Siam Thai Cuisine for its Khai Soi Soup. Second place tie winners were Isabella’s Italian and Early Bird Catering. The event also featured a new award, The Foodie Award, chosen by local food influencers. They selected Isabella's Italian White Cheddar Dill Soup. Through ticket sales, sponsorships, donations and a silent auction, the event raised more than $290,000 to benefit the nonpartisan policy nonprofit organization. Presenting sponsors were the Bozie Foundation, Excellerate Foundation and Ingeborg Initiatives. www.aradvocates.org
Moonlight Masquerade
The Junior League of Northwest Arkansas hosted its 14th annual Moonlight Masquerade on Feb. 6 at Osage House in Cave Springs. More than 207 tickets, including corporate and individual tables and individual seats, were sold. The event included a silent auction, dancing, music by DJ Derrick, drinks and old school barbecue plates catered by Secondhand Smoke. During the program, guests heard from William Stevens, human resources leader with J.A. Riggs Tractor Company, who spoke about his personal experience as a sexual assault survivor. The event raised more than $47,000 to go toward the league’s mission and fund programs with its partner agencies. www.juniorleaguenwa.org
Heart Ball
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American Heart Association-Northwest Arkansas held its 2026 Heart Ball on Feb. 14 at Rogers Convention Center. More than 950 guests gathered in the ballroom for a cocktail hour, an elegant meal, live and silent auctions, and the presentation of the 2026 class of Northwest Arkansas Sweethearts. Kristin Piper, Whitney Cooper and Ryland Allen of Walmart and Sherene Jagla of Kenvue were co-chairpersons of the event. The evening highlighted the courageous journey of Thomas Gray Lindsey, whose fight for survival began before birth. Forty Sweethearts raised more than $190,000 for the organization. And sponsors, including The Emerson Group, Bayer Healthcare, Force Factor, Haleon, Kenvue, Simply Good Foods and Walmart, helped push proceeds just over $1 million. An after-party featuring Rock & Roll Dueling Pianos, a high-energy dueling piano act from Nashville, Tennessee, finished off the night. Donations to the Heart Ball may be made through June at www.heart.org/nwaheartball.
Dining in the Dark
Inspiration Foundation hosted a Dining in the Dark event at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville on Feb. 25 with the goal of promoting empathy, connection and awareness. Working to increase the employment rate of individuals with disabilities by fostering consumer awareness and driving business impact, the foundation aims to inspire businesses to embrace inclusion. More than 190 guests enjoyed a three-course dinner while blindfolded, offering a powerful glimpse into the world of those living with visual impairment and other disabilities. The event honored Walmart with the Beatriz Shapiro Accessibility Award, which recognizes individuals and companies that have displayed a commitment to workplace accessibility, the creation of meaningful employment, and the hiring and training of people with disabilities. www.inspirationfoundation.org
NWA Delta Waterfowl Banquet
On Feb. 27, NWA Delta Waterfowl hosted its ninth annual banquet at Heroncrest in Elm Springs, presented by Jack Links and Tito's Handmade Vodka. The event, emceed by Josh Throne, attracted more than 450 guests for a night of live and silent auctions, giveaways, dinner, drinks and fun. Attendees had the chance to win from a selection of more than 50 guns, hunting gear, outdoor equipment and more. Live auction items included art by Savannah Goodwin, Rob Roberts firearms, vacations and a host of custom items from Delta. Funds raised support Delta’s programmatic work for waterfowl in the Prairie Pothole Region, and 20% of funds are dedicated to local initiatives such as college scholarships, high school sporting teams and partnerships with the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation. www.nwawaterfowl.com & www.deltawaterfowl.org
