Frontdoors Magazine November/December 2022

Warm wishes for health, happiness, and peace.

Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust works to enrich health, well-being, and opportunity for the people of Maricopa County.

Thank you to our nonprofit and philanthropic partners for working together to strengthen our community.

©

Piper Trust Trustees and CEO : (left to right) Standing—Stephen J. Zabilski, Laura R. Grafman, James D. Bruner, Judy Jolley Mohraz, Paul S. Mulligan, Lori A. Higuera, José A. Cárdenas, Sharon C. Harper, Ed W. Zuercher, Seated—Mary Jane Rynd (CEO), Paul N. Critchfi eld

in the

60 years.

MAINLY BEETHOVEN Sunday,

3:00

THE FOUR SEASONS

Sunday,

Shlomo Mintz, Solo violin

Coleman Shoshana

Mertel

COORDINATOR

On the Cover

Help u s ex pand the HonorHealth Cardiovascular Center of Excellence

Your

support the Cardiovascular Center

Excellence

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expertise, with the technology and support to introduce cutting edge treatments and procedures before they are widely available.

Prisma is the marketing logistics partner for more than 350 top global brands. With technology and production solutions for every vertical, learn how Prisma can bring your message to market.

Thank you to BHHS Legacy Foundation for your partnership on this issue.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

NOV/DEC 2022, VOLUME 16, ISSUE 6

EDITOR’S NOTE

Grace and Strength

10 QUESTIONS

Jason Alexander, Emmy- and Tony-winning actor

CREATING CULTURE Bag Full of Wonder

BOOKMARKED

Michele Thorne, founder of Care 4 the Caregivers

CHEERS TO THE CHAIRS

A preview of the Valley’s premier philanthropic events

KEY TO THE GOOD LIFE Gifts for Women + Men + Kids + Home + Host

STYLE UNLOCKED

The Heart of Holiday Hosting

FROM THE ROAD Distinctly Durango

A 2ND ACT

Christopher Rodriguez, Ability360 president & CEO

COVER STORY

Serving Joyfully: Shannon Clancy

NEXT DOORS Promise of a New Day

DOORS

Taryn Norley, ALS Association Arizona Chapter president & CEO

SPOTLIGHT Kyah Rayne Foundation

DOORS

Eat!

LOOK

Addressed to Impress

ORGANIZATIONS FEATURED IN THIS ISSUE

Ability360

ALS Association Arizona Chapter

Arizona Musicfest

Care 4 the Caregivers

Desert Botanical Garden

Family Promise of Greater Phoenix

Kyah Rayne Foundation

St. Vincent de Paul Phoenix

Corporations

Shannon Clancy doesn’t serve meals in the Family Dining Room often. Not because the recently named CEO of St. Vincent de Paul Phoenix is too busy to pick up a serving spoon. Rather, Clancy sees service as a gift that she wants others in the community to experience, so she offers volunteers first dibs on those opportunities.

Yet, when I asked for a chance to experience St. Vincent de Paul by serving alongside her, Clancy kindly said yes. A poised, intelligent, empathetic leader, she doesn’t like the spotlight to shine on her. However, Clancy gamely shared her time with me, told me about her background and inspirations, and illuminated the role philanthropy can have in all of our lives.

With her unique ability to see the big picture and land on the exact words to convey the power of giving, Clancy is an inspiration. I can’t think of a more fitting individual to grace the cover of this Holiday Issue that we are producing in partnership with BHHS Legacy Foundation.

“Shannon Clancy has a deep commitment to reaching out to and lifting up the most vulnerable,” said BHHS Legacy Foundation president & CEO Gerald Wissink. “She is poised to continue the impactful work of her predecessor, Steve Zabilski. Our community is so fortunate to have talented individuals like Shannon and Steve leading an organization like St. Vincent de Paul with grace and strength.”

We agree, and are proud to celebrate other nonprofit leaders and BHHS Legacy Foundation grantees that enrich our community in so many ways. Read what’s happening at organizations like Ability360, the ALS Association Arizona Chapter, the Kyah Rayne Foundation, and more to fill your season with gratitude and optimism. Also, check out entertaining tips, driveable trips and shopping picks sure to make the holidays bright.

At Frontdoors, we’ve been celebrating community heroes, and our community, all year — with more to come. In 2023, we look forward to creating more informative, inspiring stories with our eyes set firmly on the horizon.

Happy holidays!

Grace and Strength Karen

KAREN WERNER EDITOR IN CHIEF

Shannon and I got to chat while serving dinner on a recent Tuesday night.

Working

Communities Healthier for Everyone

Emmy- and Tony-winning actor

Tell us about your show coming to Arizona Musicfest in January.

This is the same show I often do with symphony orchestras — a celebration of theater music and life stories. But the music is scaled down and intimate and makes for a fun, funny and engaging night with the audience. Songs you know, lots of laughs and even some audience participation.

Does it draw on inspiration from your life?

It contains some tales of my own life journey, for sure. But it’s mostly about the fun bits — the things that made me want to be an actor and, more specifically, a Broadway song-and-dance man.

Speaking of Broadway, tell us about the role you won the Tony for.

I played about a dozen different roles in a show called “Jerome Robbins’ Broadway.” Jerry Robbins was the single greatest director/choreographer for the theater in the 20th century. In the latter part of his career, he worked only in the ballet world. Our show was a revue of his greatest Broadway triumphs, from “The King and I” to “Fiddler on the Roof” to “West Side Story” and “Peter Pan.” I guided the audience through the material as a de facto host while playing everyone from Tevye to Pseudolus in “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.” I guess all those characters combined to earn me the Tony that year for Best Musical Actor.

Does your background as a song-anddance man surprise a lot of “Seinfeld” fans?

I imagine it does. I occasionally sang as George but rather decidedly not well. It took effort to sing poorly. I hope I don’t repeat it in real life.

Would you ever consider playing George Costanza again?

If Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David had an idea they thought was worthy, I would be foolish to turn them down. But I am fairly confident they aren’t spending their days looking for that idea.

Before becoming famous as George Costanza on “Seinfeld,” Jason Alexander was a big name on Broadway.

Jay Drowns, UVU Marketing

Do you have any favorite places to visit when you come to Arizona?

There aren’t all that many places I’ve been to in Arizona. But I once stayed at a beautiful rustic resort in Carefree. I got a call in my villa one morning from management telling me not to step outside until someone from maintenance removed the rattlesnake from my welcome mat. So I’d say anyplace without the rattlesnakes are favorite places.

What are you looking forward to next?

I spend a lot of my time directing these days. And I’ve got several projects making their way to Broadway. If we can get them there, it will be the thrill of my life. Meanwhile, I’m excited to share this show with whoever wants to join us. We will try to make it worth your while. So enjoy!

For information, visit azmusicfest.org/events/ jason-alexander.

YOUR HOLIDAY AT TALIESIN WEST

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS

DECEMBER 23 AT 6 PM

Enjoy It’s a Wonderful Life in Taliesin West’s historic Cabaret theatre.

DECEMBER 9, 10, 16, & 17

Celebrate the magic of the season! Enjoy decorations and displays, cra s, holiday music, and refreshments!

HOLIDAY SHOPPING

Your holiday shopping just got a designer upgrade! Home decor and gi s featuring designs by — and inspired by — Frank Lloyd Wright.

Alexander’s concert with Arizona Musicfest brings a funny, often touching, retelling of his journey to the Broadway stage. It features a number of musical theater favorites.

S c a n t h i s Q R c o d e o r g o t o a z h e l p i n g h a n d s . o r g / h o l i d a y t o y d r i v e t o d o n a t e , g e t o u r w i s h l i s t , & l e a r n m o r e a b o u t A H H ' s H o l i d a y T o y D r i v e .

are on a quest to solve our greatest health challenges.

help them

Opportunity Through Entrepreneurship Foundation

help.

Someone in this picture has a life changing health challenge. So does someone you know

Bag Full of Wonder

Long-running tradition makes the Desert Botanical Garden shine

BY ZENOBIA MERTEL

It began as a token of appreciation for the community.

A holiday gift, lighting up the desert for one night, to thank those near and far who embraced the vision of the Desert Botanical Garden. The gift, thoughtfully made possible by the Garden’s former executive director,

Rodney Engard, staff and a group of volunteers on a December night in 1978, was a sight to behold.

