THE FUTURE OF BARROW NORTH PHOENIX RISING A SECOND ACT SPOTLIGHT: ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS FOUNDATION
HOW ALEX SKLAR AND LISA GEYSER MADE IT SIMPLE FOR FAMILIES TO GIVE BACK
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PUBLISHER Andrea Tyler Evans EDITOR Mike Saucier CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Tom Evans SOCIETY AND FASHION WRITER Tyler Butler CREATIVE DIRECTOR Cheyenne Brumlow
On the Cover LOCATION Luci’s at the Orchard
BEAUTY PARTNER - MAKE-UP The Sparkle Bar BEAUTY PARTNER - HAIR STYLING Julia Mendez
PHOTOGRAPHY Thurlkill Studios
GENERAL INFORMATION & PRESS RELEASES info@frontdoorsmedia.com 3104 E. Camelback Road #967 | Phoenix, AZ 85016 480-622-4522 | frontdoorsmedia.com 2 | FRONTDOORSMEDIA.COM
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Celebrating 70 Years of the Phoenix Indian Center
APRIL 22, 2017 HYATT REGENCY PHOENIX 5:30 p.m. Premier Silent Auction 7:00 p.m. Dinner, Live Auction & Entertainment 9:00 p.m. Post-event
Ernest "Ernie" L. Stevens, Sr. 2017 Leon Grant Spirit of the Community HonoreeÂ
|3 APRIL 2017 tickets at www.phxindcenter.org or FRONTDOORSMEDIA.COM Purchase call (602) 264-6768.
TABLE OF CONTENTS {april 2017, volume 15, issue 4}
10 EDITOR’S NOTE......................... 06 Mike the Sauce NEXT DOORS............................. 08 The Future of Barrow COVER STORY........................... 10 Families Giving Back KITCHEN DOORS....................... 18 Where We Ate This Month OFFICE DOORS.......................... 22 Mesha Davis of Arizona Foundation for Women GIVING IN STYLE....................... 24 Fashion in the Philanthropy Lane HEAR HERE................................ 28 News, Updates & Events GIVING BACK. . ........................... 32 Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation TAX CREDIT DIRECTORY........... 36 Spring 2017 Edition A SECOND ACT.......................... 40 with Judy Pearson OPEN DOORS.. ........................... 42 North Central Rising 4 | FRONTDOORSMEDIA.COM
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DESERT BOTANICAL GARDEN PRESENTS
CLICK HERE TO VIEW CONCERT LINE UP.
Fridays, now through June 23 Enjoy live performances by some of Arizona’s best musical entertainment in the stunning surroundings of Desert Botanical Garden. Dining options are available before and after the concert. Tickets: Members: $25 | General Public: $30 Attendees must be 21 or older
Purchase Tickets: • dbg.org/music • 480 941.1225 (9 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily) • Admissions Box Office (8 a.m. – 8 p.m. daily)
1201 N. Galvin Pkwy, Phoenix, AZ 85008 480 941.1225 | dbg.org
Sponsored in part by APRIL 2017
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EDITOR’S NOTE {on the job}
You get to meet a lot of people as editor of a publication, especially one like Frontdoors. I’ve packed a lot of new acquaintances into the two-month window on the job, from local non-profit pioneers to entertainment and sports legends. A common, unsurprising thread: people are passionate about giving back, whether it helps fight a disease, feed the hungry or bring folks together.
In covering Celebrity Fight Night, which benefits the fight against Parkinson’s disease, I asked red-carpet guests what Muhammad Ali meant to them and was surprised and enlightened by each response. As Ali’s wife Lonnie told me as the night wrapped up, “There’s such a love in this room. Tonight especially, that love is very evident. I know Muhammad’s here tonight.”
People are passionate about giving back, whether it helps fight a disease, feed the hungry or bring folks together. Just last month: As a member of a media panel, I met a roomful of inspiring business-savvy women from Conscious Connections, founded by Kristi Hall, and took some story pitches from audience members (one story will appear in the coming weeks on the Frontdoors website). After serving businesses and non-profits for almost two decades, Kristi dreamed of connecting like-minded women so they could learn and benefit from each other. Today her network tallies 6,000 women. Mike Saucier EDITOR
@mikethesauce
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I got to tell the story of Waste NOT, which reached out to Frontdoors to let us know about its 30th birthday. I didn’t know much about what they did but I was glad I connected with Dee Mitten, its president and CEO. Her organization operates out of a tiny office tucked in a Scottsdale senior center. Waste NOT does a lot with a little. Its vehicles sometimes pick up 20,000 pounds of excess food a day and bring it to those who need it. Better that than its usual destination – a landfill. Keep your stories coming. We want to tell them. Reach out to us at editor@ frontdoorsmedia.com.
Mike Saucier
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Find your cause. Invest in your community.
Arizona Gives Day is a single statewide day of giving that has raised $7.4 million for Arizona nonprofits since 2013.
Find your cause and preschedule your donation at
Your donation on this day can help your favorite organization win a cash prize! APRIL 2017
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NEXT DOORS {ahead of the curve}
Barrow Neurological Institute is beginning a new era. Here’s what the future holds. Tom Evans | CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
Hopefully, you’ve never had to experience Barrow Neurological Institute. But if you have, you realize one thing very quickly — we’re very lucky to have it in our community. The missus and I are in the latter category, so we follow Barrow with a good bit of interest and do what we can to support it. There’s a lot to follow. Barrow is experiencing the end of an era, as its president and CEO, Dr. Robert Spetzler, is retiring in early July after 35 years at the helm. Spetzler is not only one of the world’s most renowned neurosurgeons, he is (rightly) credited with building Barrow into one of the world’s foremost centers for neurosurgery and research.
