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.”

Celebrating Our New Members

Congratulations to the Junior League of Jacksonville's Fall and Spring New Member classes! These ladies have been working hard all year to fulfill their obligations and have made many meaningful contributions to the League. 2011-2012 marks the first year JLJ has ever enrolled two separate classes. We welcomed not only a near record-breaking number of new members, more importantly, we enhanced our organization with some of the brightest, most dedicated women in Jacksonville.


Above: New Spring Members helped host a celebration at Annie R. Morgan Elementary on March 17.

Each year JLJ New Member classes must complete a final project. This year's Spring Class just wrapped up. At two separate events in March, more than 50 New Members came together to plan and execute year-end celebrations at our C.A.R.E.S. schools: Annie R. Morgan Elementary and George Washington Carver Elementarty. JLJ has been working with both schools throughout the year, providing volunteers for one-on-one tutoring in 3rd, 4th and 5th grade math, reading and language during Saturday School. The goal of the extra training is to prepare students to score well on the upcoming FCAT (Florida Comprehensive Achievement Test).

"The events were a great success and brought much joy to the children and their teachers,"says Heather Douglas, chairman of the New Members Training Committee. "The students were thrilled to be rewarded for their academic accomplishments. Great job, New Members!"

The Annie R. Morgan celebration was held on Saturday, March 17 and the George Washington Carver celebration took place Saturday, March 3. New Members, in partnership with JLJ transfer members, worked with school adminstrators to plan and host the celebrations at each school. The celebrations included an awards ceremony, gifts and prizes and a celebratory lunch.


Above: Students enjoyed pizza, sandwiches and cake served up by JLJ Spring New Members.

During the ceremony many students were recognized for their dedication to improve their FCAT scores. Some even attended every Saturday school session! The top 25 attending students were awarded a medal by their principal, and every student received a bag, a book and a chance to choose a gift item donated by the JLJ New Members. The gift pile, pictured below, included everything from footballs to Barbie dolls, Crayola art sets, and more. At Annie R. Morgan the first item chosen was a Florida Gator football -- authographed by former UF head coach Urban Meyer!

Meet New Member Suzie Hutto!

You may not know or have met her yet, but Spring new member Suzie Hutto has a huge passion for the Jaguars. Besides getting involved with Junior League this year, she also recently became a brand new member of the 2012 Jaguars Champions Club. The Club is comprised of fans committed to helping the Jaguars remain competitive, and to ensure the long-term success of Jacksonville as an NFL community.

"I love Jacksonville, and the Jaguars being in our city really benefits our community. I hope to help fill our stadium so we can keep them here for years to come! If anyone is interested in season tickets, adding on seats to your existing account, or upgrading your current seats, I am here to help make it happen for you with outstanding personal service!"


The Jaguars are one of the largest economic drivers in northeast Florida, and the Junior League of Jacksonville's members recognize the true value of an NFL franchise to the city and the people of Jacksonville. The Jaguars Foundation has given millions of dollars to local youth-serving agencies in Jacksonville since its inception.

Make sure to secure your seats before the end of April to get the 30-Game Plan (lock in price of tickets for 3 years)! Just call or email Suzie Hutto at 904-885-2713 or shutto@gmail.com if you are interested.

"New owner, new coach, new ERA for the Jags! I'm all in! Are you 'All in'?"

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:

Update: Whale of a Makeover

We will be completing an extreme room makeover for Elizabeth, a 17-year-old girl transitioning out of foster care, and we need your help to fulfill her wish list! Any donations will count towards Whale of a Sale quota. Our recipient was specific on what she would like but anything that resembles the items still needed below would be greatly appreciated!

Please bring what you can to the drop off scheduled for this Saturday or to schedule a pick up or drop off, please contact the Whale of a Sale Community Outreach Vice Chair, Erin Chamberlain, with any quesitons at (352) 514-3750 or erin.chamberlain@fmr.com.

Bathroom: She would like an Island/Beach theme.

Shower Curtain- Palm tree
Rainfall shower head
Matching trash can, toothbrush holder, soap dispenser , Kleenex and Q Tip holder-
prefers the stainless/silver
Shampoo/soap rack for inside shower for storage
Square storage bins to hold products for under the sink (no preference in color or
material)
Toilet plunger and toilet brush cleaner
Full length mirror to hang on the door
Stainless steel/silver toilet paper holder
Magnifying face mirror (for eyebrow plucking)
Paintings of palm trees/beach scenes
Shower radio

Bedroom: She has very modern/contemporary taste.