The Desert Botanical Garden was sparkling, set aglow by hundreds of luminarias, illuminating the beauty of the Southwest.

And so it began, the making of a 45-year tradition known today as Las Noches de las Luminarias, the Garden’s longest-running tradition, shining bright for more than four decades with no end in sight.

Welcoming more than 50,000 visitors during its run each year, the experience is visually extraordinary. However, the magic behind the scenes, before the joyous seasonal event, is equally impressive.

What began as a volunteer effort has remained a “many hands make light work” endeavor. Las Noches de las Luminarias is made possible because of the commitment of more than 70 pairs of volunteer hands each season and cumulatively hundreds of volunteer hours dedicated to creating one of Arizona’s most beloved holiday events.

A well-oiled machine, the process leading up to the festivities commences with a call for volunteers on the Desert Botanical Garden’s website. Those serving as ongoing volunteers can express specific interest in helping with the event. Heading up the streamlined process is a mix of staff from event services to the horticulture team, who execute planning and prepping leading up to Lumi Bagging Day. That’s when the magic begins.

Lumi Bagging Day

Fueled by breakfast burritos and coffee, Desert Botanical Garden staff, community and volunteers gather bright and early in an all-hands-ondeck spirit, ready for assembly-line work to create each luminaria. The timing is precise as Lumi Bagging Day typically happens only a few days before the event opens to the public.

Upon choosing a position, volunteers take their place at various stations, including cleaning, filling, positioning and deployment. A demonstration of the luminaria components and order of operations happens, and then it’s go time.

The Process

• Wiping/cleaning the lumi bag

• Filling the bag with decomposed granite

• Placing the plastic souffle cup in lumi bag

• Adding the wax candle to lumi bag

• Moving the assembled lumi bags to flatbed carts

• Deploying the lumi bags on trails

The well-orchestrated process takes approximately 3.5 hours and produces 8,000 luminarias. Once set in place, the luminarias stay in position throughout the entire Las Noches de las Luminarias run.

The event takes place Dec. 1-31, with tickets for the general public at $39.95 for adults and $16.95 for children 4-17.

Member prices are $34.95 for adults and $11.95 for children ages 4-17. Children 3 and under are free.

A Gift for the Ages

The gift that keeps on giving has evolved through the years. As popularity increased, so did the sophistication of the luminaria components and the number of bags. New materials and different types of lights, including luminarias, twinkle lights and LED up-lights for exterior surfaces (electric and battery-operated) were incorporated, totaling nearly 200,000 twinkling lights covering trails, rooftops, walls and more.

In 1978, the luminarias were comprised of a brown paper bag, sand and a candle. In 2006, reusable bags made of ¼”-thick polyethylene replaced the brown paper and are used today. The sand that once filled the bag is now decomposed granite, making for a sturdier bag. Meanwhile, a plastic souffle cup serves as a transparent and safe solution for holding the wax votive candle, providing the perfect golden glow.

Light It Up

You may wonder: All the pieces are in place, but who lights the candles? Allow us to enLIGHTEN you. Volunteers are not only instrumental in assembling the famed luminarias, but they have also been integral in the lighting of the lumi bags during its 45-year run. Back in the day (pun intended), it was a

At Remedy Salon and Spa, our goal is to take great care of all who enter and the community in which we live.

Located in Scottsdale’s highly desirable McCormick Ranch neighborhood, Remedy Salon and Spa is adjacent to some of the most popular coffee shops and restaurants in town.

Hayden Rd,

AZ 85258

large-scale

Arizona-based

Rotraut, making

picture-perfect

literal labor of love as volunteers bent over, butane lighter in hand, to get the party started every night of the event.

In 2005, the Garden innovatively attached a butane lighter to a PVC pipe, creating a 3-foot-long instrument (and sigh of relief) to efficiently and safely light the now 8,000 wax candles on display. Today, it takes 20-25 staff and volunteers approximately an hour or less to illuminate the entire Garden, weather permitting. Volunteers also ensure bags remain lit along the trails each night of Las Noches de las Luminarias and are responsible for snuffing out every candle at the end of the evening. Snuffers, made of a turkey baster, plastic tubing and a wooden dowel, safely extinguish every flame in no time. The entire Garden turns dark in 15-20 minutes until volunteers again light up the night beginning at 4:30 p.m. the following day through the event’s run.

In addition to the magnificent lighting of the Garden during the holiday season, a variety of entertainment, from brass bands to bell choirs, add to the splendor of Las Noches de las Luminarias. The event also features a different artist annually, whose works are displayed along the Garden’s path, making for an all-encompassing experience for guests. This year, bold, large-scale sculptures by local artist Rotraut will be placed along the trails, while a selection of her paintings and small sculptures will fill the Ottosen Gallery. Cocktails, festive beverages, dinner and café options are available each evening, enticing guests to linger longer once the gates open at 5:30 p.m.

“Las Noches de las Luminarias is a fun, family tradition visitors can rely on every year,” said Amber Salazar, assistant director of event services at the Garden. “The event embodies the spirit of the holidays. We are proud to deliver an enjoyable gift to the community, providing an experience like no other.”

For more on Las Noches de las Luminarias, visit dbg.org.

The Garden’s trails sparkle during this iconic holiday tradition.

Photo by Adam Rodriguez

MICHELE THORNE

Founder and executive director of Care 4 the Caregivers

RECOMMENDS:

“No Pity” by Joseph P. Shapiro

HER TAKE

“This book focuses on the inequities that people with disabilities still face and their civil rights movement for equality. People with disabilities don’t want pity but want to be seen as contributing members of society. Holidays are traditionally a time to celebrate with family and friends. So this holiday season, reach out to family caregivers you know, invite them over, embrace them — not with pity, but with love.”

To learn more, visit: care4thecaregivers.org.

4001 N. 24th St. Phoenix, AZ 85016 www.WhiteHouseFlowers.com ph: 602.957.0186 fax: 602.956.0463

There is no better time than right now to be a cat or dog in Maricopa County.

And it’s because 10 years ago, people and organizations devoted to animals joined forces to create Fix.Adopt.Save., an initiative to tackle pet overpopulation in our community. Before 2012, over 35,000 stray and surrendered dogs and cats were euthanized in Maricopa County shelters every year. Today, that number is down more than 88%.

Fix.Adopt.Save. prevents unwanted litters and reduces pet euthanasia through

and no-cost spay/neuter surgeries, adoption, vaccine and wellness services and community education.

to the

for

the plight of Maricopa County’s

CHEERS to the Chairs!

A preview of the Valley’s premier philanthropic events and who’s leading these important efforts

Mission of Mercy AZ 25 Years of Everyday Moments & Everyday Miracles

DATE: November 10, 2022

BENEFITTING: Mission of Mercy Arizona

CHAIR: Paula Carvalho amissionofmercy.org/arizona/25thanniversary

Queer Renaissance: Celebrating

25 Years of Night for Life

DATE: November 12, 2022

BENEFITTING: Southwest Center

CHAIR: Kirk Baxter swcenter.org/queer-renaissance

Dinner of Dreams

DATE: November 18, 2022

BENEFITTING: Baller Dream Foundation CHAIR: Monica Monson ballerdream.org/arizona

ICAN Annual Gala “Come Sail Away”

DATE: November 18, 2022

BENEFITTING: ICAN

CHAIRS: Preston Pilcher & Mindy Jones icanaz.org/event/dreambig

Dinner with Benjamin Franklin

DATE: November 18, 2022

BENEFITTING: Sandra Day O’Connor Institute for American Democracy

CHAIRS: Sharon & Oliver Harper and Jan & Tom Lewis oconnorinstitute.org

THE CHAIRS

Phoenix Heart Ball

DATE: November 19, 2022

BENEFITTING: American Heart Association

CHAIR: Amanda Maria Garmany phoenixheartball.heart.org

White Christmas

DATE: December 3, 2022

BENEFITTING: Ryan House

CHAIRS: Jamie & Nicole Spinato ryanhouse.org/white-christmas

ACI Holiday Luncheon

DATE: December 5, 2022

BENEFITTING: Arizona Costume Institute/Phoenix Art Museum

CHAIRS: DeeDee Vecchione & Jill Krigsten phxart.org/events/calendar

Passport to a Cure Gala

DATE: December 16, 2022

BENEFITTING: Muscular Dystrophy Association CHAIR: Marc Rivas one.bidpal.net/mdapassport2022

