CARIS SPORTS FOUNDATION WILL HOST 2ND ANNUAL GOLF TOURNAMENT IN PHOENIX AT THE BILTMORE
Caris Sports Foundation, the philanthropic initiative that brings awareness to both the benefits that playing team sports bring to a child’s life - as well as the socioeconomic barriers that prevent youth participation, is hosting the organization’s 2nd Annual Caris Sports Foundation Golf Tournament at the Arizona Biltmore Golf Club in Phoenix on Friday, April 22, 2022.
The foundation was formed by four women who understand the value and wide-ranging benefits of team sports and includes Raquel McNabb, wife of 6x NFL Pro-Bowler and NFL commentator, Donovan McNabb. Those interested in participating in or sponsoring the event are welcomed to visit www.CarisSportsFoundation.org for more information.
“I was fortunate to be able to play both club and competitive sports throughout my youth and it changed the trajectory of my life,” said Donovan McNabb, Ambassador for Caris Sports Foundation. "This inaugural golf event couldn’t come at a better time - Arizonans love their golf, and this event will give people a chance to safely connect, play sports and have some fun while raising money for a great cause.”
Formed in 2019, Caris Sports Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization that gives young people the opportunity to participate in organized sports by providing financial aid that removes financial obstacles that typically keep children on the sidelines.
Studies have shown children who participate in sports are more likely to attend and graduate from college, earn more in their careers, and avoid drugs and criminal activity. Caris Sports Foundation’s purpose is to level the playing field and directly address this disparity by removing financial considerations that often preclude families from lower income backgrounds from participating in organized sports.
Caris Sports Foundation financial aid opportunities are currently open to full-time students in grades K-12 that are Arizona residents.
For more information onCaris Sports Foundation, the golf tournament, or to apply for financial aid, please visit CarisSportsFoundations.org.
Host of the Curated Kitchen on Talkshoplive shares her Journey and her love for cooking
What brought you on this journey?
Since I was a little girl I loved to take out my wooden spoon and apron and cook along side my parents who were always hosting gatherings. My love of food, music, decorating, crafting and home entertaining led me to become a party planner. I love all things Festive! Just before the pandemic I started creating DIY party kits including party food starters to make it easy and affordable to throw a super cute event!
How do you want to inspire others through cooking?
Family mealtime is quickly becoming a lost tradition in our society. I hope to revive it by sharing my family recipes using fresh ingredients and fabulous flavors to make fun, delicious, meals that are nourishing and memorable.
Does your family like to join in?
Oh my gosh yes they love to join in part of our time as a family is spent testing recipes and sitting around the table eating and being thankful that we get to be together!
Whats your favorite dish to create?
It is so hard to choose one but I love creating interactive dishes like the Mashtini also known as a mashed potato bar where guests can create their perfect Mashtini based on their flavor preferences.
Favorite themed party to create.
My favorite themed party would be tropical themed! I love vibrant colors, beautiful florals, tropical flavors and anything with a tiny umbrella! The relaxed beach vibes and fun music seems to bring out the happy in people! I especially love the transition from day into night because you can add atmosphere with candlelight, tiki torches or market lights!
What has been your biggest challenge And all of this?
Bringing all of the brands that I have been developing into a cohesive package! Each one has a distinct personality and purpose and I want to make sure that I capture that!
What advice would you give to others who are wanting to enter the cooking and curating space?
Find what you are passionate about and start do not wait for it to be the perfect time. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes it’s part of the process. Do not let the word no discourage you from following your dreams. Know that not everyone will understand or support or your vision but stay steadfast anyway!
What's next for you?
I am working on a cookbook and launching new products for Nosh & Sip & Downhome Deliciousness that will be sold on talkshop.live and the Curated Kitchen & Home Store
Where can people find you?
You can find my store The Curated Kitchen & Home on Instagram on IOS & Android App Stores and for food and recipe inspiration @CookingMealsWithTheNeils on Instagram or www.talkshop.live/channels/thecuratedkitchenhome
Anything else you want to mention?
We are a retired military family and I am a mom with children on the Autism spectrum. Our family has a tower garden business called Easy Fresh Garden where we focus on spreading the message of sustainable agriculture!
