Community Matters

(Community Matters) Michael and I had a conference call with his director, Katie Pearl this afternoon. We’re close to finalizing dates and location for the production of his play, Highway Home. We’ll need to raise $20,000 $25,000 for the three week production. We’ll set up a charitable fund with box office proceeds benefiting a nonprofit(s) to be named. We’ll be looking for donors: 1-$5k (underwriter), sponsors: $2.5k & $1k and friends, $500. Contributions will be tax deductible.

6/30/08 update: Contributions to underwrite/sponsor the play will be paid to the Austin Community Foundation (ABPorter.org fund). The contributions less benefits & services received by the donor (tickets, parties, etc) will be deductible as a charitable expense. The tax letter will come directly from the Austin Community Foundation.

Opening night will be Saturday, Nov. 29. The play will run every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday (matinee) through Dec. 14 at the Salvage Vanguard Theatre in Austin. We may extend through Dec 21. Tickets for opening show & party reserved for sponsors and press (due to space restrictions), though there will be a Sunday matinee during the Thanksgiving weekend too.

Sponsors & benefits listed below:

Underwriter ($5,000) Invermundo Financial Services – 8 VIP tickets to opening night & party. Logo & company name in all promotional materials. Full page ad in program. 10 tickets to any other night(s)

Sponsor ($2,500) – 6 VIP tickets to opening night & party. Recognition in program. 8 tickets to any other night(s) 1) Senior & Betty Mitchell, 2) Tana & Joe Christie, 3) AB Porter, 4) Lew Aldridge & Jim Lommori, 5)

Sponsor ($1,000) – 4VIP tickets to opening night & party. Recognition in program. 6 tickets to any other night(s) 1) Margaret Keys, 2) Chris Long, Tim McCabe & their son, Jack, 3) Robert Torian, 4) Steve Davis & Kent Portman, 5)

Friends ($500) – 2 VIP tickets to opening night & party. Recognition in program. 4 tickets to any other night(s) 1) Milinda Mitchell, 2) Kirk Rice, 3) Richard Hartgrove, 4) Charles Santos & Rickie Bond 5) 6) 7) 8) 9) 10)

More information here

(Community Matters) Obama staffers were sweet enough to invite us to today’s Houston luncheon featuring David Axelrod. Michael didn’t feel like attending so I went alone. Unfortunately, I couldn’t stay long (we had a 1:30 at MDA), not even long enough for Senator Obama’s chief strategist to arrive.

I did run into Teddy Adams who told me his mom (MaryLou Adams) was recovering at Seton Northwest and on her way to full recovery.

Houston socialities, super lawyer Trey Peacock & his wife, Chris Bryan, were to host the luncheon at their home but demand so exceeded capacity that the event was moved to the Wortham Center late last week.

Unfortunately, all assembled guests (this one outside) were not equally happy to support Senator Obama. Lanell Anderson feels “disenfranchised and cheated” by the media, the Demoratic Party and Obama supporters. She’s an angry Hillary Clinton supporter and says Senator Clinton was “forced” to make her concession speech.

(Community Matters) Steven and I are both loving FiveThirtyEight.com. Readers speculated that it was some political pundit publishing the surprisingly accurate primary predictions on Daily Kos – identified only by the moniker, Poblano. Eventually launching his own site, FiveThirtyEight (the number of electoral votes), baseball statistician Nate Silver has nailed many (certainly not all) of the primaries. While holding down a day job, Poblano creates forecasting models combining past voting data, demographics and polls – a very econometric approach to predicting, imagine who might especially love this 🙂 – with surprisingly accurate results.

June 11 update

Hat Tip: Cousin Juan

(Community Matters) It’s always a treat to be hear others think Steven’s pretty special too. Received an email this morning touting Steven’s presentation at Seton Cove on Aug 5 & 12. There aren’t many days I don’t think about how lucky I am to be with Steven. Or are there? hmm, fear we sometimes get so busy. Nevertheless, especially while he’s away, I’m mindful of it most of the day. And, a real treat to have someone remind me. Thx Sandi.

(Community Matters) Another enlightened country, Norway’s parliament approved same-sex marriage by 84 to 41 votes. Texas within 10 years (maybe less).

(Community Matters) Hate that I had to miss today’s Obama fundraiser in Austin & thrilled to report we raised over $90k (had a $50k goal). Spoke with Kirk Rudy (he and Amy hosted) while they were having dinner with David at Jeffrey’s – over 250 attended. Margaret Keys wrote that it was a terrific event, noting that Eden Box attended (Kirk’s & Amy’s is Hal’s & Eden’s old home).

Many thanks to those members of the Austin Obama Leadership Committee who helped us raise so much money including: Ian Davis & Amy Everhart, Michael Feferman & Rachel Hull, Dan Grant, Jason Heffron, David Kobierowski, Linda & Glen Neland, Beverly Reeves, Justin Smith, Jan Soifer, Ian Stonington, Catherine Tabor & Tom Terkel.

(Community Matters)

(Community Matters) Lest anyone worry about my absence from the office or attention to community obligations, while traveling and certainly while at MD Anderson, I’m ridiculously well connected. Yesterday, answered 83 of 300+ emails, raised $22,500 for EF community involvement initiatives, launched asks for $20k more, reviewed invite drafts, launched equity asks, raised $3.5k more for tonight’s Obama fundraiser, recruited two new Hispanic Outreach Council members to Obama ’08 and engaged in Komen conversations. Hey, a mobile word.

(Community Matters) Cecile Richards on the presidential campaign:

Mom would have said that women voting for John McCain would be like chickens choosing to vote for the Colonel.

(Community Matters) Just received an email from former Senator Gonzalo Barrientos notifying Hispanic delegates to last week’s convention that he’ll be the Hispanic Caucus chair and that we’re meeting Friday June 6 from 12 to 2.

(Community Matters) Q2 (that would be Quality Quinn) informed me yesterday that Marfa heavy, Tim Crowley, had a horse riding accident this weekend and is pretty beat up. Received a note from him that he is beat, though no other specifics. Yet, he was responding graciously to notes from Michael Barnes and me to please welcome Robert Faires and Barbara Chisholm during there first Marfa visit.

(Community Matters) We’re back in Houston. Michael is starting his first round of chemo this week. Today they’ll insert the arm catheter and we’ll sit through various training and instruction sessions. Start the actual chemo tomorrow and have to stay in Houston for the first 48-hour slow infusion of Doxorubicin hydrochloride (the H in R-CHOP), so expect to be on the road back to Austin Friday afternoon.

We have no idea what M’s in for – in terms of nausea & immune system reaction. Optimistic that the antiemetics (drugs to prevent nausea) will be successful, though evidently R-CHOP a more aggressive regimen than most. He’s got six months of this, though we’re moving the treatments to Dr. Fain in Austin after launching this week in Houston. M’s strong, optimistic and committed. We’ll beat this bastard to the ground. Dr. McLaughlin believes virtually certain they’ll achieve remission and quite likely permanent remission.

Drive up and last night mostly focused on logistics of producing M’s play, Highway Home. We have theaters’ calendars and have to pick dates. Katie Pearl has agreed to direct and the actors who performed in the UT workshop would like to participate. Hard to know how Michael will be feeling in Oct, Nov or Dec. All the literature says the latter treatments become more difficult on the patient. M threatens to attend the opening wearing just a turban and his slow infusion fannie pack.