The Board of Visitors Annual Fashion Show Luncheon

DATE: December 17, 2022

BENEFITTING: The Board of Visitors

CHAIRS: Meg Clark & Katie Cummings boardofvisitors.org/fashion-show

Desert Foundation Auxiliary Desert Ball

DATE: December 22, 2022

BENEFITTING: Desert Foundation Auxiliary CHAIR: Liz Pierson & Jean Cody desertfoundationauxiliary.org

Embrace your inner goddess. Georgette Cape Gown | $265

Ralph Lauren ralphlauren.com

Gifts & Glitz

22 timeless presents to celebrate the season

BY PERRINE ADAMS AND ZENOBIA MERTEL

Photos courtesy of companies

To Please

a Lady

These holiday picks will certainly delight

Acinda

Jimmy Choo, Scottsdale Fashion Square jimmychoo.com

Mini bucket

The Row therow.com

Williams Sonoma Chuck’s Luxury Advent Calendar | $299.95

Williams Sonoma williams-sonoma.com

Hammered heart bracelet | $69

Muse Apparel, Phoenix shopatmuse.com

Stainless steel wine tumbler | $27

Kate Spade katespade.com

Favorites

Raymond Weil Diver Tango | $1,050

E.D. Marshall Jewelers, Scottsdale edmarshalljewelers.com

Kids’ Picks

Destined to become daily favorites

Kid’s Injusa Two Seater

| $1,100 Ages 3-6

Marcus neimanmarcus.com

Big Cooker Reverso $279.99

The Gift Shop

of Phoenix

Cooper

by Urbana,

Center

Gifts for the Home & Host

Show your gratitude while giving

Jo Malone

Anna New York Coluna Menorah | $295

Main Dish, Scottsdale maindishaz.com

Surround

Jo Malone London, Scottsdale Fashion Square / Biltmore Fashion Park

Custom Confections | $4.50 per cookie with a minimum order of a dozen

Silver Rose Bakery, Phoenix silverrosebakery.com

The Heart of

Holiday Hosting

Event designer Traci Chandler shares expert advice

BY CATIE RICHMAN

Walt Disney once said, “There’s no magic in magic. It’s all in the details.” Traci Chandler, owner of Oh Sugar! Event Design + Paperie, agrees. She has been sweating the details since she planned homecoming back in high school.

Today, with her event design company, Chandler creates magic through personal details, ensuring no two events are ever the same.

Photos by Scott Foust Photography Makeup by Linda Wagner

Event Design, Decor, Paper Goods and Confections by Oh, Sugar! Event Design + Paperie Flowers by Avant-Garde, William & Company Floral Design Studio

Christmas Tree Styling by Deck the Halls

“Every detail should be a direct reflection of the host. Whether it’s a private party in someone’s home, a corporate event, a fundraising gala or a joyous marriage, it needs to be personal and intentional,” she said.

For Chandler, entertaining is the art of cultivating an experience that evokes joy, especially during the holidays. Here, she shares her process and helpful hints.

Choose a Theme

Creating a look or theme for the party is the best place to start. Chandler advises using magazines, books or Pinterest to provide the spark – then building with personal details.

Chandler’s inspiration for this holiday look came from her dining room, specifically the soft reds and greens in her custom floral drapes. “I played off patterns already in the room and then brought Christmas into the mix! The combination was elegant and timeless,” she said.

Think About Layers

Chandler says the secret to creating the “magic in the details” is having different layers to the design, incorporating many elements that play together, from the invitation to the last bite.

Put it on Paper

“Creating paper goods for the occasion is a great way to get guests excited,” Chandler said. The watercolor wreath motif on the invitations carries through to the custom-printed menus and place cards on the table.

Change Is Good

Chandler created a gallery wall of 10 antique frames with vintage Christmas cards like ones she received from her grandmother while growing up. The antique frames are a year-round fixture that Chandler will change out for the season, incorporating botanicals in the spring or exhibiting her daughters’ artwork.

“It’s so much fun to swap out art in the dining room,” Chandler said. “It feels like a different room all the time.”

Focus on Details

Chandler tied small wreaths to the back of each chair with red-and-white-striped grosgrain ribbon to bring in the artwork in a modern and unexpected way. In the room’s rear, two pencil trees frame the antique hutch.

memories with this holiday celebration!

Honor the Past

Chandler highly recommends collecting heirloom pieces in the home. “If offered the family china, you say YES!” Chandler said. “It’s fun to pull these pieces out for special times around the table. It always evokes great stories and is a special way to honor family members who are no longer with us.”

For this setting, Chandler used her husband Joe’s great-great-grandmother’s green-and-gold Spaulding china, a nod to the family history and memories. The heirloom china is paired with Chandler’s favorite Mackenzie Childs charger plates, a staple for every holiday.

Take the Time

According to Chandler, the real recipe for successful hosting is effort. “It’s taking the time to create an experience that shows your guests you care about them,” she said. “What makes the setup feel special is all these details tying together in ways guests may not notice at first to create a cohesive and celebratory experience.”

Enjoy Yourself!

Whether it is baking cookies for your guests to take home as a favor or sharing a special family cake recipe, hosting offers many ways to express yourself. “At the end of the day, it’s about having an experience with those who are special to you and making sure that when your guests leave, they have a full belly and a full heart,” Chandler said.

Donate Today!

Help Us EducateHER

You can transform the lives of women in the Valley

Dress for Success Phoenix’s EducateHER program has partnered with local organizations such as Arizona State University, Maricopa Community Colleges and Women’s Foundation for the State of Arizona to give women access to certificate and degree programs, as well as the resources they need, to successfully prepare for careers in growing fields that pay sustainable wages and the opportunity to advance. Your support will enable us to continue providing these life-changing services for women in our community.

Partnering organizations include:

The mission of Dress for Success Phoenix is to empower women to achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, professional attire and the development tools to help women thrive in work and in life.

“Educate a woman and you educate her family. Educate a girl and you change the future.”

Or visit phoenix.dressforsuccess.org

- Queen Rania of Jordan

DISTINCTLY

DURANGO

This Colorado mining town boasts outdoor adventure, history and culture

BY JULIE COLEMAN

We’ve all heard the phrase “there’s something for everyone.” There is no better illustration than the city of Durango, Colo.

Durango respects its “cowboy culture” roots and is best described as a laid-back, never-met-a-stranger, dog- and family-friendly place to visit.

You can either drive from the Valley, which takes approximately 7.5 hours, or fly direct from Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport to the Durango-La Plata County Airport. Once there, finding the best place to stay near the activities you choose during your getaway is a good idea. While the city of Durango comprises only 5.6 square miles, its region is

much larger. So, you will want to minimize travel time while maximizing your time in this mountain town.

There are familiar hotels, such as Marriott and Holiday Inn Express, as well as Vrbo options. The locally owned Strater Hotel is a landmark property in downtown Durango with 88 uniquely decorated and furnished rooms. The inside of the iconic red brick building is adorned with handcrafted woodwork and an extensive collection of American Victorian walnut antiques.

Narrowing down what to do in Durango — whether indoors or outdoors — might be a challenge. Its great outdoors offers everything from snowmobiling, snow tubing

and snowshoeing to sleigh rides, ice climbing and ice fishing. Colorado has adopted and practices an outdoor ethics model, with a “leave no trace” focus on being mindful of your natural surroundings and leaving the wilderness wild.

Within a 30-minute drive of downtown Durango is Purgatory Resort. “Purg,” as locals refer to it, was carved by glaciers thousands of years ago. It offers perfect conditions for pure alpine nirvana with 260 inches of snow annually. Kiddos 10 and under ski free at Purgatory with the Power Kids Pass, offering a free season pass with no parent purchase required.

Stay bundled up for more outdoor fun while exploring the heart of Durango, its historic downtown. As you walk the district, you will see firsthand why this eclectic shopper’s paradise has versatile appeal. Be sure to check out Urban Market for housewares; the Tippy Canoe for cabin-chic furnishings; Lively, a boutique for women’s fashion and accessories; and The Sparrow Mercantile, a curated collection of men’s and women’s clothing. And prepare yourself for a pawsitively warm welcome by the various shop dogs that have free reign of stores and take their management responsibilities seriously!

