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powering up omaha’s 2014 yp summit
Celebrating Commitment to the Community
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SpiritofOmaha.com
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features / depaRtMents
metroMAGAZINE • The Spirit of Omaha
features
events
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cover stoRy
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departments
POWERED UP 2014 YP summit levels it up
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SCENE: recent charity & cultural events
metrospiRit
16 “HE SAID/SHE SAID”
communityconnection
mike & mary from KMTV’s morning blend
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WHAT EMPOWERS YOU? asking YPs
MULBERRY LANE celebrating the little things
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MARY E. VANDENACK renewing your vitality • celebrating spring
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awareness
26 26
TOO MANY COOKS omaha restaurant association
businesses Making a difference
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AWARENESS
56
SAVE THE DATE
BRACELET
62 120 YEARS outtakes: nebraska children’s home society
ERGONOMICS OF GIVING all makes
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PLANNING MATTERS with PVW Law
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TODAYS SAVINGS with swartzbaugh farber & associates
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IMPACT! with stephanie vondrak d.d.s.
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metroMagazine • MaR 2014
SHOOTING THE COVER WITH ©LAURIE AN D CHARLES
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Found at these locations and many more! • Adam Michael Jewelry • The Blue Barn Theater • The Bookworm • BorsheiMs Fine Jewelry & Gifts • Bright spirit Center • Brix • BunGAlow/8 • Candy wrappers • Christian nobel Furs • CrAVe • Creative hair Design salon & spa • Dante • The Durham Museum • Dundee Gallery • elisa ilana Jewelry • embassy suites omaha la Vista • Five salon • Fontenelle Forest nature Center • Fox hollow Coffee • Greenbelly restaurant • hotel Deco XV • Jaipur restaurant & Brewing Company
• ramada Plaza omaha • Johnny's italian steakhouse • regency Court • K*9 lives rescue • rock Bottom Boutique & Gifts Brewery & restaurant andRea L. Hoig • la Casa Pizzaria • roots and wings ahoig@spiritofomaha.com MaRcH 2014 • VoL. 26 no. 3 • lewis Art Gallery • sAC Federal Credit union p.o. box 241611, oMaHa, ne 68124 editor@spiritofomaha.com • liberty Tavern • sCulPT: Contemporary Publisher/Editor-in-Chief Editor/Creative Director Cosmetic surgery • The linen Gallery andrea L. Hoig Robert p. killmer • she•la • Malashock's Contributors Leo adam biga Mulberry Lane • shucks Fish house • The Market Basket daniel Flanigan Ryan pendell Roger Humphries kara schweiss & oyster Bar • nebraska humane society MoRning bLend’s dave stock “Mike & Mary” Mary Vandenack • spirit world • nothing Bundt Cakes • springfield Artworks Creative Collaboration | Cover Design • omaha Ballroom p u b photography L i c a t i&ocasting n s by ©Laurie and charles • statement clothing by J. crew • omaha Hair styling by eric burden for bungaLoW/8 Hairdressing • studioviews Makeup styling by stephanie shely for bungaLoW/8 Hairdressing Children's Museum • omaha Community There•isTaste a senserestaurant of excitement that I always feel as we transition from Magazine Winter toisSpring, metro wholly owned and operated by the publisher and is not affiliated with any other a “knowingness” that the process of rebirth and rejuvenation is about to begin. As we move publication, operating solely on subscription and advertising Playhouse • T'eez will of and charities into this new renewed state often times it means itrevenues is timeand to the letgood go: let gotheofagencies behaviors and we support; of which are very important to the continuing growth and quality sena longer serve us, salon relationships that areallofholding us back. Nothing stays the • omaha Creative institutehabits thatAnoThomas this publication. thank you to all who supportsame, this endeavor. and though change can be scary, with change comes an empty canvas OFFICE/SALES for us to paint the next • V Mertz restaurant • omaha Performing Arts part of our journey on – an opportunity to explore new ideas. 402.932.3522 sales@spiritofomaha.com • Village Canvas & Cabernet • one Drake Place MISSION I believe that letting go is a natural process of life – a process that must takeSTATEMENT place in order for salon & spa mission of aLH publications is to recognize the ongoing • Village needleworks us to grow and evolve. I encourage others to look efforts atthe where each may be feeling stuck. of omaha-area businesses, organizations and individuals Sometimes a simple declaration to be “unstuck” gets the process of becoming more freeofincharitable and to better the community through their support • opera omaha • Vondrak Dental civicflood causes. aLHto publications motion, and a simple shift in our mindset allows the gates open. also encourages people’s desire to give something back to the community • Pandora • wheatfields through volunteerism and philanthropy. With the weeks leading up to March 21st, the firstcontents day of Spring, it’s my plan to embrace with of this magazine are copyrighted by aLH publications, • Pasta Amore • eatery & change Bakeryand rebirth that is now taking inc. in their entirety. part ofthere this publication love and grace the place in mynolife... is a lot ofmayit...be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or the journey • Personal Threads Boutique • Zin continues! room by any means - electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise - without the prior consent of the publisher. ©copyright 1990 – 2014 aLH publications, inc. • Zurlo's Bistro italiano • The Post & nickel all rights reserved. metroMagazine • aug 2014 6
alh
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from the publisheR
NEWNESSrevisited Renewal, Rebirth, Rejuvenation: “I give you this to take with you: Nothing remains as it was. If you know this, you can begin again, with pure joy in the uprooting.” ~ Judith Minty, “Letters to My Daughters” As we transition from winter to Spring there is a sense of excitement that I always get—a “knowingness” that the process of renewal, rebirth and rejuvenation is about to begin. As we move into this new renewed state often times it means it is time to let go: of habits and behaviors that no longer serve us, relationships that are holding us back. Nothing stays the same and change can be scary but with change comes an fresh canvas for us to use as we begin painting the next part of our journey and renew the will to explore new ideas.
andRea l. hoig ahoig@spiritofomaha.com
alh
I believe that letting go is a natural process of life—a process that must take place in order for us to grow and evolve. I encourage you to examine where you may be feeling stuck. Sometimes a simple declaration to become “unstuck” gets the process of breaking free in motion and a simple shift in our mind set allows floodgates to open.
p u b l i c a t i o n s
With the weeks leading up to March 21st, the first day of spring, I plan to embrace with love and grace the change and rebirth that is now taking place in my life. Exciting times are ahead, lots of change happening. May we all embrace and enjoy the renewal!
G
LOOK FOR THE ! Notice in our Save the Date section (p. 56) that many of the events have the icon above next to them. Learn much more about these organizations, their events, mission and needs in The Event Book 2014! Order your copy at SpiritofOmaha.com and we’ll mail it to your door.
www.SpiritofOmaha.com/Metro-Magazine/GEAGB/
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OMAHA’S YP’S level it up
Consider yourself a superhero? You might leave the 2014 Young Professionals Summit convinced—and ready to make a difference in your community. There’s inspiration for anyone regardless of job title. ~ MEAGAN SCHNOOR YP SUMMIT CHAIR
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STORY BY RYAN PENDELL | PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF YP SUMMIT
metroMagazine • The Spirit of Omaha
the ninth-annual yp summit seeks to inspire more than just ‘professional development’. it’s a call to action from omaha’s young professionals to supercharge our community. on march 6, over 1,500 young professionals in omaha will converge on the centurylink center for a day packed with fresh ideas, inspiring speakers, and an important message: “you have the power to create the community you want.” The YP Summit attracts over a thousand attendees each year with its popular “Even though John Legend was the ticket driver, Adam Braun received rave reviews,” said Tucker. “We were excited to see that people could understand lineup of keynote speakers, session leaders, and networking opportunities. Already in its ninth year, this one-day event is the fruit of months of planning the beauty of someone doing something amazing that’s impacting the nation [even though he] doesn’t have a big name like John Legend. and the effort of over a hundred volunteers. The organizers of this year’s That inspired all of us to really look at the keynote and the speaker Summit hope the event does more than inspire. They want to motivate selection this year, and focus less on the brand name of Omaha professionals to take action in their community. the individual and really look at what they’re doing Creating a Sense of Belonging in the communities they’re serving.” This year’s theme, Empower, developed out of personal experience. Megan Schnoor, environmental scientist and this year’s Summit event chair, moved Out of that process, the YP Summit selected to Omaha in 2006 from South Dakota. When she arrived, she had no friends Majora Carter to be this year’s keynote speaker. or family in the area. “I had to create the community I wanted to live in,” said Schnoor. She attended her first YP Summit in 2007 and has volunteered for the Summit since 2008. She hopes attendees will leave this year’s event inspired to make Omaha the city they want it to be.
“[The Summit is about] creating that sense of empowerment so that [attendees] can create a sense of belonging in their communities—in their places of employment, in their classrooms, in service projects, neighborhoods, places of worship,” said Schnoor. “I want it to be actionable so that the moment the attendees walk out the door they know what they’re going to do.”
Speaker Power Last year the YP Summit grabbed a lot of attention when they selected Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter John Legend as the keynote speaker. “That drew in a whole new audience for us,” said Sarah Tucker, senior business development executive and vice-chair for the YP Summit. However, when attendees filled out their surveys at the end of the day, one of the lesser known speakers stood out. Adam Braun, founder of Pencils for Change, shared his experience developing a nonprofit to provide education to children around the world.
powered up
Majora Carter is an urban revitalization strategist from the Bronx, a winner of a MacArthur “Genius” Grant, and a Peabody Award-winning broadcaster. She speaks across the country about the re-urbanization of society and economic development at the neighborhood level. “This is the ninth year of the Summit, and there’s only been a female keynote speaker one other time,” said Schnoor. “I thought it was really important we have a female speaker. Her message is very relatable to Omaha. Even though she might not be as well-known name-wise, I think her message will be very powerful.”
OMAHA’S YP’S LEVEL IT UP: EMPOWER YP SUMMIT 2014
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OMAHA’S YP’S level it up
CALEB POLLARD
The opening speaker comes from a city a little bit closer to home. “I really started planning the Summit when I decided I wanted Mike Smith to be a part of it,” said Schnoor. “I had seen him speak two years ago at TEDxOmaha. He was the last speaker of the day.” At first, Schnoor didn’t see how a guy with a skater persona could connect with her. “I stuck around and listened to him speak, and he blew me away.” Mike Smith is the founder of THE BAY, a nonprofit skate park and youth center in Lincoln, and Skate for Change, a group of local skaters who work on behalf of low-income and homeless people in the area. “If I wanted to create a community, I would definitely want Mike to be a part of it,” said Schnoor. The day’s closing speaker came as a suggestion from one of last year’s attendees. Erica Williams is a social impact strategist and member on the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Social Media. “She’s built her reputation as being the voice of our generation. She talks about a lot of topics that are close to what YPs care about,” said Schnoor.
Co-creating Our Community In between the main speakers, attendees will be able to choose from a variety of presentations during three breakout sessions. Some of the sessions include Joe Gerstandt’s “Flying Your Freak Flag,” Daniel Lawse’s “Regenerative Leadership,” and Jeff Kutash’s “Collective Impact: Addressing Community-wide Issues at Scale.” A new breakout session option this year will be a series called Fireside Chats. These interactive, talk show-style conversations will bring together experienced leaders to discuss how they work to make a difference in their communities.
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metroMagazine • The Spirit of Omaha
One of the fireside chats will be with this year’s Co-creators. The Co-creator designation began last year as a way to identify people in the Omaha community who are making a difference.
OTHELLO MEADOWS
“Co-creators are entrepreneurs, performers, students, organizers, activists, and concerned citizens that are engaged in creating the experiences all of us participate in,” said Schnoor. In between sessions attendees will have opportunities to network and meet other community builders. “Most people come [to the YP Summit] looking for professional development,” said Schnoor. “But we’re really trying to stretch what that looks like—we’re stretching what people’s traditional definition of professional development is.”
Energizing Omaha’s YP Scene The YP Summit is organized by the Greater Omaha Young Professionals, an organization created the by the Omaha Chamber of Commerce’s Talent and Workforce department. “The Omaha YP group was started to create a sense of community for young people in Omaha, to create a network for young professionals, and to give them a platform to advocate for the city that they want it to be,” said Sarah Wernimont, manager in the Workforce and Talent department at the Omaha Chamber of Commerce. “That’s a huge part of retaining young talent in Omaha.” Wernimont’s personal story shows the power of attracting and retaining talented young professionals. Four years ago, Wernimont moved to Omaha from Denver, Colorado. When she arrived, she didn’t expect Omaha to be as exciting as Denver. And she didn’t intend to stay. “I’ve been here for four years now, and my perspective has completely changed,” says Wernimont. “I didn’t understand the amount of culture and the amount of things to do here. Omaha has everything a coastal city or Denver would have to offer—things to do, places to go, places to eat, places to get involved.”
Caleb Pollard and Othello Meadows are participating as co-creators with the YP Summit. Co-creators are entrepreneurs, activists, artists, performers, students, organizers and otherwise concerned citizens who are making things happen in their community. They are a part of a larger community of those actively engaged in working to create the experiences many of us participate in. In doing so they are living out the values of the Greater Omaha Young Professionals by being inclusive, innovative and collaborative. Co-Creators are invested in improving not only our neighborhoods but the city as a whole. These two will be on a panel in our first breakout session, Fireside Chats. The Fireside Chats are a relaxed, talk-show style session where Summit attendees will be able to learn about the great and innovative ways the 2014 YP Summit co-creators are impacting their community.
powered up
OMAHA’S YP’S LEVEL IT UP: EMPOWER YP SUMMIT 2014
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Expect to be inspired. The line-up is phenomenal. No matter what breakout sessions attendees choose, they’re going to leave learning something new, with some takeaways to think about. ~ SARAH TUCKER, YP SUMMIT VICE-CHAIR
The challenge is to get people to experience that. “Once you help somebody have that experience of Omaha, it’s hard to change their perspective back to ‘There’s nothing here,’” said Wernimont.
