A Note from Bev – Activists & Events
We’re so proud to announce our activists for the year! Congratulations to Angel and Taylor Beery and their amazing children Walker, Evelyn and McLain for creating Kids Join The Fight; to award-winning trumpeter Terence Blanchard and his wife Robin Burgess, CEO of Burgess Management for their support of arts, artists and arts education; and to Drs. Howard and Joy Osofsky, who are honored for their national and internationally known efforts to help children and families exposed to violence, terrorism and warfare.
Walker Beery was diagnosed with brain cancer at the age of 7 and he passed away at age 9. This brave little boy founded Kids Join The Fight to empower kids to join the fight against pediatric cancer by raising money to find a cure and to provide care for pediatric cancer patients. Children from all over the United States have raised over $750,000 so far on their way to their goal of $1 million. To donate to this incredible cause please visit KidsJoinTheFight.org.
Terence Blanchard, Oscar nominee, six-time Grammy winner, trumpeter and composer is from right here in New Orleans! He started his career in Lionel Hampton’s Orchestra then the Jazz Messengers and his composition was just performed at the Metropolitan Opera! His wife Robin Burgess is CEO of Burgess Management and Over the Garage Productions, which guides Terence’s and other musicians’ careers. Together they make supporting the arts, artists and education seem second nature.
Many of you know Dr. Joy Osofsky, professor of pediatrics and psychiatry, and Dr. Howard Osofsky, professor of psychiatry, both at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center. Among so many reasons, they’re known for the work and development of programs to support children and families impacted by the pandemic and disasters, as well as organizing the fundraiser “Sunday at Emeril’s.”
Please read more about our recipients in Sue Strachan’s feature about these New Orleanians who are making a difference in our great city!
We want to alert you that the contact email for November 2021’s Changemakers profile on Ashley Ledet and her Bons Temps Blooms was incorrect, it’s: bonstempsblooms@gmail.com. We encourage you to visit StCharlesAvenue.com and reread her story. Our apologies!
Don’t forget the Registry of Charitable Events is coming in the January issue! Send your fundraisers to Morgan so you won’t be left out. Now that our fundraisers are in person, you want to make sure that everyone knows about yours!
Have a wonderful holiday with your families! Keep in mind the people who are still recovering from Hurricane Ida and the pandemic; keep all of them in our prayers and give to a nonprofit that will help them come back stronger!
Happy Holidays,
Beverly Reese Church
On the Cover
St. Charles Avenue‘s Activists of the Year 2021: Angel and Taylor Beery, Walker (not pictured) McLain and Evelyn Beery; Robin Burgess and Terence Blanchard; and Drs. Joy and Howard Osofsky
Since its fifth year, St. Charles Avenue has honored local activists every December. For those of you doing the math, that means this is our 20th year of Activists, with more than 80 profiled, in this, our 25th anniversary year!
Though COVID-19 pandemic protocols are lessening every day, it would’ve been unsafe (and difficult, considering Robin and Terence were in California at the time of our interviews) for us to gather everyone together for a photograph, much less an event. So instead we leaned on illustrator Michelle Kondrich, an award winning commercial artist and animator specializing in editorial illustration whose work has been recognized by The Society of Illustrators and the Society for Newspaper Design.
So though this image is hyper-local, it took people from Los Angeles to Washington D.C. to make it perfect. And isn’t that, the coming together of people from varied places and backgrounds united to make something better, what activism is all about?
I explained a little about Kids Join the Fight in my column above, but Walker Beery was an amazing young man and he’ll be sorely missed! In his few short years, he created a nonprofit that will live on and help many children with pediatric brain cancer. His grandmother, Anne Beery, sent me a note of thanks for my donation and told me that Walker didn’t want anyone to suffer as he did. He knew that with funding and research, as he said, “Someday, they will save a boy like me!”
Children and adults all over the country are creating their own fundraisers in honor of Walker Beery’s wishes, and you and your children can start one, too. Please let us know what you’re doing (email Morgan@MyNewOrleans.com), and we’ll spotlight your efforts in Avenue!
A Note from Morgan – Holiday Happenings
This year the time between Halloween and Christmas seems shorter than ever. Maybe it’s Daylight Savings (Can’t we all agree the time for this has passed?), or the return to going out and being around people again as the holiday events have ramped up to full speed, or even the added stress of having to place orders for holiday gifts earlier because of shipping delays, but no matter the reason we turned the corner at Thanksgiving, started running at Hanukkah and are heading headlong into Christmas.
The easiest, and best, way to avoid that last headache is to shop locally, and boy do we have you covered this month. From our What’s Hot for diamond jewelry, to How to Host, What to Wear, Finishing Touches and more, this issue will help you find the perfect gift to finish out your lists, locally.
If you’re into baking (or have had holiday baking thrust upon you) but don’t have the inclination or space to collect differently shaped and sized pans, look no further than your local library! The New Orleans Public Library’s Cake Pan Collection lives at the Rosa F. Keller Library and Community Center. Donated by Delgado Community College’s Culinary Arts Chair Angela Wilson, the collection features a variety of shapes, including SpongeBob and Cinderella, and sets up to five tiers tall. You can use your library card to borrow these professional-grade baking pans for up to three weeks at a time! Learn more at NolaLibrary.com.
Christian Shane Properties is excited to announce their new headquarters at 2125 St. Charles Ave. in a Grand Victorian mansion, “making them the only luxury real estate brokerage on the Avenue.” They see this space as a “collaborative environment servicing client needs spanning lifestyle, hospitality, investment and development,” and their ballroom will be available for special events! Learn more at ChristianShane.com.
No matter where you go, who you see or how you choose to celebrate, make certain that you do; it’s been quite a long and stressful year, and it’s time to toast being alive! See you in 2022!
Morgan Packard Griffith
Next month’s issue will feature St. Charles Avenue’s Registry of Charitable Events: January-April 2022. If you have an event during that time, please fill out our form no later than Monday, December 6, to be included: MyNewOrleans.com/submit-a-charitable-event