After the outdoor fun and shopping, the Durango Hot Springs Resort & Spa is an ideal place to carve out some relaxation time. Newly renovated and located 8 miles north of Durango, it features soaking tubs for individuals and couples, geothermal mineral pools of varying temperatures, a saltwater swimming pool and a full-service day spa. A designated family area allows everyone to experience the waters that are said to have life-changing properties. Reservations are required to lavish yourself with downtime while soaking in the stunning mountain views.

Of course, you must replenish the inordinate calories you will have burned while taking in Durango’s sights! Grab breakfast at Oscar’s Café, a local 50’s style diner, where the food is well worth the short wait and the homemade cinnamon rolls don’t lack in size or weight. Durango Doughworks is an excellent option for breakfast and lunch with the sweet bonus of an assortment of freshly made donuts. Durango Bagel offers a quick, on-the-go option of coffee, bagels and schmears before you board the year-round Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad train adventure.

Restaurants throughout Durango are both casual and

Nick Kogos, Visit Durango

Nick Kogos, Visit Durango

family-friendly. The city offers a wide selection of ethnic food, including sushi, noodles and Tibetan dishes. If you are craving a hearty meal, visit the Ore House for delicious steaks and seafood. James Ranch Market & Grill is a table-on-the-farm organic restaurant overlooking the 400-acre ranch with stunning views of the surrounding peaks and a prime location to watch the sunset.

When it comes time to give in to your sweet tooth, stop by Cream Bean Berry Artisan Ice Cream, featuring organic flavors such as honey lavender, mixed berry crisp and balsamic strawberry. Chocolate lovers must visit Animas Chocolate & Coffee Co. in downtown Durango, where they can sip hot chocolate while watching chocolatiers make artisan chocolate.

If you’d rather forgo dessert and instead have a postmeal or, heck, a mid-day drink, Ska Brewing Company and Animas Brewing Company are ideal places to wet your whistle with craft beer. The San Juan Mountains serve as the backdrop for The Nugget Mountain Bar, just a half mile south of Purgatory Ski Resort. Sip on your drink of choice while listening to live music around a fire pit with new friends.

Kids of all ages are sure to enjoy two signature winter experiences. Travel back in time aboard The Polar Express,™

Nov. 18, 2022–Jan. 1, 2023, for a magical recreation of the classic holiday story aboard a vintage steam train as it departs Durango for a round-trip excursion to the North Pole to pick up Santa Claus. All ticketed passengers receive hot chocolate, sweet treats and the gift of Christmas: a silver bell. After arriving at the North Pole, you’ll enjoy an incredible light show set to holiday music.

The 44th Annual Snowdown, Feb. 1–5, 2023, will bring the entire Durango community together for some revelry the distinctly Durango way, including a light parade, canine fashion show, chili cook-off, balloon rally, bed races and much more. With a Shakespearean theme, this city’s celebration will not disappoint!

Cole Davis

Nick Kogos, Visit Durango

CTO, Visit Durango

Nick Kogos, Visit Durango

Nick Kogos, Visit Durango

Congratulations to the 2022 ATHENA Award Recipients!

Jennifer Caraway Founder & Executive Director, The Joy Bus Veronica Aguilar Vice President, Teach for America

Delma Herrera

ATHENAs demonstrate inspiring within their industry, mentor women throughout their career, and dedicate themselves to

Thank you to all ATHENA nominees, finalists, and to our recipients for your dedication to the Valley! leadership .

DBD

Vice President of Field Sales, West Region, Cox Communications

Bond of BROTHERS

Ability360 president & CEO is a strong voice for the disabled community

BY JUDY PEARSON

It’s indisputable: Little brothers look up to big brothers. But what Christopher Rodriguez learned from his big brother impacted not only him, but many others along the way.

T.J., four years older than Chris, was born with IDD (intellectual and developmental disabilities). Watching his older brother navigate life inspired Chris. “T.J. is my only sibling, and I had an interesting vantage point,” Rodriguez said. “My natural inclination was to think about what I could do in my life to tear down the barriers I saw him face.”

Rodriguez also had an interest in policy, politics and law. When he was ready for college, the challenge was to

Growing up with an older brother with intellectual and developmental disabilities, Christopher Rodriguez has dedicated his career to serving individuals with disabilities.

find a way to marry those passions with his desire to be a change agent for T.J. and others like him. His challenge was solved at the University of California, Berkeley, where he combined his passions with a minor in disabilities studies. Having competed in gymnastics since the age of 3, Rodriguez earned a scholarship 16 years later, and this man with a big Texas heart (he was born in Houston) has never regretted a minute of his chosen path.

A graduate degree in public affairs followed and was enhanced by what Rodriguez calls “Potomac Fever,” the urge to spend time in Washington, D.C. There, he lobbied for the disabled community on a national level. “But I realized that working on a state level, you actually see more laws passed than at the national level,” he said. That’s when his second act began.

For Rodriguez, every career move has put him in a dream job. Austin, Tex., Lansing, Mich., and Los Angeles, Calif. have all benefited from his knowledge and experience as a caregiver for someone with IDD. He says he thrives on new challenges but always wants to be positioned where he can have the most significant effect.

The Valley of the Sun became brighter when he arrived at Ability360 in June 2021. Founded more than 40 years ago, the organization offers programs to empower people with disabilities to achieve or continue independent lifestyles in the community. “It’s a culture of innovation that embraces the philosophy that no project, no idea is too large as long as there are resources to cover them,” Rodriguez said.

Disabilities come in many forms, and Ability360 strives to serve all spectrums and all ages. Their 45,000-square-foot sports, fitness and aquatics center is the first of its kind in the western United States. Competitive sports programs for persons with disabilities, fitness, health and wellness are all here. Their Center for Independent Living assesses client needs, helps them develop goals, offers independent living skills instruction, and provides a home modification program for lower-income individuals. E-gaming is extremely popular among those with disabilities, so Ability360 makes sure their clients have access to computers and the Internet, too.

Ability360 advocates personal responsibility — by, and for, people with disabilities — as a means to independence.

Last year, they took on a youth-in-transition program to help young clients move into education or employment. And next, they’ll be preparing to add a veteran specialist.

The “360” in the name refers to the organization’s goal of supporting the whole person, empowering them to live as independently as possible — and that’s reflected in all of their programming. Sometimes it’s as simple as speaking with someone “who’s been there,” so Ability360 provides peer-to-peer mentoring. Other times, a louder voice is necessary, and advocacy takes a front seat. Ability360 offers advocacy training, from a volunteer level and personal level to a governmental level.

As president and CEO, Rodriguez says one of his (and the organization’s) biggest challenges is getting the word out. “We’re always looking for ways to educate the public about the variety of support we have,” Rodriguez said. “So often we hear, ‘I wish I had known about Ability360 years ago.’” Well, now you know. Help spread the word. To learn more, visit ability360.org

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As CEO, Shannon Clancy wants St. Vincent de Paul to become a place where people find joy, healing and fulfillment, especially in service to others.

Serving Joyfully

BY KAREN WERNER

“I should have gotten you a St. Vincent de Paul ball cap,” said Shannon Clancy, handing me a hairnet before we begin meal service in the Family Dining Room. She is serving chicken marsala and mashed potatoes while I am spooning out squash. Clancy doesn’t typically serve meals — a blessing she likes to save for volunteers, but she’s made an exception to join me.

It’s a Tuesday evening at the St. Vincent de Paul campus on Watkins Road and Third Drive in Phoenix. People facing hard times line the streets outside, but it’s still a joyous scene here. Kids doing homework. Diners complimenting the food. An impromptu Zumba class.

Little do most of the guests know who is serving them this night, which suits the self-effacing Shannon Clancy fine.

FROM EARLY INSPIRATIONS TO FAMILY TRADITIONS, GET TO KNOW SHANNON CLANCY, ST. VINCENT DE PAUL’S NEW CEO

Clancy was recently named the CEO of St. Vincent de Paul Phoenix, which serves Central and Northern Arizona and is the largest St. Vincent de Paul chapter in the world. Leading an organization that employs more than 300 Arizonans wasn’t on Clancy’s radar when she was growing up in a family of four kids in North Central Phoenix. She thought she would be a math teacher. Still, Clancy was exposed to volunteer service while attending Xavier College Preparatory — “That sort of faith aspect of living out the Gospel values of caring for people in need and Catholic social teaching,” she said.

