The Atlanta chapter of Jack and Jill of America celebrated its 60th anniversary Saturday night with a splendid gala at the Piedmont Driving Club. "We are truly going to celebrate tonight," event co-chair Kimberly Evans Paige told the packed ballroom. "We have doubled our expectations in terms of our financial objectives." (The event had aimed to raise $60,000 and did so, twice). Themed "Creating a Legacy of Literacy," the gala benefited the Jack and Jill of America Foundation as well as The East Lake Foundation and Raising Expectations. All three organizations offer educational programming for young people. "Once a child has a love of reading, they are well on their way to educational excellence," Paige said. Her co-chair, Farah Fakir Cook, said the elegant event represented a year of planning. Chapter members' hard work was evidenced in details such as the collection of photos and documents carefully assembled by the history subcommittee: Laura Sams Haynes, Leslie Thomas, LaShanda Dawkins and Sherie Hodge. Artifacts included the sign-in sheet from the chapter's first meeting, on Sept. 16, 1951. Today, the Atlanta chapter, with nearly 300 children, is the country's largest. The crowd included chapter president Patrice Brown Greer, national Jack and Jill president Tara Joseph-Labrie and vice president Tamara Turnley Robinson and numerous past chapter presidents. "Jack and Jill members have had a major impact in the communities in which they live," Joseph-Labrie said. "We are definitely in the business of developing leaders."
Overscene
Tim McGraw, who performed with Luke Bryan on Saturday night at Aaron's Amphitheatre at Lakewood, got the day started with a workout at Snap Fitness on Glenwood Avenue, and then went next door to the Smoothie Studio for a protein smoothie.
Buzz in our ear
Malcolm Jamal-Warner, of "The Cosby Show" and "Malcolm & Eddie" fame, along with Tracee Ellis Ross ("Girlfriends"), will work on a new BET show called "Reed Between the Lines." The project will be shot here, as are numerous other BET shows, including "Let's Stay Together" and "The Game." In the new show, Ross will play a psychiatrist, wife and mom of three. Jamal-Warner will co-star as her husband, an English teacher. It is set to air this October but exactly where it will be filmed hasn't been finalized. You'll know when we know.
Celebrity birthdays
Actor George Takei is 74. Singer Johnny Tillotson is 72. Actor Ryan O'Neal is 70. Bluegrass singer-musician Doyle Lawson (Quicksilver) is 67. Rock musician Craig Frost (Grand Funk; Bob Seger's Silver Bullet Band) is 63. Actor Gregory Itzin is 63. Actress Jessica Lange is 62. Actress Veronica Cartwright is 62. Actor Clint Howard is 52. Actor Crispin Glover is 47. Actor Andy Serkis is 47. Country singer Wade Hayes is 42. Actor Shemar Moore is 41. Rock musician Mikey Welsh is 40. Actress Carmen Electra is 39. Reggae singer Stephen Marley is 39. Rock musician Marty Crandall (The Shins) is 36. Actor Joey Lawrence is 35. Country musician Clay Cook (Zac Brown Band) is 33.
Contributing: Rodney Ho, news services
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