Our Friends Place Announces 2016 Ebby Award Winners

Our Friends Place Announces 2016 Ebby Award Winners Leigh Richter and National Council of Jewish Women, Dallas Chapter Mary Frances Burleson and Suzan and Peter Fenner to be Honorary Co-Chairs at the 13th Annual Event Dallas, Texas February 26, 2016 – Our Friends Place announces the Presidents Council have selected one individual and one organization as winners for the 2016 Ebby Award: Leigh Richter and National Council of Jewish Women, Greater Dallas Section. The 2016 Ebby Award winners will be honored at the 2016 Auction & Casino Night benefitting Our Friends Place on Saturday, April 30, 2016 at the Omni Hotel, Dallas. Shanha Goodwyn and Diane M. Hawkins, Event Chairs, are making preparations for the 13th annual event. Honorary Co-Chairs are Mary Frances Burleson, President of Ebby Halliday Realtors, and Suzan and Peter Fenner, philanthropists and business owners of Search Real Fast. The Ebby Award recognizes individuals who contribute significant achievements for the advancement of girls and women in North Texas. It is named after Ebby Halliday Acers for her commitment and contributions to women in our community; Ebby was the first recipient of the award in 2005. Leigh Richter is the Senior Vice President of Investment and Retail Services at Bradford Commercial Real Estate Services in Dallas. She has been a champion for women in commercial real estate and the community for several decades. An active member of CREW (Commercial Real Estate Women), including being a past board President, Leigh is also a board alum of Dallas Women’s Foundation and Our Friends Place. She has worked at the grass roots level behind the scenes as well as in leadership roles for a number of organizations and continues to work diligently in many arenas on behalf of women. National Council of Jewish Women, Greater Dallas Section (NCJW Dallas) strives for social justice by improving the quality of life for women, children and families and by safeguarding individual rights and freedoms. In 2015, NCJW Dallas volunteers have been on the cutting edge of developing and delivering social service programs with over 9,000 volunteer hours to those most in need in Dallas. Ground-breaking programs NCJW Dallas has initiated over the years include funding of the first social worker in the Dallas County Jail system; HIPPY (Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters), a school readiness program for parents of preschool children; and Food + Fit = Fun, a bilingual program that helps low-income parents prepare their children for a healthy lifestyle. Current major sponsors of the event are: Diamond Sponsor, Ben E. Keith; Ruby Sponsor, Search Real Fast / Suzan and Peter Fenner; Emerald Sponsor, BDO USA, LLP; Jade Sponsors, HollyFrontier and The Fab Four. Host Committee members are: Heather and Alex Bennett, Mary Burns, Audra and Terrence Chavis, Kimberly and Philip Cormier, Elizabeth Dacus, Scott Dennett, Suzane Erlanson, Baranda Fermin, Shanha and Jordan Goodwyn, Susybelle Gosslee, Carla Gourley, Sara and Robert Hallam, Diane and Curtis Hawkins, Sharon Jett, Laura and David Johnson, Barbara and Brad Kolle, Angela Martin and Sean Baxley, Charles M. Martin, Sr., Margaret and David Montemayor, Brandy Patrick, Megan Pharis, Erin and Stephen Pope, Sharon and Jim Pope, Elizabeth Post, Micki and Aaron Seager, Leslie Simmons and Rick Johnson and Cindy Tonnessen. The Honorary Chairs, Host Committee and Sponsors are very pleased to support the young women who call Our Friends Place home through its annual event and fundraiser - Auction & Casino Night where people can bid on fantastic prize packages in the live and silent auctions, enjoy gourmet dining, open bar, casino tables and more as they dance the night away with great music. Our Friends Place is committed to helping young women break the generational cycles of abuse, neglect, poverty and homelessness. Our Friends Place is dedicated to providing a strong foundation for young women to build from adversity by learning a self-reliant approach to their development. Our Friends Place Transitional Living Center program provides homeless young women, poverty-stricken women, girls aging out of foster care, and young women escaping abuse or neglect with supportive homes where they can learn the skills they need for self-sufficiency. Contact: Brenda Ewing Snitzer 214-437-2709 (cell) brenda.snitzer@ourfriendsplace.org www.OurFriendsPlace.org ###