While attending the University of Notre Dame, Clancy had a transformative experience. She took part in Urban Plunge, a program that allows participants to immerse themselves in poverty in their own hometowns. Over Christmas break her sophomore year, Clancy worked alongside the folks of André House, a ministry serving vulnerable populations in Phoenix. She says from the first time she witnessed homelessness, she couldn’t get it out of her mind. “I had never seen that level of suffering, and I couldn’t understand why we wouldn’t do something,” she said. “After that, I really couldn’t look away.”

After college, Clancy gave a year of service through the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, working in a transitional housing program for families in Northern California. “That was eye-opening because I worked right alongside families and saw them in their moment of need,” she said. Clancy was 22 and doing case management when an incident took place that forever changed how she viewed her work.

“There was a family that had five kids. Their oldest daughter was 16 and kind of spoke for the family because it was Spanish-speaking,” Clancy said. The family had outstayed their time in the shelter and the staff made the decision to ask them to leave. “I remember thinking at the time that we were there to help support them and, instead, we were making it worse,” Clancy said.

Unable to face the family, Clancy hid in her office. There was a knock at the door. When Clancy opened it, it was the 16-year-old daughter. “I prepared myself for her to lash out and be angry,” Clancy said. “Instead, she stretched out her arms and said, ‘I just want to thank you.’” Clancy learned something powerful that day that has informed her work ever since. “In people’s moment of greatest need, they just need to know they’re not alone,” Clancy said. “That someone is there, even if they can’t fix it.”

It was jusT about the work

St. Vincent de Paul Phoenix has been here, serving Arizonans in need for 76 years, and Clancy is the first female leader of the nonprofit in that time. “I’ve seen how much it means to other women of all ages, younger and older,” she said. “That surprised me a little bit, the depth of feeling about it. It amplifies what it means to others in terms of having role models or examples of people in the world.”

“

“

They just need to know they’re not alone “

“

Clancy is honored to be the first woman CEO of St. Vincent de Paul Phoenix.

Clancy’s journey to leading the organization started two decades ago. “We were living in Baltimore and felt that we needed to be here, closer to family,” she said. She and her husband moved the family to Phoenix in 2002, and Clancy started working at St. Vincent de Paul part-time, the first of a few stints over the last 20 years. “I have four kids, so I had a little bit of back and forth while trying to contribute to what’s going on in the world, as well as take care of my family,” she said.

Having worked in several roles, Clancy is happy serving in whatever way helps the organization most at the time. To get a sense of why, you need to understand something she witnessed years before.

Back in Baltimore, she worked at a school for low-income kids that was run by several different religious congregations of sisters and brothers. “It was a really small school, but they were role models of servant leadership for me, watching how they lived out their faith and service so joyfully,” Clancy said.

Something else about how they worked stood out to her. Someone would be the principal and then, when their turn was up, they would go back into the classroom happily. “So at one point, there was a new principal, but six of the different faculty — all sisters and brothers in different congregations — had been principals. They were happy to let her be the principal and were there to support her,” she said.

Clancy found it an important model for this challenging work. “Watching how gracefully they did that and how it allowed them to serve over a long period of time was an important part of my formation,” she said. “It really wasn’t about them. It was just about the work.”

A Legacy of leadership

Before Shannon Clancy took the reins of St. Vincent de Paul Phoenix, she served alongside former CEO Steve Zabiliski, who led the nonprofit for 25 years. Alongside his massive impact — doubling St. Vincent de Paul’s health clinic space to treat more people, operating dining rooms that provide meals every day and establishing a transitional shelter and resource center — Zabiliski was a model of using his leadership skills while living out his Catholic faith.

Fortunately for our community, Zabiliski isn’s going far. He was named the new president & CEO of Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust, and will assume the job in April 2023.

According to Mary Jane Rynd, the current president & CEO of Piper Trust, “Steve is the natural fit to take the helm of the Trust at this critical time in our world’s history. His experience and true servant leadership will be transformative for the Trust and Maricopa County.”

Former St. Vincent de Paul CEO Steve Zabilski is regarded as one of Arizona's finest nonprofit leaders.

Just one last time

“

Sometimes the work can be tough to balance with the already significant responsibility of raising a family. Clancy and her husband have four children, ages 15, 18, 21 and 23. “I have two here, still in high school, one that is a senior in college, and one who’s graduated and out working,” she said.

Like many parents, Clancy sometimes looks back and wonders whether her career negatively impacted her kids, but a recent conversation with her 18-year-old daughter comforted her.

When she was younger, Clancy’s daughter volunteered at St. Vincent de Paul’s annual Circle of Angels donor luncheon. She and other kids were little angels and passed out cookies to supporters. Eventually, there was a changing of the guard, and the angel wings had to move on to a new batch of little ones. “She’s a senior in high school now and just the other day, she said, ‘Do you think I could come back one last time and be the biggest angel for one more year?’” Clancy said, fighting back tears. “What she was really saying was, ‘Could I go back one more time before I leave home and feel cherished and loved, worthy and supported, in that space with these beautifully hearted people?’”

It’s a feeling Clancy wants more people to experience. “There are so many people who feel disconnected. There aren’t enough psychiatrists or medications in our world to serve everyone,” she said. “We see every day that people find healing and growth through service and reaching out to others. I see that in my own daughter, who said, ‘Just one last time.’”

Maybe there is brokenness to all of us

What Clancy wants — to make St. Vincent de Paul the place where everyone is healed in service — has never mattered more than now. As we come out of the pandemic and take stock of where we are, Clancy argues that it might be the moment to learn from and care for one another. “There’s an immense beauty to being able to do that for someone in their moment of need,” she said.

That is where St. Vincent de Paul’s mission is unique. In addition to “feed, clothe, house and heal,” its mandate includes providing opportunities for everyone to serve. It’s why Clancy doesn’t volunteer in the Family Dining Room very often. She believes that our community is better — that we’re all better — when we are caring for others. So she makes room and invites others to do that.

“Maybe there is brokenness to all of us,” she said. “You might not need food or clothing or shelter or healthcare, but you might have a spiritual or emotional need. You might have a need to feel safe and connected and to belong. How do we create that opportunity?”

How can St. Vincent de Paul scale that opportunity while tackling significant social issues like homelessness and evictions, medical care, food insecurity and more? That is the question Clancy is focusing on.

“

“

The human heart needs to be reaching out

“St. Vincent de Paul couldn’t do what it does without donors, volunteers and partners who bring in skill sets that we don’t have,” Clancy said. “Every day, you’re reminded of what that can make possible in the world.”

Clancy envisions St. Vincent de Paul as a common ground for people who need support to come together with people who have the resources or desire to help. “The human heart needs to be reaching out to others. It craves belonging and connection. You see that every day at St. Vincent de Paul. It’s a blessing to be part of it,” she said.

As the holidays near, Clancy is gearing up for weeks of events and festivities. “It starts in November and goes all the way through, like an ultramarathon, but of great gratitude, joy and celebration. It renews your faith in people and their desire to be generous and loving,” she said.

The marathon reference is telling. Clancy is a runner who appreciates the solace and simplicity of a good run. “You just put on your shoes and go out the door. It’s important to be in nature and have that time just to think,” she said. “I realize how important that is for my own mental health and feeling settled. I want to make sure that I continue to do that.”

Clancy’s self-care plan will be tested as she assumes the stresses of leading an organization with a $75+ million annual budget. She jokes — although she’s not sure it’s really a joke — that God called her to this work to teach her that she is not in control. “I am a very independent person and usually think I can take care of myself, but that is not how it is with this work. You have to trust that it’s meant to happen in the way it is, that people will come and it will reveal itself,” she said.

Time and again, Clancy has experienced miraculous moments when someone has come along at just the right time. She hopes some day her faith becomes automatic. “I’m hopeful that eventually I’ll get to where I won’t have to be reminded anymore, that I’ll just know. I think I’m getting closer,” she said.

After all, asking people to support St. Vincent de Paul’s transformational vision requires Clancy’s unyielding faith in it herself. “Finding our purpose and what we’re meant to do while we’re on this earth, there’s great joy in that,” Clancy said. “I would hope that St. Vincent de Paul could be that place where people may be able to discover that for themselves.”

To learn more, go to stvincentdepaul.net.

