Junior Leaguers on the Run!

Spring has sprung and Jacksonville Junior Leaguers have been busy... running! Check out the great photos from our members who have participated in road races over the past few months.


Julie Merten (far right) and Natalie Taylor (far left) are pictured here with a friend after completing the 26.2 With Donna half marathon on Sunday, Feb. 12. The annual event, based in Jacksonville, is the nation's only marathon dedicated to raising funds for breast cancer research and support.

Looking good (but maybe a little cold?), ladies!

Julie is a New Member of the League this year, and Natalie currently serves on the First Year Active commitee.

Blake Barkoskie finished her first ever Gate River Run in March. Way to go! Blake is pictured at left, smiling at the finish line between her "Running Buddies."

Blake currently serves as chair of the Placement Committee and is a member of the Community Research and Project Development (CRPD) Committee.

On Sunday, March 18, Elizabeth Green completed the New York City Half Marathon. She ran in 2:14:35, shaving 6 minutes off of her previous half marathon ...

Which she ran just 5 weeks earlier -- The 26.2 With Donna: The National Marathon to Finish Breast Cancer in Jacksonville, Florida. Way to go, Elizabeth!

This past year Elizabeth has served on the Membership Enrichment and Training Committee as well as the Nominating Committee.

Kathy Waller participated in the Tinkerbell Half Marathon at Disneyland in California on Sunday, January 29.

"I love running and organized a girlfriends' getaway to run a half marathon," says Kathy. "I figured I'd have some fun with my friends and get the side benefit of a little training plan to keep me in shape!"

She says she was "completely starstruck" when she ran into movie star Sean Astin at the finish line.

Kathy serves as secretary of Junior League of Jacksonville's 2011-2012 Board. Learn more about Kathy by re-visiting her board member profile!

Jaime Haskin completed a relay in the 26.2 With Donna: The National Marathon to Finish Breast Cancer on Sunday, February 12. Jaime says she had a great time, and didn't let the record-setting cold temps of the day dampen her spirits!

Jaime is part of the first-ever Junior League of Jacksonville Spring New Member class.












Katrine Strickland completed the 35th Annual Gate River Run on Saturday, March 10. She didn't set any records, but was running for two! Congratulations to you and your (soon-to-be-bigger) family, Katrine!

The Gate took place in downtown Jacksonville and attracted more than 17,000 participants. It is currently the largest 15K race in the US.

Katrine currently serves on Junior League of Jacksonville's 2011-2012 Done-In-A-Day (DIAD) Committee.

Dig A Little Deeper: The Shannon Miller Foundation

Join thousands from the community for the Shannon Miller Lifestyle Women’s 5K and 1 Mile Children’s Fun Run on Saturday, April 7th! Visit race vendors and enjoy a community health fair with free health screenings. Bring the whole family for a day of health and fitness at the Jacksonville Landing; fitness, community and plenty of fun. Register Today!

EVENT INFORMATION
Date: Saturday April 7th, 2012
Time: Children’s 1 Mile Fun Run: 8:00 a.m.; Women’s 5K Run/Walk: 8:30 a.m.
Place: The Jacksonville Landing

Proceeds from the race benefit the Shannon Miller Foundation to fight childhood obesity. The Foundation works with programs in our community that encourage children to become more physically active, provides nutrition training in local schools and advocates for healthy lifestyle choices. It is founded by Shannon Miller, 7-time Olympic Medalist, Jacksonville resident, cancer survivor and mother.

The Shannon Miller Foundation's mission is an important one that is close to the Junior League of Jacksonville's heart. Many of our members are looking forward to volunteering at the Shannon Miller Lifestyle event on Saturday, April 7th.

"It is shaping up to be a record breaking year, and we are so excited to have the Junior League involved with our event!" says Jackie Culver, Executive Director, Shannon Miller Foundation. "We are so grateful to the Junior League for all of the work they do in our community.”

A Whale of a Makeover!

The Junior League of Jacksonville added a new community component to our 21st annual Whale of a Sale - with a Whale of a Makeover for one teen transitioning from foster care!

For over 20 years, the Junior League of Jacksonville’s Whale of a Sale fundraiser has brought the community gently used, quality merchandise at low prices while raising much-needed funds for JLJ’s community projects that benefit children and families in Jacksonville. This project has been a great opportunity for JLJ volunteers to add a positive community impact component to the event.