NBA player, Taurean Prince and Mayor Jacob Frey teamed up to inspire local youth through reading.
TAUREAN PRINCE
By Catherine Aurora Jerry Gamble Boys & Girls Club in Minneapolis were surprised by a big visit from Timberwolves player Taurean Prince, and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey for National Read Across America day on March 2nd.
Taurean Prince, power forward for the Minnesota Timberwolves, joined Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey at the Jerry Gamble Boys & Girls Club of the Twin Cities. Both Prince and Mayor Frey read their favorite books to the kids at the Club, Afterwards they joined some of the kids on the new basketball court, recently donated by the Timberwolves foundation and U.S Bank. Each child was able to take home three books each, thanks to the Sydney Paige Foundation's generous donation through Disney and Good 360.
This event was a unique opportunity for Boys & Girls Clubs of the Twin Cities youth in the North Minneapolis neighborhood to hear from a few of their inspiring local leaders and celebrate National Read Across America Day. Along with the Sydney Paige Foundation, whose mission is to help students reach their full potential, will be providing THREE books for each youth to take home so they can continue indulging in the joys of reading in their own safe space. This is part of an ongoing effort for BGCTC youth to further connect with figureheads in their community. The donation has been made possible through the Sydney Paige Foundation, an in-kind donation from Good360, the global leader in product philanthropy and purposeful giving, and charitable contribution from Realize CPA
About the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Twin Cities:
The Clubs represent more than 80 years of service to youth. Dedicated staff at ten metro-area locations and a rural environmental education center provide activities and support to more than 9,000 young people from kindergarten through high school graduation. Club sites are placed in targeted neighborhoods where the need is greatest. For more information, visit www.boysandgirls.org.
About Sydney Paige Foundation
Founded in 2018, Sydney Paige Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that empowers underserved students with a sense of confidence and self worth by providing them with the tools they need to learn and thrive in school, and in life. With underwriting from corporations, foundations and other donors, Sydney Paige partners with schools and community-based nonprofits nationwide to provide high-quality, kid-approved backpacks, grade-appropriate school supplies, and new books. To date, Sydney Paige has served more than 140,000 students and donated over 50,000 books, 86,000 backpacks and 1.7 million individual school supplies. For more information, including how to become a Sydney Paige partner, please visit www.sydneypaige.org and follow them on Instagram and Facebook.
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Talkshoplive®
Talkshoplive® Set to Save Holiday Season for Shoppers and Small Businesses
Live Streaming, Social Selling Platform Features Hundreds of Small Businesses to Streamline Shopping to Find the Perfect Holiday Gifts Shipped Directly to Your Door
The hustle and bustle of the holiday season is here and social selling platform talkshoplive® is helping customers check off their shopping lists while supporting small businesses at the same time. The live streaming, social selling platform allows customers to shop directly for hundreds of products from small businesses - and celebrities - from the convenience of their phones.
With talkshoplive, buying and selling has never been more interactive or entertaining. Consumers can browse channels ranging in topics from health and wellness to beauty, collectibles to cooking and more, to discover new products and purchase directly on the platform or right from the video from anywhere the shoppable shows are viewed.
In addition to streamlining holiday shopping for consumers, TSL is a valuable tool for sellers. To participate, sellers simply download the talkshoplive Shopify app and create an account to go live almost immediately. The Shopify integration provides a turnkey process for small businesses to enable live streams from anywhere, with a real-time sync of products with sales occuring within their existing Shopify shops.Sellers on talkshoplive pay a small fee through TSL’s commission model that is based on sales processed through the platform. There is no cost or sign-up fees for businesses to participate on talkshoplive.
“Talkshoplive has provided a valuable life line for small businesses to connect with their audiences and stay afloat in a tumultuous time. As consumers return to spending at higher levels in advance of the holiday season, we’re thrilled to be a one-stop shop that aids customers in product exploration while enhancing the traditional online shopping experience to include an interactive element and easy purchasing solution to streamline holiday shopping, said Tina Moore, Co-Founder of talkshoplive.
Talkshoplive is preparing for a jam-packed and thrilling holiday season. Between now and the end of the year, the company is focused on being the number one destination for interactive holiday shopping, with plans for product packages, surprise programming and more, it's the one-stop shop for all your holiday needs.