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“Barrow has achieved a level of recognition of which we can all be proud – from performing more brain surgeries annually than anywhere in the nation to pioneering new procedures and mapping new approaches into previously inoperable areas of the brain,” Spetzler told Frontdoors. “What I consider to be one of the most important aspects of my legacy at Barrow are the residents and fellows who have trained at the institute. We have developed the world’s largest neurosurgical residency program at Barrow. There’s hardly a program around the county where we don’t have one of our trainees in place.” Spetzler’s retirement was announced last year, just a couple of months after the
passing of Muhammad Ali, Barrow’s most famous patient and one of the driving forces behind Barrow’s fundraising over the years. Barrow’s trajectory under Spetzler has been nothing but upward, as it has expanded not only its facilities but also its impact over time. So it’s natural to wonder what might happen to Barrow’s momentum. So I asked the incoming president & CEO, Dr. Michael Lawton, what he sees in Barrow’s future. “We will continue to treat the most difficult brain and spine abnormalities that we confront as clinicians with the latest and most innovative therapies,” Lawton said. “My goal is that many of these advances will
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Dr. Michael Lawton and Dr. Robert Spetzler
be created and discovered at Barrow by our very own physicians and scientists. Lawton said he’s returning to Barrow with the goal of establishing it as the best neuroscience center in the world. Three initiatives in particular he mentioned are: • Establishing the Barrow Aneurysm and AVM Research Center to bring top research scientists and clinical doctors together, and to create new treatments for these conditions and other forms of stroke. • Bringing the Brain Vascular Malformations Consortium — which he directs — and its $6 million National Institutes of Health grant to Barrow to study the genetics of patients with these conditions.
Photo credit: Barrow Neurological Insitute
• Establishing the Barrow Center for Artificial Intelligence, which will use advanced computers to advance and improve how they treat patients. Earlier this month, the Barrow Women’s Board invited us to attend one of their educational events, where we heard a presentation from Dr. Marwan Sabbagh, a neurologist and the director of the Alzheimer’s Disease and Memory Disorders Division at Barrow. Sabbagh’s vision is for the Alzheimer’s Disease and Memory Disorders Division to soon expand to the same stature as the Muhammad Ali Parkinson’s Center or the Gregory W. Fulton ALS and Neuromuscular Disease Center — fully funded, named and
endowed entities that are topof-class in the entire world in their field. Sabbagh is also focused on prevention, including clinical studies on treatments that would attack Alzheimer’s before symptoms show up. There’s no need for concern about a slowing of momentum at Barrow Neurological Institute. If anything, we may look back on this new era in the future and realize it was just getting started.
Tom Evans CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
@tevans927
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Photo credit: Thurlkill Studios
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COVER STORY {by mike saucier}
EASY GIVING HOW LISA GEYSER AND ALEX SKLAR MADE IT SIMPLE FOR FAMILIES TO GIVE BACK
Necessity is the mother of invention. That age-old proverb applies to the creation of nonprofit organizations as well.
giving a part of all of their lives, with the shared experience serving as a powerful way to reinforce philanthropic values.
Families Giving Back, which helps parents engage kids in volunteering at a young age, is the result of a search over five years ago by Lisa Geyser and Alex Sklar, who sought to volunteer alongside their children. The two Phoenix residents met at the North Central Parenting Group and have sets of boys around the same age.
So the idea emerged: What if they created a way for families to give back, to make it convenient for the parents, the children and the nonprofit to help others?
They wanted to show their kids the importance of giving back and participate in the activity with them. They wanted to make
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“People are very generous and they want to give but they just don’t know how,” Geyser said. “If you’re a busy mom and look on the computer for an hour and you can’t find a way to volunteer with your children then you’re probably not going to do it. Because that’s what we tried to do.”
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Photo Credit: Families Giving Back
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They founded Families Giving Back in 2012 and since then the nonprofit has hosted 100 or so events and totaled between 1,500-2,000 volunteer hours a year. It has led events with some of the most recognized nonprofit organizations in the Valley, including Phoenix Children’s Hospital, St. Vincent de Paul, Valley of the Sun United Way, Free Arts for Abused Children of AZ, Keep Phoenix Beautiful and Banner Cardon Children’s Medical Center, benefiting causes that are dear to Geyser and Sklar: children and wellbeing. The Families Giving Back model has worked so well they now get calls from nonprofits around the country that have heard about its success. Theirs was the first organization in the history of both St. Mary’s Food Bank and Phoenix Children’s Hospital to volunteer on-site with children under the age of 12 and 16 respectively. Whether it’s hosting a sock drive, cleaning up trash or readying Thanksgiving meals, the events serve a practical purpose — they produce a tangible end product that serves a need. But there is also something happening beneath the surface at the events. The kids who attend begin to develop more empathy. 12 | FRONTDOORSMEDIA.COM
They start to get the helping habit. For example, The Wall Street Journal conducted an email discussion among experts on the topic of “How to Raise Your Child to Be a Philanthropist.” Alison Powell, senior director at the Bridgespan Group, a nonprofit consulting group for philanthropists, wrote as part of the discussion: “Embedded in philanthropy is often the concept of empathy, a critical social and emotional skill. Ultimately, if parents value philanthropy and wish to support empathy development in their children, it is likely they will want to pass this value on to their children.” Families Giving Back checked two boxes for Geyser and Sklar: It provided simple opportunities for families to spend time giving back to their community and gave them a chance to shape their children to be the type of kids, as Geyser said, whose first instinct will be to help a child who has fallen, not laugh at them. APRIL 2017
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Getting children involved in volunteering definitely helps them develop empathy, which will impact their lives for years to come.” on happiness, emotional intelligence, success and community involvement.