For the first time, JLJ members are using items, including furniture, decorative items and clothing, donated to the annual Whale of a Sale fundraiser to decorate the new apartment of Caneilua Barber, an 18-year-old woman transitioning out of the foster care system.

Carneilua, or CC as she prefers, came into foster care at age 16, following the death of her mother, and aged-out of care when she turned 18 in October 2011. She attends Drop Back In Academy. She plans to attend college to study criminal justice and aspires to be a judge. As a young adult transitioning out of foster care, CC is receiving services through the Independent Living program offered by Family Support Services of North Florida (FSS).



League members started at 7am on Sunday the 19th painting and decorating CC's apartment, getting it ready for the Big Reveal.

At 4:30 Sunday afternoon, the reveal came!

"I'm so excited! Its gorgeous!" said CC, "This is way past what I imagined and what I ever thought was going to be in here!"

"We are so excited to be a part of giving CC a room that reflects her personality, as she moves in to her first apartment," said Becky Patel, Junior League President. "She is a lovely girl and we're excited for her as she begins this new phase of her life."

Interested in seeing what Whale of a Sale can makeover in your house? Don't miss out - join us at the Preview Party, Friday, Feb. 24th! Tickets are on sale now.

More Makeover Pictures!





Special thanks to Corporate Suite Shoppes and Cort Furniture for their help in making over CC's apartment!

Check out the news coverage on the makeover:

Homecoming for the Holidays!

By: Nichole Schlais

When you hear the word homecoming, does it bring memories of fall, football and friends? For me it means walking through a hanger filled with spare parts, making my way towards the walls of posters and past a few chairs. I can’t sit down, no matter how long it may take, instead I head to the tarmac, making sure I keep my toes on the red line, just not crossing over it.

My eyes go back and forth between my watch and the sky. In my mind I recall the 3 postcards, 25 letters and over 75 emails I received. I smile at the 11 DVD’s sent through the USO of him reading countless books to the kids. I’ve waited 187 days, 6 hours and 14 minutes for this day (not that I was counting). Time is ticking by in what feels like hours, rather than seconds. I see the new babies, the husbands, wives and parents, who like me, would rather watch the sky than sit and wait.

Out of the corner of my eye I see it, my Christmas wish. I feel goose bumps as the hanger erupts into cheers and every free hand waves the Stars and Stripes. The plane lands and slowly taxi’s back to the waiting while it taxi’s back to the terminal. It seems to take forever, but when I step closer to the red line I can see it, just a few more minutes and it will be over, at least for a little while. The butterflies in my stomach are having a field day, we’ve had almost half a dozen of these in the last decade and yet I still get nervous every time.

As the plane rolls to a stop, the ground crew moves into action. Trucks for luggage and the ladder arrive. Then they all back away, including the ground crew. Are you kidding me??? Apparently the pilot was unsure of the parking job and wanted another crack at it. Note to pilot: Treat it like it was stolen, park it and let the hostages off! Once the plane is parked, blocks are laid, steps are moved in and the door opens. Now the hunt begins, the windows are useless at seeing where he is, so I must wait and hold my breath as each person deplanes. I just want to scream “HURRY UP” but instead I just move closer, the red line only really counts during take-off and landing, and as the door to the plane is opened, the family mob moves forward. New dads and mom deplane first and then the rest of the passengers, all clad in dessert camo. Nothing like searching for my hero, dressed like all the other hero’s. My eyes are scanning the ladder, the crowd, looking everywhere as I move closer to the plane.

Then we make eye contact and without actually flying I was in his arms in a matter of seconds. It took a few minutes to notice the roses he was carrying or remember that I had Heather there taking pictures. I just held him tight and let the tears flow. I pulled away to get another good look. He was thinner and his summer tan was still hanging around, but he was over 7,000 miles away and still remembered to bring me flowers. I hugged him again and know that I had the world’s largest grin on my face. We exchanged small talk, I introduced Heather and we waited for his luggage. I only let go of his hand long enough for him to get his bags.