Since its inception, TSL has become the go-to place for businesses and celebrities to share news about their projects, connect directly with their fans and sell products through livestreams, including personalities such as: Oprah Winfrey, Dolly Parton, Kristin Cavallari, Jamie Foxx and more. talkshoplive entertainment and publishing partners include ReaderLink, Harper Collins, Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, Macmillan, Universal Music Group and Ingram Entertainment.
Recently, TSL launched talkshoplive Local, a series of channels and shows that feature local entrepreneurs in Los Angeles, New Orleans, and Houston with more channels regularly being added. Led by a team of editors, these channels are a curated look at the best products, services, gifts and experiences that local communities have to offer, providing the opportunity to shop local.
Founded in 2018 by brother and sister team Bryan and Tina Moore, talkshoplive is a livestream commerce network and iOS sellers’ app with patent pending technology that allows transactions to be processed within an embeddable video player anywhere it exists. talkshoplive is home to thousands of small businesses that are actively using the talkshoplive network to connect with and sell to customers.
For more information on talkshoplive or to discuss the landscape of holiday ecommerce with its founders and local editors, please contact Cathy@CathyCardenas.com. Those looking to sell or buy products can visit www.talkshop.live.
About talkshoplive®
With talkshoplive®, buying and selling has never been more interactive or entertaining. talkshoplive® is the leading livestream commerce network and distribution vehicle with a patent pending embeddable video player containing sales execution, allowing transactions to be processed within the video player anywhere it exists. The network and iOS Sellers’ app offer a full range of services for both buyers and sellers - from live show creation to order processing, to ease of shipping and payouts.
Meet Cierra Andrews
Customer service is Everything!
Hi! My name is Cierra Andrews. First and foremost would like to say how blessed I feel to have this opportunity to share a piece of myself through this article, and I hope that my words find you well. I am 21 years old and I was born and raised in Dallas, Texas. I am a server at a Popular Dallas restaurant, Kitchen and Kocktails. Working here these past 4 months has quickly solidified character traits of mine such as good communication, leadership, and hard work. Through this job, I find that the opportunities for success and elevation are endless.
Growing up I watched my young parents work hard for everything that they had. I remember in third grade my father began the steps toward starting his own trucking company. It was no easy path for him but as a child, the one thing I noticed was even through the storm he continued to get right back on the horse. No minor, or major setback could hold him away from pursuing the success of his company. While my father was out working long distances on his truck my mother looked after my brother and I. Some nights she had to play both roles of mother and father, attending school plays and fundraisers in order to support my father while he was away. During this time they both pushed my brother and I to do well in school and bring home good grades. I was a straight-A student from as young as I can remember all the way through high school. I had always had the goal to try to be good at the things I put my mind to because these were the things that I saw from my parents. I learned very young that no matter how young you are if you put your mind to something it IS achievable. This lesson sparked ambition in a young Cierra.
As I grew older I began to look inward to try to discover what it is that I wanted to contribute to the world. While in high school I enrolled in cosmetology school. My teacher was loving and kind. She was the kind of person that would go out of her way to ensure that every student was heard and understood. That was something that, to this day, resonates with me because I aspire to be like that to everyone I meet. After I obtained my license in cosmetology I knew that I still wanted more. I found myself working a job that I was really good at. I was a trainer and one of the top performers in my area.
I absolutely loved training because that meant I had the ability to not only help the new hires but also help them feel confident in their new roles. After a few months, the love for my job began to diminish. The work environment had become extremely toxic. It was polluted by management sabotaging each other in an environment where they should have been working together. The hours were unbearably long and began to tax my mental health on a daily. It was then that I began to look for a change. My dearest friend from high school and college informed me about Kitchen Kocktails and told me that I should try my hand there. Not even two weeks later, on June 11, I found myself training to be a server. I will admit that I was slightly intimidated upon arrival because it was a fast-paced environment and most of the servers had multiple years of experience. I chose not to let those thoughts hold me back and turned self-doubt into fuel. I made it a goal to master the skill at hand so I could deliver top-tier service to every guest that I encountered.