More than Professional Development The YP Summit is not an exclusive event for corporate professionals. “The biggest misconception is that it’s very stuffy,” said Schnoor. This year’s Summit includes a skate ramp, a superhero photo booth, and a drum circle— not your typical business conference fare. The other misconception is that it is only for people working in business. “We have a lot of attendees that come from corporate America,” said Schnoor. “But really what we try to do with the Summit is create programming that anybody, regardless of their career background, can come to and take something away.”
From Excitement to Action The coordinators of the YP Summit encourage first time attendees to come ready to meet new people and ask lots of questions. “Expect to be inspired,” said Tucker. “The line-up is phenomenal. No matter what breakout sessions attendees choose, they’re going to leave learning something new, with some takeaways to think about.” Every year, as attendees leaves the Summit, there’s a feeling of possibility in the air. “There’s always a great rush of excitement at the end of the day of the Summit,” says Tucker. “Everyone’s really excited and pumped up.” The goal this year is to turn that positive energy into real action. “Everyone talks about getting involved and talks about what they’re going to do,” says Tucker. “We want to help extend that beyond that day.”
People should attend the YP Summit if they are wanting to learn more about the community in which they live, connect with others in the city that want to be inspired and get involved, and improve themselves and their career. Attendees come from all walks of life – all areas of business and career, are parts of the region surrounding Omaha. Attendees are also at different stages of their career and lives. Some are right out of college, others are midcareer and are managing teams of people.
http://omahayp.org/about/ MISSION: to serve as a catalyst organization to recruit and retain young professionals to the Greater Omaha area through engagement, opportunity and advocacy. MEMBERS: There is no formal membership. Essentially people can get involved by opting-in to receive a newsletter, attend an event or meeting, register for the YP Summit or attend a YP council meeting. COUNCIL: Approximately 20-25 people that apply and are selected to serve for 3 years. You can find profiles of these individuals here.
http://omahayp.org/about/ board-members/
They hope to see more teachers, medical professionals, and hourly wage workers at the event this year. “There’s inspiration for anyone regardless of job title,” said Schnoor.
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metroMagazine • The Spirit of Omaha
powered up
OMAHA’S YP’S LEVEL IT UP: EMPOWER YP SUMMIT 2014
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community CONNECTIONS
how has the summit empowered you?
q&a david soukup
ryan stubbendieck
nina graziano My year of AmeriCorps
roger garcia
service showed me that anyone can make a difference at any time. I want to live in a city that values everyone and sees potential in us all—to make that happen we have to get involved.
What empowers me My biggest take away from last year’s Summit was to follow your heart and better my community by joining boards or groups you are passionate about. Omaha is a wonderful city and it has hundreds of ways you can give back but if you spread yourself too thin between too many groups you end up giving only a little piece of yourself to each group. So last year’s Summit inspired me to focus on what my true passion is and find one or two organizations / groups that I could be truly vested in and help to make the changes I want to see.
The amazing opportunities
to make a difference in Omaha is simply a desire to continuously give back to my community as much as I can. Having had the gift of a college education and now a full-time job (that I love), I feel that it is my duty to share what has been given to me. Therefore, I share my time by volunteering in the community, by working in a nonprofit where I can contribute to helping people everyday, by sharing the skills I have learned through education and community involvement that I now wish to share with others, and by contributing financially to great causes in our community after now achieving financial stability for myself.
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to interact with highly experienced individuals has empowered me to make a greater impact in the workplace and the Omaha community.
Seeing so many young professionals who got involved and made a positive impact showed that you just have to take that first step because you never know where it could lead
metroMAGAZINE • MAR 2014
I was inspired to take a more active role in Omaha, such as volunteering time to local organizations or charity events. Listening to great speakers like John Legend and Adam Braun, I enjoy the unique perspectives that are essential to the growth of young professionals.
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OMAHA: DEVELOPING
yp leadership
metroMAGAZINE • The Spirit of Omaha
yp summit 2014 katherine giddens
tanin arkfeld I believe Omaha can only prosper when we invest our time and efforts into its growth and development.
rusty kilpatrick allison schorr
The YP Summit was the perfect springboard for me to begin to build my network 4 years ago and allows me the chance to reinforce it in a productive, positive manner each year!
ellie becker I always feel refreshed. I connect with local Young Professionals and hear about what they’re doing to better themselves and our community.
What empowers me to make a difference is the amount of opportunities Omaha provides to be involved and to give back. The first Summit I attended was last year’s…and it definitely inspired me to get more involved in the community. Shortly after the Summit I started volunteering at the Joslyn Museum, started attending more Omaha YP “after work” events…and ultimately it inspired me to volunteer [for more]. Not being from the Omaha area originally, I’ve found the more involved I become in the community the more Omaha has become “home”.
Omaha is such a thriving, dynamic, supportive city with much to offer young professionals as they launch their career and create their future, and I want to be a part of inspiring my peers to take advantage of every opportunity. The opportunity for young professionals from various career fields with diverse passions and ideas to unite with a common goal to continue to make Omaha a city we can be proud of and grow with [keeps me coming back year after year].
Attending the summit gives me hope for the future of our community. The enthusiasm presenters and attendees bring to the summit motivates me to act. The summit encourages Young Omahans to embrace their talents and perspectives, sharing them to creatively contribute to our unique community. This commitment enables “Homaha” to thrive.
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KMTV MORNING BLEND’S
community CONNECTION
mike & mary Who did you dream of being when you were a Child? Teenager? Young Professional?
~ Mike DiGiacomo His...
Hers... ~ Mary Nelson
It’s interesting how dreams and goals change and evolve as ones life progresses through its different phases. Many times other people have tremendous impacts on the paths that we take. It could be a role model that helps inspire, and silently encouraging us to make a difference.
Bless my mother’s heart, for she was amused, and not terribly concerned, with my first proclamation of what I wanted to be when I grew up. As the story goes, I was four years old when I announced, “I’m going to be a Vegas showgirl, or a world famous opera singer.”
I can remember as a young kid, watching my dad stand in the middle of his musicians, leading them as they performed old, Italian marches. It’s something he has done for about 40 years. I always wanted to be a link in that chain, watching my dad wave his hands in tempo, keeping all the musicians on beat. He inspired me to become a musician, and helped me reach some success as a 3rd generations trumpet player in our family.
In my mind, showgirls were glamorous, and opera singers were adored. (For the record, I was unaware at that age that showgirls often wear very little.) By the time my teenage years rolled around, that dream had dissolved, and I began to look at two other professions. As an animal lover, becoming a veterinarian was appealing. Yet, I watched my grandmother suffer from heart disease, and cardiology called my name. Ultimately, I left high school intent on nurturing my scientific side in college – engineering it was.
Continuing to grow as a person, we constantly observe other people, most of the time from a distance. Who didn’t want to be Jon Bon Jovi, cranking out your own hit songs in the middle of 20,000 screaming fans? Yes, as a teenager I wanted to be the famous rocker. However, as a trumpet player, it was a little more difficult to follow Bon Jovi’s path. But, he did inspire me to continue pursuing music.
My second year into college, I determined that a career in broadcasting was the best fit. At 19 years old, I landed a gig hosting a radio show. In those days, my dreams were enormous, and regimented – I knew exactly where I would work, and when, in order to join a network or major cable operation by my early 30s. There was a plan.
There came a time I determined that a silver, Bach trumpet wouldn’t pay all of the bills. Early in my broadcasting career I found inspiration in current Today Show co-host, Matt Lauer.
Back to my mom. She always said, “Life is what happens when plans go wrong.” Four months into a two-year deal in Omaha, I met my husband, Troy. That was never part of the plan. But, thankfully, I had the sense to not stand in the way.
Times have changed, and so have my goals. But, life’s next challenges also deserve some inspiration.
It took some time, but I now have the confidence to value personal happiness more than professional success. 16
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awareness amulets S P O N S O R E D B Y E L I S A I LANA
A B E AU T I F U L WAY TO S H O W YO U R S U P P O R T Spectacular Awareness Bracelet – Colon Cancer - $279
awareness bracelet
march
IS COLON CANCER AWARENESS MONTH
Colon cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death in men and women in the US. This is largely due to the fact that the majority of colon cancers are not found early enough for effective treatment. With regular screening, however, colon cancer progression can be slowed or prevented altogether. When you purchase an Elisa Ilana Colon Cancer Awareness Bracelet, 10% of the proceeds will be donated for cancer research and awareness.
17
metroMAGAZINE • MAR 2014
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MARY E. VANDENACK
“MULBERRY LANE”
RENEW YOUR VITALITY
CELEBRATING
celebrating spring
the little things
AFTER A LONG COLD WINTER, SPRING WILL FINALLY ARRIVE. “May youISalways be pleasedAwith both inside and outside of SPRING HISTORICALLY TIMEfreedom, OF RENEWAL. RENEWAL ENCOMPASSES THE BODY, THE MIND, AND THE SPIRIT. yourself!”
•
Spring Cleanses For every the Body of Food An often used approach for should consider day in lostTerms on which we have not danced at least once.” • “We renewal of the body is a spring cleanse related to foods. My views on food “When you fall in love with yourself, you begin to feel the positive • have changed dramatically over the primary belief is that you self-esteem that comes when weyears. don’tMy deflate ourselves.”
should listen to your own body. Develop awareness of how your body Barbara Holstein Gatewaysavoid to Happiness” responds to what ~you put in. Becker Unless you have afrom food“Four intolerance, excluding any food entirely. Also avoid eating anything all the time. Take the time and develop strategies to develop awareness about the best foods for you. I compiled several recommended spring cleanses and looked for the commonalities among them. All of those that I reviewed included lightening up on what is going into the body and making some different choices about what we consume. Suggested foods for cleanses include alkaline foods, green tea, lemon, apples and lots of waters. Foods to avoid include anything processed, sugar, foods that contain more than five ingredients, and foods containing ingredients that you have to google. Most cleanses suggest avoiding meat and dairy but that should really be a matter of whether that is the right choice for your health. If you struggle with anemia, you should talk to a professional before dropping red meat.
MAYBE IT’S THE WAVE AT THE NEIGHBOR WALKING HIS DOG. MAYBE IT’S THE THUMBS UP TO YOUR KINDERGARTNER AS SHE WALKS INTO SCHOOL, OR MAYBE IT’S LETTING THE CAR CUT IN FRONT OF YOU AT THE DRIVE-THRU, JUST TO BE NICE.
These are the little things in life, the small insignificant gestures you don’t even remember at the end of the day. Mostly because you’re busy concentrating on the big things like paying your bills, where the kids go to college, your next career move. You’re programmed to concentrate on the big things, expect the big things, celebrate the big things. But when it comes right down to it, when you remember your loved ones who’ve passed on, you don’t say, “He became the head of the company.” You say, “He always remembered my birthday,” or, “I’ll never forget our talks over coffee.” Little things and little decisions are the building blocks of life – the character of life, the spirit of life. As Robert Brault believed, “Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.” But for some reason, as a society, we don’t tend to celebrate those who excel in the little. Chemist Humphrey Davy said, “Life is made up, not of great sacrifices or duties, but of little things, in which smiles and kindness, and small obligations given habitually, are what preserve the heart and secure comfort.” And certainly that’s not little stuff.
Spring Cleanses for the Mind While changing dietary habits cleanses the body, at the end of winter, it is also helpful to release mental baggage. Mindfulness, in the form of yoga, meditation or hikes can help create balance and provide opportunities to clear the mind. Massage, hot baths, exercise, time off, adding a new activity, or eliminating commitments can also help. If you are experiencing serious mental challenges resulting from traumas or significant life stressors, consider professional help and support groups. There are a variety of specific and effective techniques that can help get life back on track when trauma or chronic stress has derailed you.
Spring Cleanses For The Soul When the fresh air of spring arrives, take the time to breathe some of it in. Breathe in the fresh air as often as possible. There is a better way to live than being breathlessly controlled by electronic devices, anxiety, and a schedule too packed to notice that the robins have reappeared in your back yard. Our culture is not supportive of slowing down, connecting, and breathing deeply. You have to decide that it matters to you. Choose to reconnect to your inner self, your spirit, your breath BEFORE life gives you a wake-up call. Set your iphone alarm for twice a day for the purpose of stopping you to take a breath and simply notice something in the moment. Make the time to read one of the books sitting unfinished because you don’t have the time to read. Make the time to engage in an activity that is meaningful to you. Live in a way that at the end of the day, you will have lived, laughed, and loved.
Hollywood culture tends to celebrate the opposite. In movies – it’s the guy with the romantic gestures and the million dollar job – or the girl with the perfect bikini body and million dollar face – who we’re supposed to end up married to or become. More often than not, we end up with the guy who forgets the anniversary ‘til we remind him. But, the light bulbs get changed, there’s always toilet paper in the bathroom, and the lawn gets mowed. Why can’t that be romantic? Why can’t we celebrate the littleness? Instead of wishing we were that girl who got a million dollar fitness deal from posting selfies of her incredible body, we celebrate becoming the wife who makes killer Ziti and brownies and actually eats it – and so do the hubby and kids. It’s often said we choose our own happiness. Maybe happiness is choosing to see these invisible building blocks of life. So, let’s shake things up a bit this month. Turn the Hollywood faux perfection into a little more Nebraska, the good life. Let’s value ourselves for the things we do for others and celebrate the people who do things for us. While we’re at it, let’s embrace the mundane things of every-day life – the laundry, the dishes, the to-do list, the carpool – things we normally complain about, and do them with a renewed appreciation for the power they contain. And the funny thing is, when we change our focus to the little things, we unlock the closest thing to magic there is. The big things somehow take care of themselves. Basketball great John Wooden said, “It's the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen.” And the best “big thing” that could happen is the world becomes a nicer, brighter, and happier place.
