WAN 10/06/22

Caritas of Austin

Bryan Hardeman Recognized with Lifetime Achievement Award

Songs of Hope, a concert under the stars that celebrated the Caritas of Austin community and supported the nonprofit’s mission to prevent and end homelessness in Greater Austin, was held on September 15th. The inaugural event featured live music by Bob Schneider and his band, dinner, a silent auction, and a Fund the Mission opportunity.

Throughout the evening, guests mingled, explored the local food options, and witnessed a moving program that featured Caritas of Austin’s Board of Directors Chair Monica Crowley, Caritas of Austin’s President and CEO Jo Kathryn Quinn, former

Flatwater

Texas Sen. and candidate for Austin Mayor Kirk Watson, and Bryan Hardeman, who received a standing ovation from the over 700 attendees when he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from Caritas of Austin.

During the program, the audience had an opportunity to Fund the Mission and give a 100% tax-deductible gift, which Songs of Hope Honorary Chairs Rebecca and Bryan Hardeman generously offered to match, dollar for dollar, up to $100,000.

One of the most decorated artists in Austin music history, Bob Schneider, wrapped up the night with a rocking concert as the featured performer for this year’s inaugural event.

Dam That Cancer raises $1.2 million

Participants on standup paddleboards completed a 21-mile course from Lake Austin’s Mansfield Dam to Tom Miller Dam near Hula Hut for the 13th annual Tyler’s Dam That Cancer fundraiser on September 12th, benefitting the Flatwater Foundation. This year, 220 paddlers participated in the event, which raised more than $1.2 million to benefit the Foundation’s mission of providing mental health therapy in the form of counseling sessions to Central Texans impacted by cancer.

To this day, the annual event has put power to the paddle and raised over $5 million for families touched by a cancer diagnosis. TYLER’S Dam That Cancer was created by Mark Garza, founder and executive director of Flatwater

Foundation, after he struggled to find affordable mental health support for his family when his father was diagnosed with Stage IV cancer. All costs associated with the event are underwritten by sponsors, so 100% of the proceeds go to Flatwater Foundation to support families in need.

“From the beginning, TYLER’S Dam That Cancer has always been a great way to draw attention to the lack of access to mental health services for those affected by cancer,” says Flatwater Foundation founder Mark Garza. “Whether someone is paddling on the water or volunteering on the shore, each participant has a unique, inspiring reason for wanting to challenge themselves and help others find their flatwater.”

Top

Amalia Gredler.

Russell Thomman, Brendan Hansen, and BK Newsom

Monica Crowley, Caritas of Austin’s Board of Directors Chair Bryan Hardeman receiving Caritas of Austin’s Lifetime Achievement Award

Will and Anna Hardeman, Renee and Ned Snyder, and Shae Arzehgar

Jo Kathryn Quinn, President and CEO of Caritas of Austin

Songs of Hope Honorary Chairs Rebecca and Bryan Hardeman

year of doing them (except for the ill-fated 2020) and after being in the midst of all the changes in the fashion industry, he thinks of himself as a consultant for young designers. Tough love is in his inventory, and he has told a few designers that they should try something else for a career. Sometimes he will tell a person that they are incredibly talented and that they have a great shot at success, but they need to find a partner who will manage the business end of their operation for them. Or vice versa, some people are truly smart and have solid ideas on the business end, but they could use a creative director to take their product to the next level.

Bottom line, he knows that they are constantly bombarded with people telling them “do this and do that.”

Matt says, “I come at it from the perspective of you should go after what makes you happy and if it does, here is what you can do to make a living at it.”

Matt Swinney

BY FORREST PREECE

good by doing good.” Back in 2009, Matt Swinney had sold Rare, his lifestyle magazine, and he had an idea about what he wanted to do next.

“Doing

His experiences with the magazine and from producing events like Eat Out For Good and Austin Restaurant Week proved that he had the skills to bring people together and make a success out of a concept. From being around the local fashion scene, he formulated an idea about creating exposure for local designers – something that they hadn’t been able to generate to that point.

As he says, beginning designers trying to get a foothold in a market like New York City simply don’t have the funds to participate in shows there, unless they have some serious family money. Matt’s reasoning was that there were plenty of local designers here in Austin who had excellent ideas and could produce appealing fashions, but they needed a runway showcase to present their creations. After a lot of thought, he decided to start Austin Fashion Week, which would feature local designers, with a price point that would be in their range. Furthermore, they wouldn’t be showing to the bigtime wholesalers, but directly to people sitting in the front row who could buy their clothes and give them valuable feedback as well.

