Paradise Valley, AZ November 2026 by City Lifestyle

Booker’s Drive

Golf, Giving & a Game Bigger Than Basketball

TH E GIV I NG ISSU E N OV E M B E R 2 02 6

E X T R A O R D I N A R Y

E S T A T E S

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R E S I D E N C E S

A SEASON OF

HOME

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LIFESTYLE LETTER

For the Love of the Valley

November 2026 PUBLISHER

Nadine Bubeck | nadine.bubeck@citylifestyle.com

Can we take a moment for this cover? Devin Booker is the Valley. He arrived in Phoenix at 18 and became the face of the franchise, the Suns’ all-time leading scorer, and the standard for representing Arizona. Across the state, fans wear his shoes and his No. 15 jersey, a number once shared by Devin and his dad. Having Book on our November cover is exciting, but this story reveals another side of him. It is not about buckets or basketball records. It is about Devin on the green, relaxed with friends and family, newly 30, and quietly giving back. His Starting Five Charity Challenge recently celebrated its fifth year, and I think that says a lot about him. Devin does not give back for recognition. He does it because he loves this community, the causes he supports are personal, and he genuinely wants to. We had the incredible honor of attending this year’s challenge and seeing that side of him for ourselves. Rather than simply telling you what Devin is like away from basketball, this story allows those closest to him to share it in their own words. What I love about this issue is that every story comes back to the same thing: community. I say this often, but there is no other place so rich in generosity, so passionate about paying it forward and so deeply invested in caring for one another. As a mom, I cannot imagine a better place to raise our children and show them that giving is far more fulfilling than receiving. November also brings Veterans Day, and if you regularly read my Lifestyle Letters, you already know I have a soft spot for those who serve. Throughout these pages, we share stories that honor their service. Our City Scene highlights our annual PVCL and SCL September Style Issue Soirée at JING Scottsdale. I am incredibly grateful for our partners, friends and supporters, and for everyone who continues to embrace our publications and platforms. The JING team spoiled us with exceptional service, but what stood out most was the warmth and care they showed every guest. As we celebrate Thanksgiving, I am especially grateful to call the Valley home. My husband grew up here, and our boys now attend the same schools he did. We are raising our family within a true village, and I will never take that for granted. Thank you for trusting us to tell your stories and for supporting everything we continue to build. Happy Thanksgiving! NADINE BUBECK, PUBLISHER @ PA R A D I S E VA L L E Y C I T Y L I F E S T Y L E

E D I TO R I AL C O O R D I N ATO R S

Jennifer Blalock, Kennedy Rettew

Corporate Team CEO Steven Schowengerdt President Matthew Perry COO David Stetler CRO Jamie Pentz CoS Janeane Thompson AD DESIGNER Zach Miller LAYOUT DESIGNER Andi Foster QUALITY CONTROL SPECIALIST Marina Campbell

Learn how to start your own publication at CityLifestyle.com//Franchise. Proverbs 3:5-6 Paradise Valley City Lifestyle® is published monthly by Lifestyle Publications LLC. It is distributed via the US Postal Service to some of the Paradise Valley area’s most affluent neighborhoods. Articles and advertisements do not necessarily reflect Lifestyle

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inside the issue NOVE M B E R 2 0 2 6 | TH ANK F U L

26 Featured

26 42 56

Print Prestige Meets Digital Power.

WHY CHOOSE BETWEEN PRESTIGE AND PLACEMENT?

Departments

Booker on Course

Inside Devin’s Fifth Annual Starting Five Charity Challenge

The Natural’s Next Act

1:1 with the UFC Legend, Army Veteran and Hollywood Action Star

Dancing with Giada

Broken Toes, Ballroom Nerves and Plenty of Pasta

Lifestyle Letter

City Scene

Athlete Life SPORTS + RECREATION

Open House REAL ESTATE

Back Stage SPORTS + RECREATION

Inspired By LOCAL SERVICES

Chef ’s Selection ARTS + CULTURE

Trend Setter ENTERTAINMENT

Must See ENTERTAINMENT

Local Limelight ARTS + CULTURE

Local’s Choice LIFE + CULTURE

Legal Compass FINANCE + LEGAL SERVICES

Family Care LIFE + CULTURE

102 Mental Wellbeing LIFE + CULTURE

On the Cover Devin Booker at his fifth annual Starting Five Charity Challenge at Silverleaf Club. Thank you Jess, Devin and team for allowing us inside this meaningful event and trusting us to share its story. Photography: Katie Levine Photography

108 Seasonal Setups TRAVEL 114

Giving Back LIFE + CULTURE

118

Expert Help LOCAL SERVICES

122 Decor Trends HOME + DESIGN 129 Locals Only ARTS + CULTURE

With City Lifestyle’s co-branded print + digital packages, your business captures attention wherever our community is looking. Build unmatched local credibility on the page, and drive immediate action online. Ready to double your local reach? Contact your local publisher by scanning below.

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NOVEMBER 2026

city scene WHERE NEIGHBORS CAN SEE AND BE SEEN

7 6

1: PVCL/SCL partner Dr. Michael Wolff (Southwest Spine & Sports) at our September Style Issue Soirée 2: Such an amazing September Style Issue Soirée at JING! We love our partners and friends! 3: Anthony Salcito (Salcito Custom Homes) and Erik Peterson (PHX Architecture)- September Style Issue Soirée 4: September Style Issue Soirée (Lorraine Tallman, Amanda Hope Rainbow Angels, far left; Vicki Vaughn, Phoenix Heart Ball, center) 5: Nate & Nadine Bubeck with country artist Jay Allen & Renée Lynn- September Style Issue Soirée 6: PVCL/SCL partners Arora Eye, Guest List, Modena Allergy + Asthma- September Style Issue Soirée (JING) 7: PVCL/SCL partners Paul and Erin La Grassa (Vockal Motors) attend our September Style Issue Soirée, JING Photography by Scottsdale Event Photography CONTINUED >

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city scene CONTINUED

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8: PVCL/SCL Partner Kirsten Tinker (Tinker Development) at our September Style Issue Soirée, JING 9: Thank you, JING, for hosting our annual September Style Issue Soirée! Your entire team was incredible. 10: Scottsdale Mayor Lisa Borowsky, Jen Moser and Nadine Bubeck- September Style Issue Soirée (JING) 11: September cover star Gena Lee Nolin (center) with Franci Alberding-Kerr, wife of Mark Kerr- JING 12: Phoenix 10K & Marathon founder Dr. Art Mollen and Paige Mollen at our September Style Issue Soirée 13: September Style Issue Soirée at JING Scottsdale 14: Leah Bold Mondlick, Leslie Duffy, Nadine Bubeck- September Style Issue Soirée (JING) Photography by Scottsdale Event Photography

CONTINUED >

C I T Y SC E N E

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city scene CONTINUED

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15: Stacey Steele & Ryan Gurr (Steele Family Foundation/WISE Scholarship Program)- September Style Issue Soirée 16: Guests at our September Style Issue Soirée (with September cover star Gena Lee Nolin) 17: PVCL/SCL partners The Duffy Mathias Group and Hopkinson Aero at our September Style Issue Soirée 18: Chef Beau MacMillan, Pat Bondurant and Patrick McGroder, September Style Issue Soirée at JING 19: Gena Lee Nolin and daughter Stella Hulse with their September Style Issue covers- JING 20: 12News anchors with our August cover star, Lolo Wood, at the September Style Issue Soirée 21: PVCL/SCL Owner/Publisher Nadine Bubeck with Kimberly Snyder of Lamborghini North Scottsdale- Magazine event at JING Photography by Scottsdale Event Photography CONTINUED >

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city scene CONTINUED

SCOTTSDALE EVENT PHOTOGRAPHY

KICKASKAN EVENTS

SCOTTSDALE EVENT PHOTOGRAPHY

22: Roxi McNabb (Caris Sports Foundation) with PVCL/SCL Owner/Publisher Nadine Bubeck- September Style Issue Soirée (JING) 23: Shoutout to our PVCL + SCL team: Barret Elengold, Sarah Vitel and Kenna Rettew 24: Thank you, JING Scottsdale, for curating an exclusive menu for our guests

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BOOKER ON COURSE ARTICLE BY NADINE BUBECK | PHOTOGRAPHY BY KATIE LEVINE

Inside Devin’s Fifth Annual Starting Five Charity Challenge

Devin Booker is one of the biggest names in basketball, but at Silverleaf Country Club, he was simply Book. He was relaxed, talking trash, listening to music and laughing with friends as they traded the basketball court for the golf course. His dad was there. Former teammates had returned to Phoenix. Current Suns players filled the green, and longtime friends moved easily through conversations that had clearly started years before we arrived. This was a side of Devin fans don’t get to see from the stands, and the people around him helped bring it into focus. His father, Melvin Booker, still sees the boy he raised. Diana Taurasi says, “We ride with Book.” Chris Paul sees a bigger heart than most people realize. Devin’s younger teammates know him as a mentor, a veteran, and a big brother. Archie Bradley sees someone who does much more than lend his name to a cause because Devin personally shows up. They had all gathered for the fifth annual Devin Booker Starting Five Charity Challenge, held at Silverleaf Country Club and sponsored by Kalshi and presented by Morgan Stanley. Michael Phelps joined Devin in his foursome. That purpose began taking shape in 2019, when Devin launched Starting Five with a $2.5 million commitment to organizations improving the lives of children and families throughout Arizona. Each year, five local nonprofits receive $100,000 grants to strengthen the work they are already doing in the community.

AT H LE T E LIF E | S P O RTS + RE CRE AT ION

The numbers are significant, but they tell only part of the story. Starting Five has helped refurbish basketball courts, support back to school clothing drives and provide dental care for Special Olympics Arizona athletes. Through every initiative, Devin is giving back to the community that has spent more than a decade cheering his name. One of the most personal threads running through that work is his connection to the Special Olympics. Devin’s younger sister, Mya Powell, was born with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome, also known as DiGeorge syndrome. Growing up beside Mya gave Devin an intimate understanding of the challenges people with intellectual disabilities can face, but it also taught him to recognize the talent, ambition and joy that can be overlooked when someone is defined by a diagnosis. “Growing up with a sister that has to face new challenges every day puts life in perspective,” Devin once shared in a Special Olympics video. He has also spoken about how much Mya has taught him about himself and how her ability to find joy keeps him grounded regardless of what happened in the previous night’s game. That relationship helped lead Devin to Special Olympics Arizona shortly after he joined the Suns in 2015 and later to his role as a Special Olympics Global Ambassador. Special Olympics Arizona became one of the first Starting Five grant recipients, and Devin’s continued involvement has included clinics, friendships with local athletes and efforts to provide dental care. His longtime agent, Jessica Holtz, describes Devin’s mother and sister simply as his “why.” That personal connection gives Starting Five a depth that cannot be measured only in dollars. Devin understands what it means for someone to be seen for their possibilities rather than defined by their challenges. Through Starting Five, he has helped Arizona organizations create that same sense of possibility for more children and families. At Silverleaf, a serious mission met a relaxed day of golf. Some came with confidence. Others, not so much. Ryan Dunn called his game a work in progress. Oso Ighodaro admitted he had only

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started playing during the offseason and remained “still bad, but on my way.” Koa Peat decided not to play because he wanted to improve his swing before taking it onto the course. Archie Bradley declared that he simply “brings the vibes,” explaining that while his play may come and go, the good energy remains. The imagined foursomes were equally revealing. Koby Brea chose Michael Jackson, Mike Tyson and Kobe Bryant. Koa selected Devin, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, placing his current teammate alongside two of the most influential players in basketball history. Archie chose his father, the grandfather he never met, and Devin. Even in the lightest conversations, everything seemed to circle back to Book. For Diana, the tournament has become a standing commitment. She has spent two decades giving Arizona everything she has, which gives her a distinct understanding of the bond between an athlete and a city. She sees that same connection between Devin and Phoenix. “I always look forward to this day,” Diana says. “I love Dev. He’s one of my favorite people of all time, and he does it because he loves to do this for his charity.”

AT H LE T E LIF E | S P O RTS + RE CRE AT ION

Diana believes their goals are aligned both on and off the court. They understand how hard people throughout Arizona work, and they feel a responsibility to represent that same effort whenever they play. Her support for Starting Five is just as personal. “Every time I get my invitation in the email, that day is blocked off,” she says. Chris Paul feels that same loyalty. He no longer wears a Suns uniform, but his relationship with Devin never depended on one. During their three seasons together in Phoenix, Chris became more than a teammate. “He’s not only a brother to me, but his family is family to me, too,” Chris says. He also came to understand the difference between the intense competitor fans see on the court and the person Devin is when the cameras move away. “Book is intense on the court, but I think he probably has a bigger heart than people realize,” Chris says. “He pays attention to everything that is going on, and he really cares about making a difference. He just doesn’t want any credit for it, which is dope.”

That is why returning to Phoenix for Starting Five was never a question. “Anything he and his family ever have going on, I’m always going to support it one thousand percent.” Archie Bradley met Devin during his years pitching for the Arizona Diamondbacks. They were two young pro athletes building careers in the same city, and both wanted their connection to the Valley to mean more than what happened during games. Over the years, Archie watched Devin grow into what he calls a “great Valley leader,” but the quality he respects most is his consistency. “Devin actually cares about his foundation and about these kids,” Archie says. “He shows up, his family shows up, and he’s active. He doesn’t just put his name on something and write a check.” Archie calls Devin’s bond with the community one of the strongest in professional sports, built on the same trust that defines his leadership. That trust also defines the way Devin leads his teammates. The tournament offered a rare glimpse of the Suns away from practices, rotations and press conferences. Beneath all of it, however, was a clear sense of who the players look toward. Jalen Green arrived in Phoenix through a trade and found Devin ready to welcome him. “That’s like my big brother,” Jalen says. “He has taken me under his wing and tried to help me as much as he can in every way possible.” Jalen understands that joining a roster does not automatically make someone part of a city. Devin’s example has shown him that belonging is also built through presence. “He tries to give back to the community as much as he can and show that he cares about where he is and where his feet are,” Jalen says. “You guys welcomed me with open arms. It means everything to me, and hopefully Arizona is somewhere I can call home.” Miles Bridges shared a similar perspective while supporting Starting Five. “Basketball may bring you to a new city, but being present in the community is how you really become part of it,” Miles says. “What Devin has built with Starting Five is special. I admire the way he uses his platform to give back, and I’m happy to show up and be part of it.” Ryan Dunn has spent nearly three years learning from Devin as both a player and a person. The lesson he continues to carry is that every athlete has an opportunity to leave an impact wherever they play. “He does it on the highest scale, but every time I can, I try to do little things to give back,” Ryan says. For Oso Ighodaro, who grew up in the Valley, the connection is even more personal. He watched Devin’s relationship with Arizona develop as a fan before experiencing his leadership as a teammate. “He has been my mentor and my vet since I got into the league. He has really helped with my development as a person and a player,” says Oso. Oso hopes to follow Devin’s example as his own platform grows, while Koa is still adjusting to the reality that someone he once watched from home is now standing beside him in practice.