Sisters Rachel, Bo, and Allie are singer/songwriters who host a syndicated music, arts, and lifestyle talk radio show. The Mulberry Lane Show airs in Omaha on Saturdays, The Mighty 1290 KOIL, 10am – noon. The show is sponsored by Elisa Ilana Jewelry. For more information visit www.mulberrylane.com.
Mary Vandenack, while a lawyer by profession, has studied extensively in mind/body areas of fitness and wellness. She is Yoga Alliance RYT-200, Power Pilates certified and ACE certified. 18
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MARY E. VANDENACK
Mary Vandenack, while a lawyer by profession, has studied extensively in mind/body areas of fitness and wellness. She is Yoga Alliance RYT-200, Power Pilates certified and ACE certified.
RENEW YOUR VITALITY celebrating spring AFTER A LONG COLD WINTER, SPRING WILL FINALLY ARRIVE. SPRING IS HISTORICALLY A TIME OF RENEWAL. RENEWAL ENCOMPASSES THE BODY, THE MIND, AND THE SPIRIT.
Spring Cleanses For the Body in Terms of Food An often used approach for renewal of the body is a spring cleanse related to foods. My views on food “Maychanged you always be pleased freedom, both inside outside have dramatically overwith the years. My primary beliefand is that you of yourself!” should listen to your own body. Develop awareness of how your body responds to consider what youevery put in. havewe a food “We should dayUnless lost onyou which haveintolerance, not danced avoid at least once.” excluding any food entirely. Also avoid eating anything all the time. Take the “When fall instrategies love with you beginabout to feel time andyou develop to yourself, develop awareness the the bestpositive foods for you. self-esteem that comes when we don’t deflate ourselves.” I compiled several recommended spring cleanses and looked for the ~ Barbara Becker Holstein from “Four Gateways to Happiness” commonalities among them. All of those that I reviewed included lightening up on what is going into the body and making some different choices about what we consume. Suggested foods for cleanses include alkaline foods, green tea, lemon, apples and lots of waters. Foods to avoid include anything processed, sugar, foods that contain more than five ingredients, and foods containing ingredients that you have to google. Most cleanses suggest avoiding meat and dairy but that should really be a matter of whether that is the right choice for your health. If you struggle with anemia, you should talk to a professional before dropping red meat.
• • •
Spring Cleanses for the Mind While changing dietary habits cleanses the body, at the end of winter, it is also helpful to release mental baggage. Mindfulness, in the form of yoga, meditation or hikes can help create balance
19
and provide opportunities to clear the mind. Massage, hot baths, exercise, time off, adding a new activity, or eliminating commitments can also help. If you are experiencing serious mental challenges resulting from traumas or significant life stressors, consider professional help and support groups. There are a variety of specific and effective techniques that can help get life back on track when trauma or chronic stress has derailed you. Spring Cleanses For The Soul When the fresh air of spring arrives, take the time to breathe some of it in. Breathe in the fresh air as often as possible. There is a better way to live than being breathlessly controlled by electronic devices, anxiety, and a schedule too packed to notice that the robins have reappeared in your back yard. Our culture is not supportive of slowing down, connecting, and breathing deeply. You have to decide that it matters to you. Choose to reconnect to your inner self, your spirit, your breath BEFORE life gives you a wake-up call. Set your iphone alarm for twice a day for the purpose of stopping you to take a breath and simply notice something in the moment. Make the time to read one of the books sitting unfinished because you don’t have the time to read. Make the time to engage in an activity that is meaningful to you. Live in a way that at the end of the day, you will have lived, laughed, and loved.
metroMagazine • MaR 2014
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all makes:
businesses making a difference
THE ERGONOMICS OF GIVING
AMEE ZETZMAN
with a philanthropic philosophy that goes back nearly a century, a fourth generation supports area nonprofits in a multitude of ways, reinforcing the tradition that all makes is all about giving.
inner space 20
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STORY BY KARA SCHWEISS | PHOTOGRAPHY BY LIGHT ILLUSIONS
metromagazine • The Spirit of Omaha
JEFF KAVICH
THEY’RE ALWAYS WILLING TO HELP. WE’VE ALSO GOTTEN TRADITIONAL SUPPORT AND SPONSORSHIP AND PARTICIPATION, BUT IT’S THAT EXTRA STUFF THAT DIFFERENTIATES THEM. AND IT’S NOT A BEGRUDGING ‘YES’; IT’S AN EMPHATIC ‘YES!’ ~ SHANNON GUBBELS CYSTIC FIBROSIS FOUNDATION NEBRASKA CHAPTER CONTINUED
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all makes
businesses making a difference
inner space All MAkes helps out locAl nonprofits not just through product donAtion And office design services—which goes well beyond the 2008 And 2013 $25,000 nonprofit office MAkeover progrAMs—but the fourth generAtion of fAMily business leAders hAve been Active on AreA boArds, the coMpAny hAs provided MonetAry support to vArious groups, And the corporAte culture itself eMbodies A spirit of giving. The leadership of All Makes Office Equipment Co. will certainly advocate for a pleasant, comfortable and wellorganized office environment that contributes to employee satisfaction and morale, makes a positive impression on clients and customers, and is unarguably an important factor in the success of a business. But even a service-oriented nonprofit needs to operate in a well-designed space, said Amee Zetzman, who serves as Executive Vice President/CFO of All Makes Office Equipment Co. in Omaha and President/CEO of All Makes in Lincoln and Urbandale, Iowa. “They’re so busy at the job of raising money that offices and furnishings come secondary, however far down the line—because they’re worried about their own mission,” she said.
new look for a nonprofit In honor of the company’s 90th anniversary in 2008, the company launched its first $25,000 Nonprofit Office Makeover Program. “We did our first makeover program five years ago and we said that at our 95th we’d do it again. Our plan is to do something on a larger scale for our centennial anniversary in 2018 when we turn 100,” said Jeff Kavich, President/CEO of All Makes in Omaha. The latest makeover winner was Ollie Webb Center in Omaha, which was transformed in November through new desking with storage, task and side seating, modular lounge seating, wall-mounted tack boards, and freshly painted walls. The organization serves individuals with developmental disabilities and their families through support, programs and advocacy. Previous $25,000 Nonprofit Office Makeover winners Angles Among Us in Omaha and The Friendship Home in Lincoln, along with Ollie Webb Center, were chosen for the makeover through a panel of local, independent judges and a public nomination and voting process. “We are so grateful for this. All of our funding goes to support services, so if you look at our average budget for each year, there’s not much in there for furnishings... solidly 85 to 90 percent of our furnishings in here were
hand-me-downs,” Laurie Ackermann, Ollie Webb Center executive director, said. “It’s like night and day in here. The greatest thing has been for the consumers we support on site on a daily basis, how good they feel about their environment now. They always enjoyed coming here and enjoyed the quality of our services we offer, but environment is a big piece of that.” Another benefit of the makeover was a design consultation that fostered changes to make the existing space “seem bigger” and enhance efficiency, Ackermann added. “They really added functionality as well as a pleasant appearance. It just works so much better now,” she said.
four generations of philanthropy The $25,000 Nonprofit Office Makeover Program may be All Makes’ biggest philanthropic endeavor to date, but it’s just one of numerous, year-round efforts to support nonprofits in the communities in which All Makes operates. It’s also the continuation of a tradition that started nearly a century ago. All Makes Office Equipment Co. started in Omaha in 1918 as All Makes Typewriter Co., with founder Harry Ferer building the family business around manual typewriters and adding machines. Kavich and Zetzman are brother and sister and the fourth generation leading what is now one of the Midwest’s largest office furniture dealers and an enterprise that serves customers in all 50 states and internationally. “We’ve been in business for 95 years, we’ve been family-owned the entire time, and we feel that Omaha has been very good to us,” Kavich said. “It’s important and it makes us feel good to give back to the community whenever we can. All four generations since 1918 have supported the community.” All Makes helps out local nonprofits not just through product donation and office design services—which goes well beyond the 2008 and 2013 $25,000 Nonprofit Office Makeover Programs—but both Kavich and Zetzman have been active on area boards, the company has provided monetary support to various groups, and the
22
corporate culture embodies a spirit of giving. All Makes team members in Omaha reached a 98 percent United Way participation rate, for instance, and employees at all of the All Makes facilities contribute to various charities through employee events from nonperishable food and school supplies drives to pay-to-play dress-down/jeans days to off-site volunteer activities. “We welcome their ideas,” Zetzman said, explaining that many of the corporate fundraising ideas actually originate outside of the management team. “Part of what makes us unique is that there are so many different ways that we support the community. Big charities, small charities, we’ve touched many of them through various things; we kind of mix it up.”
giving back and reaching out Kavich said that he and Zetzman, both parents, tend to gravitate toward supporting organizations that provide services for children and families. But sometimes the affinity is even more personal, like when Zetzman spoke at a recent Nebraska Kidney Association gala about her experience as a kidney donor for her father. Some nonprofit requests are for specific items, other requests are for more general support, and sometimes it’s All Makes that does the reaching out. Local nonprofits have taken notice, said Shannon Gubbels, Executive Director of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Nebraska Chapter, and All Makes has garnered a longstanding reputation in the nonprofit world as a good community partner. “They care deeply about the success of nonprofits like CFF and so many others. When I’ve called and asked for something—even something unconventional like needing to move items from one location to another to set up for an event—they’re always willing to help. We’ve also gotten traditional support and sponsorship and participation but it’s that extra stuff that differentiates them,” Gubbels said. “And it’s not a begrudging ‘yes’; it’s an emphatic ‘yes’. And I think it trickles all the way down to all employees. I don’t think it’s an attitude that’s just shared at the top, it’s their philosophy.”
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metromagazine • The Spirit of Omaha
We very much value Elisa Ilana’s investments and partnership and hope that others will join in the example they’ve set . ~ TOM THOMPSON
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pros & cons of portability
planningMATTERS • with pvw law
IN ESTATE PLANNING
In 2010, the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Re-authorization and Job Creation Act increased the exemption equivalent for estate tax, gift tax and generation skipping tax to $5,000,000 (adjusted for inflation). The same act added portability. The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 made these changes permanent. The changes in the law provide numerous alternatives to traditional estate planning. For most people, the new laws allow the focus of estate planning to be on desired disposition of assets rather than on avoiding estate taxes. Reducing the impact of income taxes becomes more important than estate taxes in the majority of estate plans. What Is Portability? Portability refers to the transferability of one’s unused applicable exclusion to one’s surviving spouse. For example, an individual dies with a taxable estate of $2,000,000. He has an unused applicable exclusion of $3,000,000 (ignoring the inflation of the
exemption for simplicity). That $3,000,000 unused applicable exclusion can be transferred to his surviving spouse, who would then have an $8,000,000 applicable exclusion. What if The Surviving Spouse Remarries? mary e. vandenack The new law creates the concept of “deceased spouse unused exclusion” (“DSUE”). DSUE is defined as base exclusion less the used exclusion of the last deceased spouse. If the surviving spouse in the previous example remarries and the new spouse dies first, the surviving spouse will be able to use the unused exclusion of the second spouse but not of the first spouse. (If the surviving spouse made gifts using the first spouse’s unused applicable exclusion prior to the death of the second spouse, such gifts would not reduce her ultimate exclusion.) What Are the Advantages of Using Portability? Using portability in an estate plan creates simplicity. Traditional estate planning to minimize estate taxes required each spouse to create a trust and retitle assets. There are income tax advantages to using portability. When the first spouse passes assets to the survivor, the surviving spouse gets a step up in basis for income tax purposes. When the surviving spouse passes the assets to the ultimate heirs, there is a second step-up in basis. Retirement plan assets are not good assets to fund a credit shelter trust because of the income tax rules related to retirement plans. Portability can be an estate planning solution for a couple where one spouse has significant retirement plan assets. What are the Disadvantages of Portability? For the couple with an estate plan that could grow to the level of being subject to estate taxes, the disadvantage of portability is that the ported exemption does not increase for inflation. If a decedent directs $5,000,000 to trust and that amount doubles before the surviving spouse dies, the entire amount in trust avoids estate taxation; If the amount passes to the surviving spouse and the surviving spouse has other assets, the estate will be subject to tax that could have been avoided. Portability does not apply to generation skipping transfers. To the extent a generation skip is desired, a trust should be used. Portability does not have the protective benefits of a trust. Assets placed in trust receive protection from creditors and remarriage. Using portability does not allow for any control over ultimate disposition of assets. To the extent that any such control is desired, trusts should be used. For more information visit www.pvwlaw.com
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todaysSaVingS • swartzbaugh-farber & associates, inc.
waiting
impact! • Your dental health in 2014!
CHANGE ISN’T A
WHITEN YOUR TEETH TO
always
improve
bad thing.
your health! joe smith
stephanie vondrak d.d.s.
