Originally Featured on NewsRadio 1080 KRLD AM on January 24, 2020

DALLAS (KRLD) – The TeamConnor Childhood Cancer Foundation is holding a workshop Saturday at indoor tennis courts at Lifetime Plano. The foundation is raising money for pediatric cancer research.

The foundation is named for Connor Cruse, who died in 2009 at eight years old, four years after being diagnosed with stage IV neuroblastoma.

“When I see my adult friends struggle with cancer, I know how difficult it is and how harsh the treatment is,” says Joy Cruse, Connor’s mom. “Just think of these little kids going through the same thing. Yet, the government, when they fund research for cancer, they give only three percent of their funding to childhood cancer research. Basically, we use drugs made for adults and hope they work well on children.”

The foundation raises money for pediatric cancer research. The TeamConnor Foundation says cancer is the leading cause of death by disease for children under the age of 15 in the United States. The foundation says about 1,800 kids die from cancer in the United States each year.

“A lot of these kids, even if they survive cancer, have a lot of chronic illnesses later on in life, like heart problems and diabetes,” Joy Cruse says. “They might get secondary cancers, which is what happened to Connor. He got a second cancer from his radiation treatment, and that was the cancer that took his life. We just need better treatments for these kids that are a lot less toxic and harmful.”

Registration for “Smashing Childhood Cancer” begins at 12 p.m. Saturday at Lifetime Plano Indoor Tennis Courts. The first session of drills starts at 1 p.m., followed by a lunch and exhibition game at 3 and a second round of drills at 4 p.m.

Originally Featured on Culture Map Dallas by Stephanie Allmon Merry on Jan 7, 2020

Move over, spin. Rowing is the hot new fitness trend, and a boutique rowing studio from New York has chosen the Dallas area for its Texas debut. CityRow will open on February 8 in Allen, at the intersection of McDermott and Alma roads.

The indoor-rowing studio delivers a high-intensity, low-impact, full-body workout for exercisers of all fitness levels, the company says.

“CityRow Allen will be an inviting destination for anyone who enjoys a community environment to get or stay in shape,” says studio owner David Regelean in a release. “CityRow truly is for all fitness levels. The individual determines how much strength and effort they put into the workout while having an instructor available to push them.”

Founded in New York in 2014, CityRow has gained national attention in magazines like Vogue and Shape, and has expanded to California, Michigan, Colorado, Florida, Oregon, Virginia, and now Texas.

Each workout pairs a personal instructor with rowing strength and mobility exercises in a 50-minute dynamic HIIT (high intensity interval training) class. The Allen studio will have 20 water-based rowing machines.

Every 50-minute class combines high intensity rowing intervals with weighted strength training on a mat.

Each stroke on the row machine uses 85 percent of the body’s muscles, including legs, core, and arms, the company says. And it increases aerobic capacity and efficiency to burn calories while exerting less pressure on the body’s joints than traditional cardio exercises, they say.

Although other studios like OrangeTheory Fitness have rowing classes and many gyms have rowing machines, gyms dedicated entirely to indoor rowing are starting to make waves in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Rowing is a rapidly growing fitness trend around the country; some even have called rowing the new spinning.

CityRow will open at 1314 W. McDermott Dr. #140 in Allen. For more information, schedule, and pricing, check out its website. 

Tait Cruse; Managing Partner Northwestern Mutual Dallas and Mark Davis; Clay Shoot Honorary Chair

Originally Featured on DFW 501c Nonprofit Business Journal

TeamConnor Childhood Cancer Foundation, located in Dallas, has shared their ninth annual Northwestern Mutual Clay Shoot was recently held at the Dallas Gun Club. The sold-out event raised $90,000 for childhood cancer research and programs implemented by TeamConnor.

Local media personality Mark Davis with 660-AM The Answer, and Randolph McGee, game warden and reality TV star from Lone Star Law, were guest speakers at the event.

TeamConnor has donated nearly $3 million to research institutions since it was founded in 2008, following the cancer diagnosis of four-year-old Connor Cruse of Frisco who lost his battle in 2009.

“Events such as this are important to bring awareness and raise critical funds for a disease that is taking the lives of our children,” said Tait Cruse, managing partner of Northwestern Mutual – Dallas. “This event aligns with Northwestern Mutual’s philanthropic commitment to provide funding for pediatric cancer research and resources needed to fight this disease. It’s an honor to have the community join us every year.”

Originally Featured on Motor1.com on Sept. 20 2019 by Chris Bruce

The exterior colors take inspiration from famous cowboy hats.

The Bentley Bentayga V8 Stetson Special Edition adds a little Texas twang to this British luxury crossover. As a collaboration between the Bentley Dallas dealer and Stetson, this model has some special touches that make the already premium vehicle a little nicer.