CAA agent Jessica Holtz with Chris Paul and Devin Booker

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Melvin Booker and Archie Bradley

“He’s a legend,” Koa says. “I remember watching him in the Finals and all the years he has played here. To see the success he has had and now be part of it and be on the team with him is surreal.” The influence moves naturally from one generation to the next. Devin arrived in Phoenix as an 18 year old with veterans around him. Now, as he enters his thirties, he has become the person younger players seek out for guidance. Devin’s CAA agent Jessica Holtz recognized that quality from the beginning. Their relationship started more than a decade ago, when Devin noticed how she worked with other members of his draft class and decided he wanted her in his corner. What followed became far more than a business partnership. “From day one, I knew Devin was different. He was mature beyond his years, and his emotional intelligence was off the charts,” Jessica says. She also understood early that his relationship with Phoenix would become permanent.

AT H LE T E LIF E | S P O RTS + RE CRE AT ION

Suns Players supporting the Starting Five Charity Challenge

“I knew he was going to make an impact on Phoenix forever.” Jessica now considers Devin family. She has watched him become the Suns’ all time leading scorer, build a signature shoe line and emerge as the face of the franchise without losing the qualities that made him stand out as a teenager. “He’s beyond generous with his time and his energy. He has so much to offer his community, his friends and his family.” Melvin Booker, Devin’s dad, also sees those accomplishments, but he still sees his son first. “When I look at him, even now, I still see that little boy,” Melvin says. “We have a special bond. A lot of it is personal and stays between the two of us, and that’s what makes it so meaningful.”

Giving back, Melvin explains, was never something added to Devin’s life after he became successful. It was part of how he was raised. “When you’re a professional athlete and you have that kind of platform, I believe you have a responsibility to use it,” he says. At Silverleaf, Melvin could look around and see how that belief had grown. Some of the people on the green had been part of Devin’s life for years, while others were only beginning to know him. Together, they had become what Melvin described as “one big family.” Even Devin’s return to No. 15 carries that sense of family. It was Melvin’s number for much of his career and Devin’s

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Diana Taurasi & Chris Paul

Special Olympics Team USA participants on Hole One

AT H LE T E LIF E | S P O RTS + RE CRE AT ION

number as a child. Now, Melvin sees children throughout Phoenix wearing Booker 15 jerseys, a full circle moment. “It’s so special,” he says. As this issue arrives, Devin is newly 30 and in his 12th season in the Valley. His name sits at the top of the Suns’ scoring record, his shoes are worn around the world, and a generation of young players now speaks about him as the example they hope to follow. Yet when Melvin is asked what he wants for his son at 30, he does not mention another record, championship or contract. “Health is wealth. If he has that, he has everything he needs for whatever comes next.” What comes next will bring more games and more milestones, but Devin’s impact is already visible far beyond basketball. It lives in the nonprofits strengthened through Starting Five, the Special Olympics athletes who feel seen, and the younger players learning that representing a city requires more than wearing its uniform. It also lives in the people who return year after year. Diana clears the date, Chris comes back for family, Michael Phelps supports the cause, Archie brings the energy, and Devin’s younger teammates show up for the leader setting the standard. Starting Five began as a commitment to five Arizona nonprofits, but at Silverleaf, the name seemed to carry another meaning. Devin has built a circle that continues to grow, bringing together the family who shaped him, the friends who stand beside him, and the next generation now following his lead.

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Courtside to Casa Blanca Katrina Barrett Pairs a Hometown Partnership with a $55 Million Listing PHOTOGRAPHY BY LUCY CALL

O PE N H OU SE | REAL ESTAT E

“I was born and raised in Arizona and have been a Suns fan my entire life.” That history matters to Katrina Barrett. The Phoenix Suns are not simply a new name in her portfolio. They are part of the Arizona story she has been living, supporting and selling for years. “As an early member of the Ra Ra Room, I was drawn to the entrepreneurial energy surrounding the Suns and the organization’s larger vision for Phoenix beyond basketball.” As the Valley dives into basketball season, esteemed Valley realtor Katrina Barrett, owner of Local Luxury | Christie’s International Real Estate, is excited to be an official partner of the Phoenix Suns, helping members of the Suns community and their families make the Valley home. “I regularly work with athletes and their families whose moves often involve demanding schedules, privacy and security concerns and multiple advisors. My role is to manage those layers quietly, protect their interests and make the transition to

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Arizona easier. This is someone’s life, not simply a real estate transaction,” she says. “Every client is different, so we build the experience around their needs. I bring trusted relationships, immediate responsiveness and a full-service team that can include attorneys, public relations professionals, a sprucer and even a Sprinter van with a driver. When something unexpected happens, we solve it quickly and creatively. My job is to remove friction.” The official partnership comes as Katrina is already pushing Arizona luxury real estate into new territory. After representing the $40.238 million sale that established a new residential record for the state, she is bringing a $55 million Paradise Valley estate to market. Located at 5738 N. Casa Blanca Drive, the residence spans 23,417 square feet across 2.48 acres within the coveted Casa Blanca and Wilkinson corridor. It includes six bedrooms, 14 bathrooms, a separate guest house and nine-car enclosed garage, with four spaces in the main garage and an additional five-car secondary garage.

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O PE N H OU SE | REAL ESTAT E

“At this level, buyers aren’t impressed by a long list of expensive finishes,” Katrina says. “They expect that. The house has to be truly special and very difficult to replicate.” The owners invested $15 million into redesigning the estate with Regal American Homes, Jaimee Rose Interiors and Berghoff Design Group. Katrina sees the sun-drenched elegance of the South of France, the warmth of Old World Italy, and playful bursts of color reminiscent of Portugal and Croatia. “It captures the feeling of having traveled well and bringing those experiences home,” she says. A central courtyard connects the interiors to expansive outdoor spaces and views of Camelback Mountain, Praying Monk and Mummy Mountain. Inside, a hidden door opens to a private speakeasy. The chef’s kitchen includes a concealed bar, walk-in pantry, walk-in cooler, walk-in freezer and a dedicated Costco room designed for serious entertaining. The wellness wing functions like a private retreat, with a red-light sauna, dry sauna, cold plunge and Bali-inspired spa area. A separate gym, massage room and traditional sauna add space for training and recovery without leaving home. Beneath the estate, a substantial concrete safe room and bunker introduce an unexpected element of privacy and security. The secure space connects to a hidden lower-level retreat featuring a private shooting range, lounge and bar, creating one of the property’s most distinctive and unexpected amenities. Then there is “The Shed,” a recreation barn with an indoor pickleball and sports court, golf simulator and glass-enclosed lounge. The estate also includes a movie theater, children’s lounge, art room and study spaces. The separate two-bedroom guest house has its own full kitchen, 48-inch range and laundry, allowing family members or long-term guests to maintain complete privacy. “For collectors, the property offers nine enclosed garage spaces with approximately 14 feet of clearance, along with a drive-through bay designed for an RV or Sprinter van,” Katrina adds. CONTINUED >

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Katrina Barrett, Official Partner of the Phoenix Suns

Outside, 100-year-old olive, citrus and oak trees surround lush gardens, walking paths, fireplaces and multiple gathering areas. A massive heated diving pool includes a signature metallic slide with its own cooling system, a feature created specifically for the Arizona climate. “The personality of the house is what photographs and specifications can’t fully capture. You turn a corner and see an incredible light fixture, a piece of stone, wallpaper, or a custom detail that you completely missed the first time.” The ideal buyer is likely someone who already owns exceptional properties and has no practical need for another residence. “It’s someone who could buy a home anywhere,” Katrina says. “They don’t need another house. They need to see something that feels special enough that they want to own it.” According to Katrina, that buyer may already have homes in Beverly Hills, Aspen, Miami or New York. “Paradise Valley is no longer competing only within Arizona. Its most significant estates are now being evaluated beside properties in the country’s most established luxury markets.” The buyers have arrived. The challenge has been giving them something worth purchasing.

O PE N H OU SE | REAL ESTAT E

“I’ve had buyers ready to spend $30 million, $40 million and more who simply couldn’t find the right house,” Katrina says. “At this level, having the money isn’t the issue. Finding something they believe is worth buying is the issue.” The $40.238 million sale established an important new benchmark. It proved a buyer would complete an Arizona residential transaction above $40 million. The new listing poses a larger question: Has Paradise Valley’s luxury ceiling moved again? Katrina believes it has. She evaluates value through the scarcity of the property, the quality of the finished residence and what it would cost in both money and time to reproduce it. For a buyer at this level, a completed estate with mature landscaping, custom design and highly specialized spaces can offer something new construction cannot: immediacy. “The $40.238 million sale gave us a new data point for Arizona, but I already knew there were buyers interested in buying a home at that level because I have been working with them,” she says. What is changing now is the inventory. “Nationally recognized designers are entering the market, architecture is becoming more sophisticated and developers are taking greater risks. We are seeing that firsthand in our work with the incredible team at Sandbar Development, who are bringing multiple Paradise Valley properties to market in the $50 million-plus range. The homes are catching up with the buyers.” For Katrina, the new listing and working with the Suns may appear to occupy different worlds. One centers on an extraordinary private estate. The other places her alongside one of Arizona’s most recognizable organizations. Both, however, allow her to do the same thing: introduce more people to the opportunities unfolding in the Valley. “I’m excited to protect and serve my clients’ real estate interests while connecting people, businesses and ideas that can help move our area forward. That is what’s most meaningful to me.” katrinabarrett.com

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TH E NATU R A L’S N E X T ACT 1:1 with the UFC Legend, Army Veteran and Hollywood Action Star ARTICLE BY NADINE BUBECK | PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED BY RANDY COUTURE

B ACK STAGE | SP O RTS + RE CRE AT ION

CONTINUED >

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Randy Couture has six UFC championships, cauliflower ears, a SAG card, an Arizona ranch, and a granddaughter who calls him Champaw. His next move? He wants to be in a romantic comedy. “It would be challenging and give me a chance to show some genuine emotion. We might have to explain the ears, but it would be fun,” says Randy. He has played mercenaries, fighters, villains and men you would never want to meet in a dark alley. He traded punches with Jet Li, learned filmmaking from Sylvester Stallone and graced the ballroom on Dancing with the Stars. Now he wants to make people laugh and perhaps even fall in love. If people expect one thing from Randy, he seems most interested in showing them something else. Randy entered the UFC at 34, when most athletes are told their opportunity has passed. He walked onto movie sets without formal acting training. He even sought to become a drag racer until a fiery crash. “My family said, ‘You have grandkids. We would kind of like to keep you around,’” he says. Beneath the many reinventions, however, is one identity Randy has never treated as a role... soldier. Randy Couture served in the U.S. Army from 1982 to 1988, rising to the rank of sergeant and spending his final two years with the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell. He was even selected to lead the Honoring America’s Veterans Phoenix Veterans Day Parade as 2025’s celebrity Grand Marshal. “It was a huge honor. Now, at a different stage of my life, I have the chance through my foundation to help that community.” Military service is not something he keeps in the past. “Once you take that oath and make that commitment, you look at the world in a particular way. That is not a switch you just turn off.” Randy was 19 when his life changed through a phone call. He had won a state wrestling championship in high school and walked onto the team at Washington State University. During Thanksgiving break, his former girlfriend called to tell him she was pregnant.

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“I didn’t want to be a deadbeat like my dad was, so I stepped up.” The couple married. Their son, Ryan, was born in August 1982. Two months later, Randy left for basic training. “I saw an opportunity through the Army to support a new and blossoming family. I have no regrets.” Randy assumed joining the Army meant his wrestling career was finished. Instead, it put him back on the mat. “Wrestling and boxing were huge sports for the Army because of their combative nature. I ended up wrestling in Germany.” He won a U.S. Army Europe Championship and earned a spot on the All Army wrestling team. That journey carried him to the 1988 Olympic trials, where he became an alternate for the United States Olympic team while still serving as a soldier. The Army sharpened his wrestling, but it also gave Randy the leadership philosophy he still lives by. “You lead by example. It is not about bravado. It is about doing what you expect other people to do. How do you expect to be a leader if you are asking people to do things you cannot or will not do yourself ?” Randy does not deliver the thought like a motivational slogan. That directness comes from his mother, who raised three children largely on her own. “I grew up with three women, which gave me a unique perspective on divine femininity. I saw that strength every single day.” His father’s absence created a different kind of motivation. “I think I operated in some ways out of an inferiority complex that I was not good enough for my own dad. Rather than use that as an excuse to make poor decisions, I used it as gas for the fire.” He had been testing that fire since he first began wrestling at 11. “Aristotle talks about courage as the first of all human virtues because, without courage, none of the other virtues would exist. For me, that courage started as an 11 year old putting on a singlet, walking to the center of a mat by myself and potentially getting my a** beat in front of all my friends. You want to talk about courage? That is the sport of wrestling.”

B ACK STAGE | SP O RTS + RE CRE AT ION

After six years in the Army, he accepted a scholarship to Oklahoma State University. The decision meant leaving military stability with a wife and two children, but an Army coach urged him to take the chance. “He could have been selfish and tried to keep me wrestling for the Army. Instead, he pushed me in the right direction.” Randy continued pursuing the Olympics and came within one match of making the 1996 team. Then mixed martial arts appeared. “I saw a couple of wrestlers I knew having success in this weird sport called no holds barred. In 1997, I got the chance to try it.” At UFC 13, Randy won two fights in one night and captured the heavyweight tournament in his professional debut. He was 34, which only made the opportunity more appealing. “I have always looked at those numbers as just that. It is not about letting society or anybody else tell you what you can or cannot do.” His age lowered everyone else’s expectations. “Nobody expected anything from me. That frees you up to go out with no expectation. It was the same mentality I had as the kid trying to get his dad’s attention. You think I am going to get my butt kicked because I am 34? I will show you.” He became a six time UFC champion. After Randy defeated Vitor Belfort, a writer from Full Contact Fighter approached him with an idea. “He said, ‘You are a natural. You adapted to his style. Can I call you that?’” Randy recalls. “I told him, ‘I have been called a lot worse, so why not?’” “The Natural” fit. Even the way he talks about nerves feels completely on brand. “I don’t get nervous. I get excited. Nervousness has a negative implication that something bad might happen. Excitement and nervousness have the same physical attributes, but one is positive.” Before a fight, he returned to the same words. “Breathe. Move your feet. Stay present. Stay in the moment. Stay relaxed. So many people forget to breathe in moments of tension.” There is no elaborate ritual. Just oxygen, movement, and the next decision.

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“After everything I’ve experienced, I’m incredibly grateful for life, my family and the opportunity to do this work. For me, that gratitude comes with a responsibility to use what I’ve learned to help others live healthier, more resilient lives.”

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CONTINUED > NOVEMB ER 2 0 2 6 | C I TYL I FE STYL E . C OM/PA RAD I S E VA L L E Y

Hollywood then arrived almost by accident. Randy’s first major film experience came in Cradle 2 the Grave with Jet Li and DMX. He had one line, a fight scene with Jet Li, and seven days on a Los Angeles set. “I had been a moviegoer since I was a kid, and I was bitten by it,” he says. More roles followed. Then Sylvester Stallone wanted a meeting. “That is a call you do not skip,” Randy says. Stallone was putting together The Expendables and initially considered Randy for a different character. When that role went to Terry Crews, Stallone returned to the script and wrote in Toll Road for him. “I was amazingly honored that he would go to the trouble of writing me into the script.” The film reached number one at the box office and became a franchise. Randy found himself surrounded by performers who had defined the action genre. “We spend our whole lives as athletes boxing up our emotions, compartmentalizing them and putting them to the side. Then acting wants me to walk in front of a camera and let all of that out. I thought, I don’t know if I know how to do that.” For a man celebrated for control, the new challenge was letting go of it. The most important role Randy assumed off screen began after two encounters with wounded service members. In 2006, he spent 12 days in Iraq. The following year, he visited Walter Reed and attended a barbecue at the Fisher House for the parents, spouses and caregivers of hospitalized service members. “It was the first time I walked the wards and met soldiers fresh off the battlefield. I heard about the financial struggles they were facing as they transitioned from being soldiers back into civilian life while dealing with injuries sustained in combat.” He understood the military culture and transition. And by then, he had a public platform large enough to be useful.