187 days since I’d stood on this tarmac saying good-bye, 187 days since I’d seen his smile, 187 days since we’d had a face to face conversation. 187 days that I had to explain that daddy’s work is different from other daddy’s. 187 days between my kiss good-bye and my kiss hello.

This holiday I am thankful for my real life homecoming that beats anything that Hollywood could ever produce.

Coming Home

by: Jen Kinsella

“There’s nothing half so pleasant as coming home again.”
--Margaret Elizabeth Sangster

I am counting many blessings this year: my family, good health, wonderful friends, and a job I love. But I am particularly thankful that my family and I have “come home” to Jacksonville.

Two years ago, we moved to the Washington, DC area because my husband had accepted a two-year assignment on the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon. While it was a great professional opportunity for him, I was sad to leave a city that I had grown to love and the many friends I had made while living here.

I joined the JLJ after moving here in 2007 as a way to meet new people and get involved in the community. Over the course of the next two years, I had the opportunity to volunteer for some outstanding community projects, like CARES, and I also made some wonderful friends along the way. When I was pregnant with my oldest son in 2008, four other FYAs were also expecting their first children. Those women and I became very close while we shared the joys (and aches and pains!) of pregnancy. We found support in one another as we anxiously awaited the arrival of our little ones – with our five children being born about 7 weeks apart (and two of us actually delivering on the SAME day!).

When we moved to DC in 2009, I was able to keep in touch with everyone - thanks in large part to Facebook, email and the work travel that brought me down here on a monthly basis. And when we found out last year that the Navy was bringing us back to Jacksonville, I was thrilled!

My husband and I have often asked each other, “What is it about Jacksonville?” “Why does this city feel like ‘home’ to us?” It isn’t perfect – there are so many needs in this community, but there is also so much potential. And as members of the JLJ we are charged with helping to make Jacksonville a better place for ourselves, our families and those less fortunate than us. So this Thanksgiving, let us all count our blessings and continue our work to improve this special place that we are blessed to call “home.”

Deep Frying Turkey 101

by: Jenny Fitzpatrick

We started frying a turkey when we decided we were tired of waking up at o'dark thirty to put a bird in the oven. Frying a turkey is much faster than the traditional baking (3-4 minutes per pound versus 15 minutes per pound), it frees up that coveted oven space for other yummy treats, and provides a tasty alternative to the bird that is basted hour upon hour. The only drawback is there are no drippings to be used to make turkey gravy, but that is a small price to pay, trust me.

If you are thinking of trying this alternative for turkey day this year, please be mindful of the following, no need to turn a happy holiday in to an episode of Rescue 911:

• Don't put too much oil in the fryer pot - If the cooking pot is overfilled, the oil may spill out of the pot when the turkey is lowered in. Oil can hit the burner and cause a fire. Follow the owner's manual to determine the proper amount of oil to use.
• Don't drop a frozen or partially thawed turkey into oil - Frozen or partially frozen turkeys placed into the fryer can cause a spillover and may result in a fire. Make sure your turkey is properly thawed and slowly lower it into the pot.
• Don't keep the fryer too close to structures - More than one-third of fires involving a fryer start in a garage or patio. Cook outdoors and maintain a safe distance from any buildings and wooden structures.
• Unattended cooking - Normally, we say a watched pot never boils. When it comes to deep fat fryers, an unwatched pot may very well burn your house down.

Another bonus - it gets your husband out of the house for at least an hour, depending on the size of the turkey.

No matter how you choose to cook your bird - just remember the most important part of the day - spending time (safely) with family and friends and being thankful for all that we have! Happy Thanksgiving!

(Photos: Matt Fitzpatrick fries the family turkey - like a pro!)

Dig A Little Deeper: A Classical Christmas

Come on out on December 3rd and support the Davis Performing Arts Center while attending the holiday recital, "A Classical Christmas." Mocktails will be served at 5:30 pm and the show begins promptly at 6:00 pm with dinner to follow.

The Davis Performing Arts Center is a non-profit organization in the Jacksonville area and is designed to provide inner city, underprivledged children a place to explore their talents in the arts. The performing arts center offers training in the art of theatre, dance and music while giving at risk youth an equal opportunity in the performing arts. To learn more about this organization, please visit their website at davisperformingarts.webstarts.com.

RSVP details are provided below.