Working at Kitchen and Kocktails has been a huge stepping stone of opportunity for me. Not only has it enhanced my public speaking skills, but it has also given me newfound confidence. In only four months, I made server lead which has granted me a voice to help better our team. I am also a trainer to the new hires and get to help set a standard of service to our guests. Shortly after taking the lead, I was invited to fly out to Chicago to help with the grand opening of Kitchen and Kocktails—Chicago. To be one of the youngest servers on the team I was absolutely honored to be offered such an opportunity.
I also really enjoy working here because the whole vision behind K+K is to create a space for Black People to really feel good and confident in themselves in a nice environment. This resonates with me because I aspire to write a children's book to help little black girls and boys to feel truly confident in themselves and their unique broad features. I am reminded every day when I step through the door to go to work that I am capable, strong, and able to perform on a high standard. This job offers endless possibilities through the customers I meet and I feel nothing but blessed to be employed by Kitchen and Kocktails.
Alvester Gibson, Jr.
Building a city one day at a time!
Alvester Gibson, Jr, is the President/CEO of the Balch Springs Chamber of Commerce where he is responsible for creating Fundraising Projects, getting Sponsorships, Economic Development and managing the day to day operations of the chamber. He has been associated with the Balch Springs Chamber of Commerce for over 15 years. Alvester is also employed by the City of Balch Springs as the Tourism Specialist.
Originally from Texarkana Texas, Alvester Co-Founded Texarkana’s first and only African American Bookstore and Art Gallery. He was featured in Dr. Bertice Berry’s #1 BEST SELLER, “Jim and Louella’s Homemade Heart Fix Remedy”.
Alvester is a U.S. Air Force Veteran, Art Collector, Avid Book Reader and High School Basketball Official. Alvester enjoys working with children, traveling, making his fiancé happy, spending quality time with his family, and helping others realize how great they are.
Alvester currently lives in Mesquite Texas with his Beautiful fiancé Chandra and their children. Alvester is actively planning upcoming events for the Chamber, such as the Annual Golf Tournament, which details can be found out on the Balch Springs Chamber of Commerce Website. balchspringschamber.org
Black Button Distilling
From Grain to glass
Founded by President and Head Distiller Jason Barrett in 2012, at only 24 years old, Black Button Distilling is Rochester’s first grain-to-glass craft distillery to open since prohibition. As a New York State Farm Distillery, Black Button Distilling is deeply committed to crafting high-quality small batch spirits with New York State grown and produced ingredients. Over 90% of its ingredients are grown or produced in New York State, as Black Button Distilling is dedicated to supporting New York State agriculture and the responsible stewardship of our natural environment. In 2018, Black Button proudly opened its own farm and forestry, where it grows juniper for gin, white oak to make its own bourbon barrels and fresh herbs and spices as well as organic honey for its cocktails. Beginning in 2020, Black Button expanded its national footprint by offering its award-winning spirits for purchase online. Visit www.blackbuttondistilling.com to purchase spirits, explore cocktail recipes, scheduling tastings, and more.
Four Grain Straight Bourbon: Black Button Four Grain Small-Batch Straight Bourbon is 60% Corn, 20% Wheat, 9% Rye, 11% Malted Barley and 100% NY state grown and distilled. With a big aroma of fresh oak, toffee and leather along with light caramel and vanilla flavors and a clean finish, experience the product that captured Black Button founder’s heart and the reason he’s dedicated to craft distilling. *MSRP $59.99
Monaco Craft Cocktail
Not all cocktails are created equal
Monaco was developed by three entrepreneurs who have a passion for the nightclub, bar and European culture as well as the memories created with friends during those nights out. Recognizing a vast difference between the cocktails you are served by a bartender and those purchased in a store, combined with the fact, that we as consumers don’t have the time to become expert mixologists, Monaco Cocktails became committed to changing what consumers had available to them when they are not in front of their favorite bartender. Embarking on this journey to deliver the world’s best cocktails requires a lot of bravery, that is why the brand adopted the rooster as their mascot. It symbolizes their fighting spirit, authenticity, and strength. The rooster is small, stands proud, has character and fights hard. Monaco Cocktails believes consumers deserve real cocktails regardless of where they are. It is Monaco’s commitment to deliver exceptional quality drinks, elevate social experiences and unite this with their passion for creating products that people enjoy. This is the backbone of the Monaco brand since its inception.