EVERY MOST Americans have a vision of their healthiest, youngest looking self! time you turn on the television, open a magazine or news periodical these days you hear about Health Care Reform aka “Obamacare”. What you may not hear much about is - How is Obamacare affecting small businesses and their employees? This is a time of change; there is no question about that. Could this change be a good thing for many of us? We definitely believe this is a time like no other in history for small businesses. In this case, the change might actually be good! Most businesses have historically provided health benefits to their employees to attract and retain the best employees. In the past, these employers have offered a choice between one or two medical plan options and contributed to the cost of the premiums. The average employee didn’t study their plans very much or look at outside options. These days, employees seem to be more interested in their medical plan choices. Employees hear the discussion in the media and are wondering about their new options through the Marketplace. Many of these employees are visiting the Marketplace and realizing they might be eligible to receive a larger government subsidy than their current employer is able to contribute to their medical plan. For really the first time in our industry, we see the average employee searching for health insurance coverage on their own instead of relying solely on their employer to provide this for them. New individual health insurance rules remove any limits on pre-existing conditions and require the cost of insurance to be based on only a few factors – age, location and tobacco use. People can receive rates on the individual market with very little effort. In many cases, these individuals are eligible to receive assistance from the government via premium subsidies and assistance with their out of pocket costs. Truly, a major problem small employers are facing affects their employee’s ability to obtain this government assistance. If an employer provides a group plan that meets certain affordability requirements, it eliminates the employee’s ability to receive that subsidy. All these changes to the health insurance industry are opening up new opportunities to employers – most importantly, the opportunity to provide their employees with a well-rounded benefit package without breaking the bottom line! One new unique solution is allowing employers to do that with a little help from technology. This new solution is called a ‘private exchange’. Under a private exchange, employers define a dollar contribution towards the medical insurance and then allow the employee to pick from any individual plan they choose. A few personal questions related to each person’s prescription drug usage and medical care requirements will help narrow down the choices. Medical insurance is a very personal decision and each individual uses their benefits differently based upon their stage in life and health status. These private exchanges can also assist the employees that may be better off with coverage through the Marketplace with a premium subsidy. A local company, benefitbay, developed the technology and support to make these choices easier for both the employer and the employee. This company is a great solution for many small employers who are struggling with their benefit plans. Change is always a little scary. But in many instances it can create opportunities and actually improve things. For more information, please contact your trusted advisor at Swartzbaugh-Farber – ‘Client Centered – Client Advocates™’. This material is intended for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal or tax advice and is not intended to replace the advice of a qualified attorney, tax advisor or plan provider. Securities Offered through M Holdings Securities, Inc., a Registered Broker Dealer, Member FINRA/SIPC. Swartzbaugh-Farber & Associates, Inc. is independently owned and operated. 25
From fitting into skinny jeans, to bright white smiles, the question many ask is how to look younger and more attractive. As a health-centered dentist, I am thrilled when asked these questions. Questions of youth and beauty provide the perfect opportunity to teach more important lessons on the power of overall health and wellness. Let’s take teeth whitening as an example…
AFTER
BEFORE
COMMON PERSPECTIVE: Teeth whitening is cosmetic to improve the color of your teeth only. MY PERSPECTIVE: Teeth whitening is a health-centered dental procedure! Whiten your teeth…improve your dental health and overall wellness! Why? The answer is simple. The more you like your smile, the better you will care for your teeth. Research has shown those who whiten their teeth are more likely to floss and brush effectively than those with dingy smiles. Consistent brushing and effective flossing increases plaque (bacteria) removal from the teeth and gums i.e. a healthier mouth. The chemical consistency of whitening is also antibacterial killing residual germs on or near the enamel surface. Whitening is safe when used correctly and most effective when initiated and monitored by a dental professional. To summarize, I believe teeth whitening encourages individuals to better care for their dental health. White teeth look younger, and make us feel better. We all have the choice to maintain our teeth for our lifetime or lose them prematurely. Through teeth whitening, my goal is to help individuals smile brightly, knowing their dental future will be healthier because they did so! Or as Dan Weber from Peak Pathways states, “..if you set and communicate high expectations for each of your people, they will generally raise their performance to meet these expectations.” Dr. Stephanie Vondrak is a graduate of the University of Nebraska Lincoln, the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Dentistry, and a Fellow in the American Academy of Craniofacial Pain. The AACP is an organization dedicated to helping patients suffering from TMJ pain, headaches, and other craniofacial pain disorders. Additionally, Dr. Stephanie Vondrak is a Premier Provider for Invisalign orthodontics. Dr. Vondrak believes education is paramount to comprehensive patient care and has completed over 400 hours of post-doctorate education including the Pankey Institute and the Schuster Center.
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culinary COnneCTIOnS
Jared Clarke
Railcar Modern American Kitchen
Glenn Wheeler Spencer’s for Steaks & Chops
Who is your favorite celebrity chef and why? Bobby Flay. He is not afraid to add flavor and spices to his dishes.
What was your best job ever? One of my favorite jobs was my first Sous Chef job, at Rocco Theater, setting up and cooking meals for bands. Railcar is a locally owned from scratch kitchen that rotates menus seasonally & offers wine dinners monthly
Cory Guyer
US Foods
Victor Cabriales
Anthony’s Steakhouse
Who inspired you to become a chef? My mother inspired me to cook and Paul Prudhomme inspired me to cook professionally
What do you most hope to be remembered for?
Who inspired you to become a chef?
A great chef, but an even more grateful, humble and giving individual .
My grandfather, Ramon Cabriales and my father, Victor Cabriales, Sr.
Spencer’s is a Modern Prime Steakhouse offering weekend, chef inspired, Prix Fixe menus and monthly Wine Maker Dinners
What do you most hope to be remembered for? Someone who never gave up on his dreams.
Joel Mahr
Lot 2
Anthony’s will be doing various wine dinners in the near future
Who is your If you could have a favorite celebrity restaurant anywhere in the If you could pick one person in chef and why? world, where would it be? What would be your signature dish? the world to cook for, who would Tom Kerridge. it be and why? He has a Gastropub Portland, Oregon. Pizza w/ an attitude.
My grandmother. She passed away before seeing me become a chef.
What do you most treasure in life? most regret?
that creates Michelin Star Food. Lot 2 has a spring menu rolling out and there are ever changing specials, wine events, and more
My Kids. I have no regrets.
If you only had one more day to live, what would your last supper be? Single Malt Scotch. US Foods offers unique innovative products and food based technologies.
this omaha restaurant association event made up of chefs who donate their time and talents to prepare a 5 to 6 course meal with wine pairings for 10 guests returns sunday march 23rd at hilton omaha. neither the guests nor the chefs know who will be matched with whom until cocktail hour. the chef then greets his group, and wines and dines them for the rest of the evening. proceeds from this event go to fight hunger and provide for culinary scholarships.
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metroMAGAZINE • The Spirit of Omaha
Michael Rhoades
John Rea
Sodexo
M’s Pub
What do you most treasure in life?
if you could pick one person in the world to cook for, who would it be?
I treasure my family more than life itself.
Isaiah M. Renner
nosh Restaurant and Wine Lounge
Who inspired you to become a chef? My father was a chef and had his own restaurant in evergreen, CO. He planted the seed and helped me become a chef by introducing a great many exotic foods
What do you most hope to be remembered for? I want people to say, “He was a very giving person.”
Tim Galligher Sodexo
if you could have a restaurant anywhere in the world, where would it be? what would it be called? what would be your signature dish? If time and money was no barrier I would open a restaurant with a concept similar to Grant Achras, Next in Chicago, but instead of just changing the theme of the restaurant every few months I would also change the location while offering different cuisines using fresh foods from various world regions and countries.
if you could pick one person in the world to cook for, who would it be? My family, but especially my father. He was my inspiration to become a chef. My father was a chef for the French military and his passion and creativity helped shape my vision in the kitchen.
What is the most unusual chef request you have had as a chef? I once had a request for French Onion Soup, nO onions!
I would love to cook for Juan Mari Arzac. I would absolutely enjoy picking his brain for as much info as possible and having a great conversation with a man that has been so relevant and innovative for so long and manages to be happy all the time.
If you only had one more day Who is your favorite to live, what would your celebrity chef and why? last supper be? I really enjoy Jaimie Oliver for his simplistic and rustic style of cooking.
What do you most hope to be remembered for? I hope for my personality and willing attitude to serve and make others happy through my art. Nosh Restaurant and Wine Lounge is known for wine dinners which are typically five courses paired with wine from a specific region, kept to a small, more private and exclusive event with chef, wine distributor and guests.
Who inspired you to become a chef? My mother. I loved her cooking as a kid. I literally thought she was the best cook alive. She would never let me in the kitchen, though, when she was cooking. It was her rule!
I would start with a charcuterie board with baguettes and pickled peppers. I would follow with a more crispy bread and braised veal cheeks. I would finish with chocolate donuts and milk.
Andre Pirtle
Vivace
What do you most treasure in life? my relationship with my wife and kids the most. Their love and belief in me gives me purpose to be the best person I can be every day.
cooks
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too many cooks in the kitchen COnTInUed
Kimbler Harrold
Rocky Rocha
Liberty Tavern, Hilton What is the most unusual chef request you have had as a chef? Pureed three course meal. The lady had surgery from an accident and couldn’t eat solid food. She had been to many restaurants and all they offered was soup. I set her up for dinner. She loved it so much she insisted on hugging me then wrote a nice note to the General Manager.
Who inspired you to become a chef? My family inspired me to become a chef. My mother, my mentors and my culinary teachers made me consider cooking instead of drawing and photography, since I’d been cooking through high school.
Paul Kulik
Le Bouillon
If you could choose one food to eat for the rest of your life what would it be? What food might you eliminate? Tonkotsu Ramen. All the comfort of chicken broth. All of the complexity of bbq. All the seeming simplicity of excellent pasta. It’s filling, contemplative and exhilarating. A close 2nd place is Baguette Jambon Beurre. I would eliminate all sandwiches made with bad bread. What a cruel thing to do to such a brilliant food.
Hy-Vee
Who inspired you to become a chef?
Cedric Fichepain
LeVoltaire French Restaurant What is the most unusual chef request you have had as a chef? Cook a whole 2 lb loaf of fresh foie gras for a one person dinner.
If you only had one more day to live, what would your last supper be? Seafood platter with plenty of oysters, grilled fish served with mango-cilantro salsa and to finish it up, a freshly baked baguette with a nice stinky cheese served with a mache salad. To drink: a white Sancerre for my fish courses and an 86 Chateau Talbot for my last one. Stop by an check out Le Petit Paris French Bakery located right next to LeVoltaire.
Enzo Zurlo
Zurlo’s Bistro Italiano if you could have a restaurant anywhere in the world? I would open in the small town where my father was born in Cercemaggiore, Italy, a small village in Molise, Italy. Id like to build a house with different rooms with tables and bars and call it La Mia Casa Trattoria, [the cuisine would] definitely be local! 28
There are a couple of people that I can think of that played a big role in me wanting to be a chef. My father was a chef for many years and being around him and helping help in the kitchens as a young kid was something that I enjoyed. The other person would be Bent Rasmussen whom was the owner of the Bleu Ox in Council Bluffs. He gave me my first opportunity to work as a 15 year old kid and believed in me and saw potential in my abilities. Both these guy where my inspiration and help fuel the fire. Coming soon to Hy-Vee Stores is the Market Grille which is full-service restaurant where the goal is to serve great food at a great value in a great atmosphere.
Jennifer Coco
J. Coco
What is your most memorable cooking experience? Being flown out to nYC for the James Beard Awards a few years back (the 1st time I was nominated) then brought on stage and introduced as one of the best chef's in the Midwest. Then cooking a dish for the after party (1500+guests–many of the Who's Who of the culinary world) and being able to meet many of the talented chef's I look up too..pretty amazing and surreal. jcoco continues to host monthly wine and/or other spirit tastings, while experimenting with lots of different ingredients beyond the norm.
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Look Who’s Sheltering Shelter Pets
Black Tie and Tails April 26 Ramada Plaza Mark your calendar now for Black Tie and Tails 2014. This gala is put on by our Friends Forever Guild and they know how to “put on the dog”. It starts with a patron party, and the chance to find a diamond in your champagne! Then it’s on to the main event themed “Forever Home.” Very Important Pets (VIPs) will be honored for enriching the lives of their humans who’ve given them their dream homes. Dinner, a silent auction of unique items, and an oral auction will entertain, and also give you the chance to help all animals find their forever homes. It’s all wrapped up in a heartwarming evening of glitter and fun. Call Gordon at (402) 905-3483 for information or check www.nehumanesociety.org for information and online registration.
Summer Kids Camps
Matthew Carter and Gabriel Jenison with Mimi, Fang and Tucker
Matthew Carter Family Matthew Carter is the ballet master of Ballet Nebraska. So it was natural that when the ballet teamed up with the Nebraska Humane Society to showcase a dog in last December’s performance of the Nutcracker, Matthew met Mimi front and center. “I had wanted a third dog for some time, and Matthew was kind of the holdout,” explains Gabriel, “So when he came home singing Mimi’s praises, I knew she was special.” Special indeed! The tiny 3 pound Chihuahua had big stage presence as she confidently pranced across the stage, and she carries that star power into her home. “Mimi rules the roost,” laughs Matthew, “despite being the smallest in stature.” The only female, Mimi steals all the toys and hoards them from her brothers. Still she fits in well. “Mimi loves to roughhouse with Fang, who is a small dog, but still much bigger than she is. She pounces on him and chews on his ankles and he is great with her.” Tucker, the Doberman is also careful not to step on her. All three dogs are rescues, Tucker found Matthew and Gabriel at a Doberman Rescue event, while Fang was an earlier adoption from the Nebraska Humane Society. With regular dog daycare visits, an acreage to roam, and owners like Matthew and Gabriel, these dogs are living a fairy tale life…cue the curtain on a happy ending!
www.nehumanesociety.org gives you all the info!