A Family Tradition

Amid Clancy’s first holiday season as St. Vincent de Paul’s CEO, she will remember to take time to gather with her family. One small tradition that now looms large is the family’s collection of homemade ornaments. As the oldest of her siblings and the first to have a child, Clancy started the tradition of making a photo ornament every year. Then, as her siblings had kids, they began to make them, too. Now, there are 23 years’ worth of them for Clancy’s family, plus yearly versions of everyone else’s.

“The tree is just photos of the kids over the years,” Clancy laughed. “Though it’s a small tradition, I’m grateful that we’ve kept it up, because it helps you keep reflecting on what matters.”

PROMISE OF A NEW DAY

Family Promise of Greater Phoenix Thinks They Can Disrupt Affordable Housing

BY TOM EVANS

Many people think that people who are experiencing homelessness are always experiencing homelessness, or close to it. But nothing could be further from the truth, especially when the economic factors of the past few years come into play.

While rising property values are great for home and property owners, that upward pressure has raised rental housing rates — dramatically. And the Phoenix metro area has seen some of the sharpest increases in the country.

The result is a slow-moving disaster unfolding for a family that may have never struggled to pay for housing before. A family that may have been spending $1,000 per month on rent three years ago may be spending more like $1,600 now. And they probably didn’t start out making a ton of money, and probably didn’t have a commensurate increase in salary.

Nowadays, a significant part of the increase in homelessness is affecting people it never affected before —

Ted Taylor, the CEO of Family Promise of Greater Phoenix, says the nonprofit focuses specifically on serving families experiencing homelessness.

children and families that were once housing-secure. And those families need to stay together, for many and obvious reasons, especially for the children involved.

It’s not an entirely new problem, but it’s worse now than perhaps ever before. That’s where an organization like Family Promise of Greater Phoenix comes in.

Family Promise actually started quite some time ago, in New York in 1986. The idea behind it was that instead of trying to shelter people in emergency situations in large, expensive shelters, church congregations would extend their own hospitality and work to provide more than just shelter to families in crisis. Yes, they would provide shelter, but they would also provide a support network that would help parents get jobs and children stay engaged in school and even ensure that pets get to stay with the families that love them.

The idea went national, and organizations were formed on the local level in cities across the country, including here in Phoenix. Ted Taylor, CEO of Family Promise of Greater Phoenix, said a few community leaders from Phoenix went on a field trip to Indiana to see how it worked, and brought the concept here in 1998.

“The first families were welcomed in the spring of 2000, and since then, we’ve grown tremendously,” he said. “This year, we served our 1,650th family … we believe the family must be kept intact, and by the way, including the pets.”

The approach was as important as the delivery, especially as time went on. Taylor calls it a “love immersion” program that helps families rebuild their sense of community. Family Promise of Greater Phoenix has five day centers that serve families during the day, and then the families go to congregations at night — a total of 48 congregations throughout the metro area.

Taylor said that approximately 80 percent of families they encounter have never experienced homelessness before. So getting them back into work and school is important, but families are also helped with healthcare and other critical needs.

“The way people think about us is that we are rigorous,” Taylor said. “We’re only a 60-day program, with average family stays of about 43 days. Our average family is employed within 14 days of arrival.

After they go to work, Family Promise does something really unique. “We teach pro forma cash flow,” Taylor said. “We teach families how to manage cash 15 weeks ahead of now. It is a rigorous program that helps families identify how to graduate from Family Promise sustainably.”

Here’s where it gets interesting, and where some potential long-term solutions start to surface. Over the years, Family Promise realized that every family is unique and the answers to their problems need to be created on a case-by-case basis.

This need really came to light as the pandemic started to affect income and homelessness. Taylor said they realized prevention is the key, just as it is with healthcare. Preventing a patient from becoming sick costs less than treating a sick patient. The same holds with keeping families housed.

After all, bills and income are fungible — a family may run out of rent money because a car breaks down, a health issue arises, or they have to buy groceries. Taylor said the cost of hosting a family for the 43-day period Family Promise averages is $5,000. “We learned in 2020 and 2021 that, when we began doing prevention work because of COVID, the average cost of preventing families from needing shelter is $1,500 a family,” he said. “So we have discovered this new world of prevention, and we are partnering with many different organizations — including landlords at apartment complexes that have gotten to know us. We don’t deliver checks to

“We believe the family must be kept intact, and by the way, including the pets.”

clients; we deliver checks to landlords or providers who need those payments.”

So, Family Promise teams up with behavioral health agencies, domestic violence shelters and other agencies that can deal with “high-challenge families,” in Taylor’s words, to address the most unique and difficult cases.

All of this is critical, but it doesn’t address the core issue many families are dealing with right now — access to affordable housing.

“We have a funnel that is being squeezed off at the back end of homelessness,” Taylor said. “When the moratorium occurred for rental evictions, it froze the system. Families we serve couldn’t move into affordable housing because no one was moving out.”

That’s when creativity really came in. If there was no supply of affordable housing, Family Promise of Greater Phoenix decided to try to create their own. They realized that many of the congregations they were working with had small plots of land that could be utilized to create new opportunities for affordable housing. In partnership with BHHS Legacy Foundation, they devised a new idea.

Think micro-rental communities. As it is being executed, small units of affordable housing are built from shipping containers at half the cost of what it would take to build conventional affordable housing. The first will be on a one-third-acre parcel in Glendale, but they are looking for other congregational sites around the Valley with the proper zoning.

BHHS Legacy Foundation provided the seed grant for the first property — a six-unit property that is in the final stages of approval with the city — and Taylor said this will be “disruptive” to the affordable housing market.

“We’re going to create the ability to go on smaller properties — at a church or on smaller parcels that a normal developer wouldn’t touch — at a very low cost of entry,” Taylor said.

If these kinds of projects start popping up all over the Valley, then even small, incremental measures can make

a big difference. And through a creative, individualized approach to helping families overcome homelessness, real change can become a reality.

“We are showing we can fix big problems in our society by focusing on community,” Taylor said. For more information, visit familypromiseaz.org.

If there was no supply of affordable housing, Family Promise of Greater Phoenix decided to try to create their own.

A Day With

TARYN NORLEY

5:45 A.M. >> PRECIOUS MORNINGS

My 5 year old is in Kindergarten, so I wake up and get myself ready before waking him. I make breakfast, pack lunches for both of us, and then drop him off at school because my husband goes to work much earlier. I love that I get the opportunity to walk him onto campus. He sees his friends on the playground and I see other moms. I leave when the bell rings and head either into the office or work remotely since we work a mixed schedule.

8 A.M. >> EXTERNAL + INTERNAL CONNECTION

I check emails and voicemails when I arrive at the office. Once a week, I meet with other ALS Association executives throughout the country. It’s good connecting with them because it can be a little lonely as the CEO, and it’s great to have a resource and network who understands what you are going through.

I like to personally check in with staff — seeing them and getting caught up. Because we are a small staff of nine, it’s important we connect and find ways of working together. I have found that building in the time to talk and see each other really helps, instead of me being isolated in my office.

11:30 A.M. >> THE POWERFUL FORCE OF HOPE

Fundraising is a huge part of my job, whether I am making an ask or a connection. The majority of our events, which make up 45 percent of our budget, take place at the end of the year. We have a weekly development team meeting preparing for our walks in Scottsdale on Nov. 19 at Salt River Fields and Tucson Speedway on Dec. 3.

Once your spouse or parent has been diagnosed with ALS, you are very willing to give to this cause to get rid of it. You don’t want anybody else ever to have to go through what you’ve been through. Friends and families band together to create a community of hope. Our walk becomes the celebration of life and living. I’ll have patients say to me, “I made it. I made it to another walk.” The event becomes their milestone.

President & CEO of the ALS Association Arizona Chapter

BY JULIE COLEMAN

1 P.M. >> FINDING STRENGTH IN NUMBERS

When I interviewed for this role 11 years ago, I was asked about my interests and priorities. I expressed my desire to start a children’s program. While children don’t typically get ALS, I’ve seen what happens when they connect with other children. ALS is a rare disease, and a child who is losing their

Photos courtesy of Ben Arnold

parent may be the only one at their school experiencing this. They need to know they are not alone and there are people to support them. Our children’s program does exactly that. We bring kids together who love someone with ALS, and the group is led by three young adults who lost their father to the disease. They guide the group and reassure the children they will be O.K., and we will be there to help them take steps to get through it.

