The Jackson L. Graves Foundation Ooh! La, La! had its last hurrah Feb. 11 at the Fayetteville Town Center. The 16th annual chocolate and wine pairing affair will be the nonprofit organization's last fundraising event as foundation leaders announced that evening the establishment of an endowment administered through the Arkansas Community Foundation. They are halfway to their goal of expanding the endowment to $250,000, Audre Darling, executive director, tells me. "This exciting step ensures that our mission will continue for generations to come." Donations to the Jackson L. Graves Charitble Fund may be made at nwaonline.com/gravesfund/.
Angie and James Graves established the foundation in 2005 in memory of their firstborn son who lived his whole life, all four months of it, in the Arkansas Children's Hospital neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Since then, the foundation has worked to fulfill its mission "to provide family-centered care in the NICU environment to make trying times as comfortable, complete, hopeful and peaceful as possible." In the ensuing 20 years, they have raised and donated some $2 million to support family care, facilities and neonatal nurse training.
Family care has taken the form of gas cards to help with transportation for those who live far from the hospital, a sibling playroom at Arkansas Children's and the NICU Essentials Closet for Ronald McDonald House of Arkhoma. Each December the group collects and delivers NICU family gift bags, about 150 dozen cookies and supplies for the waiting room and the babies at Children's just before Christmas.
Supported projects have included a noise monitoring system and healing garden for families at Willow Creek Women's Hospital, milk labs at Washington Regional Medical Center, and quiet communication technology for doctors and nurses at Children's. The foundation also partners with Northwest Medical System.
The Audrey Harris Neonatal Conference each September provides continuing education for nurses. The 2023 conference drew more than 140 neonatal nurses and respiratory and occupational therapists from 15 hospitals in five states, and in May held its second three-day intensive review course to provide in-depth training for registered nurses planning to take the test to become neonatal intensive care certified (RNC-NIC).
Chef Justus Moll created the three-course chocolate-inspired menu, working with Preston Stewart of Terroir Chocolate by Onyx and Phillip Price, sommelier, for the chocolate and wine pairings.
Darling says that while they will no longer hold Ooh! La, La! or their Red, White and Baby Blue summer fundraiser, they will continue with Christmas deliveries to Arkansas Children's and are gearing up for another year of assisting with the Hogeye Marathon and Relays in April.
Collier Drug Stores was the evening's presenting sponsor. Other sponsors included Willow Creek Women's Hospital, Adventure Subaru, Pat O'Brien Ventures, Larry Bittle Insurance Agency Inc., Legacy National Bank, The Bank of Fayetteville, G&G Independent Insurance, ONYX Coffee Lab, Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits, Arkansas Wine & Spirits, CitiScapes Magazine, 3W Magazine, Fayetteville Town Center, Young's Moving Service, Washington Regional, Liquor World and Up on the Hill Events & Party Rentals LLC.
For more event photos -- nwaonline.com/photos/society.
Columnist Carin Schoppmeyer can be reached by email at [email protected].
Amanda Mhoon (from left), Amy and Joshua Schader, Shawn Garrison and Brittany Younger and Amie Collier help represent Collier Drug Stores in support of the Jackson L. Graves Foundation at Ooh! La, La! on Feb. 11 in Fayetteville. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Carin Schoppmeyer)
Martha and Drew Frits (from left), Debbie and Tim Ogg, Kathy and Rick Pierce and Julia and Gary Thorn help support the Jackson L. Graves Foundation on Feb. 11 in Fayetteville. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Carin Schoppmeyer)
Preston Stewart, Terroir Chocolate by Onyx (from left); Chef Justus Moll; and Phillip Price, sommelier, stand for a photo at the Jackson L. Graves Foundation fundraiser. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Carin Schoppmeyer)
Linda and Tom Bacon (from left), Angie and James Graves and Jenn Matthews gather at Ooh! La, La! on Feb. 11 in Fayetteville. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Carin Schoppmeyer)
Rolf and Ceri Wilkin (from left) and Greg Harton visit at the Jackson L. Graves Foundation benefit. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Carin Schoppmeyer)
Rolf and Ceri Wilkin (from left) and Greg Harton visit at the Jackson L. Graves Foundation benefit. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Carin Schoppmeyer)
Steve and Melissa Hotchkiss with granddaughter Avery Wiegers enjoy Ooh! La, La! in Fayetteville. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Carin Schoppmeyer)
Carl and Rhonda Wotowis attend the Jackson L. Graves Foundation benefit on Feb. 11. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Carin Schoppmeyer)
Carl and Rhonda Wotowis attend the Jackson L. Graves Foundation benefit on Feb. 11. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Carin Schoppmeyer)
At a GlanceOoh! La, La!Who: Jackson L. Graves FoundationWhat: The 16th annual chocolate and wine pairing affair will be the nonprofit organization's last fundraising event. Foundation leaders announced that evening that the group has grown to be able to establish an endowment, which will be administered through the Arkansas Community Foundation.When: Feb. 11Where: Fayetteville Town CenterInformation: (479)799-9592 or jacksongraves.org
At a Glance
Ooh! La, La!
Who: Jackson L. Graves Foundation
What: The 16th annual chocolate and wine pairing affair will be the nonprofit organization's last fundraising event. Foundation leaders announced that evening that the group has grown to be able to establish an endowment, which will be administered through the Arkansas Community Foundation.
When: Feb. 11
Where: Fayetteville Town Center
Information: (479)799-9592 or jacksongraves.org