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metroMagazine • MaR 2014
Registration is open for Camp Kindness! Our NHS summer day camps provide hands-on fun for animal loving kids aged 6 to 12. Camps run morning or afternoon in week long sessions during June and July and offer children the opportunity to help the animals while having fun. Campers get a chance to socialize dogs and cats, make treats and toys for shelter pets, and pick a kennel buddy to help promote their adoption. Demonstrators show off exotic animals, explain why wildlife should remain wild, and offer an up-close look at veterinary medicine and animal related careers. Parents can even join in as we introduce Friday Family Picnics! Sign up online at www.nehumanesociety.oirg/campkindness or call Tracey at (402) 905-3496.
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event galleRies • VIEW & PURCHASE ADDITIONAL PHOTOS OF THESE EVENTS now! AT SPIRITOFOMAHA.COM
OPERA OMAHA “A DEBONAIR AFFAIR”
THE SUNSHINE KIDS DANCING WITH THE OMAHA STARS
THE LITERACY CENTER STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT CELEBRATION
METROMAGAZINE THE BIG EVENT | THE EVENT BOOK LAUNCH PARTY
JOSLYN ART MUSEUM ASSOCIATION GALA 2014
MERCY HIGH SCHOOL FIESTA
CHILD SAVING INSTITUTE BOURBON & BEEF
AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION OMAHA HEART BALL
Purchase photos from these events online or from your smartphone, and metroMAGAZINE will donate 10% back to that organization. Join us in giving back! Enter the code “GIVE10” on the checkout page of your shopping cart. • please remember to trade with our advertisers, whose support helps make our promotion of these important events possible
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eVenT
spotlight
opera omaha
metroMagazine
HANDEL’S “AGRIPPINA”
PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAN FLANIGAN
big opera
ALL ABOUT: Opera Omaha celebrated its 2014 Gala “A Debonair Affair” at the historic Omar Baking Building on January 18th. The theme for the evening was in anticipation of Opera Omaha’s production of Handel’s “Agrippina”. Throughout the evening, the crowd of 265 was treated to live performances by members of the cast. Chef Clayton Chapman of the GREY PLume provided crafted hors d”oeuvres during cocktail hour. Dinner was catered by Hap Abraham. Paul and Annette Smith served as Chairmen of the Event. General Director Roger Weitz commented “The evening was a truly unique and immersive experience that exceeded all expectations”. The event raised more than $194,000.
JAMES DARRAH, PEABODY SOUTHWELL, JAMIE-ROSE GUARRINE AND HADLEIGH ADAMS
IAN AND SUZY GRABB WITH BETIANA AND TODD SIMON 32
Opera Omaha’s mission is to enrich the quality of life in our community by creating professional Opera and musical theatre, which combines visual and performing arts to express humanity’s deepest emotions and highest aspirations.
HONORARY CHAIRS PAUL AND ANNETTE SMITH
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| a debonair affair
metroMagazine • The Spirit of Omaha
• VIEW & PURCHASE ADDITIONAL PHOTOS OF THESE EVENTS now! AT SPIRITOFOMAHA.COM
ROGER AND KATE MEGAN WEITZ, SHEPHERD, PEABODYCHRIS SOUTHWELL BOTTIERIAND ANDJAMES CARLYDARRAH FRICKE
GAYLE CALEWELL AND ERIC PHILLIPS
VERNIE AND CARTER JONES WITH LINDA AND DAVID GARDELS
HAROLD AND BEVERLY MAURER WITH SHIRLEY AND MICHAEL SORRELL
MARIAN LEARY AND DICK HOLLAND
ADAM LANGDON, REE KANEKO, SANDY MATTHEWS, JUNE KANEKO AND HEIKE LANGDON
MOGENS BAY WITH SUZANNE AND TODD ATKINSON
ANDREA AND JEFF KADAVY, RANDY PECK, LINDA GRUBB, JANET AND FRED KUEHL
LINDA ANDERSEN, BETSYE PARAGAS AND STEVE GRUPE
DR. DELE AND ARIKE DAVIES WITH GARY AND GRETCHEN BREN
JAY AND MARY PALU, STEPHEN OSBERG AND RACHEL JACOBSON
ANNE WEAVER, MIKE SIMMONDS AND ANDEE HOIG
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eVenT
spotlight metroMagazine
dancing with the omaha stars
BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY REAL ESTATE SERVICES OMAHA BALLROOM
PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAN FLANIGAN
dance machines AND THE WINNERS ARE: Rebecka Rae, News anchor KMTV Dance competition winner County Commissioner Mary Ann Borgeson: metroMAGAZINE Community Favorite Award Heath Murray, I Think Fit Sunshine Award for raising the most money Presented by: Berkshire Hathaway Home ServicesAmbassador Real Estate and Omaha Ballroom Overview of event: Sixteen local celebrities took to the stage to compete for the Mirror Ball Trophy. DANELLE NEWMAN WITH WILLIE GARRETT AND ELIZABETH EDWARDS
When it Happened: Saturday, January 25th Where it Happened: CenturyLink Center Omaha Attendance: 1,000 Special Guests: Actor G.W. Bailey A benefit for: Sunshine Kids - a non-profit organization dedicated to children with cancer. Established in 1982, with a commitment to providing positive group activities and emotional support for young cancer patients. The Sunshine Kids provides a variety of programs and events, free of charge, for kids who are receiving cancer treatments in hospitals across North America.
PHOTO BY JIMI V
ANDEE HOIG AWARDS DOUGLAS COUNTY COMMISIONER MARY ANN BORGESON
To learn more visit www.sunshinekids.org.
REBECKA RAE WITH ELIZABETH EDWARDS 34
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metroMagazine • The Spirit of Omaha
| the sunshine kids
MEGAN SHEPHERD,RYAN CHRISROBERTS BOTTIERI AND CARLY BRITTANY FRICKE BENSON GAYLE CALEWELL AND ERIC PHILLIPS
HEATH MURRAY
THOR TRIPP
LEIA MENDOZA
VINCE LEISEY AND BROOKE DELANO
• VIEW & PURCHASE ADDITIONAL PHOTOS OF THESE EVENTS now! AT SPIRITOFOMAHA.COM
G.W. BAILEY AND ANDEE HOIG
BROOKE DELANO
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eVenT
spotlight metroMagazine
joslyn art museum association
POSEIDON AND THE SEA: MYTH, CULT, AND DAILY LIFE
PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAN FLANIGAN
tales of old
NEWS & NOTES: Venue: Joslyn Art Museum Event Date: February 7th Attendance: Approximately 300 Amount raised: Approximately $150,000 About the Organization: The Museum was a gift to the people of Omaha from Sarah Joslyn in memory of her husband, George, who made his fortune as president of the Western Newspaper Union. The Museum’s original 1931 building is one of the finest examples of Art Deco architecture in the nation, with 38 types of marble from seven countries. The Walter and Suzanne Scott Pavilion, a 58,000-square-foot addition built in 1994, was designed by renowned British architect Norman Foster as his first U.S. commission. The Museum features galleries, a 1,000–seat concert hall, fountain court, education technology gallery, lecture hall, classrooms, sculpture garden, café, and shop.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR JACK BECKER WITH HONORARY CHAIRS BEVERLY AND DR. HAROLD MAURER
Mission: Joslyn Art Museum collects, preserves, and interprets the visual arts of the highest quality, fostering appreciation and enjoyment of art for the benefit of a diverse audience. Honorary Chairs: Beverly and Harold Maurer, M.D. Chairs: JAMA’s Phyllis Choat and Karen Nelsen JAMA President: Jeanie Jones Gala Presenting Sponsors: US Bank and Annette and Paul Smith For more information visit www.joslyn.org.
PHOTO COURTESY OF JOSLYN ART MUSEUM
PHYLLIS CHOAT, JEANIE JONES AND KAREN NELSEN 36
ANNETTE AND PAUL SMITH
metroMAGAZINE • MAR 2014
PHOTO COURTESY OF JOSLYN ART MUSEUM
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metroMagazine • The Spirit of Omaha
| gala 2014
• VIEW & PURCHASE ADDITIONAL PHOTOS OF THESE EVENTS now! AT SPIRITOFOMAHA.COM
MEGAN SHEPHERD, CHRIS BOTTIERI JOHN AND ANNE CARLYNELSON FRICKE
BRUCE CARPENTER WITH BEVERLY AND DR. HAROLD MAURER
GAYLE TIMMERMAN JAYNE CALEWELL AND ANDERIC PHYLLIS PHILLIPS CHOAT
TODD AND BETIANA SIMON, ERIKA OVERTURFF AND BRANDON DICKERSON
DANIELLE PITE, BONNIE HICKEY AND ANNA SWENSON
RACHEL LARSON AND NANCY HORNSTEIN
! N ! N
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DAVID AND MELANIE HECKER WITH DEBBIE AND BRIAN WOOD
PETER AND KRISTAE ZANDBERGEN
ADAM KUENNING, SARAH CAVANAGH, MOLLY MAZOUR AND KEVIN HARVAT
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JESSICA MARINER, VIVI DIMARCO, KELSEY SCHWNNKER, ERIKA OVERTURFF, MATTHEW CARTER, BRIDGET CARPENTER BRET SAMPSON AND SASHA YORK CHLOE WATSON BALLET NEBRASKA about volunteering!ANDearn $$WITHfor charity!
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Photography by Roger Humphries
event GALLERIES
Mercy ME!
Mercy High School FIESTA
LEE KERNISKEY, KATE KERNISKEY, ANN LAUGHLIN, LOUISE FRANCO, DAVID LEVY, MARY LEVY, CATHY VAN HAUTE AND BOB VAN HAUTE
MERCY SISTERS JUDITH FRIKKER, MARIA KLOSOWSKI, MARGARET MARY HINZ, LAURA REICKS AND ANNE MARIE MILLER
SARAH REGAN, SR. DELORES HANNON, MARY LOU PARR AND PAT PARR
Mercy High School's annual FIESTA was celebrated on Saturday night, February 8, at the midtown school. FIESTA is an acronym for Friends In Earnest Supporting Tuition Assistance. Records were broken with 534 guests in attendance and gross receipts of over $300,000. All proceeds will support Mercy High School’s Negotiated Tuition and technology updates. Mercy Negotiated Tuition makes a Mercy education possible for all young women who desire it. The Sisters of Mercy West Midwest Community started off the technology bidding and attendees joined in the fun to raise over $50,000 on the floor. In addition, there were donations of $28,000 from supporters who were unable to attend FIESTA. Thanks to a $50,000 matching gift from the Dr. C. C. & Mabel Criss Memorial Foundation our technology total became $128,000 and the grand total for the evening rose to over $350,000. The theme this year was “Another Day in Paradise.” Guests enjoyed hors d’oeuvres served by Mercy High School National Honor Society students while they bid on the many silent and super silent auctions items available during the social hour. Dinner was catered by Attitude on Food.
SONYA GLENN WITH JOHN AND JOYCE GLENN
RICHARD AND HEIDI ANZALONE AND KELLY O’DONNELL
Student Council President Calla Kessler ’14 thanked the crowd, “Because of your generosity, Mercy stays true to the mission of educating young women in both theory and practice. It is hard to put a price on a quality education, and your benevolence maintains that price is not the determining factor of attending Mercy.” After dinner, Mercy High School President Sr. Delores Hannon, RSM presented the Cor Misericordiae (Heart of Mercy) Award to Louise Battaglia Franco. Franco is a 1950 alumna of St. Mary High School which was a predecessor school to Mercy. All of her sisters, daughters, and many granddaughters attended Mercy as well. The award presentation was followed by a live auction which included trips, sporting packages, catered dinners and much more.
ED REGAN WITH NICOLE AND JOHN JESSE
KELLY CONLEY, ANGELA REDING AND MEG PETERS
CAPTIONS
CAPTIONS 38
For more information visit www.mercyhigh.org.
CAPTIONS
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Photography courtesy of MCF
PURE
Reflections
Midlands Community Fdtn. Reflection Ball
STEVE SORENSEN, TONEE GAY, DONNA AND DR. CHUCK WILCOX, TONI AND DR. GUY SCHROPP, JILL GOVIER, KARLA RUPIPER
Midlands Community Foundation’s 2014 Reflection Ball, held on January 18 at the Embassy Suites in LaVista, raised $100,000. More than 300 guests attended the gala. Net proceeds from the event will be donated to Angels Among Us, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to financially assist families with a child battling cancer living or being treated in Nebraska. At the event, the Reflection Award was presented to Dr. Chuck and Donna Wilcox for their leadership in philanthropy and long-time volunteer service and support of Midlands Community Foundation and the Sarpy County community.
FRONT ROW: JILL GOVIER, BINDY FREDERICK, KEN SUMMERFIELD, MARY GAWECKI, KYLE BLACK, PATTIE ISKE, JAN DAVIS BACK ROW: CARRIE KRIST, DIANE KNICKY, KRIS ZEY, BRENDA CARLSON, JACKIE BORYCA, TONI SCHROPP, KARLA RUPIPER
Heading the event were Honorary Chairs Dr. Guy and Toni Schropp and Chair Jill Govier. The mission of Midlands Community Foundation is to benefit the diverse needs of the Sarpy and Cass county communities by providing financial support, involvement and service. For more information visit www.MidlandsCommunity.org
JOHN ERICKSON AND LOIS ERICKSON AND KRIS AND STEVE ZEY
DR. CHUCK AND DONNA WILCOX
DR. ARMAN AND CATHIE PAJNIGAR
CAPTIONS
CAPTIONS 39
RICK AND MAYOR RITA SANDERS
CAPTIONS
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event GALLERIES
Photography by Dan Flanigan
FOR THE
Heart
American Heart Association Omaha Heart Ball
HONORARY CHAIRS DAVID AND LORI SCOTT
CHAIRS ANGIE AND TREV ALBERTS WITH 2014 HEART BALL PRINCE JAKE ALEXANDER
• Special Guest: Jake Alexander and Family (Heart Ball Prince); Trev and Angie Alberts – Heart Ball Chairs; David and Lori Scott – Heart Ball Honorary Chairs • When It Happened: Saturday, February 1st • Where It Happened: Embassy Suites Hotel, La Vista • Why/How It Happened: Raising awareness and Fundraising for the American Heart Association • Honorary Chairs: David and Lori Scott
ENGRA BENSER, EMMA BENSER, CARSON KESICK AND RON BENSER
KATHI HESSER, GEORGE VENTEICHER, SID AND DAWN DINSDALE AND MARK HESSER
• Sponsors/Hosts: Presenting Sponsor: Lexus of Omaha • Attendance: More than 750 guests • Funds Raised: More than $440,000 • About the organization: To raise awareness that heart disease and stroke are the No. 1 and No. 4 causes of death. To reduce those numbers by dollars to fund life-saving research nationwide and locally.