B ACK STAGE | SP O RTS + RE CRE AT ION

“That experience motivated me to start raising awareness about what these men and women were dealing with, but I also wanted to raise funds to take some of that pressure out of their lives.” In 2007, Randy established the Xtreme Couture GI Foundation to support wounded veterans and their families. The work is deeply connected to his own beginning. The Army once gave a 19 year old husband and father a way to support his family, rediscover wrestling, and build a future. Randy now uses the career that followed to help other military families find their footing. Arizona has become part of Randy’s life, too. In 2020, he purchased a ranch outside Flagstaff, searching for a place to slow down. “It is amazing.” He still acts, supports veterans, and remains connected to the gym he turned over to Ryan after his son retired from professional fighting. His favorite title these days comes from his granddaughter, Evie. “She calls me Champaw. One of the best titles you could ever have.” Ask what makes him proudest? “My kids. They sacrificed a ton of time with me while I was chasing my Olympic dream and then my fighting dreams. That is time you do not get back.” What he hopes they saw was a man willing to bet on himself without pretending to be someone else. “Keep things simple and just be yourself. There is no sense in creating a persona.” Randy’s route makes little sense on paper... Soldier, Olympic alternate, college wrestler, UFC champion, action star, drag racing student, veteran advocate, Flagstaff rancher, Champaw. Possibly, someday, romantic lead. “I did everything backward, but somehow it worked out exactly how it was supposed to.” xcgif.org

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Mission Ready Inside the HonorHealth Military Partnership The garage door rises, and everything changes. Military nurses and medics step from a quiet room into the chaos of a simulated battlefield. Explosions sound in the background. Pretend patients are bleeding. Somewhere amid the noise, a military working dog cries for help. They do not know what they will encounter before the door opens. That is the point. And it’s all happening in the heart of Old Town. In a real emergency, there is no script. There is only the training to assess, act, and remain focused when everything around you is designed to overwhelm. At HonorHealth’s Military Partnership, those moments are recreated as realistically as possible so that military medical professionals are ready when the stakes are real. “We want them to be able to critically think through anxiety,” says Donna Tew, MSHS, BSN, RN, NE-BC, RN-BC, CHSE, director of Military & Community Partnerships and the Bioskills Laboratory at HonorHealth. “We’re making sure whoever is on the front line is trained and ready to go.” For nearly 20 years, the Scottsdale-based program has quietly connected military medicine with civilian health care, providing immersive trauma training to military nurses and medics from across the country. It is a mission rooted in service and sustained, in part, by generosity, making it especially meaningful during a season centered on giving and honoring those who have served.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY SCOTTSDALE EVENT PHOTOGRAPHY

I NSP IR E D BY | LO CAL S ERVICE S

HonorHealth established its training agreement for National Guard and Reserve members in 2005 and welcomed its first classes in 2006. Today, participants travel from across the nation, and sometimes much farther. Many of those who attend are members of the National Guard or Reserve. While they are trained as military nurses or medics, their everyday civilian careers may look very different. A medic might work at a retail store or teach high school math. A military nurse may spend the rest of the year working in a school or specializing in infection control rather than trauma. Their medical knowledge remains, but highly specialized emergency skills can fade without regular use. “We call them perishable skills,” Donna says. “If you don’t use them, you can lose them.” During the intensive two-week sustainment training, participants review trauma care, earn continuing education credits and

Military medical training with a simulation mannequin

Aeromedical training inside a military helicopter

complete hands-on clinical shifts inside HonorHealth’s Level I trauma center emergency departments. EMTs may also ride alongside Valley fire departments, while some nurses gain experience at the Arizona Burn Center. That access is part of what distinguishes the Military Partnership. HonorHealth assumes the liability that allows participants to provide supervised, hands-on patient care within its hospitals, an arrangement Donna says is difficult for similar programs to secure. “A gunshot in the civilian sector and a gunshot in the military is still a bullet hole. You’re still going to use the same lifesaving techniques.” The experience also includes classroom instruction from trauma surgeons, neurosurgeons and burn specialists, followed by practice inside a

Military field triage simulation

$2 million simulation laboratory. High-fidelity mannequins can bleed, speak and mimic critical injuries. “Their lungs can rise and fall independently. If a participant correctly applies a tourniquet, the bleeding stops. If a collapsed lung is overlooked, the patient may begin calling out that they cannot breathe.” The technology forces participants to evaluate what is happening rather than simply being told what they should see. On the final day, everything comes together in a mass-casualty exercise, and we got the opportunity to witness it firsthand. Participants wear helmets and Kevlar as they respond to multiple simulated victims amid blood, darkness, noise and confusion. They must regulate their own stress, determine who needs help first, and make lifesaving decisions without losing focus. The scenarios may also include a K9 mannequin that barks, whines and requires emergency treatment. Participants learn to muzzle an injured animal before rendering aid, administer the correct medication dosage and perform procedures such as applying a tourniquet or placing a chest tube. “No one goes to nursing school or EMT training to take care of a dog. It is a very unique need in the military.” CONTINUED >

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Aeromedical training inside a military helicopter

The program even has a Black Hawk simulator that allows teams to practice safely approaching a helicopter and loading patients while managing vibration, intense noise and other distractions. HonorHealth covers the building, staff salaries and a portion of the program’s operating expenses. Philanthropic support through the HonorHealth Foundation helps provide many of the specialized resources that make the training possible. Donors have funded high-fidelity mannequins costing between $60,000 and $140,000, classroom technology, medical supplies, helmets, Kevlar and the Black Hawk simulator. Some provide unrestricted gifts to keep the operation moving. Others are inspired to fulfill a specific need. For Ross Elkins, a Scottsdale resident raised in Paradise Valley, philanthropy is inseparable from family. A plaque outside the Military Partnership honors his late mother and father, serving as a permanent reminder of their commitment to those who serve. After losing his father, Ross chose not only to preserve his parents’ memory, but to continue the mission that mattered so deeply to them. “That plaque means more to me than recognition. It is a reminder of who my parents were and what they believed in,” Ross says. “They understood that supporting those who serve also means preparing them for the moments when lives are on the line. Continuing their commitment allows me to instill that importance in my son. I get goosebumps and teary every time I witness a training session.” That continuity matters because readiness is not a one-time investment. Mannequins must be maintained, medical supplies replenished and simulation technology updated as the needs of military medical professionals and first responders continue to evolve. The program relies on ongoing philanthropic support to keep those experiences realistic, relevant and available. One retired Air Force donor remembered what it was like to work in heavy protective equipment following September 11 and funded Kevlar and helmets so participants could learn to deliver medical care under that additional weight. Another family stepped forward to make the helicopter simulator possible.

I NSP IR E D BY | LO CAL S ERVICE S

Military medical training with a simulation mannequin

Military Partnership Team & Donors

Aeromedical training inside a military helicopter

“We said, ‘You’re never going to get that helicopter,’” Donna recalls with a laugh. “Then we found a donor who said, ‘If that is what you need for this training, that is money well spent.’” The impact extends beyond the military. HonorHealth’s team also provides specialized training at no charge to first responders throughout Arizona, including police officers, firefighters, paramedics, SWAT medics and members of the U.S. Marshals Service, DEA, FBI and U.S. Border Patrol Search and Rescue team. Instead of offering a one-size-fits-all curriculum, the Military Partnership asks each agency what it needs most and develops training around that gap. Its simulation garage can become a nightclub with fog, flashing lights and loud music, allowing SWAT medics to practice finding and treating victims in a low-light active-threat scenario. The team has worked with Scottsdale police officers on safely clearing hospital rooms and nighttime search-and-rescue training for Border Patrol personnel. “We continue to fill in whatever gaps our military and community partners need.” The Military Partnership also supports three Air Force nursing programs at HonorHealth. Newly commissioned Air Force nurses come to the Valley for 10 weeks of clinical experience before reporting to military hospitals. Nurses training in perinatal care spend 17 weeks at HonorHealth Scottsdale Shea Medical Center, where they gain experience in deliveries, high-risk births, cesarean sections and neonatal intensive care. “HonorHealth is one of only four clinical sites for the Air Force’s nurse transition program, one of two for perinatal nursing and one of two for critical care and emergency trauma education,” says Donna. For Donna, the mission is personal. Before joining HonorHealth, she spent 24 years in the Air Force. Already an experienced ICU nurse when she was commissioned at age 27, Donna went on to complete four deployments, serve as a flight nurse during the Iraq War, work as a chief nurse and help train the Iraqi Air Force during seven and a half months in Baghdad. She remembers speaking with her daughters over Skype on Christmas as they opened presents back home. When her chair began to move, she realized the base was taking incoming fire. “I said, ‘Hey, girls, Mommy has to go.’”

Her most meaningful experiences came while flying aeromedical evacuation missions. She would watch the back of the aircraft open and make eye contact with every injured person brought aboard. “That person was having a much worse day than I was. I felt privileged to be able to deliver that care and get them to the place where they could have the major surgeries and recoveries.” Donna first arrived at HonorHealth in 2018 as an active-duty service member through a military-civilian nursing internship. She later led Air Force nursing programs within the health system and, after retiring from the military in 2023, helped establish HonorHealth’s SkillBridge program for service members transitioning into civilian careers. She became director of the Military Partnership in June. “Our goal with this program is that participants feel confident enough to perform under pressure.” This Veterans Day, honoring service can mean more than looking back at what our military members have already sacrificed. It can also mean investing in their readiness, supporting their future and helping ensure they have every possible resource to come home safely. honorhealth.com/company/military-partnership

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Beyond the Boutique As Garage Boutique & Concept Store enters its 27th year, it remains a place where fashion meets family and style meets soul. But the heart of Garage Boutique has always extended far beyond our doors. Giving back is not something we do because it is expected. It is personal. It is how I thank the community that has supported Garage Boutique, believed in our vision and welcomed us into their lives. Over the years, we have had the privilege of supporting organizations that serve children and families, including PANDA, Make-A-Wish Arizona, Childhelp, Amanda Hope Rainbow Angels, the Ronan Thompson Foundation and many more. Each cause is different, but the purpose is the same: to show up, give what we can and create moments of hope for those who need them most. This community has given me so much. Paying that generosity forward has become one of the most meaningful parts of my life and the legacy I hope Garage Boutique continues to build. As we enter our 27th year, I know success is not measured by what we sell. It is measured by the people we support, the relationships we build and the good we leave behind. To everyone who has made that possible, thank you. There is still so much more to give.

— Founder, Garage Boutique & Concept Store

Old Town Scottsdale @garageboutiquearizona 7144 East Stetson Drive #110 Scottsdale, AZ 85251 (480) 556-6900

DANCING PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED

with GI A DA

Broken Toes, Ballroom Nerves and Plenty of Pasta Giada De Laurentiis entered Dancing with the Stars knowing she could not prep, plate or perfect the experience in advance. With her daughter Jade beginning college, Giada agreed to do something completely outside her comfort zone. The queen of culinary became a beginner in front of millions, trading the controlled rhythm of the kitchen for live television, sequins and choreography. She even danced through a broken toe. Her ballroom run ended during Viral Hits Night, when Giada and professional partner Alan Bersten became the third couple eliminated from the competition. “I tried my best and it wasn’t best enough,” Giada said immediately afterward. “But I tried my best.” By the following day, disappointment had given way to perspective. Giada said she was honored to represent women in their 50s trying something new and encouraged others to “try something that scares you.” She praised Alan as a loving and patient partner and said Jade’s daily calls, encouragement and support from the East Coast meant more than any trophy. When cameras caught Giada apologizing to Alan after their elimination, he quickly told her she had nothing to apologize for and that she had made him proud. Her time in the ballroom was brief, but its meaning was not. Before her elimination, Giada spoke with us about broken toes, ballroom nerves, feeding Alan and why saying yes already felt like a victory. WHAT DID SAYING YES TO DANCING WITH THE STARS REQUIRE FROM YOU EMOTIONALLY? My daughter, Jade, wanted me to, and with her out of the house starting her own journey off at college, I thought it was the right time to throw myself into something totally out of my comfort zone.

C HE F ’S SE LE CT ION | ARTS + CU LT U RE

WHAT DID IT MEAN TO HAVE YOUR DAUGHTER PUSH YOU BEYOND YOUR COMFORT ZONE? It meant everything to me. That’s why I did it, and I want her to know she can do anything she puts her mind to; that it’s OK to push beyond your comfort zone. YOU HAVE SPENT YOUR CAREER BEING THE EXPERT IN THE ROOM. WHAT WAS IT LIKE BECOMING A BEGINNER AGAIN IN FRONT OF MILLIONS OF PEOPLE? It was inspiring, emotional, challenging… everything you hope any experience like this would be. A RECIPE GIVES YOU MEASUREMENTS AND A METHOD, WHILE DANCING ASKS YOU TO TRUST YOUR BODY, YOUR PARTNER AND THE MOMENT. HAS SURRENDERING THAT CONTROL BEEN FREEING OR TERRIFYING? Both! YOU PERFORMED YOUR FIRST TANGO WITH A BROKEN TOE. WAS THERE EVER A MOMENT WHEN YOU CONSIDERED STEPPING AWAY? The show must go on, and I had amazing support from my family and Alan, my partner on the show. WHAT SURPRISED YOU MOST ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE? Definitely the physical demands and how strenuous the performances are. TELL US ABOUT ALAN. He is so kind and genuine, he loves pasta, and we always had fun whether rehearsing or on the show.

IF ALAN WALKED INTO LUNA BY GIADA AFTER A LONG REHEARSAL AND HANDED YOU COMPLETE CONTROL OF HIS ORDER, WHAT WOULD YOU SERVE HIM? My Signature Lemon Spaghetti. WHAT INITIALLY DREW YOU TO SCOTTSDALE AS THE HOME FOR LUNA? Scottsdale has a great dining and hospitality scene, so many great restaurants and the community here has been so supportive of Luna. AT THIS STAGE OF YOUR LIFE, WITH JADE BEGINNING COLLEGE AND YOU STEPPING ONTO A COMPLETELY NEW STAGE, DID THIS FEEL LIKE REINVENTION OR THE DISCOVERY OF A SIDE OF YOURSELF THAT WAS ALWAYS THERE? It feels great to challenge myself and do something that is completely out of my comfort zone. It’s good to push yourself and be uncomfortable… it’s been invigorating. BEFORE THE RESULTS, WE ASKED GIADA WHAT WOULD MAKE SAYING YES FEEL LIKE A VICTORY, WHETHER HER JOURNEY ENDED WITH A MIRRORBALL OR MUCH SOONER. Just doing it, being here and putting myself out there and trying something new, makes it all worth it. Giada did not leave with the Mirrorball. She left having shown Jade, and women watching everywhere, that winning can begin simply by being willing to try.

