Town Talk

Friday, January 1, 1904

"Good sense is a thing all need, few have and none think they lack."

- Benjamin Franklin

HEARD ON THE TOWN

CELEBRATE MARDI Gras in Chattanooga at Bach on the Bayou, a Mardi Gras ball at the Walden Club on Feb. 11 benefiting the Chattanooga Bach Choir.

The fundraising event, which kicks off with a pre-Mardi Gras party at the Sheraton Read House followed by a parade led by a New Orleans-style accompaniment courtesy of the River City Red Hots to the Walden Club, will include a four-course dinner, dancing, a mask contest and auction.

Jerry Draper will be master of ceremonies at the ball with Gary and Janie Galloway being the king and queen of the celebration.

There also will be a cash bar and complimentary wine with dinner. Members of the choir will serenade the audience before the evening toast.

Entertainment will be provided by Jennelle Gilreath and the Booker T. Scruggs Ensemble.

The pre-party at the Sheraton Read House begins at 6 p.m. with the Mardi Gras party starting at 7 p.m.

Reservations must be made no later than Feb. 4 via The Chattanooga Bach Choir, P.O. Box 80954, Chattanooga, TN 37414. All proceeds go to support the choir. For more information, call 423-877-9767, e-mail mardigras monday@yahoo.com or visit the choir's website at www.chattanoogabachchoir.org.

The Chattanooga Bach Choir and Orchestra, founded in 1985 by Dr. J. James Greasby, performs lesser-performed choral works of the Baroque period and choral-orchestral and chamber choral masterworks of all periods, offering two to four concerts a year in the Chattanooga area. The group has more than 40 singers and is conducted by David Long.

The choir's next concert will be a presentation of music from the Renaissance and Baroque periods on Feb. 17 at 4 p.m. at Christ Episcopal Church.

EAR TO THE GROUND

photo Leslie Goff and MaryStewart Lewis, from left, will co-chair the 37th annual StyleWorks fashion show and luncheon on May 8 at Chattanooga Convention Center.

LESLIE GOFF and MaryStewart Lewis will co-chair the 37th annual StyleWorks fashion show and luncheon, a fundraiser benefiting children and families served by Siskin Children's Institute, on May 8 at Chattanooga Convention Center.

The event supports the 1,500 children and families served annually by the institute, says Siskin spokeswoman Laurie Stevens. Proceeds from the event benefit children with special needs and their families through the Institute's four areas of focus: education, outreach, developmental pediatric health care and research.

StyleWorks typically draws more than 1,000 guests to Chattanooga's biggest fashion show of the year. The event begins with the Preview Party, an evening out with friends complete with marketplace shopping at Chattanooga Convention Center, cocktails and more. StyleWorks continues the next day with a luncheon and fashion show, featuring professional models as well as graduates of the Siskin Early Learning Centers who will preview trendy clothing and accessories of the season from Belk, the event's fashion sponsor.

"As a parent of a child with special needs, I know what it's like to need the services of Siskin Children's Institute," says Goff, whose oldest son Sam has Down syndrome and graduated from the institute. He has participated in the StyleWorks fashion show for two years.

"I couldn't be more grateful to the Institute for what it has meant to my family, and I'm overjoyed to share that with the community through such a dynamic event as StyleWorks," Goff says.

A national account executive for Zogenix, Goff is also the mother of Riley, 8, and Declan, 6, all graduates of the Siskin Early Learning Center.

"As a mom to two typically developing children, who graduated from the Siskin Early Learning Center, I have seen firsthand the difference an inclusive learning environment makes on both the children and the families involved," says Lewis, who has been a part of the Institute family through various roles for the past 10 years. Lewis is the mother of Beck, 9, and Benji, 5.

Lewis is the Southeastern Tennessee regional director in external and legislative affairs for AT&T.

For more information about StyleWorks, visit www.siskin.org/styleworks or call 648-1706.

Founded in 1950, Siskin Children's Institute, a nonprofit organization, provides early childhood education where children with and without disabilities learn together. For more information about Siskin Children's Institute, visit www.siskin.org.