Attention Artists of All Ages! Poster Contest Underway for The Woodlands Wildflower Festival
 Entries are now being accepted for The Woodlands Wildflower Festival Poster Contest. The contest is held annually in conjunction with The Woodlands Wildflower Festival, a popular community tradition held each fall. The festival will be celebrated on Saturday, October 23 from 10 am – 2 pm at a new venue, Rob Fleming Park in the Village of Creekside Park.
Contest entries should portray a scene from nature in the spirit of the Wildflower Festival. Draw a favorite scene from nature on heavy, unlined white paper, canvas, or poster board, no larger than 11" X 17". No writing should be included on the front of the artwork. Preferred drawing materials are watercolors, oils, pen and ink, pastels, crayons, colored pencils or markers.
Entries will be judged and prizes awarded in the following categories: up to seven years, 8 – 13 years, 14 – 18 years, and adults (age 19 and over). First place prizes of $100 will be awarded in all three children’s categories. The adult first place winner will receive $300. The grand prize winner in the three children’s categories will be used on the official tee-shirt that is sold at the festival, and the winning adult entry will become the official poster sold at the festival.
Label the back of your entry with your name, address, phone number and age (for children’s entries only). Entries may be turned in at The Woodlands Homefinder Center at 2000 Woodlands Parkway, open daily from 8:30 am – 5:30 pm. Entries will be judged by a group of artists in the community.
The deadline for entries is Friday, October 1, 2010 at 5 pm. The winners will be notified by Wednesday, October 6, 2010.
For more information about The Woodlands Wildflower Festival at Rob Fleming Park, visit www.thewoodlands.net.
The Woodlands Waterway Arts Council Presents Checks to Charity Partners
 The Woodlands Waterway Arts Council recently presented checks to the 2010 Charity Partners for The Woodlands Waterway Arts Festival, including The Woodlands Children’s Museum, The Woodlands Art League and The Pavilion Partners. The Charity beneficiary is the Montgomery County Humane Society.
“The Charity Partners provide the tremendous volunteer support that The Woodlands Waterway Arts Festival requires to run smoothly, from greeting patrons and taking care of the artists, to teaching children’s art projects,” said Jenny Wright, Executive Director of The Woodlands Waterway Arts Festival 2011. “We thank our Charity Partners and our Charity Beneficiary for the outstanding job they did to make the 2010 festival a huge success.”
Pictured left to right are: Jenny Wright, Executive Director of The Woodlands Waterway Arts Festival; Sherrie Hartke and Kathy Scoles of the Humane Society of Montgomery County; Kim Abbati, Events Coordinator for The Woodlands Art League; Vida Timmunes, President of The Woodlands Art League; Keith Ferry, President of The Pavilion Partners; Angela Colton, Executive Director of The Woodlands Children’s Museum; and Alex Sutton, President of The Woodlands Waterway Arts Council.
The Woodlands Waterway Arts Festival is a juried art show with over 200 artists displaying art in a wide variety of mediums. The 2011 festival is set for Saturday and Sunday, April 9 and 10 along The Woodlands Waterway®, in Town Green Park and at Waterway Square.
For more information about The Woodlands Waterway Arts Festival, visit www.woodlandsartsfestival.com.
Laura Ingraham to Headline Memorial Hermann In the Pink of Health Luncheon
 Radio talk show host, political commentator, New York Times best-selling author and breast cancer “thriver” Laura Ingraham (pictured) will be the guest speaker at the 10th Annual Memorial Hermann In the Pink of Health Luncheon presented by H-E-B. More than 1,000 women and men will gather at The Woodlands Waterway Marriott on Friday, October 8 to hear Ingraham speak and raise money for breast cancer education, technology and community outreach.
“We are thrilled to have Laura on the program this year,” said In the Pink of Health co-chairs Pat Bertotti and Andrea Raiford. “Her inspirational message to other women and men who have battled cancer—that life after cancer can be better than life before cancer—is definitely one we want to convey to our attendees.”
Since battling cancer in 2005, Ingraham has traveled to Baghdad to host the first national live radio show from Iraq. She has also adopted two children and authored a handful of best-selling books, including “The Obama Diaries,” which she will be signing at the luncheon.
Since its inception in 2001, In the Pink of Health has generated more than $1 million to support breast cancer patients and their families in The Woodlands and surrounding areas. One hundred percent of the funds raised are allocated to three primary areas—education, technology and community outreach.
Sponsorship opportunities are still available for the luncheon. A limited number of individual tickets will also be sold. For more information, visit www.inthepinkofhealth.org or call 713-704-5249.