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A LITTLE MORE GIADA Located inside Caesars Republic Scottsdale, a Hilton hotel, Luna by Giada serves Giada De Laurentiis’ signature Italian cuisine with a California twist, including her famous Lemon Spaghetti. Giada makes select appearances throughout the year, while guests can enjoy Aperitivo Happy Hour daily from 3 to 5 p.m. and live music Fridays and Saturdays from 5 to 8 p.m. On Tuesday, Nov. 17, Luna will conclude its monthly wine dinner series with a five course menu paired with selections from Fisher Vineyards, a family owned Napa Valley and Sonoma County winery with more than five decades of winemaking history. The dinner begins at 6 p.m. Tickets are $180 per person, and advance reservations are required. lunabygiadascottsdale.com

C HE F ’S SE LE CT ION | ARTS + CU LT U RE

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L O U O N

T H E ROA D TAYLOR HICKS TAKES ROUTE 66, MARKS 20 YEARS SINCE IDOL, AND HONORS AMERICA’S VETERANS PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED

T R E N D SE T T E R | ENTERTAIN ME N T

Taylor Hicks has a way of turning a milestone into a metaphor. “I’ve punched all 50 buttons,” he says of recently celebrating his 50th birthday, “and I’m hoping I can punch 50 more.” It is classic Taylor. Soulful, playful and always looking toward what comes next. That spirit has carried him through two decades in show business, from American Idol and Broadway to Las Vegas, television, restaurants and the Grand Ole Opry. Now, as he enters a new decade, two of his latest projects reflect something deeper than another performance or destination. One uses the open road to raise money for charities across the country. The other honors the young Americans who answered the call to serve after September 11. Both feel especially fitting for a November issue centered on giving, gratitude and those who serve. This year, Taylor got behind the wheel for The Great American Road Rally, a celebrity-filled journey along Route 66 that combined classic cars, charitable challenges and a distinctly American sense of adventure. The rally follows celebrity teams traveling 2,000+ miles from Chicago to Santa Monica during Route 66’s centennial year. Along the way, participants competed in challenges ranging from archery to go-karts, all while supporting charitable organizations across the country. “I had a blast,” Taylor says. “I enjoyed riding with all the different celebrities, including people I grew up watching, like John Schneider and Erik Estrada.” Despite spending much of his career on the road, Taylor had never experienced Route 66. “The people along the route, whether they owned diners or little mom-and-pop gas stations, were so warm and accommodating,” he says. While the route reaches Arizona, Taylor’s touring schedule pulled him away before the rally arrived in Flagstaff, but his affection for our state is unmistakable. “I love it out there.” His Arizona memories include filming State Plate in Tucson, discovering fry bread, and finding an immediate connection to the funnel cakes of his Southern upbringing. “I’m a prickly pear margarita person. Let’s not forget that.” Naturally, no road trip with Taylor would be complete without a soundtrack. If he had to choose one song to play on repeat, it would be Canned Heat’s “On the Road Again.” “It has a great harmonica in it. To me, it embodies the whole journey we were on.” The harmonica has been part of Taylor’s own journey since he was a teenager in Alabama. He bought his first one at a flea market when he was a teen. That instrument eventually became part of the sound that made Taylor instantly recognizable on American Idol. This year marks 20 years since he won Season 5. CONTINUED >

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“I’ve been quite busy these last two decades in show business, and that’s a blessing,” he says. “But going back to Idol was very nostalgic. I did have that moment of wondering, where did the time go?” During his return to the show, Taylor encountered a producer who had served as the gatekeeper at his first audition in Las Vegas. Two decades later, they found themselves back where the story began. He also remains connected to many members of the Idol family, including winners and contestants from his era. Taylor keeps in touch with Kellie Pickler, Chris Daughtry, Elliott Yamin and Katharine McPhee, among others. “When you go through something like that, it truly becomes a little bit of a family.” If he were auditioning today, Taylor already knows what he would sing: John Mayer’s “Waiting on the World to Change,” complete with a sizable harmonica solo. “Up until my season, it was strictly a singing competition. We couldn’t use instruments. Being able to audition with an instrument probably would have helped me out a little more.” And Simon Cowell? “I think he’s become a softie in his older age. Yes, he was mean. It was his staunch music-business prowess versus my Southern, humble musical hospitality. That dynamic created interest from all different walks of life.” Beneath the humor is an artist whose relationship with music began as something deeply personal. Growing up as a child of divorce, Taylor found comfort in Ray Charles, Otis Redding and the soul music that became his emotional education. “Any child who goes through divorce has tough moments and very introspective moments. Music therapy is real.” What would that younger version of Taylor think of the life he eventually built? “He would be over the moon and very proud. But he would probably also tell me there’s unfinished business.” That marathon has taken him far beyond the Idol stage. Taylor has performed on Broadway as Teen Angel in Grease, portrayed Charlie Anderson in Shenandoah, headlined in Las Vegas, hosted television and explored his love of food through State Plate. “Theater has been my greatest professional challenge because I entered it without formal training.” That willingness to step into unfamiliar territory is part of what gives “Nineteen” its weight.

T R E N D SE T T E R | ENTERTAIN ME N T

The song tells the story of a young athlete who chooses military service after September 11. Taylor rereleased it during America’s 250th anniversary year, but its connection to his own life began much earlier. He grew up with teammates who later entered the military, including a close friend who joined the Marines, and he has family members and friends who have served. “When I came across that song, it was one of those songs that spoke to me as an artist. You just have to run in and record it.” The song has remained in his repertoire for years. Each time he performs it, Taylor sees the emotion it evokes in veterans, active-duty military families and those who have lost someone they love. “We always need to take a pause and reflect on our veterans and what they mean to this country.” That message gives the music meaning beyond the stage. In a season focused on giving, Taylor’s contribution is a reminder that honoring veterans begins with listening to their stories, recognizing their sacrifice, and refusing to let their service fade into the background. Another release, “The Mirror,” moves from patriotism to heartbreak. Recorded in Memphis at Sam Phillips Recording with the Memphis Horns, the song examines a relationship from what Taylor calls “a narcissistic perspective.” “Sometimes the narcissistic bite is one of the worst, so I decided to write about it.” He later performed and released the song at the Grand Ole Opry. At 50, Taylor sounds grateful, grounded and far from finished. “The older I get, the less I care about people who don’t care about me,” he says. “And the more I care about myself and being good to the people around me.” Twenty years after America first met him, what is Taylor Hicks still chasing? “An Oscar,” he answers. “Duh.” instagram.com/taylorhicksofficial

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Implants Before And After

Hondo R aises th e St ake s

WHERE RODEO ROCKS PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED BY THE EHRHARDT GROUP

James Trawick has already written the headline: “Guy tries to compete professionally, fails miserably, and then starts his own rodeo.” It is blunt, funny, and also pretty close to the truth. Long before James became CEO and co-founder of Hondo Rodeo Fest, which debuted at Chase Field in Phoenix in 2024 and returns this month, rodeo was simply the family business. His father was into team roping. His mother barrel raced. They raised quarter horses in Chipley, Florida, and spent countless nights at jackpots that could stretch until 3 in the morning.

M UST SE E | ENTERTAI NME N T

As a teenager, James wanted little to do with any of it. “You’re rebellious. I don’t know what you want to call it,” he says. He raced motocross instead, until he watched a friend crash and break both ankles. That was enough to send him back toward the horses his mother had insisted he learn to handle, whether he liked it or not. “You don’t have to want to do this,” he remembers her telling him. “You’re going to know how to ride a horse. You’re going to know how to handle a horse.” Once James turned the corner, he did not stop halfway. Rodeo carried him from junior high to high school, then college and eventually the professional ranks. “I pursued it all the way to the top and got to the top and realized I didn’t have what it took.” There was no polished excuse attached. He did not have the horses. He did not have the resources. He could not get it done. “It was a rough pill to swallow.” But getting close enough to see professional rodeo from the inside gave him a clear view of what was missing. The sport has more than 700 sanctioned professional events each year. Contestants pay to compete, and there are only so many spots available during the performance staged in front of the crowd. Everyone else competes during what rodeo calls “slack,” which can mean a world champion draws a 10 a.m. slot in a nearly empty arena. “You may have seen world champions compete and not even known it. It’s so sad for our sport.” The problem was bigger than one missed moment. When the best athletes are scattered across hundreds of events and some never appear before the paying audience, rodeo cannot consistently deliver its best product. Fans miss the stars. Athletes miss the stage. The sport misses the chance to present itself with the intensity of a major professional competition. James wanted to solve that. After his own rodeo career ended, he went to work and spent approximately 15 years building a boutique film-production business in Fort Worth, Texas. He learned production, media and storytelling, then eventually found someone with an almost identical scar.

“Guy tries to compete professionally, fails miserably, and then starts his own rodeo. We take the best in the world and put a million dollars on the line.”

CONTINUED >

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“You get the world’s best rodeo contestants before the concert. You cannot find that anywhere else in America.”

James, Blake and their family

M UST SE E | ENTERTAI NME N T

James met Blake Cody through his wife, Cody’s second cousin. James had pursued rodeo. Cody had pursued rock and roll, earning a record deal and opening for major bands before his career stopped short of where he believed it might go. “We both got close, and we both got told no,” James says. James had rodeo relationships. Cody had music relationships. Somewhere between tailgate talk, Sunday lunches, and a few beers, two failed pursuits began looking like one very big idea. “At the end of the day, this was what the good Lord was working out. This was our path.” By 2022, the dream had become a business. They started looking for investors, assembled a team and found the money. What they could not initially find were artists willing to take a chance on a first-year festival. “Everybody’s gun-shy because of this Fyre Festival fiasco. Nobody wants to take a bet on the young up-and-comer or the new show.” So they kept going. “A lot of no-quit attitude.” They brought in an industry veteran who had booked talent for RodeoHouston for two decades, working with everyone from George Strait to Beyoncé. That relationship gave Hondo credibility with artists and agencies. The team was finally able to assemble a lineup strong enough for a stadium. Phoenix became the home of Hondo because Michael Hilburn at Chase Field saw what others could not. “He just got it. You can’t force people to see what they can’t see.” Hondo Rodeo Fest debuted at Chase Field in 2024, but was never intended to become one more date on an already crowded rodeo calendar.

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James and his team put up a combined $1 million purse and began handpicking eight of the best athletes in each discipline. No random field. No champion hidden in a morning slack session. Every athlete is there because Hondo believes that person belongs among the world’s best. “This is a heavyweight matchup. An MVP classic.” With that caliber of athlete, anyone can win. The money raises the stakes. The concentrated field raises the intensity. The result is a rodeo created for the athlete and the fan, without asking either to settle. “We want the fan to have the best experience. We take the eight best in the world and put a million dollars on the line.” Hondo surrounds that competition with the production of a major music festival. One ticket includes two hours of world-class rodeo followed by two live performances from some of music’s biggest names. “Fans and consumers are looking for something more than just a ticket to a concert. You get the world’s best rodeo contestants competing for two hours before the concert. You cannot find that anywhere else in America.” The presentation may be modern, but Hondo’s foundation is intentionally traditional.

M UST SE E | ENTERTAI NME N T

“Cowboy culture is patriotic and family first. This is us. You can’t separate the two.” Families have accounted for 68 percent of Hondo’s historical ticket buyers, a number James shares with unmistakable pride. His own parents have attended every show and remain actively involved, often helping James and his wife wrangle their three young daughters. The son they raised around horses did not become the rodeo star he imagined. Instead, he built an arena where the stars show up, compete before a packed crowd and get paid like the elite athletes they are. “It’s about the team, the mission, what we’re trying to accomplish, the athletes and the communities.” Hondo Rodeo Fest returns to Chase Field November 13 through 15. Tim McGraw and Miranda Lambert perform Friday, Blake Shelton and Turnpike Troubadours take the stage Saturday, and Parker McCollum and Lynyrd Skynyrd close the weekend Sunday. A free Street Fest begins at noon each day, followed by the rodeo and concert series. “If we can curate a show that allows families to get together and build core memories that will last generations, then we’re doing the right thing.” TheHondoRodeoFest.com

Designed for the Details. Built for the Deal. With a background in journalism and interior design, Jennifer Burgess brings a unique perspective to real estate. She understands not just location, but how a home is built, designed, and positioned in the market. Serving Paradise Valley, Scottsdale, and Arcadia.

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Mary’s Market Report P H O E N I X R E A LT O R S ® PHOENIX METRO MARKET SNAPSHOT | August 14, 2025–August 14, 2026

Summarizing Phoenix Metro Residential Real Estate Trends AC T I V E L I ST I N G S FO R S A L E

23,597 0.0%

L I ST I N G S U N D E R C O N T R AC T

7,340 4.7%

▲

M O N T H LY M E D I A N S A L E S P R I C E

$450,000 ▲

2.3%

C LO S E D S A L E S ( L A ST 3 0 DAYS )

6,140 ▲

0.7%

M E D I A N DAYS O N M A R K E T

August 14, 2024: 36 Days August 14, 2025: 48 Days August 14, 2026: 47 Days At least half of all listings waited 47 days or longer before receiving an accepted contract. C RO M FO R D ® M A R K E T I N D E X

Realtor Mary Chen provides monthly market updates you can count on and personalized service you can trust. Known for her insight, integrity, and client-first approach, Mary helps you navigate every move with clarity and confidence. W W W . M A R Y C H E N R E A LT O R . C O M

(4 8 0) 8 1 8 -70 1 6

4 2 2 2 N M a r s h a l l Wa y, S c o t t s d a l e , A r i z o n a 8 5 2 5 1

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Encompassing the Arizona Regional MLS area, which includes Maricopa County, Pinal County, and a small part of Yavapai County. © June 2025 | Cromford Associates LLC & Tamboer Consulting LLC

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDIT ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS

LEADER OF THE YEAR

LOCA L LIM E LIGH T | ARTS + CU LT U RE

DERRICK HALL ON PURPOSE, PEOPLE AND THE POWER OF BASEBALL

There is a red seat inside Chase Field that tells you a lot about Derrick Hall. For years, Diamondbacks season ticket holder Bob Ellmer sat among a sea of green seats. When the team changed its colors to Sedona Red, Bob wasn’t exactly a fan of the decision. Then, while battling cancer, he called Derrick with a story. Bob told him he had dreamed he was flying above the ballpark, looking down on his favorite place. As he moved closer, he noticed something unusual: every seat was green except one. It was red. His seat. Today, that red seat remains, marked with a plaque in his memory. It is one story among thousands accumulated during Derrick’s more than two decades with the Arizona Diamondbacks, but perhaps it explains why his latest honor feels particularly fitting. Derrick Hall, President, CEO and General Partner of the Arizona Diamondbacks, has been named one of the 77th Arizona Leaders of the Year, a longstanding honor recognizing Arizonans whose leadership and service have made a lasting difference. During his

tenure, the organization’s charitable giving has surpassed $100 million, while community impact has become as fundamental to the D-backs identity as anything that happens on the field. When asked whose face first came to mind when he learned of the honor, he didn’t name a baseball legend, business mentor or civic leader. “My wife Amy,” Derrick says. “The sacrifices and support make us a team. And her morals and integrity give me the roadmap.” For our November Giving Issue, we asked Derrick about the lessons behind the numbers. WHEN YOU TOOK THIS JOB, WHAT DID YOU BELIEVE A BASEBALL TEAM COULD MEAN TO A CITY? Baseball is the greatest sport of all time, and having a team is the best point of civic pride. Seeing our young fans wearing D-backs uniforms all around the state puts the exclamation point on the importance of having an MLB team. CONTINUED >

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MORE THAN $100 MILLION IN GIVING IS A REMARKABLE NUMBER. WHICH MOMENT HAS STAYED WITH YOU LONGER THAN ANY DOLLAR FIGURE? There is nothing like seeing 2,000 runners and walkers lining up to start the Race Against Cancer each year. Everyone knows someone impacted by cancer, and for the community to come together to make a difference is remarkable. DID YOU HAVE A PHILANTHROPIC UPBRINGING? My parents always preached giving to others who are less fortunate. And my first owner at the Dodgers came to me in spring training when I was an intern and we were in the midst of a company-wide fundraising campaign and said he noticed I had not given. I said, “With all due respect, I don’t make that much.” Without missing a beat, he said, “Then don’t give that much.” That stuck with me: give something, be it money or time. WHEN SOMEONE BRINGS YOU AN IDEA FOR HELPING THE COMMUNITY, WHAT MAKES YOU SAY, “WE HAVE TO DO THIS?” All I need to hear is how we can better the lives of Arizonans. It is then a no-brainer and a done deal. WHAT CAN YOU ACCOMPLISH THROUGH BASEBALL THAT YOU COULDN’T THROUGH A TRADITIONAL CHARITY? Our fans make the difference. They contribute every night with the 50/50 raffle because they want to be a part of our giving.