Dark and light blue light weight down comforter
Lamps on each end table, silver with white shades (modern)
Large picture of an island or beach, possible palm trees or hammock for above the bed
Silver lamp for desk
Alarm clock for night stand
Silver curtain rod
Light blue or beige modern curtains (darker then the walls)

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.

A Whale of a Makeover!

Whale of a Sale committee is proud to announce a new community outreach program, Whale of a Makeover.

The Whale of a Sale committee is partnering with Family Support Services to complete an extreme room makeover for Elizabeth, a 17 year old girl transitioning out of foster care. Elizabeth’s parents passed away two years ago, and without any other family members to take care of her, she was placed in foster care. It is time for Elizabeth to move out on her own, the Junior League of Jacksonville will be making over Elizabeth’s bedroom and bathroom!

We need your help! A wish list has been provided below, and we need league members to donate items to fulfill her wish list. These donations will count toward your Whale of a Sale quota. If you need to schedule a pick-up or a drop-off outside of the regularly scheduled Whale of a Sale drop-off shifts for items for this project, a member of the Whale of a Sale community outreach subcommittee would be glad to help! Donations can be quota items in great shape, new items (if you choose to purchase an item from the list please include a gift receipt in the event that this item is received in duplicate; we will use the store credit to purchase another item from her wish list); or cash donations (that will be credited towards your quota).

We look forward to working with you all to support this exciting new initiative. For more information or to schedule a pick up or drop off please contact the Whale of a Sale Community Outreach vice chair Erin Chamberlin at Erin.Chamberlain@fmr.com or 352-514-3750.

Elizabeth's Wish List

Bathroom: Island/Beach theme

o Light blue paint for walls with a wall paper border that has palm trees, water, sand etc on it.

o Towels- blue, sand or beige color (no white or red towels)

o Shower Curtain- Palm tree. If this is not possible then solid white

Received: solid white at drop off – still looking for palm tree

o Stainless steel/silver curtain rod holders with plain balls or squares

o Rainfall shower head

o Blue shag carpet bath mats

o Matching trash can, toothbrush holder, soap dispenser , Kleenex and Q Tip holder- prefers the stainless/silver

o Vanilla mint toothpaste and electric toothbrush

o Shampoo/soap rack for inside shower for storage

o Loofa sponges

o Bath & Body Works products in vanilla, cocoa butter or suntan scents

o Hair straightener

Received: White hair straightener in box

o Square storage bins to hold products for under the sink (no preference in color or material)

o Toilet plunger and toilet brush cleaner

o Laundry hamper

Received: Blue laundry basket, need hamper still

o Full length mirror to hang on the door

o Stainless steel/silver towel racks and toilet paper holder

o Air freshener- vanilla

Received: Vanilla reed diffuser

o Magnifying face mirror (for eyebrow plucking)

o Paintings of palm trees/beach scenes

Received: Various paintings of beach scenes and palm trees

o Shower radio

Bedroom: very modern/contemporary

o Light beige paint for walls

o Queen size bed (dark brown/chocolate color, no posts)- cushioned head board

o Dark and light blue light weight down comforter

Received: White down comforter (possibly need a duvet)

o Blue sheets

o 4 sleep pillows and 2 accent pillows

Received: A few accent pillows

o 2 end tables, same color as bed to match

o Lamps on each end table, silver with white shades (modern)

Received: Two lamps, one beach and one modern

o Long 6 or 8 drawer dresser

o Flat screen tv to put on top of the dresser (no mirror)

o Large picture of an island or beach, possible palm trees or hammock for above the bed

Received: Various paintings of beach scenes and palm trees

o Dark chocolate photo frames for personal pictures to hang on the walls

Received: Various photo frames

o Lap top

o Dark chocolate desk with swivel chair and matching file cabinet

o Shelves to hang on the wall above the desk

o Silver lamp for desk

o Silver modern wall clock

Received: Silver and dark brown wall clock

o Alarm clock for night stand

o Stereo

Received: Stereo/cd player

o Silver curtain rod

o Light blue or beige modern curtains (darker then the walls)

o Shoe rack for bottom of closet

o Ceiling fan with palm leaves

Closet: Small stock of items for job and college interviews

o Flats or sneakers (no heels) in size 9

o Black trousers/pants - size 9

o Work appropriate blouse - size Medium