Kids who attend their volunteer events beam with pride and a sense of responsibility. On a recent Saturday morning at Phoenix Children’s Hospital, a hundred or so parents and children were busy fashioning cards and door hangers and assembling arts and crafts for young patients. Assembly lines of parents side by side with kids filled the room. A buzz of upbeat energy charged through the place. “You can see that they have a sense of pride,” said Sklar. “There’s nothing better as a parent than looking at your child do something good and feel good doing it.” Sklar said she and Geyser have been seeing more and more in the media about the importance of empathy and its effect APRIL 2017
“Getting children involved in volunteering definitely helps them develop empathy, which will impact their lives for years to come,” Sklar said. “Through our volunteer events and projects, we not only help to instill the importance of helping others, but also the importance of treating all people, regardless of their age, gender, race, or circumstances with the same respect and compassion.” One of their favorite things, both women said, is watching their kids interact with those they are helping. All differences seem to fall away. According to studies, of the 44% of adults who volunteer for a cause, twothirds started at young age. And children who volunteer are more likely to feel connected to their communities, do better FRONTDOORSMEDIA.COM | 13
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in school and are less likely to engage in risky behavior. So volunteering while young clearly provides lasting effects. “It’s beautiful to watch our volunteers have so much fun spending time with seniors, read with their friends they’ve met at a family shelter, or make something special for a child they know is not feeling well,” Sklar said. “They see the person for who they are, not what they look like or what their circumstances may be. I always say that the world would be a better place if more adults could see the world through the eyes of children.” It’s much easier to have the conversation with teenagers about giving back, about being empathetic, if they’ve been volunteering at an early age, Sklar pointed out. If not, “it’s going to be really hard” to start from scratch, she said. If they start early, “they don’t think twice” about giving back to their community once they grow up, Sklar said.
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Geyser said, “We always say when our boys get older we hope they do the same thing with their kids and so on, so you’re kind of building these generations of philanthropists.” When they began investigating the viability of a family volunteer organization, Geyser and Sklar, who have advertising (Sklar) and marketing (Geyser) backgrounds, began organizing small events and asking friends to come. The first was at Central Arizona Shelter Services, a test run to see if there was a market for their idea. Geyser said they wanted to gauge satisfaction among the volunteers and, just as important, the nonprofit itself “to make sure they were happy with whatever we did.” They didn’t have an organization in the Valley to model.
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“We started Families Giving Back because we couldn’t find those opportunities,” Sklar said. “So we ended up looking across the country to find out where there were organizations like ours and contacted them and did some learning and information sharing to see how they got started and what kind of events they were doing.” Geyser said they talked with Little Helping Hands in Austin and Doing Good Together in the Twin Cities in Minnesota. They took the tips that come out of those conversations and used their event experience with Central Arizona Shelter Services to prove to skeptical nonprofits — who were not in love with the concept of having young children come and volunteer — that the idea worked. The women assured the nonprofits they wanted to work with that they would handle everything.
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ONGOING VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES Feed My Starving Children Packing Sessions Tranquility Trail Animal Sanctuary Empty Bowl Pet Food Pantry Magazine Publishers Family Literacy Project Visit www.familiesgivingback.org to see the latest volunteer opportunities.
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Photo credit: Thurlkill Studios
“We come in we provide all the materials,” Geyser said. “We organize all the volunteers, we have all that registration taken care of and so it’s really a benefit to them without any extra work on their part other than maybe being there on a Saturday.”
“Now we post an event or send an email out to our mailing list and in a couple hours we’ve filled up 200 spots,” Geyser said. “And those same friends are calling and saying, ‘I can’t get in.’ It’s a great problem to have and that’s why we want to grow, to be able to have engage more families.”
Geyser said they were first group to go into Phoenix Children’s Hospital and show that it can work. The hospital liked what they were doing and asked if they could do a second shift with big donor families or families that have always wanted to help at the hospital, but never quite knew how.
“Pretty early on we confirmed our belief that there’s a lot of those families out there that want to help,” Geyser said. “They just don’t know where to go, what to do and we’ve made it easy. It’s a weekend event, it’s an hour, it can fit into a schedule. It’s definitely shown how much people want to help. As many events as we’ve done over the five years it never gets old for us.”
When they started out, Sklar said, “we would ask our friends to please come to our event” so she and Geyser could get a clear understanding of how it would work.