Date: December 3, 2011
Location: 2839 West Beaver Street Jacksonville, FL 32254
Information: Performance starts at 6:00pm with dinner to follow. Tickets are $25 per person.
Contact Information: R.S.V.P by November 23 to Mary Davis Johnson at davisperformingarts@yahoo.com or call 904-303-3193

Dig a Little Deeper: JCCI - Jacksonville Community Council Inc.

Did you know that Jacksonville is home to a nationally recognized, nonpartisan civic organization, whose mission is to engage diverse citizens in open dialogue, research, consensus building, advocacy and leadership development to improve the quality of life and build a better community in Northeast Florida and beyond?

For more than 35 years, JCCI has been the place where community-minded people get together to explore issues of community importance, identify problems, discover solutions, and advocate for positive change. Our Community Studies, Implementation advocacy for study recommendations, and opportunities for public dialogue around critical issues of local interest have made an impact in every area of Jacksonville's Quality of Life.

JCCI Forward, is our initiative that seeks to engage men and women ages 25-45 in civic involvement and to prepare them for their future roles as community leaders. Forward is an ideal way to interact with city leaders, to develop community leadership, and to build a network of friends and associates who all share the common goal of improving our community.

Junior League of Jacksonville members continue to participate with JCCI and Forward to continue the impact of their community-work. Check out Forward at an upcoming event:

Oct 6- JAXFacts:Innovators in Early Education

Duval County has 50,000 children ages 1 thru 3. Five thousand of these children, without intervention, will start the first day of kindergarten (at age 5) unprepared for learning! Forward participants, 25-45 years of age, are the parents of these children and may or may not know the options available in our community…JCCI Forward presents 8 local innovators who are ready to make an impact in our kids future. They will be sharing about their programs and results using our popular “speed-dating” format. Join us for an evening of networking and learning, dinner included!

Oct 18 - Skills Seminar - Running Effective Meetings
The Skills Seminar Series offers practical training in two-hour sessions. Sessions are designed to give participants knowledge that can be immediately applied in their professional careers and community roles. Any company, nonprofit or community advocate who wishes to enhance the effectiveness of future leaders are also encouraged to enroll in this series. Hear from JCCI's President & CEO, Ben Warner, and Justin Spiller, Chair of Atlantic Circle and member of the United Way Board of Directors to learn the techniques and tools you need to chair or participate in more effective meetings.

Oct 20 - Food for Thought: Conversations That Matter @ SUITE Jacksonville
Small group gatherings, hosted by a member of the executive committee, designed to give participants the opportunity to network and discuss hot topics of the day. Past event topics include:
• Let’s talk about Beer!
• Eating Right
• Jax Sports Scene
• Cooking for Life
• the Code of the Street
• Kidz Foods and Nutrition
• Living Organic

Learn More about JCCI and JCCI Forward or RSVP to a meeting or training.

Junior League New Member/Transfer Landmark Tour with Chevy

The Junior League of Jacksonville kicked off the year with our first ever New Member/Transfer Landmark Tour with Chevy on Saturday, August 27. It was a successful day - collecting enough school supplies to fill eight car trunks! The women presented the supplies to the faculty at Annie R. Morgan Elementary school.

The 65+ women had the opportunity to drive or ride in eight brand new Chevrolets; including the Chevy Volt (Motor Trend Car of the Year which isn’t even available in Jacksonville yet), Equinox, Traverse, Tahoe Hybrid and Cruze. Along the tour they visited Junior League volunteer spots such as Sanctuary on 8th Street and Community Connections.

Check out all the pictures Junior League New Member/Transfer Landmark Tour with Chevy.

Board Profile: Becky Patel

Board Member Profile: Becky Patel

Age: 36

Resides In: Mandarin

Family Details: Husband – Rakesh, Kids – Jaden, 5 and Malana, 3

Pets: Australian Shepherd Mix named Daisy

Hometown: Miami

Current Board Position: President

College and Major: Florida State University – Finance; Nova South Eastern University - MBA