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Whether the broadcast auction, Evening on the Diamond, or our game authentics, our fans come through for us. WHAT HAS A PLAYER TAUGHT YOU ABOUT GENEROSITY? Corbin Carroll is an amazing individual. Every year we ask the players to come and sign autographs during spring training for fans, community and corporate partners. A few years ago, he asked if we sign for our employees and said they are our biggest fans. We told him we do not sign for them, and he said he wanted to. He asked for every employee to bring something special to them for him to sign, and he did over a two-week period. AFTER YOUR PROSTATE CANCER DIAGNOSIS, WAS THERE A CONVERSATION YOU WISHED SOMEONE HAD STARTED WITH YOU SOONER? Yes, to get in and get tested sooner. Medical experts had always said to get tested after 50 years of age. My diagnosis was caught as a mistake at just 42 years of age. I stress that men get in sooner, even in their 30s. I think the biggest mistake is being afraid to go see a doctor or being too macho. WHAT HAS THE DERRICK HALL PRO-STATE FOUNDATION TAUGHT YOU ABOUT REACHING SOMEONE WHO DOESN’T WANT TO ASK FOR HELP? I have heard from so many men that they have sought early detection because of my story and have treated it, or encouraged

others to go in and have caught cancer early. Knowing we have made a difference means everything. WHAT IS A DECISION YOU MADE AS A LEADER THAT LOOKED SMALL AT THE TIME BUT CHANGED THE CULTURE OF THE ORGANIZATION? It is definitely introducing FAWTSY to the organization. It is an acronym that stands for “Find a Way to Say Yes.” It was a monumental move for how we treated our fans and community. It shaped our culture. WHEN THE TEAM IS STRUGGLING ON THE FIELD, WHAT DOES THE COMMUNITY STILL NEED FROM YOU? We cannot win every season. We cannot control the wins and losses on the field. But what we can control is the impact we can have on the community. We must always stay focused on helping others, regardless of how we play on the field. WHAT’S SOMETHING FANS HAVE ASKED FOR THAT CHANGED YOUR MIND ABOUT HOW THE BALLPARK SHOULD FEEL? Fans once asked us to provide value items at the Team Shops and concession stands. Still today, we have food pricing below $3 and merchandise items under $10 and allow fans to bring in their own food and water. WHO DESERVES CREDIT FOR WHAT THE DIAMONDBACKS HAVE BECOME? I believe our owner Ken Kendrick does. He successfully took us out of financial woes and laid the groundwork for giving back to the community. He is an amazing leader and is as generous a leader as there is. IF THE NEXT GENERATION OF ARIZONA LEADERS COULD LEARN ONE THING FROM THE PEOPLE YOU’VE SERVED ALONGSIDE, WHAT WOULD YOU WANT THEM TO SEE FIRSTHAND? That the customer or fan doesn’t come first. The employee does. And if the employees feel respected, invested in, recognized and rewarded, they will then in turn treat our fans properly. FINISH THIS SENTENCE: “ARIZONA GAVE ME ______, AND I HOPE I’VE GIVEN IT ______.” An opportunity, pride.

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What That Ringing in Your Ears Might Really Be Telling You When some people lose a limb, they can experience phantom limb syndrome, or pain in that limb they lost. Tinnitus, or ringing in the ears, is a similar phenomenon where there is damage in the auditory system. The ringing is your brain's way of alerting you that something is wrong. Symptoms of tinnitus can vary from person to person and no two people experience it exactly the same way, which can make diagnosis and treatment difficult. One study found that tinnitus prevalence ranges anywhere from 5.2% to 45% of the population. “Tinnitus is often the result of the nerves breaking down from the ear to the brain,”

explains neuroscientist & clinical audiologist Dr. Keith N. Darrow. While some people barely notice the sound, others find that tinnitus interferes with sleep, concentration, and daily life. Left untreated, it can also be associated with hearing loss, balance problems, and even cognitive decline. The good news is that treatment options are available. Research over the past decade shows that proper hearing treatment and ongoing care from an audiology specialist can help restimulate the auditory system and reduce tinnitus symptoms. Prescription-grade hearing technology and sound stimulation therapies help the brain reorganize

neural activity, which can significantly reduce or even eliminate the perception of ringing. Because tinnitus often signals underlying hearing damage, experts recommend seeking evaluation as soon as possible. Early treatment offers the best opportunity for relief and improved quality of life. If left untreated, tinnitus will only get worse and could impact other aspects of your life. Knowing how detrimental it can be — and how much better life is after treatment. "For anybody who's wondering if they should get treatment, specifically those who are suffering from tinnitus, I say do it," Steve, a current patient said. "Don't wait. It will change your life."

To learn more about tinnitus and available treatment options, you can request a free copy of Dr. Darrow’s book Tinnitus is Treatable by visiting TinnitusisTreatable.com or by calling (623) 263-8918.

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Grateful for Every Giggle Every smile has a story. We’re grateful to be part of yours. This November, we’re grateful for the little things — the first real laugh after braces come off, the confidence of a new smile, the sound of siblings cracking each other up in the waiting room. Watching kids grow up, smile by smile, is the best part of what we do. Thank you for trusting us with yours.

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BUILDING A LEGACY BIGGER THAN FOOTBALL

PLAYBOOK

THE ARIANS

Jake & Shelby

ARTICLE BY NADINE BUBECK PHOTOGRAPHY BY DESERT TIES PHOTOGRAPHY

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“MY FATHER CHANGED THE BUILDING BECAUSE HE HAD NOTHING LEFT TO PROVE. AT 60, HE COULD RETIRE. HE WAS BULLETPROOF.”

A guy walked into a bar. That is how Shelby Arians begins the story. It was the grand reopening of Ocotillo Golf Club, where the crowd flocked to then-Arizona Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians. While everyone rushed toward “B-A,” Shelby, a lifelong Raiders fan, headed in the opposite direction. Then Jake Arians walked in. “The world kind of stopped,” Shelby says. Life went on until two months later, when a girl walked into a bar. Shelby spotted Jake again and decided she was not leaving without saying something. “Hi, I’m Shelby. Do you remember me?” He did. Nearly eight years of marriage and two daughters later, the story still sounds like them: romantic, funny and just competitive enough. “We love to go on ‘Date Olympics’ at shooting ranges, arcades and dartboards,” says Shelby. Shelby, a former soccer player and dirt-track racer, also co-hosts a local podcast that often films in Scottsdale. CONTINUED >

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“THE FOUNDATION IS SO MUCH BIGGER THAN WINNING FOOTBALL GAMES. SAVING A KID’S LIFE MATTERS MORE THAN ANY SUPER BOWL, ANY WIN, OR ANYTHING ACCOMPLISHED ON THE FIELD. ONE KID IS WORTH A MILLION FOOTBALL GAMES.” Jake played football at UAB and spent time with the Buffalo Bills as “an athlete who happened to kick.” She grew up in a shop. He grew up on a football field. Shelby did not know Jake was Bruce Arians’ son when they met. At her first large Arians family gathering, she innocently suggested Bruce should write a book. The room fell silent before nearly everyone burst into laughter. His book was already an Amazon bestseller. “I learned a lot,” she says. Football was the Arians family’s calendar, geography and often the reason for another moving truck. “Being a coach’s kid is like being in the military,” Jake says. “The average coaching stint is about three years.” He moved roughly a dozen times growing up, but each new team gave him an immediate community. “Sports is the ultimate equalizer,” he says. “When we moved, there was always a team for me to join.” Jake grew up in locker rooms as a manager and ball boy. Players and coaches became extended family, but Bruce never tried to become Jake’s personal coach. “He didn’t care if I played piano or played sports. As long as I was passionate about it, he supported it.” Bruce was also Jake’s best man and remains his best friend.

LOCA L’S CH OICE | L I FE + CU LT U RE

Fans know him for “No risk it, no biscuit,” bold decisions and an outsized personality. His family knows another version. “He’s quiet,” Jake says. “People think he’s this big personality and extrovert, but he’s actually very introverted. He takes everything in. A great listener.” Father and son may talk golf more than football. Even without the right club, he will attempt a 240-yard shot over water. Jake lays up, plays for par and often beats him. “He practices what he preaches,” Jake says. “He can’t make the shot, but he still tries every time.” Of all the places the family landed, Arizona became home. After his time with the Pittsburgh Steelers ended, Bruce believed his coaching career might be over. Then Indianapolis Colts head coach Chuck Pagano called. When Pagano became ill, Bruce stepped in. The Colts won nine games under his leadership, and he became the first interim head coach named AP NFL Coach of the Year. When Pagano returned, Bruce landed in the hospital and missed his first game in 38 years. Chicago passed on him, seemingly ending another opportunity. The next day, Bruce boarded a plane for Arizona. At 60, after decades as an assistant, he finally received his first permanent NFL head-coaching opportunity.

“That five years here was beyond special. We never thought the ride would be like that.” Bruce led the Cardinals from five wins before his arrival to 10 during his first season, beginning a run that would make him the winningest head coach in franchise history. “My father changed the building because he had nothing left to prove. At 60, he could retire. He was bulletproof.” Every Monday, the team saw an accountability sheet documenting mistakes and mental errors. No one was exempt. Bruce became known as a players’ coach, but Jake says the label can obscure how demanding he was. The last piece of advice legendary coach Bear Bryant gave Bruce when he accepted the head coaching job at Temple was simple: “Coach them hard and hug them later.” Bruce carried that philosophy throughout his career. “He gets on them hard, but he has this ability to snatch them around the neck, give them a kiss on the head, and make them understand it is bigger than football.” “He could tell somebody, ‘Your football sucks today. You, as a person, I still love,’” Jake says. “Then you would watch that player walk off the field feeling bigger than life.” His office remained open to players who needed to talk about life, family or anything beyond the game. “My dad was big on second chances,” Jake says. “Thirds, not so much. But if you got a second chance, you took advantage of it.” Those years still shape Jake’s view of the NFL. This season, he is watching a healthy 49ers roster, Sean McVay’s Rams and a Kansas City team he believes has something to prove. When Jake’s NFL career ended, he wanted to coach with his father. Bruce, carrying guilt over the family’s constant moves, discouraged him. Jake instead became his agent, managing opportunities connected to causes Bruce cares about. “There are bigger agencies in the world than your son doing it, but no one has his best interest more than I do.” The work the family hopes will ultimately define the Arians name began with Christine, Jake’s mom. A family-law attorney who called herself a “broken-family attorney,” Christine spent decades with CASA, Court Appointed Special Advocates, giving abused and neglected children a voice in the court system. “We watched her save one kid at a time for 20 years,” Jake says. “My dad was big on saying, ‘We have a platform. We have a voice. We can help more than one kid at a time now.’” Bruce and Christine founded the Arians Family Foundation in 2013, the same year he became head coach of the Cardinals. Many of the children Christine supported remain part of the family’s life as adults. “She never let those relationships go,” Jake says. “That’s not the way she rolls.”

When Shelby joined the family, she found her own way to carry the work forward. During the shutdowns of 2020, she created S.P.E.A.K., Serving with a Purpose to Empower and Advocate for Kids, with Christine’s blessing. “Shelby is the rock of this,” Jake says. Through S.P.E.A.K., teen ambassadors shape programming and collect everyday necessities for Valley children. “I can talk to kids, Jake can talk to kids, and it can go in one ear and out the other,” Shelby says. “But when a teen talks to another teen, they absorb it differently.” One boy entered a five-week program withdrawn and unwilling to participate. He lived with his mother, grandmother and seven siblings, walked the younger children to school, and sold belongings to help feed them. The ambassadors helped him find his voice. He went on to win a scholarship. “To this day, he is the one child who has had the greatest impact on me because we watched him come alive,” Shelby says. Jake and Shelby are raising their daughters with that same expectation of service. Briley, a high school senior, varsity cheerleader and track athlete, has served as a S.P.E.A.K. ambassador for four years. Palmer, their toddler, is a “wild Tasmanian devil” and unquestionably her father’s baby. Jake has also finally become the coach he imagined he would be. He now leads football at Hamilton High School, bringing his father’s lessons into a new locker room. Recently, Bruce came to watch his son coach. From the stands, Shelby and friend Kirsten Tinker noticed father and son standing side by side, unaware they were being photographed. Their posture was identical. Their heads turned at the same angle. Both were studying the field. Shelby imagined they were thinking the same thing. The family hopes the foundation remains rooted in Christine’s values while evolving. A Valley event is planned for 2027 with strong supporters like Eric and Kirsten Tinker of Tinker Development. “Go volunteer. Go become a CASA,” Jake says. “Go change a kid’s life, which will change yours in return.” Football made the Arians name recognizable. It gave the family a platform and brought them to Arizona. But it is not how they want the story to end. “The foundation is so much bigger than winning football games,” Jake says. “Saving a kid’s life would be bigger than any Super Bowl and anything he ever did on the field. One kid is worth a million wins.” AriansFamilyFoundation.com

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KING OF TORTS

Patrick McGroder on 50 years, $1 billion recovered, and justice beyond the verdict.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY SARAH VITEL

L EGA L C OM PASS | FI NAN CE + LE GAL SE RVICE S

Patrick J. McGroder III grew up on the sidelines. His father helped pioneer the Buffalo Bills alongside founder Ralph Wilson, serving as executive vice president and, at times, general manager. He accepted a salary of one dollar a year because, as his son explains, “He never wanted to work for anybody.”