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KITCHEN DOORS {where we ate this month}
RANCHO PINOT Lincoln Village Shops Some restaurants you walk in and you know you’re going to like it. It’s as if the care taken to get the décor down right and theme aligned properly will automatically translate into a superb dining experience. That was the case for Rancho Pinot, the 23-year-old gem tucked in Lincoln Village Shops on Scottsdale Rd. The wait was long for a table so we rolled up to the bar, which would be an unfortunate scenario at many restaurants. But bar seats at Rancho Pinot suited us just fine and proved to offer a better vantage point to glimpse the scene. The bar seats are far enough apart to make casual chitchat an option, not a mandate and the friendly vibe made it tempting to talk to fellow bar diners. So we did, with nice results. Oh yeah, and the food. All you need to know is chef and owner Chrysa Robertson raises hens for eggs and grows herbs for the restaurant at her 80-year adobe house. That is the essence of this place – the use of local ingredients to create American comfort fare in a cool setting. If you go, the ravioli and the grilled flatiron steak are terrific starting points. Because you will go back – it just draws you in. — Mike Saucier
DURANT’S
Photo Credit: Mike Saucier
Phoenix There’s nothing new to report at Durant’s, which is good — you don’t go to Durant’s because you want something new, you go because it’s Durant’s. I encounter people who haven’t been to Durant’s and I always think of Arizonans who have never gone to the Grand Canyon — how could you live so close and not go? Anyway, the missus and I went for our wedding anniversary this month, and it was fantastic as usual. We popped some oysters on the half shell, and the better half ordered the scallops, which were perfectly prepared. The only miss — I opted for a filet mignon Oscar style (with crab and béarnaise sauce on top) and they drenched it a bit with the sauce. The key lime pie we had for dessert has to rank among the best in town.
Photo Credit: Durant’s
If there is anything new, it’s that Durant’s is more of a scene now. It used to be a locals-only haunt where you went for power meetings and special occasions. Now it’s more tourists and first-timers. But that’s OK — Durant’s is a treasure and meant to be shared. — Tom Evans
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Stop by AJ’s in April to make a donation and help heal Arizona’s abused and homeless children through artistic expression.
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DOUGHBIRD HAS LANDED
Frontdoors Media’s Tom Evans, Andrea Evans and Mike Saucier all had a chance to go to the soft opening of Sam Fox’s Doughbird on March 24. Here’s what they had to say about the newest addition to the Arcadia culinary scene.
Photo Credit: Doughbird
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TE: OK, I’ll start. I’m a fan of just about everything Sam Fox puts out there but I was skeptical about this concept beforehand — I didn’t see how rotisserie chicken and pizza are a natural fit. I felt like Sam spun the Wheel of Cuisine and “rotisserie chicken + pizza” is what he got; we were fortunate he didn’t get “Polynesian + traditional Scottish” or something instead. (Although I’m sure he could make “Poi MacHaggis” work at 44th and Indian School if he tried). Anyway, I get it now. It works. Mike, you went for lunch and Andrea and I went for dinner. What was your take on the lunch environment, and what did you have? MS: I went in less skeptical. It’s Sam Fox. So there’s a track record of success my taste buds could attest to, plus it’s pizza and chicken…so not much cause for concern. We shared the cast iron shishito peppers which were surprisingly spicy (I hate when restaurants turn down the heat out of concern) and one of the highlights of the meal. We also had the pepperoni and burrata pizza. I will go back and have that again. The thick-cut pepperonis curled up to form lovely little bowls. We shared an apple and goat cheese salad, which was terrific. I also appreciated the well-curated beer options (go with Mama’s Yella Pils…) How was your dinner experience? Did you have the rotisserie? AE: I love a good roast chicken (and know how to make one myself) and Doughbird’s rendition did not disappoint. We ordered it with a side of horseradish sauce (there are several to pick from for $1 each) and a side of brussel sprouts and crispy kale drizzled
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with a dark sweet and sour sauce. I am looking forward to calling in for take out chicken on the way home from the office! I also recommend “the local” cocktail, it’s perfect for a hot Arizona day. TE: We also got the spiral ham pizza, which features shishito peppers and pineapple. The thing about the pizzas — since it’s not like we need another pizza joint in Phoenix — was that they are really, really unique. Like, not-ingredients-I-would-think-to-put-onpizza unique. I was expecting North’s pizza menu, but this was really different. It’s as if it’s not “pizza,” it’s a flavor-delivery vehicle that happens to be in the form of a pizza. Mike, what did you think of the room? I thought it was fine, and that the dining experience sort of notches in between Flower Child and something like North — a sit-down place, but once you’re going to be in and out of in about an hour. MS: Well, one of the elements I’ve loved about Fox restaurants is how he uses the space — they are warm, welcoming, well-lit spaces (via natural light during the day and smartly lit at night) with high ceilings and nicely spaced seating. Doughbird follows this pattern. TE: Well, the formal opening is the week of March 27, so readers, you’ll get a chance to have your own experience — but expect some lines in the process. Doughbird is located on the southwest corner of 44th Street and Indian School Road. For menu and information, visit www.foxrc.com/ restaurants/doughbird/.
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OFFICE DOORS {leadership}
Photo Credit: Mike Saucier
Mesha Davis
THE ARIZONA FOUNDATION FOR WOMEN’S NEW CEO TALKS ABOUT CREATING A VOICE FOR WOMEN Mike Saucier | EDITOR Mesha Davis is driven to help people because she doesn’t want them to have to live the way she did as a girl growing up in Milwaukee. The new CEO of the Arizona Foundation for Women draws inspiration from her mother, who she calls her “power pellet” (Davis is a true Ms. Pac-Man fan). 22 | FRONTDOORSMEDIA.COM
“We grew up really poor but she had great women that she worked with [in Milwaukee], in her corner, in her ear,” Davis said. “So my mom always told me that we may be poor - and I’m not saying this in a bad way - but we don’t have to act or look poor because sometimes people put a certain image on people who are poor.”