We also coordinate a weekend retreat for families. Everybody wants to know they are not alone or the only ones feeling this way. So we bring them together, share and connect them to another family with children. Our child life specialist and social worker support families and can explain this disease to children in ways that help them understand.

2 P.M. >> LITTLE LIFE LESSONS WITH BIG MEANING

My role working with a terminal disease has been incredible. It has taught me so much about living and changed my priorities. Life is about not taking your family or the small moments for granted. Remembering those small moments, like dinnertime conversation, is so important. Some ALS patients lose the ability to talk, so their loved ones keep voicemail messages and make recordings because the voice is a strong identifier of a person. A hug is powerful, and it’s essential not to let a hug escape you. With ALS, patients miss touch because sometimes they can’t hug or hold due to atrophy of the muscles.

I met a patient at a conference who said something that still gives me goosebumps. He said, “Your job is our hope.”

Ryland Laakso, Olivia Herrick (holding sign) and Ben Herrick join walkers of all ages in the 2021 Walk to Defeat ALS at Salt River Fields.

ALS Association programs allow people with ALS to enjoy the activities they did before their diagnosis.

I think about him and his words when the job is hard. It is these little lessons that have been so meaningful to me.

3:30 P.M. >> MODELING CARE UNTIL A CURE

My afternoon work consists of group meetings or phone calls. I also visit our clinics at Barrow Neurological Institute, Mayo Clinic or HonorHealth. Our patients check in at a clinic every three months with an entire team that rotates through the room with the patient in a single visit, including their neurologist, social worker, speech and respiratory therapists and a member of the ALS Association team. Our clinics are powerful, and participation has been known to extend a patient’s life up to one year. I wish all medicine used this approach.

6 P.M. >> HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS

When I get home from the office, we eat dinner, and if my son’s homework isn’t completed, my husband will help him so I can walk, run or do a home workout. I’ve committed to getting outside five to six times a week for some type of workout. As a working mom, it is helpful to get away and have that time to myself because it stimulates ideas and thoughts.

A bath and bedtime for my son follow my workout. Sometimes I will stay up and read or watch a show – I love “The Home Edit” or “Dream Home Makeover.” I usually fall asleep within the first 10 minutes but try to squeeze this in too!

To learn more, go to als.org/arizona.

2021 Bite Nite attendees Craig & Dawn Johnson, Ken & Donna Zubrod, Jeremy Smith (standing behind Ken), Doug & Karen Clough and Peggy & Larry Larrabee

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Save a life using your AZ Tax Credit!

You can donate your Arizona Charitable Tax Credit to A New Leaf and save the lives of domestic violence victims across the Valley!

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a faith-based organization, it is the mission of Midwest Food Bank to share the love of Christ by alleviating hunger and malnutrition locally and throughout the world and providing disaster relief; all without discrimination.

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FOUR PROGRAMS THAT SUPPORT AND EMBRACE FAMILIES

Family Connections

One of AZAFAP’s strengths is in providing families the opportunity to socialize and interact with other families who are facing similar situations. Parents are able to see that they are not alone in this journey, and these opportunities allow them to share experiences and resources with one another. The children are able to discover that they are not the only one from foster care and build friendships with one another.

+ Picnics + Family Camps + Staycations

+ Family Day Out + Fore Family Fun

Children’s Basic Needs

Raising children is expensive and the financial support the state provides to foster, kinship, and adoptive parents is minimal. AZAFAP provides families with access to basic needs for their children.

+ New School Shoes + Durable Backpacks + Jackets + Bicycles

+ Holiday Toys + Grocery Thanksgiving

+ Clothing

BY FAMILIES, FOR FAMILIES

Our purpose is to support, educate, empower and provide a unified voice for Arizona’s foster, kinship and adoptive families with the goal of increasing the well-being and stability of Arizona’s most vulnerable children.

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$100 will gift new toys to 4 children for the holidays

$300 will purchase 5 new pairs of shoes for youth going back to school

Family Support Services

In order for foster, kinship, and adoptive placements to remain stable, it is essential to provide ongoing education and support to the families who commit to care for these children.

+ Monthly Parent Training + Support Group Network

+ Online Chats + Advanced Trauma Informed Training

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Community Awareness

Raising awareness of foster care and adoption in the community helps to strengthen children, families and those who are needed as a support system in their neighborhoods.

+ Foster Care Awareness Month

+ National Adoption Month

+ Caregiver Advisory Panel

$500 will pay to refurbish 20 bikes to like new condition in our Recycle Your Bicycle program

$1,000 will support four families going to ‘family camp’, connecting kids and parents for support, networking and fun

Donations to AZAFAP qualify for the Arizona Qualifying Foster Care Organization (QFCO) Tax Credit. You can receive a dollar-for-dollar tax credit for your donations of up to $500 for single filers and up to $1,000 for joint filers in 2022. The limits are set to increase in 2023! Most importantly, you’ll know that your gift helps children from foster care, and the families who care for them will get the support and resources they need.

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A Mother’s Love

Origin:

Lisa Cohen launched the Kyah Rayne Foundation (KRF) in August 2019 to honor her daughter, Kyah Rayne, who died of anaphylactic shock at the age of 21 after mistakenly eating peanut sauce during a family vacation in Mexico. Cohen considers it her life’s work to revamp education and initiate policy change to honor the memory of her daughter.

Kyah Rayne Cohen and her mother, Lisa Cohen (above). By founding the Kyah Rayne Foundation, Lisa has dedicated herself to allergy awareness and prevention.

The Kyah Rayne Foundation is on a mission to advance food allergy awareness and education

Known for:

Someone experiencing anaphylaxis needs care right away. They also need a shot of epinephrine; otherwise, they might not make it to the hospital. KRF believes that by increasing the availability of epinephrine auto-injectors and educating more people on how to use them, they can save the lives of more people with food allergies.

KRF has produced free online food allergy training programs that empower students, teachers and families to recognize the signs and symptoms of food allergies and anaphylaxis. KRF is also working to increase the availability of epinephrine auto-injectors and lower their cost. Their goal is to decrease and eliminate deaths due to food allergies with a long-term goal of no food allergy fatalities.

Most surprising thing about the organization:

Before KRF was established, no organization promoted food allergy-awareness education and epinephrine access in schools and other public entities, which Arizona State

This family reunion turned into a nightmare when Kyah tasted peanut. She’d forgotten her auto-injectors and medical efforts couldn’t defeat intense anaphylaxis.

Photo by Pixelumina Photography on Unsplash

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law allows. Before 2020, only 2 percent of schools had implemented the School Surveillance and Medication Program (SSMP). In just two years, KRF helped increase participation to 20 percent and is continuing to expand the number of participating schools. Without KRF, it is unlikely that broad adoption of the program would have happened.

Organization Highlight:

KRF is revamping and modernizing food allergy training with Kyah’s EPICourse for Schools, an e-learning course that trains people to use auto-injectors safely, and Kyah’s EPICourse for Food Service. KRF is also advancing the implementation of Arizona law governing emergency anaphylaxis training.

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The Future:

Our Mission

Our Mission

The Kyah Rayne Foundation has big plans for the year ahead, including expanding implementation of the SSMP statewide and nationally, changing the SSMP language in Arizona’s statute to a mandate requiring auto-injectors in all schools, and promoting the new, free Kyah’s EPICourse for Food Service to all restaurant personnel.

The Kyah Rayne Foundation is dedicated to advancing food allergy awareness and education and increasing Epinephrine Auto-Injector availability to save lives.

To learn more, visit kyahraynefoundation.org.

The Kyah Rayne Foundation is dedicated to advancing food allergy awareness and education and increasing Epinephrine Auto-Injector availability to save lives.

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TEA TIME IN THE VALLEY

Several local venues celebrate the British tradition

BY SHOSHANA LEON

While the tradition of afternoon tea originated in England in the 1800s, it has become popular across the U.S., including in the Valley.

Jo Gemmill, who is from England, opened the English Rose Tea Room in Carefree in 2002. “I wanted to provide a beautiful space in the desert for a good cup of tea and homemade food,” she said. “Over time, we have built relationships with repeat customers and have become embedded in the community.”

Gemmill describes afternoon tea as a celebratory meal ideal for various occasions. “I love seeing our customers celebrate life events, including baby showers, bridal showers and birthdays,” she said.