DEANNA ARMSTRONG, THAD WOODS AND BRENDA AND STEVE GOESER
JESSICA PUETZ, SYDNEY WOODS AND WELLESLEY MICHAEL
• Mission: Reduce the number of deaths to cardiovascular disease and stroke by 20% by 2020. More than 750 social, business, medical and community leaders attend this year’s American Heart Association Omaha Heart Ball presented by Lexus of Omaha on Saturday, February 1 at Embassy Suites – La Vista. The black tie event celebrated its 26th year with a “Wild About Heart” theme. The event raised more than $440,000, which will go to fund life-saving research and education in the fight against heart disease and stroke, our No. 1 and No. 4 killers.
HAL AND MARY DAUB WITH PAM AND DR. BILL FLEMING
The 2014 Heart Ball Honorary Chairs were David and Lori Scott and the Heart Ball Chairs were Trev and Angie Alberts. Also in attendance were the 2013-2014 Sweethearts, and Heart Ball Prince Jake Alexander and his family. Money raised from the event will be used to fund live-saving research in the fight against heart disease and stroke. Currently the American Heart Association is funding $2.9 million for research in Nebraska including ten awards at Creighton University and UNMC in Omaha. For more information visit www.heart.org/Omaha, facebook.com/AmericanheartAssociationOmaha; Twitter: AHANebraska
TAYLOR MAHSEN, ANNA DOMET, BROOKLYN BALDWIN AND MADDIE KLINGER
JOSH AND JENN WHITE WITH KIM AND MIKE QUINN 40
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Photography by Roger Humphries
SPIRITS OF THE
World
Child Saving Institute Guild Bourbon & Beef
On Saturday, January 25, 77 cowboy-clad guests raised $20,000 for children in need in our community at the Child Saving Institute Guild’s inaugural “Spirits of the World,” this year featuring “Bourbon & Beef.”
MATT HEEBNER, KATE HEEBNER, GEORGE DITTRICK, GLYNNIS DITTRICK, LIZ DITTRICK AND BILL DITTRICK
The event was held at Brix Village Pointe and included tastings of 10 premium bourbons and samplings of a variety of exotic meats, including elk, wild boar, moose, and Wagyu beef. The evening also included a silent auction. Of particular interest was the raffle for the chance to win a bottle of the priceless Pappy Van Winkle’s 20-year Family Reserve Bourbon. The event was sponsored by MSR Group, and chaired by Laura Worick, Janis Winterhof, and Lucy Newberry. LAURA WORICK, JANIS WINTERHOF AND LUCY NEWBERRY
DUSTIN SELZER, KAREN GRIEGO, BRIAN SPANGLER AND CORY EIKMEIER
Child Saving Institute, a 501(c) (3) not-for-profit child welfare organization, is dedicated to the prevention, intervention and treatment of child abuse, neglect and abandonment. CSI has met the changing needs of metro area children for more than 120 years based on the belief that ALL children should have homes where hope is kindled and dreams can be achieved. For more information visit www.childsaving.org.
KAREN AND KIRK THOMPSON
ROGER MOORMAN AND TOM BECKA
! N ! N
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JENNY DEITLOFF, TRACY DIXON, MELANIE MCINTYRE AND MEGAN BELCHER
KAYLEE LEE, MAUREN LEE AND BOB LEE
MARIA KOOKEN, ADDIE HOLLINGSWORTH AND MARY O’CONNELL
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event GALLERIES
Photography by Dan Flanigan
HERE’S TO THE
Readers!
The Literact Center
Student Achievement Celebration
JERRY MAGNER AND KIRSTEN CASE
LITERACY CENTER GED GRADUATES
The Literacy Center held its Winter Student Achievement Celebration on Saturday, January 25, 2014 at Mammel Hall, University of Nebraska Omaha. More than 50 students were recognized for their hard work and accomplishments including 31 students who have completed their GED. Students were recognized in five categories, including perfect attendance, positive attitude and outstanding achievers. Six individual volunteers were also honored at the event. Linda Sladky, Barbara Magner, Nancy Leech, Denise Ives, Al Johnson and Rosemary Lucky were recognized for their dedication and commitment to helping Literacy Center students. “I couldn’t be more proud of our students for their hard work and dedication to their education. Their efforts will not only change their own lives but will positively impact their families, neighborhoods and our entire community,” said Kirsten Case, executive director of the Literacy Center.
AL JOHNSON AND ROSEMARY LUCKY
KIRSTEN CASE, STEPHANIE HANSEN, REBECCA BODE AND VIV EWING
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metroMagazine • MaR 2014
For more information about the Literacy Center, visit GiveLiteracy.org.
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Photography by Dan Flanigan
J. GAWT, BETSYE PARAGAS AND DANIEL BELCHER
ROGER WEITZ, MARY ELLEN MULCAHY, DANIEL BELCHER, BROTHER WILLIAM WOEGER, RUTH KEENE, LINDA ANDERSEN AND JAMES KEENE III
SPIRIT OF
Aloha
Cathedral Arts Project Cathedral Flower Festival
The 29th Annual Cathedral Flower Festival on January 19, was dedicated to the diverse peoples of the Islands. The beauty of the flowers and the people and places they celebrate instilled in guests a deepening of the “Spirit of Aloha.” Hawaiians are noted for their Spirit of Aloha, an expression of hospitality and peace which recognizes that all the people of the islands have come from somewhere else and that you, the visitor, are also welcome.
DAN BISHOP
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Photography by Dan Flanigan
event GALLERIES
GROWING
Sustainability
The Nebraska Sustainable Agriculture Society Producers Choice When It Happened: January 19th, 2014
Where It Happened: Metropolitan Community College Institute for the Culinary Arts
DOUG AND KRISTA DITTMAN
Mission: To promote agriculture and food systems that build healthy land, people, communities and quality of life, for present and future generations. Attendance: Over 200 tickets reserved Funds Raised: $22,000 About the organization: The Producers Choice Chef Award is a celebration of local chefs who have been identified by members of the Nebraska Sustainable Agriculture Society. It was held January 19th at the Metropolitan Community College Institute of the Culinary Arts in Omaha. Guests shared the evening with chefs Clayton Chapman from The Grey Plume, Paul Kulik from The Boilerroom, Nick Strawhecker from Dante Ristorante Pizzeria, Joel Mahr from Lot 2 and Matt Roush from Bread & Cup. Numerous local farmers mingled with guests and chefs alike, all while enjoying an evening full of delicious local food. The brewers from Modern Monks Brewery and the vintners from Glacial Till Vineyard were also present. This is a fund raising event for the Nebraska Sustainable Agriculture Society. The event brought in over 200 guests and raised over $22,000 for their works. The Nebraska Sustainable Agriculture Society was founded over 40 years ago by a group of organic farmers who recognized the need to change how our food was produced. From the beginning we have been focused on promoting an agriculture the builds healthy positive change. We have done this through creating numerous opportunities for farmers and consumers alike to participate and take an active role in food. Through creating the first farmers markets in the state, to holding our annual Healthy Farms Conference, NSAS has laid the foundation for the local foods and farms movement in Nebraska and the Midwest. For more information contact healthyfarms@gmail.com.
CHEF PAUL KULIK AND TIM NICHOLSON REPRESENTING LE BOULLION AND BOILER ROOM
GARRY AND STEVI MILBOURN
CHEF JOEL MAHR AND SCOTT ZRUST OF LOT 2
CHEF CLAYTON CHAPMAN WITH THE GREY PLUME STAFF
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CHEF MATT ROUSH WITH EMCEE ADRIAN WHITSETT REPRESENTING BREAD & CUP AND KETV NEWSWATCH 7
JOE AND ROBIN DONOVAN WITH MARY ALICE AND DAVE LAFERLA
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Photography courtesy of sara Jochim
ATTENTION:
Honors!
At Ease USA
At Ease Luncheon
• Special Guest: Sammy L. Davis, USA Ret. • When It Happened: Monday, January 27, 2014 • Where It Happened: CenturyLink Center • Why/How It Happened: Annual luncheon to raise money in support of At Ease USA to assist Nebraska’s military families. • Honorary Chairs: Shirley and Dan Neary • Attendance: 540 • Funds Raised: Over $200,000 RHONDA AND HOWARD HAWKS WITH SHIRLEY AND DAN NEARY • About the organization: At Ease USA is a group of Omaha-area citizens committed to providing confidential trauma treatment and therapeutic support to active military, veterans and their loved ones. No one is turned away based upon an inability to pay. Spurred by almost daily media reports of those affected by untreated trauma reactions and PTSD, the At Ease USA Board of Directors decided to take action.
Their plan is to complement existing services offered by military and veterans organizations, with a focus on the elimination of barriers to treatment for those suffering from the effects of deployment and the uncertainty of war. At Ease has clinics in Bellevue, Grand Island and recently opened an office in
45
North Platte. Additionally, At Ease USA i working with Creighton University to undertake the first-=ever clinical trials of Attention Biased Modification Treatment in the US related to PTSD At Ease USA is proud to honor those who have served our country so bravely. For more information visit www.ateaseusa.org.
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eVenT
spotlight metroMagazine
the event book & giving guide
LAUNCH PARTY & AWARDS CELEBRATION
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROGER HUMPHRIES
honoring the givers
GETTING EXCITED: Over 200 invited guests gathered together on January 22nd at The Durham Museum to christen The Event Book & Giving Guide 2014 and to celebrate all of the charitable fundraising events held during 2013 by honoring the winners of The BIG Event 2013 sponsored by metroMAGAZINE & ALH Publications, Inc. The BIG Event is held annually to recognize all of the efforts of those who work tirelessly to raise funds for the many charitable organizations and causes who work so diligently to make a positive difference in the lives of those in our community. The purpose of The BIG Event is to raise awareness and appreciation for all of the work that is done to support non profit, charities and cultural enterprises during the preceding year. “The whole idea for The BIG Event has always been focused on drawing attention to all the work done by every organization throughout the year, not just the organizations who are nominated and voted as winners,” said Andrea “Andee” Hoig, President, Founder and Publisher of ALH Publications, Inc. and metroMAGAZINE. “All of the winning organizations really embraced this as a way to celebrate everyone’s achievements during the year. Our impression was that everyone in attendance felt a genuine love and admiration for each others’ efforts. It was one evening where all organizations represented seemed like one big family. We felt that the intimate surroundings and casual atmosphere and program helped make that happen, but it was really the energy and warmth of those attending that set the tone,” added Rob Killmer, ALHP Vice-President. The evening also served as a launch party for the 2014 edition of The Event Book & Giving Guide, metroMAGAZINE’s guide to over 60 non profit organizations, their mission, vision, needs and most important calendar functions. For more information visit http://www.Spiritofomaha.com/The-Event-Book.
JEN PAVKOU, MEG THOMAS, DONNA DOSTAE, CHARISSA HAUGE, JANE SHINN 46
For information about nominating a charity for The BIG Event email Editor@SpiritofOmaha.com.
metroMAGAZINE • MAR 2014
MA WI
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| the BIG event!
BRYAN AND LESLIE SLONE, HOLLY RADKE AND ANDEE HOIG MEGAN SHEPHERD, CHRIS BOTTIERI AND CARLY FRICKE AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY
TRISH HANISZENSKI, MICHAEL WATKINS, TAMI SOPER AND RYAN STRAWHECKER
STEVE SEIDEL, WHITNEY HAYES, DENNIS HEIM AND ANDEE HOIG VINNEBRASKA & RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE
metroMagazine • The Spirit of Omaha
BRIDGET COLLINS AND ANDEE HOIG GAYLE CALEWELL AND ERIC PHILLIPS BROWNELL TALBOT SCHOOL
JOHN JEANETTA, SHERI SHONKA, SALLY STALNAKER AND ANDEE HOIG HEARTLAND FAMILY SERVICE
PATTY O’BRYAN AND ANDEE HOIG THE DURHAM MUSEUM
THE LADIES FROM PROJECT PINK’D WITH ANDEE HOIG
BETH PANTHANO AND ASHLEY WINANS
TRACY FISCHER, KATHLEEN AL-MARHOON AND ANDEE HOIG NEBRASKA CHILDREN’S HOME SOCIETY
• VIEW & PURCHASE ADDITIONAL PHOTOS OF THESE EVENTS now! AT SPIRITOFOMAHA.COM
MADELINE MADDEN, LINDA GARBINA, SUSAN EUSTICE, JOANNE BEMIS WITH ANDEE HOIG | THE SALVATION ARMY
BROOK AND NICK HUDSON WITH JACKIE WALZ
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LAUNCH PARTY & AWARDS CELEBRATION
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROGER HUMPHRIES
the event book & giving guide the BIG event! CONTINUED
getting excited
ABOUT GIVING BACK!