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Her mother would insist that hair was combed and posture was correct, Davis said, and would especially “lose it” when Mesha would come back from visiting her grandparents in the South and say “y’all.” “She just wanted me to have a better life,” Davis said. “She used a friend’s address so that I could go to a better school system.” The school found out but still wanted Davis to stay. School officials even let her mother know that a couple other families living outside the district were doing the same in case they wanted to carpool. “I was the only black student in the entire school,” Davis said. “I was a city kid in a community of farmers. It was a Germandescent community. So I would sing in German and do square-dancing - things that I as a little African-American kid never heard of or did. It was a different experience.” Davis is settling into her role as CEO, which she assumed last October. The Arizona Foundation for Women, which strives to create a better life for Arizona’s women and children, is a supporting organization of the Arizona Community Foundation. In her previous role as chief development officer at Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS, Davis helped raise millions. Before that, she worked at The Family Partnership in Minneapolis. The support provided by Arizona Community Foundation includes office space, “which saves us a lot of money otherwise we’d have to put to getting our own facility or leasing out other space,” Davis said. “It’s a wonderful new partnership that we just started last year.” Davis added that her organization also receives office support for financial work and human resources, which allows the APRIL 2017
foundation to focus on its mission. Marilyn Seymann, who is still a board member, launched the Arizona Foundation for Women in 1995 after noticing a lack of resources and funding available for women and girls for issues like domestic violence and sex trafficking. The foundation focuses on a few key things, Davis said: making sure women are safe; that they are healthy; and to empower them economically so they could have the resources, the right jobs, and the right pay to help raise a family or be a part of raising a family. When she lived in Minneapolis she volunteered for the Minnesota Women’s Foundation and helped launch a giving circle group. They would give out grants to small non-profits that sought to help AfricanAmerican women. Davis helped build the platform, drafted the mission statements and developed the grant applications. “I got to be around long enough for one grant cycle and it really felt good” to see how the group’s work had an effect, she said. In her new role here in the Valley, she oversees one of the key elements at the Arizona Foundation for Women. The organization researches issues related to women and uses the results to focus the foundation’s resources – in the form of grants to nonprofits – to try to move the needle on the issue. “Our goal is to drive these numbers to be in a better position for women and that they have a voice, a place, equal opportunities for employment, that they’re getting an education and making sure there are no barriers,” Davis said.
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GIVING IN STYLE {fashion in the philanthropy lane}
ZANG TOI Couture Humanitarian Tyler Butler | SOCIETY AND FASHION WRITER
Famed fashion designer Zang Toi visits Phoenix, in partnership with Saks Fifth Avenue, to support Fresh Start Women’s Foundation.
Zang Toi’s happy demeanor was evident from his pleasant manner to the cap he wore and referred to as his “happy hat.” The Malaysian designer was involved in not only the Fresh Start kickoff event last October, but also the gala in February of this year. At the 2017 Fresh Start Women’s Foundation Gala, Zang shared his collection in an extraordinary style with a beautiful installation in the center of The Phoenician ballroom, allowing guests the opportunity to have an upclose, 360-degree view of his most recent masterpieces. Zang was a natural match for this, as his own philosophical beliefs align with that of the Fresh Start Women’s Foundation. He, too, believes that every person deserves a bright and safe future. Zang came from humble beginnings, growing up atop the grocery store his parents owned. He was the youngest of seven and while his family was tight-knit, 24 | FRONTDOORSMEDIA.COM
they were like most families in Malaysia and had few extravagances. Zang left Malaysia for New York City 36 years ago with only $300 in his pocket to attend the famed Parsons School of Design, where he honed his craft and became the couture artisan he is today. Zang Toi’s fall 2017 collection was one that brought his family, namely his mother and sister, to his favorite hotel in his favorite city in the world, Place Vendôme, the Ritz Paris. Having the hotel to themselves for three full days before the venue opened to the public, Zang and his family were able to leisurely enjoy the beautiful results of the four-year renovation project. Zang was drawn to the decadent décor and particularly to the brilliant royal blues in the hotel’s furniture. It would be this alone that inspired his most recent collection, the same collection that was generously shared at the 2017 Fresh Start Gala. APRIL 2017
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Photo credit: Haute Photography
But Zang is much more than couture fashion and decadent design. At his core he is a crusader for those who are less fortunate or perhaps insecure in following their own path. For years Zang has leveraged his fashion shows to bring attention to the Human Rights Foundation. Putting his talent to good use, he would auction off photos of his past designs to raise funds in support of this cause. And through his recent partnership with Papyrus he not only launched a fabulous collection of beautifully designed greeting cards, but he was also able to support a close model friend and her charity focused on building and restoring water wells in the model’s native village in Africa. Just last year Zang joined forces with Saudi Princess Reema Al Saud to draw attention to several charitable causes. Most notably of these was the Zahra Breast Cancer Association. This organization actively APRIL 2017
participates in efforts to fight breast cancer with Saudi Arabia in an effort to provide future generations with the opportunity to lead peaceful lives unthreatened by this disease. As Zang explains, “fashion and philanthropy are a perfect fit together.” Zang believes that the glamour of fashion should be leveraged to raise money and awareness for causes. And so Zang revealed exclusively to Frontdoors that he looks to launch his own foundation in the years to come. He will focus on drug abuse and empowering youth to just say no. Having spent years working in fashion, he has been acutely in tune to the abuse of drugs in his industry. His message will be simple and meaningful: “You don’t FRONTDOORSMEDIA.COM | 25
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need drugs to be creative.� Zang said many talented people have been lost to drug addiction and he plans to start helping young people early so that they have the strength to say no and to realize that creativity is something that comes from within, not from an altered state of consciousness.