Matt now says that in hindsight, his first attempt in

2009 “was terrible.” Marques Harper, who was then the fashion editor of the local daily paper, wrote a middleof-the-road review of that first event, saying “it was good, but a few things could be improved,” etc. The next day, he called Matt and made it clear that he could have written a much harsher piece, but he didn’t want to throw the event or Matt under the bus. He acknowledged that Austin really needed the event and that it took someone with Matt’s tenacity to make it happen, so he wasn’t going to ruin it. Also, he was aware that Matt had named it “Austin” Fashion Week and that name carried a level of responsibility with it. “I had taken on an event with our city’s name in it, so I needed to carry that torch properly,” Matt says. Lessons learned, the second year’s show worked much better.

Matt’s shows have gone over well in Austin, and he expanded into Dallas in 2016 and Houston in 2017. In November, he’ll be putting on the latest Austin Fashion Week, at The Domain, complete with pop-up displays.

He underlines that that there is a significant educational component to his shows. He is in his fourteenth

In the fashion world, that huge carrot of fame and fortune is always out there, as Matt points out. “I can’t think of any other artistic field, except for music, where you have the potential for such explosive success.” In that regard, he mentioned Kendra Scott, who started with about $500, designing jewelry in her Austin apartment, and now has a company valued at a billion dollars.

Another aspect of Matt’s approach to the fashion world is that he realizes that its outlook on inclusiveness has been slow to change. Over the years, he and his wife Kara would produce smaller, capsule shows for beginners to show three pieces. They would see “crazy-good talent” and 80% of the time, the designers were Black. He says that after doing these smaller shows for a while, they had a big enough sample size to know that their observations were correct.

He started calling these people, asking why they didn’t do bigger shows. To a person, they would say the same thing – they don’t have access to

the shows or to funding. The resource allocation just was not there; so Matt and Kara started trying to change things. Towards that end, they have been in conversations with Austin’s Urban League to find a way for people of color to have more access to funds for participating in fashion shows that will create the exposure they need.

And he also agrees that there has been lack of diversity in the models who show off the clothes. Models don’t need to be 6’2” Amazonian women. He asks designers to understand that if they really want to sell clothes, they’ll have to realize that not every woman who sees their designs and is attracted to them has the prototypical height and build of fashion models. “I have emphasized putting some models up there who look like the people sitting in the audience along the runway.”

That includes diversity in every way -- size, gender, differently abled, and ethnic. From his perspective, designers need to show their clothes on every type of model, because “they are all your customers.” And he lets designers know that their models for his shows may not fit into their preconceived notions of slender, tall body types.

IN OTHER'S WORDS

“Matt Swinney was born with a can-do attitude. Maybe it’s that he’s an Austin native. Maybe he just loves successful ventures. His Austin Fashion Week, along with its Dallas and Houston iterations, have helped to place, and keep, Texas on the fashion map. Without Matt, fashion here would have had a very different landscape. Matt’s willingness to ‘make it work’ has been the secret sauce of his success. At this point in his career, there is likely no obstacle to stand in his way of future success. Plus, he’s a heck of a likable guy to partner with on the many endeavors we have shared over the years. Matt is a beloved member of the creative community, and as one or its prime leaders, he is the go-to guy for many, many people.”

– Lance Avery Morgan, Editor-In-Chief, Society Texas

It’s crunch time for Matt’s company and he’s looking forward to “getting back out there” with his event. They’ll be shutting down a street in The Domain and have six shows for 50 designers. He’s come a long way since 2009.

ON ANOTHER FRONT, IT’S ALL IN THE CARDS

While the COVID pandemic was initially raging and Austin pretty much shut down, Matt found a way to stay busy and make some income.

His Dad & Kids Baseball Breaks now has over 2500 customers nationwide, who communicate with him through a private Facebook group.

Collecting baseball cards has been an avocation of his since he was young, and he has found a way to make the most of being a fan of these cards. He says that during the 1980s and 90s, the card makers overproduced and devalued their “currency.” Now, they are enjoying a renaissance. The cards come boxed in sealed sets that range in price from $200 to $10,000.

He gets these cards through a distributor, and he is licensed as a retailer to resell them. (Author’s Note -- They aren’t being bought by kids like I was back in the 1950s, when I’d save up 25 cents to get a pack at Winn’s.) He has what is called a “breaks” company. His buyers tune in at an appointed time, he breaks open the sealed box and then sorts out the cards, in full view, into their respective teams. His buyers, who are watching, bid for cards of players on their favorite teams—Dodgers, Yankees, whatever. (Matt and his kids keep all the Astros cards. They sell the cards from the other 29 major league teams.) It splits up the cost of the desired cards among other people and it works for everyone. They do the openings live on camera, and his hands stay in plain view the whole time. With the advent of being online, he doesn’t have to keep inventory. The

second a product releases— say, with a $5000 box, he does everything he can to sell it out as soon as he can.