Professional Details: Vice President, Sr. Underwriter at Bank of America

Community Involvement:
Junior League of Jacksonville, August 1998 – Present
President, Board Member 2011-2012; President-Elect, Board Member 2010-2011; Community Council Director, Board Member 2008-2009; Provisional Vice-Chair 2007-2008; Provisional Advisor 2006-2007; Volunteer of the Year 2006-2007; CARES Chairman, 2005-2006; CARES Vice-Chairman, 2004-2005; Volunteer of the Year 2004-2005; Provisional Vice-Chair, 2003-2004; Treasurer, Board Member 2002-2003; Treasurer-elect, 2001-2002; Communications Council Administrative Assistant, 2000-2001; Provisional Member, 1999-2000

Junior Achievement, Classroom Volunteer, January 1998 – Present

Sigma Kappa Sorority, Beta Tau (University of Florida) Chapter Advisor, August 2000 – May 2006

Sigma Kappa Sorority, National Officer, May 2006 - Present

Sigma Kappa Alumnae Chapter of Jacksonville, Various Board Positions, January 2001 – Present

Bright Horizons Parent Group, Various Volunteer Roles, March 2006 - Present

Girls on the Run of Northeast Florida, Coach, Fall 2009

HandsOn Jacksonville, Blueprint for Leadership Cohort, Spring 2011

Member of JLJ since: 1999

Why did you join JLJ? Volunteering in the community has always been a priority to me. I think it is very important to give back and it is something that I enjoy very much. In addition to the volunteer aspect, I was new to Jacksonville and thought joining the Junior League would be a great way to make new friends.

What is Your Goal for this year? I have been an active member of the JLJ for 10+ years and I have seen us do some truly great things. I have served in a variety of leadership roles with an emphasis in Finance, Community and Training & Development, and I hope to leverage this experience as President. I would like to build upon the foundation that has already been established. I want to continue to focus on making the JLJ fun! I want to get people excited about coming to meetings and volunteering. Retention is also a key goal. We are working to meet member’s changing needs and interests through social activities, and more training and community opportunities. We also want to get more sustainers involved by encouraging them to participate in more events. We also are working to enhance our fundraising activities. This will help us in so many ways – more funds to support our community goals, but also gets our name out there in the community.

What has been your most rewarding moment in JLJ? Seeing the smiles on the kid’s faces at CARES or KITK events. I think we are really making a difference in these kids’ lives by giving them our time.

What has surprised you most about your time with JLJ? Just how much fun it can be. If you find the right committee and dedicate yourself to it, every meeting can be a fun experience.

What has been your favorite placement? Why? I loved CARES. It was great to be a part of that committee. We did so much for Norwood and I really felt like I bonded with some of those kids given the amount of time I spent at the school.

How have you been able to use skills you learned in JLJ in your everyday life? Definitely – I am more confident overall.

Give us a reason why you would encourage other women to join JLJ: It is a great way to work together with like minded women to give back to the community. You will also make some great friendships.

How do you think JLJ most helps the community? We help the community in so many ways. We give of our time to so many organizations and we help so many kids. Whale of a Sale is also such a big community service and I think we sometime forget that aspect of the event.

Dig a Little Deeper: Give and Go!

Give and Go!

Give and Go! is your chance to purchase the lowest priced Jaguars tickets while supporting your favorite charity. For every ticket you purchase to any of the Jaguars 2011 preseason and regular season games through the secure Give and Go! site, you automatically donate $20 to Junior League of Jacksonville, Inc..

Give and Go! is a partnership between the Nonprofit Center, the Jacksonville Jaguars, and WeGive.org.

Let's get started! Choose the game you want to attend

Board Member Profile: Kathy Waller

Age and Birthday: 36, Birthday is Aug 7

Resides In: Jacksonville Beach

Family Details: Married for 9.5 years to Chuck; Mother to almost 6 year old twins, Will and Sophie, and almost 2 year old, Lainey

Pets: none, even plants die in my house

Hometown: Savannah, GA

Current Board Position: Secretary

College and Major: Georgia Tech, Industrial and Systems Engineering Professional

Details: Software consultant and business analyst for 7 years prior to becoming a stay-at-home mom

Community Involvement: Junior League, Neptune Baptist Church Preschool, Children, Student, and Women's Ministries, Jacksonville Galloway Marathon Training, MOMS Club,

Member of JLJ since: 2005

Why did you join JLJ? I joined JLJ to meet women, to give back to my community, and to feel like I was a part of something fabulous!