Tyler Butler
SOCIETY AND FASHION WRITER
The future of Zang Toi is not only filled with these altruistic aspirations, but also with some rather large business endeavors. On the horizon is a lifestyle brand, a partnership with Lexus and some licensing opportunities. Bringing Zang Toi from the coveted world of couture to the mainstream, where eagerly awaiting fashionistas anticipate.
@tylerjbutler 26 | FRONTDOORSMEDIA.COM
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Hair by Julia Mendez
Corrective Cutting • Event Styling • Color Specialist Personal Appointments Available
602-312-5245
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HEAR HERE {news, updates and events} The best stories we saw this month about those who give generously and work for a better future.
WASTE NOT, WAY AHEAD OF ITS TIME, MATCHES EXCESS WITH NEED The operation that delivered three million pounds of food to hungry people in 2016 is run out of an 8’ by 10’ office inside of a Scottsdale senior center. Waste NOT lives up to its name. Not even an inch of office space is squandered. Its president and CEO, Dee Mitten, said they don’t get much walk-in traffic at its roomsized headquarters. “We’re pretty well hidden,” she said. Its tiny office reflects the low profile of Waste NOT.
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“Here we are celebrating our 30th birthday and in some quarters we’re still the best-kept secret in Phoenix,” Mitten told Frontdoors. “The main reason is that we’re behind the scenes. We’re not located in big huge facilities. There’s a perception that we’re a food bank but we’re not. We don’t warehouse food.” Its refrigerated six trucks and van are housed at the Salvation Army, a relationship “we’ve had since the beginning of time,” Mitten said. READ MORE ONLINE
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HEAR HERE {news, updates and events} The best stories we saw this month about those who give generously and work for a better future.
LA RUSSA’S PAWS CAUSE For Tony La Russa, helping animals is far more than a “pet” cause. La Russa and his wife Elaine have long shared a passion for companion animals. The Hall of Fame manager who led the Oakland A’s and St. Louis Cardinals to World Series titles did not have a pet while growing up, due in part to his mother
having a traumatic incident with a cat. But he has more than made up for that lost time around animals by founding Animal Rescue Foundation (which boasts one of the best nonprofit acronyms you’ll find – ARF), that saves dogs and cats who have run out of time at public shelters and pairs them with someone in need of a companion.
READ MORE ONLINE
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HEAR HERE {news, updates and events} The best stories we saw this month about those who give generously and work for a better future.
RED CROSS SPECIALIST FROM PHOENIX HELPS ORGANIZATION OPEN NEW OFFICE IN BAGHDAD Opening a Red Cross office in Baghdad is not an enterprise many are able to undertake. But for Kimberly Chromicz, it’s a means of doing what she likes to do – which is to help make life easier for American service members, civilians, and contractors in Iraq. Chromicz, a Red Cross specialist from Phoenix, is in the Iraqi capital as part of a two-person team responsible for opening a new office. Their primary mission, she told Frontdoors, is to provide emergency communication messages for service members, civilians, and contractors there who are having a family emergency back home. Her mission doesn’t end there. “We’ll also have a canteen service set up with a lounge, books, movies, coffee, snacks, toiletries, and more to provide the service members, civilians, and contractors there a place to relax and enjoy a little bit of home,” Chromicz said.
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In other locations with the Red Cross, Chromicz has organized fun runs and other activities that help boost morale and resiliency. “We’ll be reaching out to forward deployed locations and seeing how we can support them with whatever they may need,” she said. “While we cannot travel throughout the country, we can ship food, toiletries, and comfort items.” READ MORE ONLINE
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HEAR HERE {news, updates and events} The best stories we saw this month about those who give generously and work for a better future.
COLANGELO ON A MISSION Jerry Colangelo made a decision to have prostate cancer surgery on New Year’s Eve in 2004 so he could start 2005 with a clean slate. Now it’s 13 years later and one of the many things he does with his time – a cause dear to his heart – is serve as honorary chairman of a golf tournament to help make men aware that they need to get their prostates checked.
The 16th Annual Jerry Colangelo Sports Legends Golf Classic tees off at the Arizona Biltmore on Sunday, April 9, with a celebrity and player dinner party, auction and comedy show. NFL Hall of Fame wide receiver Andre Reed will be among the many former football players at the party. That night of fun is followed by a golf tournament on Monday, April 10 — a fiveman scramble, each team captained by a Hall of Famer or sports celebrity.
READ MORE ONLINE
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GIVING BACK {charity spotlight}
ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS FOUNDATION Tom Evans | CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
The Cause From the Foundation’s web site, “The mission of the Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation is to support three main areas of need: homelessness, indigent healthcare and children’s programs of all types, including education and youth baseball field development. In addition, the Foundation has created strategic programs that address the needs of our community including veterans, police, teachers, and firefighters — just to name a few.” But in particular, the Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation has jumped into the fight against
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cancer. Diamondbacks President and CEO Derrick Hall is a prostate cancer survivor, and his wife is currently fighting breast cancer, so it’s a cause close to the hearts of many in the organization — and sparked the creation of the Race Against Cancer. “To have something solely focused on cancer was really special to me,” Hall said. “The first year was a big success, and now we’re starting to see — as with so many walk and races around cancer — we’re seeing more and more teams and corporations and individuals rally around it.”