VIC RICHARDS AND RACHEL RICHARDS
DEBORAH NEARY AND WHITNEY MASTIN
AMY CAMPAGNA, LYNNE BALDWIN AND LAURA STASTNY
LYNETTE FARHART AND BILL ALFORD
RITA SANDERS AND DONNA DOSTAL
KENLEY STURDIVANT-WILSON AND JOSH SAWYER
ANGELA KROS, LISA TURNER AND LAURA ROCCAFORTE
CHERYL MURRAY AND REID MURRAY
JOEL RUSSELL AND ERIN SWANSON-RUSSELL
CAPTIONS
CAPTIONS 48
CAPTIONS
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UNIQUE IDEAS DESIGN PRODUCTION STRATEGY CREATIVITY EXPERIENCE
402.926.1199 • www.turnerevents.com YOUR LOCAL FULL SERVICE STRATEGIC EVENT DESIGN AND PRODUCTION COMPANY Proud Event Planner for ICAN
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“and the WINNERS are…” 2013
The following events & organizations were selected by thousands of followers who participated in this year’s vote-in. These organizations were elected for events presented between June 1, 2012 & May 31, 2013
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BEST EVENT: 1st - 2nd Annual • American Cancer Society Hope in the Heartland Gala BEST EVENT: Pet & Animal • Nebraska Humane Society - Dining with Dogs
! TIEBEST EVENT: Young Professional • Joslyn's Young Art Patrons EVE: a New Year's Gala • Nebraska Children's Home Society/BRANCH HomeGrown
BEST EVENT: Over 1,000 • Nebraska Children's Home Society Sand in the City
BEST EVENT: Education • Brownell-Talbot School Illumination: A Time to Shine!
BEST EVENT: Heath & Wellness • Project Pink'd - 2012 Exposed: Real Women for a Real Cure
BEST EVENT: Food & Wine
• vinNEBRASKA Foundation benefiting Ronald McDonald House vinNEBRASKA Wine Event 2013
BEST EVENT: Theme
• Lutheran Family Services Fandango ALL STARS! BEST EVENT: Over 500 • Heartland Family Service Carnival of Love Gala
BEST EVENT: Under 500 • The Durham Museum - Sentimental Journey "I'll Be Home for Christmas" BEST EVENT: Speaker/Guest • The Salvation Army - DJ's Hero Awards Luncheon featuring Emmitt Smith
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GET EXCITEDABOUT
IVINGBACK!
FROM THE PUBLISHERS OF
3 Great Ways to Connect with the most important events in the 2014 Charity & Cultural Calendar • The Event Book & Giving Guide 2014 Print Editon • The Giving Guide online at WWW.SPIRITOFOMAHA.COM/THE-EVENT-BOOK/ • Enter, update and search 2014 events 365/24/7 at WWW.SPIRITOFOMAHA.COM/METRO-MAGAZINE/COMMUNITY/CALENDAR/
Distributing Now in support of these great organizations: Alegent Creighton Health Foundation American Red Cross Angels Among Us Bemis Center for Contemporary Art Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Midlands Boy Scouts of America, Mid America Council Boys & Girls Clubs of Omaha Catholic Charities of Omaha Child Saving Institute College Possible Omaha Completely KIDS Cross Training Center The Durham Museum Fashion Institute Midwest Film Streams Fontenelle Forest Food Bank for the Heartland
Girl Scouts Spirit of Nebraska Goodwill of Omaha Heartland Family Service Hearts United for Animals Heat the Streets Run and Walk for Warmth Hope Center for Kids ICAN Inclusive Communities JDRF Heartland Chapter Joslyn Art Musuem KANEKO Kids Can Community Center Knight of Ak-Sar-Ben Foundation Literacy Center of the Midlands Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska Metro Area Youth Foundation, Inc Methodist Hospital Foundation
Midlands Humane Society Midlands Mentoring Partnership Miss Amazing Inc Nebraska Children's Home Socity Nebraska Wildlife Rehab, Inc. Omaha Children's Museum Omaha Community Foundation Omaha Community Playhouse Omaha Creative Institute Omaha Home For Boys Omaha Performing Arts Omaha Symphony Omaha Zoo Foundation One World Community Health Centers, Inc. Open Door Mission Opera Omaha Outlook Nebraska, Inc.
Partnership 4 Kids Quality Living, Inc. Rebuilding Omaha Together St. Vincent DePaul Society The Salvation Army Santa Monica House Siena/Francis House Special Olympics Nebraska Strategic Air & Space Museum Susan G. Komen Nebraska Ted E. Bear Hollow Voices for Children in Nebraska Women's Fund of Omaha Youth Emergency Services
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story by TAMI SOPER | PhotograPhy courtesy of OMAHA HOME FOR BOYS
nonprofit news
a rich‘herstory’ omaha home for boys NATIONAL WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH “MISS RUTH” ROOSE
the history of the omaha home for boys may be familiar to you, but did you know about the rich “herstory” of contributions made by women to the home for more than 90 years?
SINCE its inception in 1920, women have been the backbone of the success of the home. the first caretakers were women – house mothers who provided guidance and managed the household of boys in need of care, support and love. throughout history, female staff ranging from administrative support to house parents to topnotch educators have helped shape the future of the many successful young men and women who called the omaha home for boys “home” at some point in their lives. partnerships with women through community and civic groups – like the eastern star sewing guild and nurturing teachers and administrators of neighboring schools – have helped meet the needs of youth over the decades. women philanthropists like carol combs, granddaughter of one of the home’s founding fathers, tinley combs, have generously and loyally contributed
THE LATE CAROL COMBS
to the ongoing financial sustainability and growth of the home, from scholarship funding to the donation of the carol combs learning center on Jacobs’ place campus. women have supported the home financially from the beginning when owners of the home’s original building – two women – each donated $1,000 to apply as credit to the purchase of the house. today women lead staff and programs, guide youth and young adults and govern the organization through participation on the board of directors. notably, more than 50 percent of the people the omaha home for boys currently serves are young women participating in our transitional and independent living programs. lisa’s story is one example of the way omaha home for boys makes a difference in the lives of young women every day. she came to the home’s Jacobs’ place program when her older sister, who had been raising her, was sent to the middle east on military orders. a native of omaha, lisa thought the transition 54
metroMAGAZINE • MAR 2014
would be smooth, but the unhealthy relationship with mom that landed her with an ill-equipped father at the age of seven was unchanged. her sister, with whom she had lived in texas since age 13, had been the most stable support in her life, even ensuring the completion of her high school education. but lisa had limited options for support as a homeless 18 year old. she found help and guidance through Jacobs’ place and gained life skills and resource linkages that enabled her to become a self-sustaining college student. today, lisa lives independently and maintains her own housing and transportation. Join us in commemorating the impact of women on the mission and services of the omaha home for boys as we recognize and celebrate national women’s history month. watch for our her story brochure and historical acknowledgements on our social media outlets applauding the courage, commitment and character of our “her story.”
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March 1
save the
MOWBC 2014 ANNUAL MASQUERADE BALL AND AUCTION Metro Omaha Women’s Business Center Marriott Regency | Omaha 10220 Regency Circle | 5:30PM Mystery, intrigue, romance, auction & live entertainment. Help us financially grant women-owned, small business start-ups. $45 Member | $50 individual | $100 couple | $500 for table of ten if purchased before January 15, 2014 Get Tickets Here! http://mowbcf.org/ai1ec_event/start-up-assistance-award-ball/?instance_id=635
March 1 BLAZIN' SHAMROCKS IRISH FEST 2014 Catholic Charities CenturyLink Center Omaha | 5:30pm Blazin' Shamrocks Irish Fest 2014 Get your Irish spirits ready for another fun Irish Fest! March 1, 2014 at CenturyLink Center Omaha! Honorary Chairs: Molly and Toby Schropp Event Chairs: Jean and Jim Ambrose and Theresa and Bob Gunia Featuring a cocktail reception, silent auction, dinner, and live auction, this is Catholic Charities' most entertaining night of the year! Proceeds from this event help fund the many life changing services Catholic Charities provides to over 75,000 people and families annually. $150 per person More information: (402) 829-9260 | www.ccomaha.org
March 1 HEAT THE STREETS RUN & WALK FOR WARMTH Midtown Crossing 8:00am: Registration opens 9:00am: Runners start 5K run 9:30am: Walkers start 1 mile walk 10:15am: Awards Presentation at Midtown Theatre This annual fundraising event supports the Omaha-area energy assistance programs administered by The Salvation Army and the American Red Cross. Sponsored by Omaha Public Power District, Metropolitan Utilities District, Black Hills Energy, Midtown Crossing and its restaurants’ Feed the Need program, this wintertime 5K run and 1-mile walk through Midtown raises funds and the awareness that many area low income, elderly, disabled individuals and families need help paying utility bills during emergencies. $35 for runners, $25 for walkers, children 12 and under free More information: (402) 346-3950 | www.heartlandwalkforwarmth.org
March 2 2014 MEYER FOUNDATION WALK AND ROLL FOR DISABILITIES Oak View Mall | Upper Level near jcpenney | 10:30 am –12:30 am Advanced Registration - $25 | Day-of Registration - $3 The 10th annual Walk and Roll for Disabilities, sponsored by the Meyer Foundation for Disabilities and other community partners, includes walking and rolling around the upper level of Oak View Mall, clowns and face painters! Registration must be complete prior to February 12th to receive your complimentary Tshirt. All proceeds to benefit the programs offered by the Munroe-Meyer Institute's Recreational Therapy Department, which serves children and adults with developmental disabilities. To register in advance: https://secure.ezeventsolutions.com/fr/Meyerfoundation/2014WalkAndRoll
March 4 – 9 OMAHA FASHION WEEK Fashion Institute Midwest OMAR Arts and Events Building | Omaha Join us for Omaha's most glamorous week! Featured Designers Include: Elda Doamekpo, Kate Walz, Angela Balderston, Terri Buckner, Hannah Olson, Buf Reynolds, Stacey Sipp, Gweedo & Geeps, Borris Powell, Lenzanita, Kent Bellows Studio, 4-H, Dan Richters, Aubrey Sookram, Fella Vaughn, Jessica Collins, Bryan Frost and Erica Cardenas, Crystal Hobson, Katie Thomspon and Margie Trembley. Buy tickets online at www.omahafashionweek.com/tickets 56
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metroMagazine • The Spirit of Omaha
look for the LEARN MORE ABOUT THESE ORGANIZATIONS IN THE EVENT BOOK 2014!