The exterior of the Stetson Special Edition is available in three colors that evoke the shades available on the famous hats, and the company’s logo appears on the rear roof pillar. White Sand aligns with the Silverbelly hue of the Stetson Open Road. Dark Cashmere fits with the Stetson Boss of the Plains, and Onyx black is similar to the Stetson black 100X El Presidente. 

Most of the interior is a two-tone combination of Camel beige and Saddle brown leather, and the upper backrests wear the Stetson logo. Dark brown leather accents add one more color to the mix, and wood trim introduces a little more visual texture. A Mulliner Stetson emblem is on the door sills as occupants enter the vehicle.

Bentley Dallas already has the Stetson Special Edition listed in its inventory and is charging $246,578 for the model. There’s only one of them at the moment, but DuPont Registry reports that two more on the way arriving in October and November.

Prices for the V8 model start at $165,000, but options can rapidly cause that figure to increase. For example, when Motor1.com tested a Bentayga V8 Model in November 2018, it had a total cost of $243,325. 

The V8 Bentayga packs a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 making 542 horsepower and 568 pound-feet of torque. It runs through an eight-speed automatic.

TeamConnor Childhood Cancer Foundation has named Emily Allbright as executive director. Allbright has nearly 20 years of experience working with charitable organizations. As the executive director, Allbright will be responsible for developing and maintaining relationships with donors and sponsors, managing event logistics, and developing grant proposals for TeamConnor.

“Emily comes to TeamConnor with a strong background in the non-profit sector,” said Joy Cruse, co-founder and board president of TeamConnor Childhood Cancer Foundation.

“Even though cancer is the leading cause of death by disease among children, childhood cancer receives less than four percent of government funding for research. Therefore, it’s critical for non-profits like TeamConnor to fill the gap by funding more research so better treatment plans can be developed and we can find a cure for this dreadful disease. Emily will be integral in partnering with private donors as well as corporations who want to be make the difference in saving kids.” 

TeamConnor was founded in 2008 while Connor Cruse was in the midst of his four-year battle with neuroblastoma cancer. Connor lost his battle in 2009, but TeamConnor remains committed to fight for all children. Since its founding, TeamConnor has donated more than $2.6 million to hospitals across the country who are committed to childhood cancer research. 

“TeamConnor has a great reputation for being a strong voice in the childhood cancer domain,” said Allbright. “I want to build on that tradition as well as pursue donors and organizations that are not currently involved in the cause. No one wants to see a child go through barbaric treatments or endure years of suffering because of a lack of funding research.”

TeamConnor hosts several events throughout the year to raise funds and awareness for childhood cancer research, including the 9th Annual Northwestern Mutual Clay Shoot, November 4, 2019 and the 16th Annual III Forks Golf Classic, May 3 – 4, 2020.  In addition,

TeamConnor’s national program Coins for Kids with Cancer® raises funds in schools, churches, offices and organizations across the country to help fund childhood cancer research. More information on this program can be found at www.coinsforkidswithcancer.org.

Every year, more than 12,500 children and adolescents are diagnosed with cancer in the United States. TeamConnor Childhood Cancer Foundation is dedicated to raising awareness and funding research and treatment programs to find a cure for all childhood cancers.  

For more information on how to impact the lives of those affected by childhood cancer please visit teamconnor.orgor find us at Facebook.com/TeamConnor.

Headington Companies’ Michael Tregoning spearheads a partnership with the Aging Mind Foundation, founded by Laree Hulshoff.

This excerpt was originally featured in D Magazine’s The Winners of D CEO’s Nonprofit and Corporate Citizenship Awards 2019 Article

Headington Companies

Corporate Partner of the Year

Corporate Citizenship Award

For the past five years, Headington Companies has partnered with Aging Mind Foundation to raise money for scientific research, specifically for Alzheimer’s Disease and other dementias. Spearheaded by Headington President Michael Tregoning, the support has allowed the organization to fund more than $2.1 million in medical research projects at UT Southwestern, Baylor, and Center for Vital Longevity. The group has kept its fundraising costs below 20 percent, the gold standard in charity fundraising, ensuring that the majority of donations go straight to the cause. The partnership has also helped the group spread awareness about Alzheimer’s and other dementias and compel other North Texans to get involved with their mission. “To put it simply, Aging Mind Foundation would not exist without the Headington Companies partnership,” says Laree Hulshoff, the organization’s founder. “They are an incredible partner and give generously not only with their in-kind support, but also in ideas, attendance, and time.”

Finalists: Accenture, The Beck Group, Capital One, McKesson Corp.

The $2.6 million Koenigsegg Agera RS and the $3 million Koenigsegg Jesko — two of the fastest cars in the world — were in Dallas Wednesday, the cars’ only Texas stop on their worldwide tour.

The event was at the home of Ted and Shannon Skokos, Dallas philanthropists and car enthusiasts who are fans of the brand and have met Christian von Koenigsegg, who founded the Swedish company with a singular mission to create the perfect supercar.