The Community Clinic Needs Volunteers Dentists, Dental Hygienists and Supplies
 The Community Clinic has announced a major need for dentists, dental hygienists and dental supplies. Established in 1996 as a non-profit organization, The Community Clinic’s mission is to provide medical and dental services to those who are uninsured. As an organization primarily fueled by volunteers, the clinic is in desperate need for volunteer services of dentists, dental hygienists and donations of dental supplies.
The dental program utilizes 12 – 15 volunteer dentists who provide phase I dentistry which includes procedures such as extractions, fillings, and screenings with the goal of relieving the patient of pain. For many patients, it is the first experience with dental care in their lives. Pictured is Todd Brady, DMD, and volunteer assistant Roxie Moore treating a patient at The Community Clinic.
“Following the economic downturn, our clinic has greatly suffered from financial cutbacks, especially to the dental program which has resulted in shortened supplies and volunteers, ultimately forcing the clinic to turn away new patients,” explained Rebecca Jones, Executive Director of The Community Clinic.
Volunteer schedules are flexible, ranging from once a month to once a week. For more information, or to inquire about supporting and volunteering, call Rebecca Jones at 281-364-7889 or visit
www.communityclinic.net.
Market Street Accepting Applicants for 2011 Change for Charity Program
 Could your Montgomery County Charity benefit from the change dropped in Market Street’s voluntary parking meters? Market Street—The Woodlands is currently accepting applications for its 2011 Change for Charities program, a community effort that allows a different charity to benefit from the nickels, dimes and quarters deposited into Market Street’s parking meters.
Each year, four Montgomery County organizations are selected to receive a percentage of the funds collected from Market Street’s 68 parking meters during a three-month period. At the end of each quarter, a check presentation is scheduled to bestow the donation. Since the program’s inception, Market Street patrons have raised more than $50,000 for local Montgomery County charities. The 2010 recipients include New Danville, Montgomery County Emergency Assistance, Montgomery PET Partners and the Montgomery County Committee on Aging’s “The Friendship Center”.
Non-profits interested in applying for the 2011 program should visit the Market Street website at www.marketstreet-thewoodlands.com to download the application. All forms must be submitted by October 29, 2010.
Interfaith Helps Families with School Supplies and Backpacks
 With the ever-growing list of things parents need to accomplish before the school year begins such as purchasing school supplies, new school clothes, and food to fill each lunchbox, many parents are faced with the overwhelming feeling of “How am I going to be able to afford the school supplies my children are required to bring to school?”
For one foster parent, the question of “how am I going to be able to get all the required school supplies and backpack for a 5-year old boy who was placed in my care unexpectedly three days before school starts” was one she was struggling to solve. Luckily, Interfaith of The Woodlands was there to help and provided a kindergarten school supplies pack, new backpack and lunch box.
“It is truly a wonderful feeling to see so many children excited when they are given all the supplies and a special backpack, knowing that their first day of school will be a happy one,” said Kathy Rifaat, Programs and Services Director for Interfaith of The Woodlands.“The goal of our ‘Back to School’ program is to provide each child with a complete grade level school supply kit, backpack, lunchbox and clothing for the first day of school, helping parents who are going through a tough time making ends meet.”
This year, Interfaith provided supplies, a backpack, lunchbox and a first day of school outfit for more than 1,600 children. Pictured is the Jaimes family.
For more information about Interfaith of The Woodlands’ Back to School Program, call 281-367-1230 or visit www.woodlandsinterfaith.org.
The Woodlands Mall Rewards Shoppers with Gift Cards from Three Fashion Retailers
 For the latest in fall fashions, shoppers turn to the national retailers at The Woodlands Mall. Individuals who plan their shopping trips for four select days in September will be rewarded with a $10 gift card from a choice of three of the mall’s favorite fashion retailers.
Beginning Friday, September 10 through Monday, September 13, shoppers who spend a total of $75 or more at any mall retailer can take their one-day receipts to the Redemption Zone, located at the Information Center in Center Court across from Chico’s on September 10, 11 and 13 from 11 am – 9 pm, and September 12 from 12 – 6 pm and choose a $10 gift card from Caché, Chico’s or Coldwater Creek. All gift card offers are while supplies last and limited to one per customer.
For more information about The Woodlands Mall, visit
www.thewoodlandsmall.com or call 281-363-3409. |
Going back to school can be a traumatic time for a child with learning disabilities, especially if they have not yet been diagnosed. According to former teacher Kim Bellini, the back-to-school “honeymoon period” ends around mid-September, when the newness wears off and teachers start calling home about problem students. 
