THE SOCIAL FRONT
Will Golf 4 Kids and Gala of Hope
The annual golf tournament and gala benefiting Arkansas Children’s Northwest experienced exciting and noteworthy changes. More than 500 golfers participated in the 29th annual Will Golf 4 Kids on Aug. 3 and 4. The tournament took place at the Dogwood and Kingswood Golf Courses in Bella Vista. This year, Will Golf 4 Kids was a Play Yellow Tournament, meaning the winning four-player team qualified for the Play Yellow Invitational hosted by Jack and Barbara Nicklaus. Mike Sewell with Market Performance Group and Tony Murphy with Acosta served as tournament chairs. Honorary co-chairs were Silvia Azrai Kawas, executive vice president of consumables at Walmart U.S., and Will McDonald, merchandising vice president – beverages at Walmart. The 15th annual gala, which returned as an in-person event for the first time since 2019, was reimagined as the Gala of Hope in the Fayetteville Public Library on Aug. 4. Julie and Patrick Swope chaired this high-end, high-stakes evening and — in true James Bond style — transported more than 470 guests to the gilded glamor and international grandeur of the Casino Royale. Guests enjoyed a highly curated dining experience, live and silent auctions, and games of chance, such as blackjack and roulette. The events raised $1.54 million to benefit Arkansas Children’s Northwest and ensure the hospital grows to serve more children across the region, helping kids receive expert pediatric care close to home. www.archildrens.org
Hall of Greats
The Fayetteville High School Athletics program has established a way to recognize outstanding former athletes, coaches and boosters with the annual Hall of Greats. The weekend of events kicked off with a golf tournament on Aug. 4 at Paradise Valley Athletic Club in Fayetteville. An induction banquet was held at the Fayetteville Public Library on Aug. 5 to honor the 2023 class with nearly 200 guests in attendance. Inductees included Brandon Allen, Vance Arnold, William Bryant, Jennifer Culp Condren and Don Logue. The proceeds from the golf tournament and banquet are used to provide scholarships. This year, three $5,000 scholarships were presented to Delaney Bowers, Grayson Forsbach and Morgan Gaines. In the past seven years, $100,000 has been awarded in scholarships. www.fhshallofgreats.org
Homecoming Gala
Kendrick Fincher Hydration for Life hosted its annual Homecoming Gala on Aug. 12 at the Fayetteville Public Library. More than 250 guests came dressed in blue and enjoyed dinner, dancing, speakers, a silent auction, music and more. Earlier this year, Homecoming Gala Court nominees launched personal campaigns to raise funds and awareness to support the organization, and Patrick Pulliam of eXp Realty and Erika Finnestead of Ozark Regional Transit were crowned Homecoming King and Queen. Nearly $40,000 was raised to support Kendrick Fincher Hydration for Life’s #HydrateNWA campaign, providing education and water bottles to every second grader in Northwest Arkansas. www.kendrickfincher.org
A Toast to Health
On Aug. 11, 250 people attended A Toast to Health benefiting WelcomeHealth: Northwest Arkansas’ Free Health Center. The reception and dinner, held at Fayetteville Public Library, included a silent auction and live music by the Claudia Burson Trio. The Jessie Bryant “Service First” Award was given to Dr. JB Hays for his instrumental support in co-founding the dental clinic with Dr. Bill Roberts in 1988, volunteering almost weekly the last 35 years and financially supporting the clinic. A special applause was given to the original clinic founder, Ms. Jessie Bryant, who was in attendance that evening. The event raised $50,000, which will go toward WelcomeHealth’s mission to provide quality health and dental care to Northwest Arkansas’ low-income individuals who cannot afford or access care elsewhere. The clinic announced its plans to start a denture program titled the JB Hays Restore a Smile Program and made a special ask for funds to support it. Of the needed $30,000, $9,000 was raised. Help get the program started by giving online. www.welcomehealthnwa.org
Jewels of Giving
On Aug. 25, the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank hosted its annual Jewels of Giving Celebration, presented by Unilever, at Heroncrest Event Center in Elm Springs. Guests enjoyed a fun, summer-casual evening filled with great food and drinks, entertaining music, and a live auction. Joe Sta-Romana of Unilever, Laura Rush of Walmart and Melody Richard of Walmart served as the honorary co-chairs of the event. All money will support the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank and its programs. During the event, the food bank announced the namesake of its new campus in Lowell — the Claude and Betty Harris Center for Hunger Relief. In 2022, the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank distributed more than 13.8 pounds of food within Benton, Carroll, Madison and Washington counties. www.nwafoodbank.org