The Jesko was unveiled in March at the 2019 Geneva International Motor Show. It sold out an hour after it was unveiled, said Carolyn Alvey, a Koenigsegg spokeswoman who helped introduce these super-fast and very glitzy cars to Dallas. Only 125 Jeskos will be produced. 

The company will begin producing the Jesko at the end of 2020 and will make them at the rate of one per week.

The Agera RS, which was produced from 2015 to 2018, also sold out when it was introduced.

A Koenigsegg Agera RS set five world records for a production vehicle in 2017 in Nevada, including the highest top speed for a production vehicle (277.87 miles per hour) and the highest average speed achieved on a public road (284.55 mph).

A Koenigsegg Agera RS was produced from 2015 to 2018. (Smiley N. Pool/Staff Photographer)

Originally featured on Marketwatch.com on March 4, 2019

The 3 [rd] Annual Park Place Luxury & Supercar Showcase, Dallas-Fort Worth’s premier luxury lifestyle and automotive event, will return this fall to the Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Las Colinas from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, September 28, 2019.

“The community has come out in force to support this event the last two years,” said Ken Schnitzer, Park Place Dealerships founder and chairman. “The third annual event will again showcase some of the most exotic and exciting vehicles that will please enthusiasts of all ages. What began three years ago as an engaging opportunity to celebrate our 30 [th] anniversary has quickly turned into the foremost luxury lifestyle and automotive event in this region.”

Park Place Dealerships represents some of the most coveted brands in the world, including Rolls-Royce, Maserati, McLaren, Bentley, Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, Volvo, Land Rover, and Jaguar which will all be featured at the event.

In keeping with a true lifestyle event, Park Place will expand its fashion, food and retail offerings within the Porsche Pavilion. There will be music performances on the Lexus Live Stage and beverages at The Mercedes-Benz Beer Garden on the lush Four Seasons TPC Championship golf course.

Within the event will be a juried Collectors’ Concours, featuring a diverse selection of rare supercars, luxury, sports, vintage and classic cars from private collectors. The motoring festival also will include a Car Club Expo powered by Park Up Front as well as the beloved Kid’s Zone.

Iconic luxury shopping and dining destination,Highland Park Village,will present a runway show produced by Jan Strimple Productions for the second year.The fashion show will feature looks from prestigious brands presented exclusively in the climate-controlled pavilion on the resort grounds, with retail pop-ups for guests to shop the day of the event.

Dallas’ Mad Hatter Shane Walker will return to judge the 2019 Haute Hat Contest on The Million Air Stage with categories for stylish men and women. Guests are encouraged to pair a hat with their favorite resort-inspired ensemble.

Ranging from $25 – $50 for general admission and $100 for VIP All Access, which includes the VIP Lounge with complimentary food and beverages from dozens of the area’s finest restaurants, tickets are on sale at LuxurySupercarShowcase.com. VIP Tickets are limited and have sold out the previous two years.

In 2018, the top Collectors’ Concours award winners were presented with the “Spirit of Park Place” hand-crafted sculpture by Dallas artist Brad Oldham:

• Best of Show – 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB 6C
• Chairman’s Choice Award – 1933 Rolls-Royce Phantom II
• Salesmanship Club Award – 1980 BMW M1

Returning partners include the Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Las Colinas, VIP Lounge Sponsors Allie Beth Allman & Associates – A Berkshire Hathaway Affiliate|URBAN, Captain’s Lounge Sponsor Celebrity Cruises, The City of Irving, Hill & Wilkinson, Hagerty, Event Architecture, AT&T Business, AVSD Productions, Digital 3 Printing, Fauxcades Décor, Brad Oldham Sculpture, D Magazine, and NBC 5.

Restaurants featured in the VIP Lounge include The French Room, LAW, III Forks, Cool River, Chop House Burger, Dallas Fish Market, Wild Salsa, Oven and Cellar, Outlaw Tap Room, Kai, Toulouse, Whiskey Cake, Texas de Brazil, Princi Italia, CRU Wine and Food Bar, Pacific Table, Cork & Pig Tavern, Make Your Life Sweeter, and Carlton Provisions.

Additional sponsors include Lilium Florals, Perks & Provisions, Promo Resources, Sunnyland Furniture, RideCentric, iDesignMeetings, Marquee Event Rentals, Bachendorf’s, Jack Black, Maui Jim, Renegade Cigars, Tito’s Vodka, Peroni Beer, Waste Management, GL Seaman, Ratcliff Financial Services, Garages of Texas, Thermal Printing and MarineMax Yachts.

Ken Schnitzer founded Park Place Dealerships in 1987 with a single Mercedes-Benz dealership on Oak Lawn. Today, Park Place Dealerships employs more than 2,000 people and operates 16 full-service dealerships in Dallas, Fort Worth and Houston. For more info, visit parkplace.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190304005922/en/

Carolyn Alvey
Aardvark Communications
carolyn@aardvarktx.com
972.423.4144 office