“Most of the clients I see are horribly broken. They are here to put their trust in me to find accountability and achieve justice.” “Some of my dad’s early best friends were George Halas, the founder of the Bears, Art Rooney, the founder of the Steelers, and Wellington Mara, the founder of the New York Giants. Dad had control of the stadium in Buffalo as the city’s sports coordinator, and he wanted an NFL franchise. He turned down Lamar Hunt’s offer for the Buffalo franchise for $25,000.” When Buffalo was passed over for an NFL franchise in 1958, Wilson purchased the city’s American Football League franchise. Patrick’s father, as the Buffalo Sports Coordinator, controlled the stadium, and the two men quickly became lifelong friends. “After my father died in 1986, the Bills placed his initials on their helmets for five years. One photo in my office shows quarterback Jim Kelly wearing that helmet during a Super Bowl.” Patrick attended Catholic preparatory schools before enrolling at the University of Notre Dame, a choice influenced by his Irish family. After college,

Patrick considered returning home to work for the Bills, but his Dad felt otherwise. “He said, ‘If you come back to Buffalo, you’ll always be known as my son. You won’t have your own name.’ He said, ‘Go west.’” Patrick listened. He enrolled at the University of Arizona College of Law, although becoming an attorney had never been part of his plan. “I wanted to be a doctor, but wasn’t gifted in science and math, so Dad suggested law school,” he says. The profession he resisted would eventually become the center of his life. Today, Patrick is a founding partner of Beus O’Connor McGroder PLLC and leads the firm’s Plaintiffs Catastrophic Injury and Wrongful Death practice. Now in his 50th year of practicing law, he has served as lead counsel in more than 1,000 personal injury cases and recovered more than $1 billion for his clients. CONTINUED >

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“I have lost cases, although my most recent jurytrial loss was in 1985. No trial lawyer who claims to be a trial lawyer has won every case. Because of the types of cases we handle, which are high-profile catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases, there are millions of dollars at stake.” The numbers are extraordinary, but to Patrick, they are not what matters most. He calls his greater purpose “social architecture:” using the civil justice system to help those harmed and change the conditions that allowed tragedy to occur. “If you put aside the monetary recovery, I’m most proud of the way we’ve been able to influence how people act, create accountability for their actions and, most importantly, affect change.” The evidence can be found throughout Arizona and across the country. For nearly a decade, Patrick represented police officers and their families nationwide in cases involving Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptors that caught fire in rear-impact crashes. Among them was a Phoenix officer who survived catastrophic injuries when his patrol car erupted in flames and first responders saved his life. “The litigation resulted in modifications to approximately 350,000 Ford police vehicles. It saved lives. The ultimate social architecture was that Ford fixed those cars.” Patrick’s cases have shaped road design, aviation, police and fire practices, penal reform and vehicle safety. His work helped bring cable barriers to State Route 51 and remediation to Oak Creek Canyon. He also represented the families of people who drowned in the Salt River before Tempe Town Lake was built. “The dangerous condition was subsequently addressed by the advent of Tempe Town Lake. I could go on and on. All of these cases are devastating, but we have been able to change the way things are done.” After two news helicopters collided over downtown Phoenix, killing four people, Patrick played a role in the subsequent litigation. “At the time, news stations operated separate helicopters that often pursued the same stories. The case led them to adopt a single pool helicopter, improving aviation safety.” “After a man died at a trampoline park, we helped write legislation to regulate the industry. In a separate fraternity-hazing case, we helped draft the bill that made hazing a crime in Arizona.” For Patrick, those reforms ensure that a life lost or permanently altered can carry meaning beyond a tragedy. “The families we represent are concerned their loved ones died for nothing.” His cases include families, victims of aviation disasters, and survivors of shootings.

L EGA L C OM PASS | FI NAN CE + LE GAL SE RVICE S

“I tell clients like that they have a lawyer for life... and they do. When the lights go out, I cry. It is hard to deal with parents who have lost children and children who have lost parents. I try to be empathetic, sympathetic and compassionate, but they are here to put their trust in me to find accountability and achieve justice.” It’s a responsibility that steadies him when the facts become nearly unbearable. “I’ve had the privilege of representing people I consider heroes. I’m not sure I could match their strength.” To carry that responsibility into a courtroom, Patrick prepares like an athlete. “I adjust my sleep, nutrition and exercise. Trial work is hard. You’ve got one eye on the witness box, one eye on the judge, one eye on the jury, and one eye on the defense. It takes exertion.” He believes technology can assist attorneys, but it cannot recreate the trust built with someone whose life has been shattered. “AI can never replace the relationship between a lawyer and a client.” He expects young attorneys at his firm to understand every part of a case, from how a complaint is filed and served to the medicine underlying a catastrophic injury. “Know your medicine. Younger lawyers skip steps, running to Google or AI to get results instead of taking a book and reading about a particular issue in a case. The art of communication is often lost.” Patrick still prefers a suit and tie, a habit that began when he was required to wear one since first grade in Catholic schools. “Law is a noble profession; work is my passion. There is the fear of losing, letting people down, or not being the advocate my clients expect me to be. Fear is a motivator.” Asked whether anyone can still outwork him after more than five decades, he smiles. “I haven’t met that lawyer yet.” His commitment has earned nearly every major distinction available to a trial lawyer. Patrick has been inducted into the Lawdragon Hall of Fame and the Maricopa County Bar Association Hall of Fame, recognized repeatedly among the nation’s leading trial attorneys and honored for professionalism, service and lifetime achievement by the State Bar, and ironically by the defense bar who he opposes every day. The recognition that means the most came from the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, a peer-selected organization limited to the best 500 trial lawyers in the United States. “It’s a two-year vetting process. Ultimately I became President of the International Academy. Such an honor.” His career has also made its way into fiction. A writer who first met Patrick while profiling him for an article became so intrigued by his practice that he followed him for two years. The two later collaborated on more than 50 cases, giving the writer an unusually intimate view of Patrick’s work, personality and legal world.

“The resulting three novels center on Connor Devlin, an Irish lawyer practicing in Phoenix, drawing inspiration from my career and cases. They’re fictional novels with fictionalized names.” A screenplay has also been developed from the series. His life outside the courtroom remains grounded in the lessons he learned in Buffalo. “Generosity was a responsibility rather than a choice.” Patrick has carried that expectation into decades of service supporting food banks, youth organizations, schools, churches, legal-aid efforts and community boards. He has also passed the family story to his children. His daughter Lizzie is an actress and comedian in Hollywood, while his daughter Caroline and his son, Patrick IV, became attorneys at his firm. He spends time with his children and grandchildren, goes to church, and swims three or four miles each week. “Retirement is not under consideration. People call me Benjamin Button. My dad taught me never to be the smartest guy in the room, and I’m far from the smartest lawyer you can find. But I like to think I’m as good as there is.” beusoconnormcgroder.com

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A Personal Thank-You This November, every new partnership will support a local nonprofit chosen by you.

I was raised to give. During the holidays, my mom brought my sisters and me to senior living communities, where she played guitar and we sang for the residents. My father continues to lead through philanthropy, shaped in part by growing up alongside a sister with developmental disabilities. Today, my husband and I are raising our boys with that same understanding. Serving others is our responsibility, but it can also be one of the most meaningful and joyful things we do together. November gives us a natural moment to recognize what we have. Each year, I try to turn that gratitude into something tangible. I am honored to serve as emcee for events including the Childhelp Fashion Show & Luncheon, Amanda Hope Rainbow Angels Night of Hope Gala, PCH Sage Garden Soirée, Ava's Treehouse Gala, Alzheimer's Era of Hope Gala, Chances for Children Night of Hope Gala and more. But our commitment is not limited to the events where I hold a microphone. Through Paradise Valley City Lifestyle and Scottsdale City Lifestyle, we regularly donate visibility, share important missions, support and attend events, make meaningful introductions and tell the stories of the foundations doing extraordinary work throughout our community. That is why, for the month of November, we will donate a portion of every new partnership to an Arizona nonprofit chosen by our new partner. You'll find the details below. It would mean so much to welcome your business while supporting an organization that matters to you.

Nadine Bubeck OWNER & PUBLISHER PARADISE VALLEY CITY LIFESTYLE + SCOTTSDALE CITY LIFESTYLE

NOVEMBER NEW PARTNER GIVE-BACK

15%

DONATED EVERY MONTH FOR THE FULL 12-MONTH TERM Join Paradise Valley City Lifestyle and/or Scottsdale City Lifestyle with a new 12-month partnership during November, and we will donate 15% of your monthly partnership rate to a qualified Arizona nonprofit of your choice.

Offer applies to new 12-month partnership agreements signed during November 2026. The selected organization must be an eligible nonprofit.

nadine.bubeck@citylifestyle.com | 602-571-2657

PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED

Stacey Steele

On Family, Loss, Legacy and Why Giving has Always Been Personal

FAM ILY CA R E | L I FE + C U LT U RE

The gift was a vase. It was handmade from small pieces of tissue paper, carefully layered until they resembled stained glass. One of Stacey Steele’s WISE scholars created it after learning that Stacey’s father had passed away. “These kids are just so grateful for every little thing,” Stacey says. “Here is an individual growing up without their own father, and he is worried about me and how I am feeling.” That single act of kindness reveals more about Stacey than any award, partnership or public recognition ever could. For Stacey, philanthropy is deeply personal. She was born in Quebec, and spent her early childhood on a 500acre dairy farm before her family moved to Ontario. Her days began with chores before school and ended with more when she returned home. Hard work was expected, but so was helping others. “My parents are the hardest workers you could ever look up to as role models.”

Her mother organized church bake sales and prepared everything from scratch. Her father repaired neighbors’ vehicles without charging them. Helping was simply what their family did. Stacey was especially close to her father, who affectionately called her the apple of his eye until his death in April. “He had the biggest influence on how I lead,” she says. That influence followed her far beyond the farm. As a little girl, Stacey dreamed of becoming a flight attendant. Beginning at 16, she balanced modeling with two or three jobs, saving enough to start traveling independently at 19. “No matter what country I was in, I would find out what I could do while I was there to help.” Her life changed during a Sunday afternoon at a theater in downtown Toronto. Stacey was attending a performance with one

of her closest friends. Michael Steele was seated in the same row with his two daughters. Each time Stacey and her friend needed to pass, Michael jokingly greeted them with, “You two again?” Small talk turned into a conversation about business. At the time, Stacey worked for one of Canada’s largest food companies, and Michael had sold several of his food businesses to the same company. He knew the owners, her boss and many of the people in her professional orbit. Soon, the conversation became coffee. Coffee became a relationship. And their shared belief in using what they had to help others became the foundation of a life built around giving. By the time Stacey met Michael, his connection to Arizona already stretched back decades. More than 45 years ago, as a young entrepreneur just out of university, Michael came to the Valley through the construction industry. At the time, Gainey Ranch was still largely open land. He sat in Daniel C. Gainey’s living room discussing the work that would help transform the property into the community known today. From there, Michael’s imprint across Arizona continued to grow. His companies contributed to major projects including Gainey Ranch, the Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort, the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, The Phoenician and other defining hospitality properties throughout the Valley. His work extended nationally and internationally, including projects connected to Dallas Cowboys Stadium, the Toronto SkyDome, Globe Life Field, Marriott, Fairmont and Four Seasons properties around the world. The stories behind those developments are now woven into Valley history. Stacey recalls that some of the stone used at the Hyatt had originally been intended for an Arizona prison project. When that contract fell through, the material found a very different home at the resort. To this day, she and Michael still notice it when they visit. Long before Gainey Ranch became one of Scottsdale’s most recognizable communities, Michael believed in its potential. As a young man with limited resources, he maxed out his credit cards to purchase three lots for $5,000 each. He was not simply investing in the Valley. He was helping build it. Yet for all that Michael constructed, the legacy he and Stacey value most is not measured in buildings. It is measured in lives. The Steele Family Foundation was formally established in 2007 in honor of Michael’s parents, Agnes and Thomas Steele, and the values they passed down to their family. Thomas had been injured while serving during World War II and received care in India. His experience left him with a lifelong appreciation for the people who helped him recover and a conviction that education could change lives. When he once asked Mother Teresa how he could repay the kindness he had received, her answer stayed with the family: “Educate my people.” Michael never forgot it. After his father’s death and as his mother’s health declined, Michael sold the family’s sheep farm in Ontario so Agnes could move closer to medical care. With his parents’ wishes guiding him, he began building schools in India, starting with land donated through the Catholic Church. CONTINUED >

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Stacey joined Michael in that work soon after they met. What began as his family’s promise became their shared purpose. “When you are blessed so much in your life by the gifts you have, it comes to a point where you need to share those gifts,” Stacey says. “That is what we were taught by both of our parents.” The Steele Family Foundation’s work now reaches across education, grassroots assistance, homelessness, hospice care and addiction recovery. Its impact stretches from the United States and Canada to India, Africa, Europe and the Dominican Republic. But Stacey was never content to remain a distant benefactor. She wanted to know the students. She wanted to understand their obstacles, follow their progress and build something that supported them long after a scholarship was awarded. Enter the WISE Scholarship Program. WISE, which stands for World Impact through Scholarships and Education, is Stacey’s brainchild. She created it for the “stranded superstar,” a young person with the talent and determination to succeed but without the resources, guidance or support to reach their potential. “They are students who have so much potential, but do not have the means or the support they need.” WISE is intentionally different from a traditional scholarship. It does not simply provide a check and send a student on their way. Its Earn to Learn model allows participants to accumulate points toward scholarship dollars through academic achievement, extracurricular involvement, non-formal educational experiences, references and personal growth. “Students begin participating in the ninth grade. Over four years, the program tracks their development while providing mentorship, career guidance, psychometric assessments, mental wellness tools and individualized support. The digital platform remains available to participants as they continue into postsecondary education and adulthood.” In Arizona, WISE partnerships include the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Michael & Stacey Scottsdale, the just keep livin Foundation and Grace Sober Living. The just keep livin Foundation brought Stacey and Michael into a meaningful partnership with Matthew McConaughey and Camila Alves McConaughey. Both foundations share a commitment to helping young people stay active, healthy, supported and connected to positive opportunities after school. “Matthew and Camila are two of the most humble, kind souls. They are very understanding, giving, and truly want to help kids.” Through the partnership, young people participating in just keep livin programs have gained access to WISE resources. In turn, the success of those students has

FAM ILY CA R E | L I FE + C ULT U RE

created a larger vision for what the collaboration could become. “They can see how well WISE is helping their kids, and it opens up the possibility of reaching even more.” The foundation’s work with Grace Sober Living is equally personal. The organization was created by Jimmy and Nancy Walker after the death of their son, Scott. During his life, Scott entered recovery homes 27 times and repeatedly told his father that the system needed to do better. After losing Scott to drugs, Jimmy committed himself to building 27 recovery homes that would offer the kind of meaningful support his son had struggled to find. The Steele Family Foundation helped purchase one of those homes and brought the WISE program into Grace Sober Living. This year, three participants completed the program and began their postsecondary education with scholarships. For Stacey, that is what impact looks like. It is not simply a donation made. It is a person rebuilding a life. Another relationship close to Stacey’s heart began in the Dominican Republic. Stacey and Michael met Andrea Bocelli and his wife, Veronica Berti, approximately eight years ago when both The Steele Family Foundation and the Andrea Bocelli Foundation were supporting work connected to SOS Children’s Villages. “We were already supporting the same cause. That is how we came together, started talking and realized how aligned our foundations were.” What began through a mutual commitment to children in the Dominican Republic grew into a friendship and an international philanthropic partnership. The Steeles have supported Andrea Bocelli Foundation initiatives in Italy, while the Bocellis have continued to champion the work of The Steele Family Foundation and WISE. In Florence, Andrea and Veronica dedicated a space inside the Andrea Bocelli Foundation’s Globalab headquarters