What is Your Goal for this year? My goal for this year is to help make JLJ that "thing" that people are excited to be a part of!

What has been your most rewarding moment in JLJ? I love reading real life stories about how our programs have impacted people; the ones from the kids "get me" every time!

What has surprised you most about your time with JLJ? I am really surprised that I've become so involved, but the years where I was most involved are the ones I look back on as the most rewarding.

What has been your favorite placement? Why? My favorite placement was definitely chairing Kids in the Kitchen. It came at a time in my life when I had just come from a pretty fabulous career and all of a sudden found myself at home with two toddlers. At home, my daily work seemed pretty unimportant, and the successes seemed few and far between. It was so exciting researching childhood obesity and bringing the project to Jacksonville...working with a great leadership team, some pretty amazing community partners and a really awesome committee.

How have you been able to use skills you learned in JLJ in your everyday life? It's great ; I use it all the time, even the weirdest things. I definitely use everything that I learned about nutrition and obesity in my home today. It had such an impact on me during a time when my children were learning important eating habits! I also learn so much from the women that meet related to serving the community but SO MUCH MORE! And it all spills over into other parts of my life and other community service I am doing. It just keeps paying forward really.

Give us a reason why you would encourage other women to join JLJ: I would encourage other women to join JLJ because without a doubt I would not be the woman that I am today without my time in the League.

How do you think JLJ most helps the community? I think before now, I would always talk about the lives we change referring people that we touch when we are serving. Lately though, I'm really reflective on how the League has shaped me and other women in this community, and I now often see what we are building here in Jacksonville that will last so much longer than that! We are creating women that will carry JLJ's mission way farther than a DIAD or a one year project at a school. One of the best things our League does THROUGH all of the service is create these amazing pillars in our community!

Dig a Little Deeper: Shindig for the Sanctuary

The Junior League of Jacksonville partners with the Sanctuary on 8th Street for Kids in the Kitchen programming. Now, members have an opportunity to help out with the 2011 SHINDIG for the Sanctuary - annual fundraising event.

The Committee is looking for volunteers to help two shifts on Friday, September 16th

11:00am - 2:00pm - 5-7 volunteers to help with set-up
5:30pm - 8:30pm - 5-7 volunteers to help with registration, silent auction, etc.

Interested in helping out? Call 904.356.3588

Dig a Little Deeper: Children's Miracle Network

Looking for opportunities to dig a little deeper in serving the Jacksonville Community? Our Dig a Little Deeper features will highlight opportunities outside of your JLJ obligations.

This month? Children's Miracle Network!

On July 21st at 7:00 pm, the Jacksonville Destroyers Soccer Team is hosting a book drive for the patients at Shands Jacksonville and Wolfson Children's Hospital during their game against the Central Florida Kraze. The team is encouraging members of the community to come out and support Children's Miracle Network while donating child friendly books to children in the hospital.

What a great summer activity for League members. Might even be a great family activity!

Need more info? Check out the event flyer below! Need more info? Visit the team web site.

The Junior League and The Help

Based on one of the most talked about books in years and a #1 New York Times best-selling phenomenon, “The Help” stars Emma Stone as Skeeter, Acadamey Award® nominated Viola Davis as Aibileen and Octavia Spencer as Minny – three very different, extraordinary women in Mississippi in the 1960s, who build an unlikely friendship around a secret writing project that breaks societal rules and puts them all at risk.  From their improbable alliance a remarkable sisterhood emerges, instilling all of them with the courage to transcend the lines that define them, and the realization that sometimes those lines are made to be crossed – even if it means bringing everyone in town face-to-face with the changing times.

 Deeply moving, filled with poignancy, humor and hope, “The Help” is a timeless and universal story about the ability to create change.

Because many of the characters in the book and the movie are members of the local Junior League, Dreamworks Pictures has invited members of the Junior League of Jacksonville to attend two local screenings for the film:

Regal The Avenues Stadium 20 - Wednesday, July 13 at 7:30 pm
AMC Theaters Orange Park 24 - Wednesday, July 27 at 7:30 pm

Tickets are limited to 20 passes (for two people) for each screening, so don't wait! Plan to arrive early as seating is first come, first serve and are not guaranteed.

An EPass for you and a guest will be emailed with your online registration confirmation.