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The RACE
Photo Credit: Sarah Sachs/Arizona Diamondbacks
D-BACKS RACE AGAINST CANCER “5K & 1 Mile Banana Boat Family Fun Walk” Sunday, April 9, 2017 Downtown Phoenix
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GIVING BACK CONTINUED
The Story “The Foundation originated with a focus on homelessness, indigent care and children,” Hall said. “And those are still areas of focus, but there’s not too many other areas we deny or turn down these days. We find ourselves working in a lot of worthy causes, whether it’s helping and contributing through our youth jersey program, or building fields, or our Ken Kendrick Grand Slam Awards…we’re on a nice pace of about $5 million per year in giving. This is a big year for us — we’re surpassing a total of $50 million in total giving in our history. We’re able to do this because of the stage we play on, and create nice ways to partner with corporations and fans and people in the community with a similar mission.”
THE EVENT The Race Against Cancer will take place on April 9, starting with a 5K at 7:15 p.m. beginning at Chase Field and winding through downtown. The Banana Boat 1-mile Family Fun Walk will start at 8:30 a.m. at Chase Field. All funds will go to the Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation. Participants will be able to take a victory lap around Chase Field’s outfield wall prior to the Diamondbacks game against the Cleveland Indians starting at 1:10 p.m. Registration is $50 for the 5K and $30 for the 1-mile walk for adults, and the walk is only $5 for children.
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GIVING BACK CONTINUED
It’s been incredible,” Hall said. “We now have a 5K and a one-mile family walk, and the route through downtown is tremendous, beginning and ending at Chase Field. It’s a huge stage and it really feels like a sporting event. This will be Year #5 and the beneficiaries are cancer organizations as well as the University of Arizona Cancer Center and Dignity Health.”
“Last year we had about 2,800 people, and this year we’re expecting more than 3,000,” he said. “The atmosphere is unreal, with people’s faces and team names on t-shirts and people high-fiving each other. There’s a great deal of emotion and gratitude — everyone there has been touched by cancer in some way, or knows someone battling it or who has survived it.” “It does provide a voice for people who have suffered because of cancer,” he said. “So many people are no longer with us today because of the various types of cancer, so when we can — in their honor — drive awareness and help to find cures, we’ll do all we can do to spread the word.”
Pro-State Foundation After being diagnosed with prostate cancer, Hall started his own foundation called The ProState Foundation — designed to put those with prostate cancer “in a pro state of mind.” “I found that I was fortunate to have people to talk to who had been through it themselves, but had I not had those people I don’t know where I would have turned,” Hall said. “I wanted to create a platform where people could have their questions answered, hear my story, drive awareness and education and hopefully help with research funding. It’s been a success so far…although there’s a large APRIL 2017
fraternity of people who go through this disease, people are scared or don’t know where to go. “Last year, for the first time, we started a huge awareness effort on Father’s Day around minor league baseball,” he said. “We had information and giveaways and pamphlets — it’s overwhelming in that one in six men will have this disease. The more I can do to drive awareness about it, the better.” Visit pro-state.org for more information.
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TAX CREDIT DIRECTORY {spring 2017}
It’s almost tax time — and there’s a great way to use tax time to the advantage of local charities and schools. If you don’t know about Arizona’s charity and school tax credits, check out our Tax Credit Directory to see some of the great organizations who can benefit from these donations — and learn how you can help our community in a way that has a positive impact on your bottom line. VIEW FULL DIRECTORY HERE
Foster Care Charitable Organizations
AASK (Aid to Adoption of Special Kids) www.aask-az.org
Arizona Friends of Foster Children Foundation affcf.org
StreetLightUSA streetlightusa.org
Public Schools
Arizona School for the Arts (ASA) goasa.org
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TAX CREDIT DIRECTORY {spring 2017}
Arizona Qualified Charities
Arizona Autism United azaunited.org
Big Brothers Big Sisters bbbsaz.org
Duet Partners in Health and Aging duetaz.org
Phoenix Indian Center phxindcenter.com
Valley of the Sun United Way vsuw.org
Arizona’s Children Association arizonaschildren.org
Society of St. Vincent de Paul stvincentdepaul.net
Southwest Human Development swhd.org
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APRIL 28, 2017 AT 11:30 AM THE PHOENICIAN RESORT SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA A fundraiser to feed Valley children featuring Academy Award®-winning actor and advocate Geena Davis Early Bird Tickets available at vsuw.org/wlclunch Arizona First Lady Angela Ducey, Honorary Chair All proceeds from this luncheon directly benefit Breakfast in the Classroom, a program of Valley of the Sun United Way’s Ending Hunger in the Classroom Initiative.