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at the historic Complesso di San Firenze to The Steele Family Foundation and the WISE Scholarship Program, recognizing their shared commitment to education and young people too often overlooked. The relationship has also come full circle in Arizona. The Andrea Bocelli Foundation has supported fundraising connected to Jimmy Walker and Grace Sober Living, bringing several of Stacey and Michael’s closest philanthropic relationships together around addiction recovery and education. This October, Andrea and Veronica Bocelli honored the Steeles with a Lifetime Achievement Award for their philanthropic work. “Whether somebody is influential or famous, knowing where their heart is, that is what the blessing really is. We are all the same. We all get up every day, and we all work hard at what we believe in.” The accolades have continued. The Steele Family Foundation and WISE have received the CAF America Excellence in International Philanthropy Award, the 2026 Giving Day Community Champion recognition from the University of Waterloo, and the 2026 Canadian Choice Award in the charities category. “We just want to help as many people as we can.” As The Steele Family Foundation approaches its 20th anniversary in 2027, Stacey’s vision is both ambitious and deeply human. She wants WISE to reach more students, expand throughout the world and become a name employers immediately recognize as a sign of resilience, accountability and potential. “Their stories make you want to wrap your arms around them and make sure they know they have the support they need.” thesteelefamilyfoundation.com/wise-scholarship-program

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The Ultimate Life Hack? Being Thankful. There is always something to be grateful for. No matter what is happening around you, you have the ability to shift your energy in an instant by finding something to appreciate. And I think one of the most freeing things we can learn is to let go of our expectations for how life *should* look. How things should have gone. How someone should have treated us. Where we thought we should be by now. Expectations have a funny way of stealing our joy. But when we replace expectation with appreciation, we release ourselves from so much unnecessary disappointment. Maybe the secret to abundance isn’t actually having more. Maybe it’s realizing how much you already have. It’s being grateful for the people around you, the roof over your head, the opportunities you’ve been given, the lessons you’ve learned and everything God has already blessed you with. As we head into the Thanksgiving season, take a moment to look around at the life you’re living. Some of the things that feel ordinary to you today were once things you prayed for. And there are people in this world who would give almost anything for something you may barely notice anymore. Gratitude is also something we can practice. Even spending 15 minutes a day intentionally feeling gratitude can begin to train your mind and body to return to that state more naturally. Like anything else, gratitude is a skill. The more you practice it, the easier it becomes to find something good—even when everything isn’t perfect. I’ve come to believe that wealth isn’t only measured by what’s in your bank account. It’s measured by how deeply you can appreciate the life you already have. And the day you trade expectations for appreciation might just be the day you realize how wealthy you already are. This Thanksgiving season, if you’re feeling especially abundant and want to share some of that abundance with another family, I invite you to support **Thanksgiving Heroes Phoenix**, a nonprofit near and dear to my heart. Each year, we provide complete Thanksgiving meals to local families in need. A $100 donation feeds an entire family and gives them the opportunity to gather around the table and celebrate Thanksgiving together. Because sometimes the best way to give thanks for what we have is to give something to someone else. www.hausofreal.com | 623.680.6022

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Care Beyond

Cancer

One family’s story inspires a broader mission for children’s mental health.

PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED BY ABBY BICKLER

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Before cancer, Jackson Bickler was the kid knocking on doors, gathering neighborhood children for soccer, Nerf battles and whatever adventure came next. Even during COVID, he found ways to keep everyone connected. When his mother, Abby, talks about him, she begins there, not with a diagnosis or hospital room. “He was just such a kind kid, and that has proven to be his legacy,” she says. Jackson had played soccer since he was two and dreamed of joining the team at Grand Canyon University. He loved dinosaurs, imagined becoming a paleontologist and hoped to open a restaurant someday. Then, at 15, a fall during a soccer game led to persistent pain in his back and groin. He rested for two weeks, but the discomfort remained. His pediatrician offered an appointment the following week. “I just had a feeling.” Abby took Jackson to the emergency room at Phoenix Children’s. Bloodwork revealed elevated calcium and low platelets, and he was immediately admitted. After days of scans, tests and a biopsy, Abby and her husband, Brandon, were called into the hallway. “A nurse looked at us and said, ‘We believe your son has leukemia or lymphoma.’ I heard leukemia, and I physically fell to the ground.” On June 12, 2023, Jackson was diagnosed with metastatic alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, an aggressive soft tissue cancer that had spread to his bones. “I still look back at pictures from that April and May and think, how?” Abby says. “He was big and strong, going to the gym, and comparing muscles with his friends. There was no way to know.” Abby and Brandon chose to tell Jackson themselves. “He said, ‘Just tell me what I need to do to get to the end of this. Just tell me what I need to do, and I will do it. But I just don’t want to be alone.’” That became the family’s promise. Though advised to attend school remotely during chemotherapy and radiation, Jackson returned whenever he felt well enough. “He never complained. He would say, ‘Can we get this chemo over with? I need to get back to my friends.’” For several months, scans showed no evidence of disease. Then, just before what should have been Jackson’s final treatment in April 2024, the cancer returned. During a Make-A-Wish trip to Hawaii, Abby sensed another devastating change. A scan after they returned home revealed that the cancer had spread to the tissues surrounding his brain and spinal cord. On June 12, 2024, exactly one year after his diagnosis, the family learned Jackson’s cancer was incurable. “Doctors believed he had weeks to months to live. He was going through literal hell, but showed a radiant positivity I have never seen.” CONTINUED >

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Bickler Family

Jackson wanted to spend as little time as possible in the hospital. He wanted to be home with his family and friends, and he wanted to cook. “He said, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool, Mom, to cook with Bobby Flay?’ As a mother, I thought, if this is what you want to do, I am going to do whatever I can.” Abby began reaching out. Chef Jeff Kraus opened Crepe Bar exclusively for Jackson and his family. Beau MacMillan called him in the hospital. Local restaurants invited him into their kitchens and created dishes in his honor. Gordon Ramsay, David Chang and Scott Conant sent messages. The Arizona Diamondbacks welcomed him to a game, and GCU made him an honorary captain. Then Bobby Flay sent Jackson a cast iron skillet from his own kitchen and joined him over Zoom to make cornbread. “They talked for almost two hours. Bobby was in his kitchen, and Jackson was in ours. They laughed and talked about making eggs.” Jackson died on September 11, 2024, at age 16, with Abby beside him. “What keeps me going is Jackson’s positivity, his love for his family and what we are doing now to share his mission.” One part of that mission began with a chair. At six foot one, Jackson did not fit comfortably in many hospital beds, treatment tables, or infusion chairs when at Phoenix Children’s. “He said, ‘Mom, we should really get some new chairs,’” Abby recalls. “I told him, ‘Let’s focus on kicking this cancer, and then we’ll work on those chairs.’” His request returned to Abby during a pedicure, when she realized she was more comfortable than Jackson had been during eight-hour chemotherapy treatments. “Kids lose a lot when they walk through the doors of a hospital. There should be no chair more comfortable than the one a child sits in while getting chemotherapy. They deserve comfort and dignity.” Abby is now carrying Jackson’s vision forward by advocating for more comfortable chairs designed for teenage patients at Phoenix Children’s through The Jackson Bickler Foundation (jacksonbicklerfoundation.com). Thanks to The Gold Movement, his face and mission were featured in Times Square. “I go on because I have three children and a husband who look to me to be Mom and to be a wife,” she says. “Am I sad? Incredibly sad.” That tension began during Jackson’s treatment, when Abby was trying to remain fully present for all four of her children. Her daughter, Ava, was preparing to leave for college, while Chase and Cruise still needed their mother at home, at practices, and at games. “I was a ‘momcologist’ and a mom. I would think about how my children would tell this story later. Did Mom forget about me? Did she miss a moment? Was she sad all the time?”

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She allowed her children to see her emotions, but she never wanted them to feel invisible. “Jackson got all of me, and I cannot imagine it any other way. But I had to give even more to make sure my other children felt seen, heard and not alone. Jackson didn’t want to be alone. Why would my other kids want to be alone?” Now the Bicklers are learning how to be a family changed by loss and how to give one another space to grieve differently. Their experience makes clear that pediatric mental health is never about one child alone. Illness, trauma and loss ripple through an entire family. Children need care that recognizes what they are carrying. Siblings need to feel seen. Parents need support as they try to hold everyone together. For families like the Bicklers, emotional care is not separate from physical care. It is part of surviving what no family ever expects to face. That belief is at the heart of PCH Sage, a community of women using their voices, relationships, resources and connections to advance pediatric mental and behavioral health at Phoenix Children’s. Its events may be its most visible work, but they serve a larger purpose: raising awareness, creating partnerships, generating philanthropic support and uniting the community around the belief that a child’s mental health deserves the same attention and resources as physical health.

According to Phoenix Children’s, many children arrive at its emergency department each day in a mental health crisis, at risk of harming themselves or others. Phoenix Children’s is building a more complete system of care for those children and their families. Its emergency department now has 24/7 mental health coverage designed to reduce wait times and overcrowding. A suicide evaluation program uses screening questions to identify children who may be at risk. The expanding Bridge Clinic supports children during the critical transition from hospital discharge to longer-term community care, while a planned behavioral health hospital

will significantly increase inpatient capacity for those requiring the highest level of intervention. These efforts are designed to help families before, during and after a crisis through timely intervention, appropriate treatment, and greater continuity on the path toward healing. Abby still carries profound sadness, but she also carries Jackson’s kindness into her family, her advocacy, and every child she hopes to help. “I am different now,” she says. “But I watch the impact he had on people, and that keeps me going.” phoenixchildrensfoundation.org/ giving-groups/pch-sage

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A VERY KALAPAKI HOLIDAY PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED

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The original Duke’s, Hawaiʻi’s largest single-level pool and one effortless island stay.

Before Duke’s became one of the most recognizable names in Hawaiian dining, there was Kalapaki Bay. Olympic swimmer and surfing icon Duke Kahanamoku spent time on this stretch of Kauaʻi and mentored Percy Kinimaka, one of Kalapaki’s legendary Beach Boys. In 1989, the first Duke’s restaurant opened here, years before Waikīkī, Malibu and the other locations that followed. That distinction matters. Duke’s Kauaʻi is not a themed restaurant imported into a resort. It belongs to the history of the bay outside its windows. The same is true of The Royal Sonesta Kauaʻi Resort itself. Built in 1960, the hotel rises 10 stories above Kalapaki, predating the height restrictions that later kept much of Kauaʻi’s architecture closer to the palms. Its 350+ renovated rooms and suites feel entirely current, but the upper floors offer something increasingly rare on the island: an elevated view across the cove, mountains and boats moving through Nawiliwili Harbor. Consider it holiday travel made easy: a complimentary shuttle takes guests from Līhuʻe Airport to Kalapaki Bay in minutes, no rental-car line required. The accommodations are designed for more than simply sleeping between island excursions. Preferred Ocean View rooms offer 460+ square feet and private balconies, while the oceanfront suites open into approximately 1,000 square feet of CONTINUED > NOVEMB ER 2 0 2 6 | C I TYL I FE STYL E . C OM/PA RAD I S E VA L L E Y

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indoor-outdoor living. The Oceanfront Lanais Suite adds two balconies totaling roughly 800 square feet. For larger holiday groups, the 1,500-square-foot Vice Presidential Suite includes a dining table for eight. The 2,300-square-foot Presidential Suite adds dual balconies, a wet bar and a mini kitchen. Below, Kalapaki curves around the resort like a cove, partially sheltered by a breakwater. Outrigger canoes and ships moving through nearby Nawiliwili Harbor keep the view in motion. Kauaʻi Beach Boys, a fixture here since 1983, offers surfing lessons, paddleboarding, kayaking and outrigger canoe experiences steps from the resort. It is a much better holiday memory than another morning spent debating what everyone wants to do. The 26,000-square-foot lagoon pool, Hawaiʻi’s largest single-level pool, features waterfalls, whirlpools and a separate children’s area with a slide. Poolside cabanas, lunch from Kukui’s, and direct access to Kalapaki Beach make it easy to spend the day between the pool and ocean. Golf is nearly as easy. The resort provides transportation to the nearby Ocean Course at Hōkūala, Kauaʻi’s only Jack Nicklaus Signature course. Its front nine moves through mango groves and tropical landscape before the back nine reaches the ocean, including what the course describes as the longest continuous stretch of oceanfront golf in Hawaiʻi. Back at the resort, Alexander Day Spa handles the quieter side of the holiday. Massages and treatments can be followed by a poolside cocktail, a walk along the bay or absolutely nothing. Guided sunrise walks, yoga, Aqua Fit, koi feeding and lessons in lei making, ukulele and hula add structure when wanted. Then there is dinner. You can visit the original Duke’s Kauaʻi, overlooking a beach once visited by Duke Kahanamoku. With waterfront views, live music and the practically mandatory Hula Pie, it works for every generation at the holiday table. Kukui’s and Kai’s Bar serve island-inspired dishes and cocktails beside Kalapaki. The Royal Lanai transitions into sushi, sake and live entertainment in the evening. Café Portofino offers Italian dining overlooking the water when the family is ready for a change. On Thursday evenings, Drums & Dances of Polynesia brings a lūʻau directly to the oceanfront, with a lei greeting, live Hawaiian music, hula, cultural performances, dinner and an open bar. There is plenty of Kauaʻi beyond Kalapaki, of course. Waimea Canyon, the Nāpali Coast and the island’s waterfalls will always invite exploration. The result is holiday paradise without the holiday pressure. kauairesort.sonesta.com

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C I T Y L I FEST Y L E G I V ES BAC K

GIVING TOGETHER A Community That Shows Up

Every year, City Lifestyle sends checks to hundreds of families in need across the country through our annual Giving Campaign and our nonprofit arm, Kingdom Building Foundation. But none of it would be possible without you. We can only help the people we know about, and

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that’s where our readers come in. If you know someone quietly struggling, whether it’s a single parent, a senior citizen, or a family facing something they never saw coming, we want to hear their story. Nominations are what make this whole campaign possible.

We provided a chair lift for a teenager paralyzed in a gymnastics accident so she could move freely through her own home again. We helped a child who lost an eye to cancer get the prosthetic because insurance wouldn’t cover it. We covered dental work for a man who needed his smile back just to walk into a job interview. We got heat turned back on for a family who had spent part of the winter without it. We helped a family keep up with bills while a husband and father fought pancreatic cancer, and we helped another family cover medical expenses after the unimaginable loss of a child. These are just a few examples of some of the hundreds of individuals that have been helped through nominations from readers like you. None of it happens without someone noticing first and speaking up. "We don't just send checks," says Steven Schowengerdt, CEO and founder of City Lifestyle.

“We send a message: You are seen, you are loved, and you are not forgotten.” Together with City Lifestyle President Matthew Perry, Steven has helped shape this into a tradition that goes far beyond the holiday season. "This is about community," Matthew says. "We believe we've been blessed, so now we get to be a blessing." Often, the person making the nomination gets just as much out of the experience as the recipient. There's something powerful about being part of the reason someone else's burden got lighter, especially when that need might have otherwise gone unnoticed. The campaign is completely confidential. No names are ever shared or publicized, and nominating someone is as simple as telling us their story. We are looking for those in our communities who fall between the cracks of getting help, and together as a community, we can meet those needs.

Nominations open November 1st and close December 3rd. To nominate someone in your community, follow @CityLifestyle on Instagram and find the form in our bio, or visit KingdomBuildingFoundation.org.

This season, giving starts with you. Let's do it together. Nominate someone in need today.

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PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED

Managing Valley Estates, Private Events and the Unexpected

The Gold

Standard

Concierge

There is a particular moment when Valley season officially begins. Every fall, part time residents return, restaurants book up, events take over the calendar, and holiday plans start coming together. For Drew Armenta, founder of The Gold Standard Concierge, that means making sure his clients can come home and simply live. The house is ready. The fridge is stocked. The cars are clean. Everything that needed attention while they were gone has already been handled. “Our full estate care clients’ properties are often maintained year round and are ready to be used with a moment’s notice,” he says. There is another detail Drew thinks about before anyone walks through the door. “The most impactful aspect upon entering a property is the smell of the home. Upon walking into any luxury property is the immediate sense of smell which helps build the anticipation of the rest of the home and how well maintained it is.”