• VIEW & PURCHASE ADDITIONAL PHOTOS OF THESE EVENTS now! AT SPIRITOFOMAHA.COM
March 5
SPEAKING OF CHILDREN Project Harmony CenturyLink Center | Omaha One extraordinary day to inspire and inform the community against child abuse. Featured Luncheon Speaker is Jimmy Wayne, singer, songwriter, author, child advocate and activist and child abuse survivor. Training presentations will be offered in morning and afternoon breakout sessions for area professionals. Honorary Chairs: Mike and Lin Simmonds. Event Chairs Kelli Draper and Jennie Warren. For more information and to RSVP online please visit www.projectharmony.com
March 5 – 6 TABLE ART 2014 Omaha Symphony Guild ChampionsRun | March 5, 5:30 – 8pm | March 6, 10:30am – 1:30pm The two day event will feature designer Michael Aram,an American born artist who works primarily in metal. His works range from tableware to furniture. An underwriting tea was held in early November where pieces of Aram’s work were underwritten for the silent auction that will be held at the preview party and luncheon. The two day March 5 and 6 event will also feature tables done by local designers and florists and historical tables done by Omaha families. $50 Preview Party | $75 Luncheon More information: www.omahasymphonyguild.org
March 5 - 9 9TH ANNUAL OMAHA FILM FESTIVAL Village Pointe Theatre | 304 North 174th Street | Omaha The Omaha Film Festival celebrates the artistic, educational, and historical importance of motion pictures. It gives independent film artists a platform for sharing their work and creating a dialogue with the community. It introduces audiences to innovative new films and past masterworks of cinema. It promotes the discussion and study of filmmaking. It seeks to foster and present stories that stand out, that are told in the most creative ways; stories that are daring, courageous, risk-taking, and filled with discovery and wonder. More information: www.omahafilmfestival.org
March 6 CELEBRITY CHEF FEATURING MICHAEL SYMON Food Bank for the Heartland EmbassySuites Conference Center | LaVista 5pm: Patron party | 5:30pm: Cocktail reception | 7pm: Chef Symon’s presentation Television personality, author and James Beard Award-winning chef Michael Symon is the Food Bank’s 2014 Celebrity Chef! Chef Symon is featured on ABC’s The Chew and on the Food Network’s Iron Chef America. Guests who attend Celebrity Chef will enjoy a culinary presentation by Michael Symon and dinner inspired by his recipes. Since 2001, the Celebrity Chef event has celebrated food and its meaning in our lives by bringing together supporters to showcase the talents of a notable chef while raising awareness and funding for Food Bank for the Heartland. Individual $150 | Patron $300 More information: (402) 905-4810 | www.FoodBankHeartland.org
March 7 – 9 AMERICAN GIRL FASHION SHOW Junior League of Omaha Happy Hollow Club | Omaha The American Girl Fashion Show is a fun-filled event for girls and their families, friends and favorite dolls. Celebrate the experience of being a girl, yesterday and today, through a colorful presentation of historical and contemporary fashions. Participating models will walk the runway in genuine American Girl clothing while carrying a matching doll from the American Girl collection. During each of eight shows, attendees will enjoy elegant refreshments, enter to win door prizes and discover how clothing has changed over the years to reflect history, culture and girls' individual styles. The American Girl Fashion Show fundraiser supports the Junior League of Omaha's children-minded projects: A Book of My Own and Project Hope Pack. Model Registration Forms are due on Friday, February 7, 2014. More information: americangirl@jlomaha.org 57
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March 8
save the
CASA BLANCA Nebraska CASA Scott Center | 6450 Pine Street | Omaha | 6 pm – 10 pm Here’s looking at you kid! Join the Nebraska CASA Association for a Gala directly benefiting CASA programs across Nebraska! Cost: $75 More information: 402-477-2788 | www.nebraskacasa.org
March 8 THE HEART OF CAMP AWARDS Embassy Suites, LaVista 5:30 – 7 p.m. Cocktails and Silent Auction 7 p.m. Dinner and Awards For the first time, Carol Joy Holling Camp, Conference & Retreat Center will host a Gala to celebrate the values that we hold true to our organization - Faith, Vocation, Community, Hospitality and Partnership. You are invited to come, learn more and support the mission that we seek to live out! Silent & Live Auction; Lots of wonderful items up for auction. Reservations: $85 per person or $850 for a table of 10 Reserve your seats: http://www.caroljoyholling.org/reservations; Donate an item: http://www.caroljoyholling.org/auction
March 12 HEROES IN THE HEARTLAND American Red Cross EmbassySuites Conference Center | La Vista | 11:45am – 1pm | $50 The Heroes in the Heartland Awards Luncheon honors individuals from the Omaha metro who have saved another person’s life during the past year or who have positively impacted the quality of life in the Heartland area in other ways. This signature event, now in its 14th year, is based on the organization’s belief that qualities of bravery, commitment, dedication and selfless behavior should be recognized and honored. More information: (402) 343-7760 | www.redcross.org
March 15 – April 6 SPIRIT: A CELEBRATION OF ART IN THE HEARTLAND Museum of Nebraska Art | 2401 Central Avenue | Kearney 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM | (Gala Events: April 4,5,6) A biennial fund-raising benefit for the Museum of Nebraska Art, this art exhibition and gala events feature 55 artists with ties to Nebraska. On view three weeks prior to the culminating weekend of festivities, the exhibition showcases a variety of media, styles, and themes by Nebraska’s gifted artists. Contact the Museum for pricing: 308-865-8559. More information: http://mona.unk.edu
March 19 5TH ANNUAL MENTORING SUMMIT AND AWARDS LUNCHEON Midlands Mentoring Partnership CenturyLinkCenterOmaha | 8am – 5pm Annually, MMP brings hundreds of youth providers, mentoring professionals, mentors, and community leaders together to focus on best practices for youth mentoring. This year, MMP is collaborating with Metro Omaha Education Consortium and the Buffett Early Childhood Institute to host Paul Tough, best-selling autho rof “HowChildrenSucceed: Grit, Curiosity and th eHidden Power of Character.” $50 for luncheon only $70 for the full day conference More information: (402) 715-4175 | www.mmpomaha.org
March 22 HERITAGE AWARDS DINNER Alegent Creighton Health Mercy Hospital Mid-America Center | Council Bluffs 6:00 pm (Cocktails) | 7:00pm (Dinner & Awards Program) The Heritage Awards recognize outstanding citizens who have spent a lifetime positively contributing to the communities of southwest Iowa in the areas of Arts & Humanities, Business, Education, and Health & Human Services. The evening includes a cocktail hour, followed by a sit-down dinner and awards presentation. Presented by the Alegent Creighton Health Foundation, proceeds benefit Mercy Hospital Clinical Education. Tickets are $100 per person; sponsorships available. More information: (712) 328-5141 | www.alegentcreighton.com/foundation 58
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date
look for the LEARN MORE ABOUT THESE ORGANIZATIONS IN THE EVENT BOOK 2014!
• VIEW & PURCHASE ADDITIONAL PHOTOS OF THESE EVENTS now! AT SPIRITOFOMAHA.COM
metroMagazine • The Spirit of Omaha
March 22
March 28
DIVA DASH The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's
CHEERS TO ANGELS Angels Among Us
Jones Bros. Cupcakes 2121 South 67th Street | Omaha | 1 - 6 PM 5K Start: 8:00am at Stinson Park at AkSarBen Village - 2285 S 67th St. Lil' Princess Kids Run Start: 9:00am Be a part of the fun of this women-only 5K and get your Diva on! All participants will receive a tech shirt, a large finishers medal with detachable charm, and lots of great food and beverages at the event! The 5K is followed by the Lil' Princess Fun Run for girls 8 and under (different distances will be run from 50 yards to 200 yards based on age) where all participants will receive a cotton shirt, tiara and Lil' Princess medal! Prize money will be awarded. All finishers will receive a finishers medal! Register at http://www.divadash5k.com/omaha.php
Champions Run 13800 Eagle Run Drive | Omaha | 5:30 PM – 8:30 PM A wine tasting event benefiting Angels Among Us. Wine Parings with light appetizers. Raffle items and interactive wine toss. Sponsored by Children’s Dental, Step Group, Aflack. Cost is $35 - $40. More information: 402-850-9938 | Myangelsamongus.org
March 23 TOO MANY COOKS IN THE KITCHEN Omaha Restaurant Association Hilton Omaha This Omaha Restaurant Association event made up of chefs who donate their time and talents to prepare a 5 to 6 course meal with wine pairings for 10 guests returns Sunday March 23rd at Hilton Omaha. Neither the guests nor the chefs know who will be matched with whom until cocktail hour. The chef then greets his group, and wines and dines them for the rest of the evening. proceeds from this event go to fight hunger and provide for culinary scholarships.
March 28 ARTVENTURE Girl Scouts Spirit of Nebraska UNO’sMammelHall-Omaha Patron Party – 5:30pm; Main Auction – 7pm | Patron Party – $125; Main Auction – $50 artVenture is a unique arts education-based program that celebrates collaboration and creativity. Girl Scouts are matched with professional artists in a variety of mediums to create original works of art. From conception through completion, girls and artists work as a team through the artistic process. Their works of art, along with pieces by professional artists, are sold at the silent auction event in March. All proceeds benefit the Girl Scouts Spirit of Nebraska council. More information: (402) 779-8230 | GirlScoutsNebraska.org
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March 29 MARCH MADNEZZ Boys & Girls Club of Council Bluffs Spillway Bar | 1840 Madison Ave | 3:00 PM – 8:30 PM It’s the Fifth Annual March Madnezz! Power forward with your friends, watch the NCAA Men’s Basketball Regional Finals, enjoy free food and libations and score some amazing silent auction items – all for a great cause – kids. More information: 402.342.1600 | www.bgcomaha.org
March 29 THE VINNEBRASKA SPRING WINE EVENT Partnership 4 Kids Downtown DoubleTree by Hilton | 5 – 9pm With a quarter-century of event success and more than $3 million raised for local charities, the 2014 edition of the vinNEBRASKA Spring Wine Event will mark the 25th anniversary that this annual event has taken place. The tradition of this grand celebration will overflow with premier wines from nationally recognized winemakers, gourmet food and amazing auction packages for wine collectors and enthusiasts of all kinds! All event proceeds will benefit Partnership 4 Kids. $95 ($105 after March 1st) More information: (402) 930-3000 | www.p4k.org
March 29 2014 BLUE JEAN BALL: THE MAGIC OF A WISH Make-A-Wish Nebraska Mutual of Omaha Dome | 3300 and Dodge Street | Omaha | 6:00 PM Join us for an evening filled with magic at the annual Make-A-Wish Nebraska fundraiser. Be inspired by wish stories and amazed by our mystical entertainment. Grab your favorite pair of blue jeans and help share in the power of a wish! $125 More information: 402-333-8999 | www.nebraska.wish.org
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save the date
• VIEW & PURCHASE ADDITIONAL PHOTOS OF THESE EVENTS now! AT SPIRITOFOMAHA.COM
March 29
April 5
THE GATHERING CUES
BIG BASKETBALL BASH Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Midlands
TD Ameritrade | 200 S 108th Avenue | Omaha | 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM The Gathering is a fundraising dinner to help support Sacred Heart, All Saints, and Holy Name Schools and is sponsored by CUES. $125 More information: 402-451-5755 | www.CUESschools.org
April 2
Enjoy the NCAA men's college basketball semi-final games at a one-of-a kind viewing party to support Big Brothers Big sisters of the Midlands. You will dine on snacks & a variety of hearty appetizers, beer from Lucky Bucket and a signature drink from Cut Spike Distillery. Takes place at Champions Run 13800 Eagle Run Drive Doors open at 4:30 First game tipping off at 5:15. Tickets in advanced $45.00 at the door $55.00. More information: bbbsomaha.org
AUTHOR LUNCHEON Completely KIDS
April 5
Hilton Omaha, 1001 Cass Street, Omaha, NE 68102 The 2014 Completely KIDS Author Luncheon, sponsored by the Completely KIDS Guild, will feature New York Times best-selling author Rosalind Wiseman, most famously known for her book, “Queen Bees and Wannabes”, which was the basis for the movie Mean Girls. Her latest book, Masterminds and Wingmen, focuses on the feelings and struggles of boys, who are less likely to seek help. Presented by First National Bank. More information: completelykids.org.
OMAHA COMMUNITY PLAYHOUSE ANNUAL FUNDRAISER Omaha Community Playhouse Omaha Community Playhouse | 6pm – 10pm The much-anticipated annual fundraiser of the Omaha Community Playhouse will be April 5. This fun-filled event generates significant funds to aid in fulfilling our mission of providing the greater Omaha community with high-quality entertainment and educational opportunities. More information: (402) 553-4890 ext. 127 | www.omahaplayhouse.com
April 5 OMAHA SYMPHONY GALA FEATURING CIRQUE DE LA SYMPHONIE Omaha Symphony Holland Performing Art Center 5:30pm cocktails, 6:30pm dinner, 8:00pm concert (no intermission) $500 for Gala dinner and concert, $25-85 for concert only The Omaha Symphony Gala is one of Omaha’s most prestigious social events, where leaders of Omaha’s corporate and civic community celebrate the symphony’s role as a vital center of culture and education. Funds raised support the symphony’s education programs that serve nearly 30,000 children annually. The Gala concert features acrobatic marvel Cirque de la Symphonie performing aerial feats. More information: (402) 342-3836 | www.omahasymphony.org
April 9 2014 ICAN WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE ICAN (The Institute for Career Advancement Needs) CenturyLink Center Omaha | 9am – 4pm | Doors open at 7:30am | $289 per person | $2,999 for a reserved table of 10 | $199 Men’s Forum The 2014 ICAN Women's Leadership Conference presents ‘Happiness: Bending the Bottom Line,’ exploring the workplace performance connection to happiness -the idea happiness is a precursor to success at work, in life and within you. More information: (402) 392-0746 | www.icanglobal.net
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WESTON THOMSON COMMUNITY OUTREACH MANAGER JOSLYN ART MUSEUM
ALLY GUMBINER COPYWRITER, DAVID DAY ASSOCIATES
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SHOOTING THE COVER meeting at the summit 2010 was both of our first experiences at the YP Summit. At the time, Weston had pretty recently become Education Manager at e Kent Bellows Studio & Center for Visual Arts (KBS), and Ally had been assisting the KBS Executive Director, Anne Meysenburg, with marketing and PR for an upcoming fundraiser. Anne casually, serendipitously introduced us during the welcome hour of the Summit and the rest is history. We’re engaged to be married this July.
as yps in omaha, empowered to make a difference where we live, work and play AllY: Omaha offers incredible opportunities for people in our generation: It is big enough that we have social and professional options, yet still intimate enough that we’re able to see our work make a tangible difference. As a writer at David Day Associates, a branding and creative strategy firm, I am able to play a small role in craing the unique brand platform, voice and presence for a range of important organizations. What’s more, I am fortunate to be able to use the skills, relationships and energy I build through this work in other areas of my life and the community. WEStOn: I feel a sense of inclusivity, shared determination and responsibility in Omaha. ere is inspiration in knowing that if I really push myself and reach a little further, there will be someone or something to grab on to. Speaking from experience, without the professional network and opportunity to make meaningful connections here, we never would have been able to successfully transition e Kent Bellows Studio mentoring program to e Joslyn Art Museum in 2014.
inspiration from previous summits WEStOn: e YP Summit is a brilliant exercise in intersection and an opportunity to stimulate civic engagement. I have learned that there can be harmony between work, life and play; we just have to be willing to pair our true passions with our work.
what part of the summit keeps us attending? AllY: We are lucky to live in a community that is so supportive of young people. Events like the YP Summit compel us to interact with up and coming professionals in varying fields who all share passion for Omaha; they are like adrenaline shots to remind us that we can make a difference, tackle challenges with any number of open-minded solutions, and connect with others who are eager to do the same.
EDItOR’S nOtE: Ally & Weston have a wedding planning trip scheduled and have to miss this year’s Summit. In 2015, they hope to return to the event as “Mr. & Mrs. omson”. PHOTOGRAPHY & CASTING BY ©LAURIE AND CHARLES CLOTHING BY J. CREW HAIR STYLING BY ERIC BURDEN FOR BUNGALOW/8 HAIRDRESSING MAKEUP STYLING BY STEPHANIE SHELY FOR BUNGALOW/8 HAIRDRESSING
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alh p u b l i C a t i O n S
inform • educate • inspire P.O. Box 241611 • Omaha, NE 68124
PrEsOrtEd staNdard U.s. POstagE
Paid Omaha, NE PErmit NO. 2013