It is considered the most important day of your life—and you don’t want to spend it worrying about tables, décor and dealing with vendors. Brides who want to plan their own festivities often feel overwhelmed by the way things will—or will not—come together on the big day, and St. Louis event organizer Kate & Company offers a unique semi-planning services to help these brides stay blushing, not flustered.

A truly great song can break and warm your heart simultaneously. Despite her age—or perhaps enhanced by it—7-year-old cancer patient Arianna has created just that while in the hospital. The opportunity wasn’t a musical miracle: It was Maryville University’s Kids Rock Cancer.

Extremely rare pieces from one of the largest private collections of Alexander McQueen’s work are among those to be showcased in an upcoming exhibition at the World Chess Hall of Fame. 

Often thought of as a game for the privileged, PGA REACH flips that generalization of golf on its head. PGA REACH serves underprivileged youth by working to increase their academic—and ‘Beyond 18’ life—success.

Creating good by giving back is a gift to yourself, local financial advisers say. But before making a major donation to support your favorite cause, heed the following pieces of advice to avoid scams, maximize that gift and leave a lasting legacy of philanthropy. 

Food in America is more than a necessary aspect of survival: It’s a part of our language, culture and social experience. We gather around meals. Our idioms and phrases make food references. We represent and define areas and events by the meals or snacks that coincide. While this may be many people’s America, dinner isn’t on the table for every family. Despite misconceptions about hunger, a lack of food is a sincere problem for Americans every day, including the approximately 57,100 individuals who depend weekly on the St. Louis Area Foodbank.

MAY

MISSION: St. Louis County National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) works to eliminate racial discrimination and ensure political, educational, social and economic equal rights for everyone. The nonprofit stands for the belief that people of all races, nationalities and faiths are created equal. 

TAYLOR ROBINSON, a senior at Ladue Horton-Watkins High School, is one of 814 high school athletes nationwide who have been nominated to play in the 2013 McDonald’s All American Games. The 2013 nominees include high school basketball players from across the country who have been selected by coaches, athletic directors, principals and members of the McDonald’s All American Games Selection Committee. Pictured: Taylor Robinson with Colleen Schoendienst, local McDonald's owner/operator

A wedding is one of the happiest days in people’s lives. But at a recent reception, tragedy struck. That's when Dr. Pedro Suarez sprang into action after a fellow guest’s pacemaker failed, causing her heart to stop beating. The local health professional’s medical skills and rapid response saved her life. 

The next time you think you’re too smart to be scammed out of money, consider the Ladue businessman who recently lost $3 million in a Jamaican lottery scam.

As the executive director of Nurses for Newborns, Melinda Ohlemiller sees the struggles families face first-hand. “The families that we serve are in need in ways many of us could not imagine,” she says, recalling a recent home visit where a 4-year-old sibling sat on her lap and asked if she had a pencil. “She was so grateful; she had nothing to write with. We take a pencil for granted, and we take diapers for granted.” But despite the lack of basic necessities, “we also see incredible resiliency,” Ohlemiller notes. “Some of these families are beaten down, but they stand up, pick themselves up and move on. We want to be part of the solution. That’s our mission, to support them.”

April

Eight-year-old Katelyn Vaser is proof of the difference the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Gateway Chapter (LLS) has made in St. Louis. Three years ago, when she was diagnosed with a typically adult form of cancer—B cell lymphoma—her parents were blindsided. “When we took her to the hospital, my wife and I had no idea she had cancer,” says Katelyn’s dad, Dan Vaser. “So we were scrambling for information.” That’s when they found LLS. “At the time Katelyn was diagnosed, it had spread to most of her major organs and her nervous system,” he explains. “We relied on the LLS website, where there was a lot of informational support. And the more information I had, the better I felt.” 

Caroline Kennedy will be in town next Wednesday, April 3, for the ninth annual Family Read Night at St. Louis County Library headquarters to discuss her new book.

So last week, a show premiered on ABC called Splash—not to be confused with Smash, which has an actual story line. Splash is a reality show where 'celebrities' attempt to dive. That’s it. They dive. Coaches coach them, they hurl themselves off a 10-meter board (please don’t call to correct me about the height of the board because frankly, I just don’t care), and judges score them. So let’s tally it up: We’ve had celebrities dance. We’ve seen them skate, cook, diet, rehabilitate and survive in the wilderness. All I can say is that fame—however it is achieved—must be pretty freaking awesome if people are willing to go through all this to get it--or rather cling to it. And that got me thinking: I wonder what else we could get said fame-seekers to do?

Kim Eberlein (Volunteer Leadership)

Executives from some of the city’s largest corporations will hit the greens for a good cause during the St. Louis Arc Golf Tournament May 20 at The Country Club of St. Albans. 

Tee time approaching? You had better hope you’re heading to one of these spectacular Missouri golf courses. Never sub-par, these local courses offer some of the best views and amenities to golfers—and have the rankings and professional events to prove it.

The secret of Best Transportation’s success is out: In the past 10 years, sisters and company co-owners have built Best into the largest limousine/party bus/shuttle service company in St. Louis.

Across

Bruce Affleck first wore the Blue Note in 1974. Now, he’s the Blues’ chief operating officer, and he’s still chasing Lord Stanley’s elusive prize.

Rock and Roll Hall-of-Famer JOHN MELLENCAMP will headline next month’s 25th Annual Bob Costas Benefit for SSM Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center. The April 20 event at the Fox Theatre signals Mellencamp’s return to the Costas Benefit stage. His 35 years of music has spawned iconic hits like Jack and Diane and Small Town. The event’s opening act will be announced shortly. For tickets, call 577-5605 or visit glennon.org. More information about the Bob Costas Cancer Center will appear in LN’s March 15 issue.