During 2020, buying online became the only way to get the valuable cards. “It started as a form of entertainment and wound up being profitable,” Matt says. By the way, a mint condition 1952 Mickey Mantle card that sold for $50,000 in 1985 recently went for $12.6 million.

AND ABOUT 'DOING GOOD'

Also, with his DoGood Consulting Group, Matt is translating his experience in the business world to nonprofits like Arc of the Capital Area, the largest group in town that supports “birth to death” programs for families with members who are experiencing intellectual and/ or developmental disabilities. He has found that part of his consulting value here comes in the way of making people modify their expectations to assisting adults with challenges. For instance, they have started art classes taught by Arc clients. It gives the clients a way to learn public speaking skills and gain self-confidence, which helps them have better chances for succeeding in jobs. “To me, with any group, it has always been ‘What’s your story?’ and how can we help tell it to best benefit everyone,” Matt says. Just a personal note: Matt is one of those unicorns like a few others of us – a native Austinite, fifth generation, to be exact. His mom Diane Swinney was my bandmate at Lamar Jr. High, McCallum High, and at UT. He went to Pease Elementary and then Martin Jr. High. His wife Kara was bused there, and they got to know each other. By their Austin High days, they were dating; and the rest is history. She is a professional physical therapist – and her mother Brownie Tingley was a classmate of mine from Lamar Jr. High through UT. Austin is still a small town in some ways.

Nashville-based fashion designer Any Old Iron’s finale walk during Austin Fashion Week Spring

Nau’s Enfield Drug Store: The Time To Say Goodbye

By Forrest Preece

Laura Labay, manager of Nau’s Enfield Drug Store at 1115 West Lynn, says that the business will be closing next March. Nau’s management has started the process of selling off their cherished antiques and vintage memorabilia. Labay says that her family is encouraging people to stop in and take the opportunity to “grab a little piece of history.”

She is saddened by this outcome and adds that Nau’s was her family’s life work. For West Austinites, the store served a purpose beyond just being a source for shampoo and toothpaste, gifts, magazines, and prescriptions.

Nau’s café with its vintage soda fountain was a popular gathering place, something of a town hall for the neighborhood. Many people met there for years to chat over malts and burgers. “I will miss seeing all of our regular customers. Some families have done business here for decades,” she says.

The café was shut down in March 2020 for repairs and then the pandemic hit,

which was a crushing blow and made reopening the café impossible. The Labay family kept on running the pharmacy and still had over-the-counter drugs and other items for sale.

Nau’s group of drug stores in Austin was started in 1936 by brothers Hilton and Ladner Nau and their wives, Eleanor and Catherine. Before opening the store on West Lynn in 1951, the Nau family had started two other shops, on San Jacinto and East First.

Laura’s parents, Lambert and Kathleen Labay, purchased the Nau’s business on West Lynn in 1971.

(Author’s personal note –this closing hits me especially hard. It’s a long story, but if it hadn’t been for my having several breakfasts with John Nuhn, a local advertising executive, at Nau’s in the summer of 1969, there is no way I would have gotten the job that led to me meeting my wife in 1975. Each time I have driven past or walked by the store, I have said a silent word of thanks for its being there. I am sure that many other Austinites have similar tales and memories.

business will be missed.)

A banner across Nau’s front window announces the news about its closing sale. While this photo was being taken, a man in a luxury car had already parked outside the store and was obviously waiting to be first in line to buy things.

PHOTO BY FORREST PREECE.

Laura Labay, in front of Nau’s Enfield Drug, her family’s life work.

Nau’s

PHOTO

FORREST

The iconic Nau’s sign at the corner of West 12th St. and West Lynn.

PHOTO BY LINDA BALL.

A newspaper ad from December 1951 announcing the opening of Nau’s on West Lynn.

Catholic Schools Unite for Archangels Mass & Day of Service

By Anne DeVries

On the morning of September 29, 2022, St. Gabriel’s Catholic School and St. Michael’s Catholic Academy joined in celebrating the Feast of the Archangels. The annual event was held outdoors on St. Gabriel’s football field and brought together pre-K-8th grade from St. Gabriel’s and grades 9 thru 12 from St. Michael’s. The gathering of kindergarten-aged students through upper-school seniors made for a beautiful union to honor the Catholic mass of the three Archangels; St. Michael, St. Gabriel, and St. Raphael.