Guests at the English Rose Tea Room can enjoy a pot of tea, lunch or formal afternoon tea featuring the traditional menu of sandwiches, scones and petit fours served with a pot of tea. The English Rose Tea Room’s most popular teas include London Fog with lavender and vanilla, and Paris with vanilla, caramel and black currant. They also offer a menu for children.

The English Rose Tea Room has several themed teas, including celebrations to commemorate events in Britain’s royal family, as well as Halloween, Mother’s Day and an English-style Christmas with festive decorations, Santa Claus and carolers.

Another option is The Phoenician in Scottsdale, which offers an elegant afternoon tea Thursday through Sunday in the resort’s lobby.

Photo courtesy of The Phoenician

Photo courtesy of the English Rose Tea Room

“Afternoon tea is a time-honored tradition that we have been celebrating since The Phoenician opened in 1988,” said Michelle Wrobel, the resort’s assistant director of food and beverage.

The resort offers a traditional three-course afternoon tea menu and 15 flavors of tea, including chocolate coconut, which is blended exclusively for The Phoenician.

The Phoenician has a special holiday tea from Nov. 25–Dec. 30. “Our holiday tea has an enhanced menu with an additional finger sandwich option and festive pastries,” Wrobel said. “Our holiday tea tree features a variety of antique teacups and saucers. We have many repeat guests who travel specifically to enjoy our holiday tea.”

Opened in 2020, Drink Me! Tea Room in Tempe offers a plant-based and gluten-free afternoon tea menu focusing on sustainability and an “Alice in Wonderland” theme.

Open Wednesday through Sunday, Drink Me! Tea Room creates all menu items in-house using as many local ingredients as possible. The full afternoon tea includes options such as cucumber and cashew cream crisp, sun-dried tomato hummus, chocolate espresso cake and vanilla shortbread.

Drink Me! Tea Room has literary-themed tea parties, including “Harry Potter,” “Peter Pan” and “Bridgerton,” as well as Tipsy Teas with tea-infused cocktails and mocktails. Holiday theme events include the Nightmare Before Christmas, from Nov. 25–Dec. 4, inspired by the mash-up of Halloween and Christmas. From Dec. 7–30, Drink Me! Tea Room transforms into a festive Winter Wonderland Tea.

Reservations for afternoon tea are highly recommended, especially during the holidays. For information, visit carefreetea.com, thephoenician. com/dine/afternoon-tea and drinkmetearoom.com.

A FAMILY LEGACY

The Keeler family focuses on hospitality

Restaurants and hospitality run through the veins of the Keeler family, who own and operate three Valley restaurants. “My father, Paul Keeler, owned and ran restaurants in the Boston area, where my brother and I started working at a young age, washing dishes and bussing tables,” said Matt Keeler.

In 2003, the Keelers opened a steakhouse in Omaha, Neb. In 2012, the family opened Market Street Kitchen at DC Ranch in North Scottsdale, which became Liberty Station American Tavern & Smokehouse in 2018. Another Scottsdale location of Liberty Station opened at Terravita in 2017, followed by a third location in Madison, Wisc., in 2020. In 2019, Keeler’s Neighborhood Steakhouse opened in Carefree.

“In addition to the quality food and beverage, our customers love the hospitality at our restaurants,” Keeler said. “It is our team’s goal to make a regular out of a guest after their very first visit. This starts from our greeters at the door and extends to the service staff, the leadership team and our kitchen staff.”

Matt’s mother, Judy, and brother, Ryan, are also

Photos by Joanie Simon

Photo courtesy of Drink Me! Tea Room

involved in the business. “You really pour your blood, sweat and tears into a family business because it is truly all yours,” Keeler said. “Even though there can be differences among the family, every member knows that intentions are good, and the passion is always directed toward the common goal of the success of the business.”

Paul Keeler passed away in 2021, but his legacy lives on through the family’s restaurants. “We try to honor him every day,” Keeler said. “Not only was he my father, but he was also my mentor in all things hospitality. As we continue to look for ways to expand our restaurants and concepts, he is and will always be at the center of it all. In fact, we are currently working on a project that is an homage to him.”

For more information, visit libertystationtavern.com and keelerssteakhouse.com

A CULTURAL DINING ADVENTURE

The award-winning Kai highlights local ingredients

Kai at Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass is a dining experience unlike any other, as evidenced by its impressive accolades, including being the only AAA Five Diamond and Forbes Five Star restaurant in the state.

Two things that set Kai apart are the exceptional guest experience and the focus on indigenous and local ingredients. Kai, which means “seed” in the Pima language, immerses diners in the culture and cuisine of the local Pima and Maricopa tribes.

Chef Drew Anderson was named Kai’s Chef de Cuisine in June 2022. He has worked for acclaimed chefs, including James Beard Award winner Charleen Badman of FnB in Scottsdale. “I grew up in Minnesota, where I first began cooking and became acclimated to a fine dining approach to food,” he said. “My vision for the menu at Kai is to source and showcase as many local ingredients as possible while juxtaposing the menu with global accents.”

One of Kai’s local suppliers is Ramona Farms in Sacaton. “We feature many of their varieties of corn and beans,” Anderson said. “We use their tepary beans in many ways, from incorporating them into different breads to using them as a puree and in their pure form as well. Being a staple crop of these tribes, corn is vital

Photos courtesy of Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass

to everything we do at Kai, and it can be seen in different ways across the menu.”

Kai offers a tasting menu that changes based on seasonal ingredients. The menu introduced in August 2022 features a mushroom dish with Ramona Farms’ Pima wheat-berry risotto. “The mushrooms are locally grown in Phoenix, as are the wheat berries,” Anderson said. “This helps to show the beautiful nature of what Arizona agriculture can be.”

Anderson describes the experience at Kai as an agricultural journey. “People can expect a cultural dining experience that they have never had before while trying dishes and unique ingredients from the Sonoran Desert,” he said. “We feature different original watercolor paintings on each menu that help to tell the story of this land and the people. Joshua Yazzie is the artist that paints our menus, interweaving stories passed from previous generations and elements of everyday life in the community.”

From the moment guests enter Kai’s dining room to the moment they leave, they are treated to exceptional service and the opportunity to learn about food and

culture with impeccable attention to detail. “I believe the reason Kai has achieved the success it has is because there is a common goal among the entire team to provide the best possible experience for our guests while maintaining the integrity of the culture and community,”

Anderson said.

For more information, visit wildhorsepassresort.com

CONNECTING WOMEN WHERE THEY WORK, LIVE OR PLAY

Join us where you live, work or play to connect with like-minded women to share information, ideas, contacts and opportunities.

Learn more at: eastvalleywomen.org | centralphoenixwomen.org womenofscottsdale.org | northvalleywomen.org

ADDRESSED TO IMPRESS

After the annual Addressing Luncheon — where committee members assembled invitations to the 63rd Annual Phoenix Heart Ball — the ladies enjoyed a fashion show filled with gowns and glamour presented by Neiman Marcus. In addition to jaw-dropping spring fashions by Monique Lhuillier, the event featured incredible raffle packages to cover the cost of postage and raise funds for heart disease and stroke education and prevention.

Photo by Scott Foust

4:00 P.M. TO 8:00 P.M.

In Arizona it’s “Life on a Grander Scale” and for Taste of the NFL 2023, we are tipping the scales and creating an evening in great taste and for a great cause. Proceeds will benefit school nutrition programs in Arizona and beyond through GENYOUth’s End Student Hunger fund. Hosted and curated by culinary superstars Andrew Zimmern, Carla Hall, Tim Love, Lasheeda Perry and Mark Bucher, and featuring appearances by NFL greats, Taste of the NFL will offer guests a bite of the best!

Meet our marquee chefs along with food masterminds from Phoenix’s top restaurants. Delight in tasting national and regional food specialties, sipping thirst-quenching beverages and mingling with NFL players and celebrity guests — all while enjoying the most delicious pre-Super Bowl XVII party! And you’ll lead with both your heart and your palate in supporting a worthy cause.

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SPONSORSHIP AND HOSPITALITY OPPORTUNITIES:

Maureen Bausch at

GENYOUth, a nationally recognized leader in creating healthier school communities, reaches 38 million students in 73,000 schools nationwide through our flagship program Fuel Up to Play 60. Here in the Super Bowl’s host market, we are tackling food insecurity among youth. School Meals Matter! Let’s work together to End Student Hunger!

2021

PHOENIX