SOCIETY Symphony’s Ambassadors Council Hosts Spring Fling
WESTSIDE STORY Claude Ducloux
INSIDE Million Dollar Homes
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Pages 11-22
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VOLUME 35 ISSUE 13 - SINCE 1986
W E S TA U S T I N N E W S . C O M
J U LY 1 4 , 2 0 2 2
Gala
AUSTIN SPEECH LABS
Stroke Survivors Share their Stories
Tom Leonardis
O
ver 400 generous guests gathered at the Four Seasons Hotel Austin on Friday, May 6th, for Austin Speech Labs’ 13th Annual One Word At A Time Gala. It was a gorgeous evening full of food, drinks, and inspiring stories.
Shilpa Shamapant, President & Co-Founder of Austin Speech Labs, began the program by sharing her journey from being a young speech-language pathologist to co-founding Austin Speech Labs to help stroke survivors receive the therapy they desperately need to regain their communication skills. “Stroke survivors are our heroes,” said Shamapant. “Stroke is devastating, but you know what? When I work at Austin Speech Labs, their positive attitude, their willingness to work hard every single hour...they teach us not to give up.” A highlight of the night– stroke survivors Candace Barrow, Tom Leonardis, and Jocelyn Harris shared their stories and urged audience members to “donate, donate, donate” to Austin Speech Labs. Silence fell over the
room as each speaker took to the stage. Guests were completely captivated by the stories, honoring each speaker with a well-deserved standing ovation. After the three survivors shared their stories, emcee and Austin Speech Labs Board Member Jody Rudman invited guests to fill out donation cards as Keynote Speaker and Austin Speech Labs Board Treasurer Robert Hollingsworth drove home the organization’s impact and assured donors that their contributions would be well spent. Carolyn and Jack Long and Miriam and Jim Mulva, along with an anonymous donor, generously matched the first $100,000 raised at the event. With 59 event sponsors, this year’s Gala went a long way to helping Austin Speech Labs provide affordable services to those in need.
P HO T O S A N D A RT IC L E B Y Z O E T HOM P S O N Clayton Schaefer and Candace Barrow with children Casey and Calvin Schaefer
Sangeeta Sethi and Shelley E. Adair
Christy Oliver and Dick McCarroll
Andre and Dr. Jussara V. Woiler
Lindsey Palmer, Winona Bacud, and Francis Schorgl
Regent’s Troop 25 Eagle Scout Court of Honor By Anne DeVries This spring, a Court of Honor was held at All Saints Church in Austin to celebrate the promotion of 11 young men to the rank of Eagle Scout. The ceremony included family, friends, Eagle Scout Charge Mr. Scott Chapman, officiating minister Rev. Josh Eby, and special guest speaker, Representative Chip Roy, US Congressional District 21. During his speech Congressmen Roy told the audience, “There are about 60,000, give or take, Eagle Scouts across the country this year of about 4 million and change, High School graduates”. He placed them in an “elite company”. Congressman Roy also referenced that over the history of our country there have only ever been “about 2.6 million” to reach the rank of Eagle Scout. He spoke to the boys about the need for leadership in our country. He told them, “The world expects us to lead because we are
leaders”. His parting words to the new Eagle Scouts were: “You are blessed to be scouts, you are blessed to have gone to Regents, you are blessed to have grown up in the greatest state in the greatest country in the history of the world. Take that forward and make us proud”. The journey to becoming an Eagle Scout is a long and arduous. Steps include fulfilling 21 merit badges, assuming leadership roles within the troop, personal references, and completing an Eagle Scout Service Project. Requirements must be met by age 18. Troop 25 Eagle Scouts and their corresponding Service Project include: Coley Cowden: Table Settles for Refuge Ranch Elijah DeVries: Remembrance Garden Restoration for Austin Pets Alive Caleb Eby: Chicken Coop for Burke Center for Youth Russell Feller: Fire Station Display Board
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PHO EAGLE SCOUT PROMOTION
Front row: Isaac Nowrasteh, Coley Cowden, Charlie Valdez, Russel Feller, Caleb Sewell, Congressmen Chip Roy. Second Row: Ethan Sigmon, Jackson Hames, Cutter Knauth, Caleb Eby, Elijah DeVries, Grant Piercy
Jackson Hames: Wooden Picnic Tables and Bird Bath for Burke Center for Youth Cutter Knauth: Equipment Garage for Burke Center for Youth Isaac Nowrasteh: Compost Bins for Burke Center for Youth Grant Piercy: Fitness
Course for Burke Center for Youth Caleb Sewell: Picnic Tables for Burke Center for Youth Ethan Sigmon: Wooden Benches for Burke Center for Youth Charlie Valdez: Truck for Burke Center for Youth Regents troop 25 was
started in 2010 by John Childers, Mark Franz and James Long. In 2014, Dr. Kurt Knauth became the Scoutmaster and his wife Laura assumed the Advancement Chair position. The vision and commitment of these founders to building the troop have engaged and
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enriched the lives of numerous young men who have, by their commitment, provided the Austin Community with countless service contributions. Current leadership for Troop 25 includes scoutmaster Steve Davidson, Advancement Chair Debbie Lowe and
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