A reverence and respect for water is a universal theme, found in cultures from ancient Greece to the remote Pacific Island of Vanuatu. The ritual significance of water spans across the globe to include the Native American rain dance, Christian baptismal font, the gleeful splashing of the Songkran water festival of the Dai New Year and the solemn funeral pyre on the Ganges. Learning to manage water, whether it is a lot or a little, is an important part of our shared community. Well-handled water can be cleansing, refreshing, energizing. Out-of-control water has the power to drown and destroy, to wash away with time even the greatest of mountains.

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. 

It’s been announced that the Fox Theatre will undergo a massive ceiling restoration—the biggest undertaking since its original 1981 restoration.

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.

The high cost of raising a child is indisputable, and my wife and I are somewhat in denial about how much we spend on our children’s extra-curricular activities. Sure, we know what it costs to sign up for hockey, and we know the fee for each tennis lesson. It is those incidentals and unexpected opportunities that are difficult to determine. And to be honest, my parental enjoyment of these activities might be diminished if I paid too much attention to these financial expenditures.

World-class artists are once again coming together for Sing for Siteman, a one-night-only performance to support cancer research for Siteman Cancer Center.

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. 

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. 

With warmer days upon us and the return of the ruby-throated hummingbird, it’s time to start thinking about creating an outdoor space that is not only pleasing to our feathered friends, but to us, as well. Fortunately, it’s also time for the Webster Groves Herb Society’s 40th annual herb sale, which takes place Saturday, April 20, from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at First Congregational Church of Webster Groves. With more than 10,000 plants and 320 different varieties of both culinary and ornamental herbs, as well as heirloom vegetables, there is sure to be something for everyone, including our friend, the hummingbird.

Weather conditions and human activities affect the population of monarchs. And according to Dr. Chip Taylor, a continued decline could mean the migration of these butterflies could be lost.

Admiring abstract art. Analyzing articles in The Wall Street Journal. Researching the Dead Sea Scrolls. Not the usual activities for an older adult, but for Henrietta Freedman and other local retired professionals, it’s all in a day’s coursework. As co-founder of the Lifelong Learning Institute at Washington University, Freedman has given area seniors the gift of being in college again. And it’s a pleasure, not a chore, this time around.

DR. COLIN DERDEYN, professor of radiology, neurological surgery and neurology at Washington University School of Medicine, has been appointed vice-chair and chair-elect of the Stroke Council of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.

At the age of 26, Ellie Hock has done a lot of things—she’s earned a master’s in speech therapy, she’s done the show-dog circuit, and she’s started her own business: Urban Nectar was the result of a journey Hock took after the death of her mother in the fall of 2011 from brain cancer. We talked to her about how it all got started.

Thank you for the great spread in LN for our Change Begins with Me exhibition opening. You have been wonderfully supportive and we couldn’t be more pleased with the impact. You are the best. (2/8/13 issue, p. 7)

He was on his way to sleep-away camp but was sent home upon arrival, says Janice Bailey, VP of St. Louis Children’s Hospital (SLCH) Foundation, of the boy who inspired one of the area’s most heartwarming summer camps. Bailey explains the youngster was sent home, gear in hand, because the facility was overwhelmed by the sheer amount of the boy's heart medication. This devastating rejection was crushing not only to the child, but also to his nurses, who felt inclined to create a solution for children in similar situations. These days, that solution is simply known as SLCH’s Camp Rhythm.

DOUGLAS CHANG has been appointed GM of The Ritz-Carlton, St. Louis. Previously, he oversaw the hotel's Maui location.

Kim Eberlein (Volunteer Leadership)

EdLetter / 3-29

The Baldwin Report

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. 

CITY ACADEMY received a $1 million gift from the Crawford Taylor Foundation for endowment. The gift supports the school’s efforts to offer an expanded Early Childhood Program. With the help of this grant, plans to expand to a total of 175 students by 2014 are in place. Pictured: D’Niya Ammons, Chantell Johnson and Chontell Johnson of City Academy's new Early Childhood Program.

The small-town sounds of Rock and Roll Hall-of-Famer John Mellencamp will make for a big night at the 25th Annual Bob Costas Benefit on April 20 at the Fox Theatre. The highly anticipated event, which raises approximately $1 million annually for the Bob Costas Cancer Center at SSM Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center, is known for its star-studded performance lineups that in past years have included Jerry Seinfeld, Jimmy Fallon, Ray Ramono, Bill Murray, Conan O'Brien, Dana Carvey, Billy Crystal, Cedric the Entertainer, Kathleen Madigan and Jay Leno. This year will be no exception as event host Bob Costas welcomes the legendary Mellencamp and a yet to be announced comedic artist to commemorate the silver anniversary. The Indiana native and his band will be returning to the Costas Benefit stage with a set that draws from an extensive catalog of classic songs, such as Small Town, Jack and Diane, Pink Houses and R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.

When separation threatened a tight-knit pair of abused and neglected young siblings, a court-appointed special advocate (CASA) stepped in to give them a voice. “Their sibling bond was so strong that the CASA fought for them to stay together, and a family did end up adopting them together,” says Voices for Children CEO Jan Huneke, recalling her first experience leading the life-changing organization. “This had a huge impact on them as children and adults.”

Kim Uzzetta, administrator of Parkcrest Orthopedics, is busy. That’s because the practice of four orthopedic surgeons and two certified physician assistants offers a full range of services. Yet Uzzetta is never too busy to provide the kind of personalized service she would expect for her own family, and that philosophy is at the heart of the practice, she says.

Mission: The American Red Cross prevents and alleviates human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors.