The art of giving

Corporate giving story for The Commercial Appeal

July 24, 2009

The artists at House of Ink tattoo parlor on Frayser Boulevard are collecting backpacks, uniforms and supplies for school children to use this fall. Each customer who brings donations to the business from Aug. 4-6, will get a $30 credit toward a tattoo.

House of Ink, which opened three years ago, organized a Toys for Tatts drive last Christmas and brought in more than $5,000 worth of toys for Horton Gardens public housing residents. In 2007, they adopted a family for Thanksgiving and Christmas ... (read more)

Hot days stir thirst for squid that talks

"Because I Said So" column for The Commercial Appeal

July 23, 2009

There is nothing my kids love more than watching a Supreme Court justice nominee's confirmation hearings on C-SPAN 6. Or, maybe that's a "SpongeBob SquarePants" marathon on Nickelodeon. Which one has the talking squid?

Either way, during the dog days of summer, when the heat index reaches triple digits and the Memphis humidity makes it almost impossible to push open the door, the kids end up in the living room, sprawled on the sofa, reveling in the air conditioning and watching television ... (read more)

Lokion donating skills

Corporate giving story for The Commercial Appeal

July 17, 2009

Lokion is a full-service online consultant with clients that include FedEx, Viking Range, Smith & Nephew and First Tennessee. The company is also in the business of being a good corporate citizen.

"Nobody lives a disconnected life," says Lokion CEO and president Megan Jones. "We're in a community and, as part of that community, we employ people and deal with clients from that community. We need to be a part of that as best we can with our particular skill set."

Lokion has donated its skills to the National Ornamental Metal Museum, which now has a new Web site ... (read more)

Popularity of "Harry Potter" series has two generations reading

Feature cover story for The Commercial Appeal

July 14, 2009

Whether music, movies or literature, the whims and fancies of young people and their pop culture icons are nebulous and fleeting. They rush in and out of fashion on currents that rage as unpredictably as adolescent hormones.

There are times, however, when popularity holds fast and pools, and though that pool may ebb and flow, its waters nourish for years. "Harry Potter," the wildly successful series of children's and young adult novels celebrating its 10th year, seventh paperback and sixth movie release this year is the torrent that has pooled and collected the fascination of young and old alike ... (read more)

Askew Nixon Ferguson Architects

Corporate giving story for The Commercial Appeal

July 10, 2009

The Levitt Shell at Overton Park, a free outdoor venue hosting live music shows, concluded its second spring season with nearly double its fall attendance.

"The season was great," said Anne Pitts, Levitt Shell executive director, citing attendance figures of 34,000, up from the fall season numbers of 20,000.

The Shell's Web site says its mission is to "build community through music and education, finding common ground for a diverse audience." Pitts says much of the credit for the Shell's success at meeting its goals should go to Askew Nixon Ferguson Architects.

The architecture firm is responsible for donating $65,000 worth of renovation work prior to the venue's grand opening in spring of 2008 ... (read more)

There's no mulligan in a round of raising kids

"Because I Said So" column for The Commercial Appeal

July 9, 2009

In an effort to enjoy the fresh air and spend more time with my four kids, I pulled out a bag of plastic golf balls and a few irons the other day and scattered them about the yard for the kids to practice.

That was a mistake.

First, they fought, like the worst caddies in the world, over who got which club. Once we all settled on the 9, the 7, the pitching wedge and putter, well, they started playing at golf.

It looked like a skinny, metal chicken fight out there. It looked like a foursome of cats with golf clubs taped to their paws. It looked like a bunch of stumbling Saturday night John Dalys in short pants ... (read more)

T.O. Fuller supporters draft plans for Macy's donation

Corporate giving story for The Commercial Appeal

July 3, 2009

Macy's raised $4.1 million nationally on one day during its Earth Week campaign to benefit the National Park Foundation.

The campaign was called "Turn Over a New Leaf," and it raised funds through $5 shopping passes.

In Tennessee, Macy's stores collected $22,374 to benefit groups that protect and conserve the environment, said Melissa Goff, spokeswoman for Macy's Southeast Region.

T.O. Fuller State Park in Memphis received a donation of $11,187 from the total amount for the state.

T.O. Fuller is a 1,138-acre park within the city limits. Historically, it was the first state park east of the Mississippi open to African-Americans ... (read more)