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His current favorite is Platinum by Baobab. It’s the kind of detail you might never think about, but Drew does. And that is essentially his job. Drew’s background spans hospitality, diplomatic operations, security and estate care, and today those worlds come together in a role that can be difficult to define until you hear what lands on his desk. One client may need an estate managed while spending the summer out of state. Another needs Drew only when hosting a major fundraiser at home. Full estate care can mean coordinating housekeeping, landscaping and car washes, stocking groceries, overseeing maintenance and even paying household bills. But managing a private home can get much more complicated than keeping it maintained. Summer, for example, is not necessarily the quiet season it appears to be. When owners leave Arizona, Drew can use that window to tackle work that would otherwise interrupt their lives.

This fall, The Gold Standard Concierge completed a roughly half million dollar landscaping project, installing more than 250 16-foot ficus columns to create privacy and a resort like setting. While a client is away, Drew may also be the person meeting contractors, supervising renovation work, checking security, collecting packages and catching the household issues an owner hundreds or thousands of miles away would have no way of seeing. “Being prepared is the easiest part. Understanding how to solve the problem with the least amount of interference to the client is the challenge we conquer.” Recently, one of Drew’s clients purchased a new home. The seller was supposed to move into a rental, but there was a problem: the water would not be turned on in time. Drew found the family another house for the weekend. By the following week, the water was on and they could move into their rental. It is a small story compared with some of the requests he handles, but it says a lot about what concierge service looks like at this level. There is no menu of problems to choose from. The problem becomes whatever needs solving that day.

Drew Armenta, The Gold Standard Concierge

And Drew has had some interesting days. In October alone, he coordinated valet, food, servers and security for a private roundtable at a client’s home for 50 of Arizona’s top business leaders. At the same time, he arranged private air travel, logistics and security for a diplomat traveling to Jamaica, including traveling there to provide support on site. Another 45 person roundtable followed, along with a corporate holiday party and planning for a client’s hospitality suite during the WM Phoenix Open. For the latter, he is working to secure more than 40 hospitality suite tickets for the entire week of the tournament for the second year in a row. “No week is ever the same.” Especially once the holidays arrive. A Valley home normally occupied by two may suddenly need to accommodate children, grandchildren and overnight guests. Drew starts looking at the house differently. Where will everyone sleep? Does the family need additional accommodations? What needs to be brought in? CONTINUED >

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Then there is entertaining. “This is what ‘revs our engine,’ you could say,” Drew says. A client gives him the vision. Drew starts making calls. A private dinner can mean finding the chef, building the menu, arranging flowers and rentals, staffing servers, coordinating valet and transportation, handling security and making sure cleanup is covered when everyone goes home. His advice for anyone considering a holiday party this year is worth noting. Book now. “Our preferred private chefs are booking through the holidays already and are filling up fast.” Drew handles restaurant reservations, private and commercial air travel, hotels, chauffeurs and event access. He recently planned a Scottsdale bachelor weekend that included golf, a party bus through Old Town, multiple nightlife stops, a private room at a high end steakhouse and luxury accommodations. When a group of women attending a retreat wanted massages between sessions, he brought massage therapists to them. And then there was the wedding. A client called Drew with very little notice. A couple was quietly getting married at the courthouse by a chief justice, and the bride’s best friend wanted something special waiting afterward. Drew got to work. He found two bottles of the bride’s favorite Champagne. He helped arrange congratulatory signage, confetti and candlelight. A private chef and his team created the menu. While the couple was getting married, everything was happening behind the scenes. When they arrived, there was nothing left to plan. That story might best explain what Drew means when he talks about working with the “least amount of interference” in a client’s life. The best outcome is not for a client to see how much work went into something. It is for them not to have to think about it at all. thegoldstandardconcierge.com

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AN ARIZONA GUIDE TO ARRANGING, STYLING AND GIVING FLOWERS ALL YEAR

STEM BY SEASON

Arizona does not follow the traditional decorating calendar. Fall remains warm, winter entertaining moves outdoors, spring arrives early and summer is hard on anything placed in a vase. Nicole Newman, owner, Certified Floral Designer and lead eventscape designer of Simple Bliss Designs, has worked in the floral and events industries for more than 25 years. She founded Simple Bliss Designs in 2004, relaunched the company in 2023 and became an Arizona Master Florist the following year. Here, Nicole breaks down what to use, how to style it and what most people get wrong.

FALL

Fall is moving past basic orange. The sharper palette is oxblood, merlot, tobacco, olive and plum, sometimes lifted with lilac or dusty blue. In the vase Dahlias, calla lilies, heirloom chrysanthemums, garden roses and trailing amaranthus bring depth without looking overtly seasonal. Nicole recommends choosing one hero flower instead of combining every fall bloom available. A mass of burgundy calla lilies looks cleaner and more expensive than a mixed bouquet. The same applies to dahlias arranged in several tones of wine. Choose smoked glass, dark ceramic or aged brass. A vase with a narrow opening supports the flowers and makes fewer stems appear fuller. Wide vessels require considerably more product to look finished.

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Nicole Newman

In the vase Amaryllis is the statement flower of the season. Its scale creates impact with only a few stems. Burgundy roses, hellebores, ranunculus, anemones and berries can be added for texture. Amaryllis stems are hollow and can split or curl at the bottom. A tall, narrow vessel gives them support and keeps the design upright. Magnolia leaves and olive branches offer a more refined alternative to heavy evergreen. Their contrasting leaf colors also add interest without adding more flowers. Use antique silver, cut crystal or ribbed glass. Champagne buckets, silver bowls and collected heirloom pieces can become vessels if properly lined to protect the surface. On the table Pair cream or chocolate linen with crystal, antique silver and dark velvet ribbon. Tangerines or mandarins add color without making the table feel themed. Avoid strongly scented lilies, tuberose and gardenias around food. Their fragrance can compete with the meal and wine. Use them in an entry or powder room instead. For outdoor winter entertaining, let candlelight and the desert landscape provide the decoration. Flowers do not need to compete with a mountain view. To give Give an amaryllis bulb planted in a substantial vessel. It lasts longer than a cut bouquet and changes as it grows. If sending an arrangement, invest in the container. A ceramic compote, silver bowl or handblown vase remains after the flowers are gone and makes the gift feel complete.

SPRING

Spring color is becoming less sugary. Butter yellow meets lilac. Blush is interrupted by tomato red. Pale blue is grounded with leafy green. On the table Use oat or tobacco linen, amber glassware and antique brass. Add pears, figs, grapes or pomegranates sparingly. Fresh fruit releases ethylene gas as it ripens, which can shorten the life of cut flowers. Add fruit shortly before guests arrive rather than leaving it inside the arrangement for several days. Keep flowers below eye level and let candles provide the height. Several smaller arrangements also photograph better and can be moved easily when food reaches the table.

In the vase Ranunculus, sweet peas, tulips, poppies and snapdragons provide movement and texture. Avoid arranging them into a tight, perfectly round dome. Spring flowers look better when their natural shapes remain visible.

CONTINUED >

Amaryllis Flowers

To give Skip orange lilies, sunflowers and filler. Send one exceptional flower in abundance. Dahlias are beautiful but have a shorter vase life. Heirloom chrysanthemums last longer and are no longer the stiff grocery-store flowers many people remember.

WINTER

Winter florals are becoming richer and less literal. Burgundy, chocolate, cream and olive feel festive without relying on bright red and green.

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Tulips continue to grow after being cut and will bend toward the light. That movement is normal. Rotate the vase if they begin leaning too far in one direction instead of repeatedly forcing the stems straight. Poppies have delicate stems and a relatively short vase life, so use them when the event matters more than longevity. Ranunculus and snapdragons offer a better balance of romance and staying power. Choose colored glass bud vases, hand-painted ceramics or vintage pitchers. A strong vessel allows even a small number of stems to look intentional. On the table Break one centerpiece into several small arrangements placed down the table. Each guest gets flowers nearby, and the open space makes serving easier. Mixing vessels works when one element repeats. Keep the color, material or flower consistent so the collection looks curated rather than random. Potted herbs can be added among the flowers for texture and fragrance, but avoid anything too aromatic directly beside a guest’s plate. To give Send a collection of petite arrangements for different rooms instead of one oversized bouquet. Sweet peas can go beside the bed, tulips in the kitchen and ranunculus in the entry. A set of bud vases makes the gift useful long after spring ends.

SUMMER

Arizona summer requires flowers with stamina. The biggest mistake is selecting a delicate arrangement for the photograph without considering what it will look like an hour later. In the vase Zinnias, gomphrena, celosia, orchids and anthuriums tolerate summer conditions better than hydrangeas, peonies and many delicate garden roses. Sculptural foliage can add scale without increasing the number of fragile blooms. Use coral, paprika, chartreuse, cobalt or crisp white. Strong color holds its own against Arizona stone and bright desert light. Terracotta, travertine, ceramic and thick sculptural glass suit the season. Avoid placing a clear glass vase in direct sun. The water heats quickly and shortens the life of the flowers.

Remove every leaf that would sit below the waterline. Submerged foliage encourages bacteria, often ruining an arrangement before the heat does. On the table Use natural linen, colorful glassware and hand-painted ceramics. Tomatoes, citrus, melons or stone fruit can replace some of the flowers and make the table feel abundant without becoming crowded. Keep arrangements indoors or in deep shade until shortly before guests arrive. A shaded Arizona patio is still hot, and delicate blooms can lose water rapidly. For outdoor dining, choose compact arrangements with shorter stems. They hold water more efficiently and are less vulnerable to heat and wind. To give Smaller is smarter during summer. Send a tightly edited arrangement of flowers chosen for longevity rather than an oversized bouquet filled with delicate varieties. Orchids, anthuriums or a planted vessel are strong options. Always confirm that someone will be home to receive the delivery. Even the best arrangement will not survive long on an Arizona doorstep. Grab-and-go bouquets now available at Chapin House For special orders/events, visit simpleblissdesigns.com

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J US T Cro w n e d M e e t t h e n e w M i s s P a r a d i s e Va l l e y a n d M i s s P a r a d i s e Va l l e y ’s Te e n

PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED

Payton May tells stories for a living. Katelyn Chen commands the stage. Recently named Miss Paradise Valley and Miss Paradise Valley’s Teen, Payton is a KOLD 13 News reporter, USC graduate and former Miss America’s Outstanding Teen, while Katelyn is an eighth-grade student, nationally ranked ballet dancer, award-winning painter and National Latin Exam gold medalist. Before they compete at Miss Arizona 2027, we met the two behind the titles.

PAYTON MAY

YOU HAVE SPENT YEARS IN FRONT OF CAMERAS. WHAT DO PEOPLE GET WRONG ABOUT YOU? People assume reporters simply “read the script and look pretty.” They are surprised to learn we pitch, write and edit our own stories. WHAT MOMENT FROM YOUR YEAR AS MISS AMERICA’S OUTSTANDING TEEN HAS STAYED WITH YOU? As a national ambassador for Kids Voting USA, I spoke to more than 500 elementary students in Arizona. Watching them become excited about something so important to me was unforgettable. PAYTON FUN FACTS? I have a massive sweet tooth, use Goodreads like social media, and have traveled to 14 countries. The key to my heart is probably spicy tuna crispy rice or a cheeseburger. And if Broadway called tomorrow, I might leave news behind and follow that childhood dream.

KATELYN CHEN

WHAT WOULD SURPRISE PEOPLE ABOUT THE WORLD BEHIND A POLISHED BALLET PERFORMANCE? Backstage can be chaotic. Dancers are fixing costumes, helping with hair and makeup, stretching and making sure everyone is ready. Behind the curtain, there is some panic. IS THERE ONE PERFORMANCE THAT STAYS WITH YOU? Performing “Snow” in The Nutcracker. Dry ice creates fog, and soap bubbles fall from the ceiling to look like snow, making the stage incredibly slippery. It is also a six-minute nonstop dance. WHAT WOULD MAKE THIS FEEL LIKE A TRUE PARADISE VALLEY YEAR? I want to know the people and traditions that make Paradise Valley special, discover local restaurants and places, and finish the year with memories I will always connect to this community.

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Ending lung cancer starts with Hope – and the right team Precision medicine, immunotherapy and other advanced therapies are helping more people with lung cancer live longer, fuller lives. This Lung Cancer Awareness Month, City of Hope Cancer Center Arizona is highlighting the people and science behind this progress.

A diagnosis and a decision

In March 2019, Abby Kanarek had a backache. An X-ray revealed a mass in her lung. Diagnosed with stage IV non-small cell lung cancer, she was told by one doctor to get her affairs in order. Abby sought a second opinion, leading her to City of Hope. “Better than anyone else, City of Hope integrates all of the care,” she said. Her City of Hope team tested the cancer’s biology and found she was a candidate for a newly approved first-line immunotherapy. Six years after diagnosis, her scans are stable. She got married, travels and recently became a grandmother. “They give you your life back,” she said.

One plan, every specialist

One of the nation’s largest and most advanced cancer organizations, City of Hope brings together more than 2,000 expert physicians, scientists and researchers to develop a coordinated plan for each patient and offers eligible patients access to leading-edge clinical trials. With a cancer hospital in Goodyear and outpatient locations across the Valley, City of Hope Cancer Center Phoenix is the only Arizona cancer center with The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval for Lung Cancer Certification. A partnership with the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) brings genomic analysis directly into every lung cancer plan. “Lung cancer is many diseases, each defined by its own biology,” said Christine M. Lovly, M.D., Ph.D., Chief of Thoracic Medical Oncology. “When treatment is matched to a tumor’s characteristics, and every specialist works from the same plan, patients like Abby have options that didn’t exist a few years ago.”

Ending cancer starts with Hope CityofHope.org/Arizona | 844-601-HOPE (4673)

Arizona

“Arizona has one of the lowest lung cancer screening rates in the country, yet screening can find lung cancer earlier, when treatment has the greatest chance of success.” Amit Kulkarni, M.D.

Medical Oncologist, City of Hope Cancer Center Arizona

Know your risk

In Arizona, an estimated 4,350 people will be diagnosed with lung cancer this year, including people who have never smoked. Annual low-dose CT screenings are recommended for adults 50 to 80 with a significant smoking history, because cancer found early offers the most treatment options. “Arizona has one of the lowest lung cancer screening rates in the country, yet screening can find lung cancer earlier, when treatment has the greatest chance of success,” said Amit Kulkarni, M.D., Medical Oncologist, City of Hope Cancer Center Arizona. “Don’t wait for symptoms. Talk with your doctor about whether lung cancer screening is right for you.” Taking control of your disease starts with visiting CityofHope.org/Arizona to learn more.

City of Hope

W H E R E C A N C E R LO S E S AND LIFE WINS Our singular focus on cancer leads to superior outcomes. Abby knew cancer wouldn’t be the end of her story. Today, she’s planning her next family gathering, her next adventure and welcoming a new grandchild. As one of the nation’s largest and most advanced cancer research and treatment organizations, City of Hope brings together 2,000+ cancer experts delivering breakthrough research and lifesaving treatments.

Abby

CityofHope.org/Arizona | 844-601-HOPE (4673)

City of Hope Patient

Christine Lovly, M.D., Ph.D.

Chief, Thoracic Medical Oncology