“Our schools share so much and span the grades in demonstration of the powerful and loving path through a Catholic education that we offer,” said Heidi Sloan, Head of School for St. Michael’s High School. The two neighboring schools have held the mass together for several years, and this year St. Michael’s high school students are joining St. Gabriel’s tradition of spending the afternoon in service activities to support the local community.

Projects for the afternoon of service included assembling bikes for Salvation Army, putting together water safety packets for Colin’s Hope, drawing birthday cards for Cheyanna’s Champions 4 Children, sorting and packaging items for Austin Creative Reuse, and making cat toys and cat beds for the Austin Humane Society.

“The Archangels Mass and Day of Service is an annual tradition celebrating the excellence our schools represent, as well as an opportunity to honor the saints for whom St. Gabriel’s and St. Michael’s were named,” said Colleen Lynch, Head of School at St. Gabriel’s Catholic School. “We celebrate this special experience with great joy, love, and compassion for others and for our community.”

In addition to projects created for nonprofits throughout the day, the schools collected donations for Catholic Charities of Austin programs, St. Gabriel’s Pregnancy and Parenting Program (SGPPP), and St. Michael’s Veteran Services program.

Theo, Olivia Luke, Craig

Caroline, Ellie, Ozzy

Emma, Olivia, Ella, Jordyn Olivia, TJ, Karsyn

Quinn, Kenna, Ana, Tristan, Ashley, Luke, Josh, Craig

Tino, Natalie, Sophia

West Austin Youth Association Preschool Earns 4-Star Ranking

West Austin has a newly minted four-star rated Preschool.  The Texas Rising Star program recently awarded the West Austin Youth Association (WAYA) Preschool a four-star rating, the highest possible ranking. Texas Rising Star is a quality rating and improvement system that serves early childhood education providers who seek to exceed licensing standards.

The WAYA Preschool teachers and administrative staff worked countless hours to reach this exemplary ranking.  The improvement process included revamping indoor and outdoor classroom spaces, strategic teacher and staff training, and improved school-wide communication using new software & apps.

In early September, a Texas Rising Star assessor spent days observing all seven WAYA classrooms during indoor class time and outdoor play and engagement.  The assessor observed child-teacher interactions, curriculum implementation, room arrangements, and numerous aspects of the school’s functionality.

Throughout the assessment process, WAYA Preschool stayed true to its roots

centered on a play-based curriculum.  “A big part of the preschool culture here at WAYA is to meet each child where they are and help them grow at their own pace. The staff works hard to ensure that the environment in each room is curated to engage every child’s style of learning, including representation of diverse families and cultures,” says WAYA Preschool Director Yvette Aguilar

The Texas Rising Star assessor was particularly impressed with the strong relationships between the preschool staff, children, and families.  “It is important to build relationships with families outside of the classroom. In addition to our preschool school day, we also offer monthly playdates, after-school sports, summer camps, and events so families can meet one another and familiarize themselves with WAYA. We hope our families know that WAYA is always here to be an integral part of their child’s development from preschool and beyond,” says Aguilar.

For more information about WAYA Preschool, visit waya.org/preschool.

Ms. Zoe, Evelyn, LillyGeorge

David, Swep, Eloise, Ben, John Parker, PippaPippa, John Parker, Swep

George, Ben, Swep, Eloise, Asher, John Thomas

Ms. Shamoya, Ben, Pippa

Rebel

DavisMs. Esmerelda, Charlotte, River

Ms. Betsy with her Pre-K Class

Women’s Symphony League Welcomes TV Star Lisa Rinna for Annual Fashion Luncheon

The

Women’s Symphony League of Austin’s Fashion Luncheon, an annually reimagined event, welcomed reality star and television sensation Lisa Rinna to the stage on September 23rd. Held at the Fairmont Austin and presented by AT&T, the event featured a fall fashion preview from Austin boutique The Garden Room and was emceed by Wroe Jackson with introductions by the event chairs. Florals & Fashion 2022 Luncheon chairs were Melissa Billman and Ashley Nwonuma Olds.

This year’s luncheon was also an opportunity to celebrate honorary luncheon chair Mary Ellen Borgelt for her decades of commitment to the Austin Symphony League. All proceeds from the Fashion Luncheon benefit the Austin Symphony Orchestra and its

youth education programs. For 69 years, The Women’s Symphony League of Austin has dedicated its energy, talents and volunteerism by providing service and financial support to the Austin Symphony Orchestra and its education programs.