PRESENTING SPONSOR
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PREMIER SPONSOR
BREAKFAST IN THE CLASSROOM SPONSOR
CHAMPION SPONSORS
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A SECOND ACT {stories of perseverance}
Cancer Survivors Join Forces to Facilitate Peer Support WE UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY’RE FACING Judy Pearson | CONTRIBUTING WRITER 40 | FRONTDOORSMEDIA.COM
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A SECOND ACT CONTINUED
In the wake of a life challenge, many people use the treasures they find among their wreckage to help others who might face the same challenge. Circle of Strength is just one of the wonderful organizations around the Valley that has done just that, along with shining a light on the beauty of the human spirit. This month I spoke with Allison Sanders, co-founder and board vice chair of Cancer Survivors Circle of Strength of AZ. What was the inspiration behind creating this organization, your 2nd Act? Lots of good happens when women get together over coffee! Three years ago, some survivor friends and I realized a huge need in the Valley: there were lots of cancer organizations doing lots of good things, but they all needed volunteers to pull off them off. When I went through cancer treatment, I was desperate for some kind of peer-to-peer support. I wanted to talk to someone who had traveled the same journey and could look me in the eyes and tell me it was all going to be okay. So we also developed a peerto-peer support program, the Survivor Connections Network. What good deeds do you do? In other words, what is your mission? We do two things. First, we provide survivor volunteers to cancer organizations for their events such as fundraisers, walks and runs, galas. Secondly, our Survivor Connections Network allows our trained survivor peers to work directly with newly diagnosed patients. We understand what they’re facing - we’ve been in those trenches. We distribute directories, sorted by cancer type, and provide profiles of the survivor peers, including gender, cancer, types of treatment, and more. Patient navigators and social workers at Valley hospitals and treatment centers make the directories APRIL 2017
available to their new patients, who select a peer. The relationship begins with phone conversations, but could ultimately become as intimate as going to doctor appointments and treatments together. Each peer has been trained by Circle of Strength, in conjunction with social workers. These are people who have walked the same path as the newly diagnosed patient. They’ll provide resources and, most importantly, hope for brighter days. What population do you serve? Our work touches survivors of all cancers across Maricopa County. We estimate our army of volunteers – 28, with ample room for more – has served more than 5,000 people over the last few years. Where do you see your organization a year from now? I see our Survivor Connections Network serving and collaborating with treatment facilities all across the Valley. We’ll continue to support more local cancer organizations, as well as national ones with a local presence. Tell me about your inspiring experiences. We had incredible experiences at the Memory Tree of a local event. The tree leaves had messages on them, written either in memory of, or in honor of, someone special. As they hung their leaves on the tree, each person wanted to share the story of their loved one. And by the end of the story, it was as if we knew those people too. Watching this organization grow into what it has become has been so empowering to me personally. And I think our entire board feels that way, too. I feel as though it’s my legacy – something that can grow beyond me. This interview was condensed for brevity.
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OPEN DOORS {publisher’s page}
NORTH CENTRAL RISING Long live the independent restaurant owner! We moved to the North Central corridor — Windsor Square, to be exact — about 10 years ago. It was right before the launch of light rail — and the economic downturn. But we had high hopes the neighborhood would grow around us. Turns out we were right. As a neighbor in the North Central corridor and a selfproclaimed foodie, I could not be more pleased with the explosion of diverse, fun and mostly family friendly restaurants that continue to pop
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up along both Central Avenue and along 7th Street just north of Missouri. And, I am thrilled to see these places giving back to nonprofits via gift certificate contributions in silent auctions, raffles and even some live auction events this season. Starting with 7th Street, I suggest going on a food tour on a weekend afternoon or evening (we love to do this with out-of-towners). So grab some comfy shoes, a bike or an Uber/Lyft and set out for some good eats! Suggested itinerary #1: A drink and appetizer at The Herb Box, then hop across the street to
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Photo Credit: Mike Saucier
Mora to share an item or two as a second course with a glass of wine from their incredible wine list. Then venture over to The Yard for your choice of Barrio Urbano, Little Cleo’s or Culinary Dropout for your main dish and land back at Stock and Stable for a nightcap with dessert. Or #2: Start at Pure Sushi for some happy hour bites before 6, wander up the street a bit to Joe’s Midnight Run for some great pub food, then stroll back south to take in a game at the bar at Spinato’s with a cold one and thin crust pizza. If it’s a double-header, wrap up the evening at the just-opened Cold Beer and Cheeeburgers
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back up the street. And if you need to dance it off at anytime, jump in to The Womack — it’s a good time guarantee. And we can’t forget the Camelback and Central corner, so here’s my idea of a perfect Sunday Funday: start early with a brunch item at St. Francis paired with one of their hand-made beverages, shuffle across the street to Uptown Plaza for some greens at Flower Child or hit the deep dish at Lou Malnati’s — its only outlet outside of Illinois, and not local but family owned. Then roll the dice to pick from one
of Upward Projects’ outlets (Postino, Joyride, Federal Pizza, Windsor) along Central for an afternoon sip or ice cream at Churn. Look at us in North Central — we’ve got that “real” big city going on around here. If you have a favorite culinary tour in your ‘hood, let me know and maybe we’ll try it out for ourselves.
Andrea Tyler Evans PUBLISHER
@AndreaTEvans
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BE A PART OF
the new frontdoors Frontdoors Media is bringing you the best coverage of the Valley’s events, philanthropy, culture and much, much more. We’re working to take the great Frontdoors Media platform and make it even better for readers and advertisers. We hope you enjoy the April 2017 issue of our online magazine. The April issue is sure to get some notice — and we ’ll be sharing it with our 35,000 e-mail subscribers and extensive social media networks to make sure. You can be a part of the new Frontdoors Magazine by advertising in our May 1 issue! Our advertising packages start at just $600 for the magazine, and we can tailor some great digital solutions for your marketing needs that include our weekly e-blasts, web site and social media platforms. Click this ad to view our rate card, or for more information, contact:
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