PHOTOS BY BUSTER JETTER

Lisa Rinna, Fashion Luncheon Honorary Chair Mary Ellen Borgelt, and Roger Borgelt

Past WSL President Suzon Kemp (center) with granddaughters Princess Avery deJong and Diamond Queen Ireland Rose WSL member Michelle Lupton, WSL President Katie Kaighin and WSL member Stephanie Stowell Escort parents Kellie and Buster Jetter

Guest Star Lisa Rinna with the 2022 Jewel Ball Royal Court Princesses, Visiting Jewels and The Diamond Queen

Corporate

Caren

Lady of

Abbott,

Lisa Rinna,

Member and President of AT&T

Leslie Ward, Paula Azar and

WSL Leadership Tiffiny Britton, Araminta Sellers and Sullie Stephens

WSL

Christy Merritt, Julie Briggs, and Christy Werner

2022 Fashion Luncheon Honorary Chair Mary Ellen Borgelt

Suzanne Erickson, KVUE Reporter Dominique Newland, Amanda Tatom and Ansley Williams

Laurée Moffett and Lisa Rinna

Book Talk Evening with NASA Astronaut Eileen Collins

On September 22nd, internationally acclaimed designer Leigh Chiu and her husband Clifford hosted a book talk at their home with special guest astronaut and author Col. Eileen M. Collins,USAF (Retired). Col. Collins, who recently published a memoir Through the Glass Ceiling to the Stars, spoke about her book and took questions about her career as an Air Force pilot and as the first woman to command a space mission, touching on leadership and life lessons in pursuing her trailblazing career. About 30 guests joined Col. Collins in Leigh and Clifford Chiu’s beautiful home, dining on delicious hors d’ouerves by 34th Street Catering.

At the Texas Book Festival’s February Gala, the hosts joined together to support the silent auction by acquiring the Book Talk Evening with NASA Astronaut Col. Collins to hear about her remarkable career and memoir. The five book talk hosts were Maite and Holton Burns, Leigh and Clifford Chiu, Mary Frances and James Schneider, Lucy and Phil Weber and Teresa and Darrell Windham.

The 2022 Texas Book

Festival will be held on November 5

6.

information can

www.texasbookfestival.org.

NW Hills-YMSL Ultimate Gift to Settlement Home

By Anne DeVries

In 2010, Young Men’s Service League National (YMSL) kicked off an annual philanthropy event called the “Ultimate Gift” project for local chapters.  The initiative, adopted by the NW Hills chapter of YMSL, selects a local cause in the community and seeks to make a transformational difference. This year the local Northwest Hills chapter chose to work with Austin’s, Settlement Home for Children.

The Settlement Home for Children promotes healing and growth in children, young adults, and families by providing a continuum of care, support, and resources. Established in 1916 by 12 Austin women, its evolution from a day nursery for impoverished working families to a multi-faceted support program for children and families is a reflection of the devotion and philanthropic nature of Austin’s heart to serve.

Honoring the spirit of serving others, on the 24th and 25th of September, 170 mothers and sons from YMSL provided over 400 working hours to update the campus of

the Settlement Home.

The mothers’ and sons’ hard work and coordinated efforts successfully updated the outside community area of the Settlement’s Campus. New playground equipment was installed, structures and tables were painted, gardens were refreshed, and the outdoor track was improved.

The “Ultimate Gift” project aims to provide maximum impact and tangible contribution. The project selection committee for the NW Hills YMSL reviews applications and selects a recipient based on need and the positive contribution they believe their service members can provide.

The focused and organized efforts of the young men and their moms successfully provided a substantial impact by providing an updated area of comfort, connection, and solitude for the Settlement Home for Children.

The 2022 “Ultimate Gift” committee is chaired by Tiffany Galligan. Committee members include Julie Allen, Mary Beth Bosworth, Heather Hardeman, Kelly Miles, Gina Minicozzi, Laura Parsons, and Jennifer Webb

Holly Rios, “Ultimate Gift” Committee Chair Tiffany Galligan, and Megan Helmbrecht

Kathy Sharp and “Ultimate Gift” Committee Member Jennifer Webb

Jack Middleton, IV Webb, Garrett Crownover, Luke Laibo

Myra Atkins, Jennifer Langdon, Julie Birdson, Kim Truss, Shelley Reed, Sara French, Michele Freeman.

Brady Fleming, Hayes Atkins, Max Gerlich, Grayson Truss, Zayden Sharp, Gage Web

Leigh

Wright, Margaret Lindhjem

Ty

Maite and Holton Burns

Teresa and Darrell Windham

Allison Laughlin, James Schneider, Col. Eileen Collins and Allen Smith

Lucy Weber, Mary Frances Schneider and Leigh Chiu

Reenie Collins, Executive Director of the Texas Book Festival Lois Kim and Lucy Weber

Kim House, Cindy Fowler, Col. Eileen Collins and Anne Keene