Economy of scale is one of those great market imperatives. It means size generates cost savings, huge suppliers command demand, big-enough never is. Let's turn that on the Class of '15 Sweethearts of the Heart Ball, the largest Sweethearts class by far.
Late in August, the nonprofit American Heart Association of Central Arkansas welcomed 79 new Sweethearts -- up from 56 a year earlier -- and their parents at a luncheon.
Since 1987, the organization has thrown a black-tie fundraising gala called the Heart Ball. In 1998, cardiologist Ricardo Sotomora and his wife, Eileen, organized a kind of debutantes division of the ball, the Sweethearts: high school sophomores, girls only, who learn about heart disease (and hospital care generally) and accumulate service hours volunteering.
The first class had 14.
"We've always turned kids away, and we've always turned kids away to keep things manageable," says Tammy Quick, Heart Ball director.
No longer.
This year, after talking with the regional senior vice president out of Tulsa, Melissa Ramirez, Quick and others decided to endow all takers with the status. Turns out it was 79.
"That's how many girls applied, that's how many were accepted."
Is one of the reasons increasing competition for this constituency from other groups, the Hope Ball Angels, Arkansas Children's Hospital Star ACHievers, the Big Brothers and Big Sisters Ambassadors? Quick wouldn't say. She did say those were all formed later and in the mold of Sweethearts.
She says the main reason is pressure. The association is under a missionwide mandate to lower the rate of death from heart disease and stroke 20 percent by 2020, "and we're not going to do that by limiting the number of people we talk to." She also said area hospitals, Roberson's Fine Jewelry (which donates keepsake pendants for each Sweetheart) and the Sweethearts leadership team of Valerie Kellam and Kelli Miller were accommodating and willing.
"We have people [teenagers] that will not be in the 10th grade for three or four more years who already want to be on the waiting list," Kellam said. "It's just that solid of a program."
She added that Sweethearts are girls in the 10th grade, Star ACHievers are ninth-graders and Angels are 11th-graders, and she has had several girls who have done all three.
If bigger classes correspond to dwindling intimacy, it also means widening networks, Kellam said. This year, a handful of girls are commuting from Stuttgart to participate. Intimacy vs. network size, which do you imagine young people increasingly prefer?
She did say the hardest thing about this huge class is the money it takes to provide for it. The Necklace Dinner, a semiformal usually held in January at Baptist Health, which underwrites the night, will have to be moved next year and fully funded. That's where past Sweethearts come in. They and their parents are the program's chief funders and volunteers.
So, a bigger class means a deeper tier of donors and volunteers next year, and each year.
Size generates cost savings.
THE MARIE
Tony, Emmy, Oscar, Marie. Hmm, these could be big awards or the first names of members of ABBA.
"Um, ABBA was Swedish, so, probably not."
OK, then, they're all awards. They're all trophies without an attendant cash prize. And, of course, they all recognize great performances, although only the last expressly recognizes great deeds.
This year's 10th annual award ceremony and panel discussion is set for 5:30 p.m. Monday at the Darragh Center in the Central Arkansas Library System's Main Library. The recipient is the Rev. Steve Copley, a lawyer and United Methodist Church minister, director of the Arkansas Interfaith Alliance and chairman of the Arkansas Conference of the United Methodist Church's Hunger Task Force who is probably best known for leading the Give Arkansas a Raise Now (minimum wage) ballot initiative.
The Marie Interfaith Civic Leadership Award was begun in 2004 by brothers Paul and Irving Spitzberg to honor the memory of their mother, who "taught my sons ... to right wrongs."
How?
"We must tackle issues with complete information and civil action," she once said.
The first Marie Award, in 2005, went to Mimi Dortch, then the director of the Arkansas Interfaith Conference.
The ballot issue is not why Copley got it, says former state Supreme Court Justice Robert Brown, head of the steering committee that makes the selection, and an erstwhile classmate of Irving Spitzberg's. Copley's name was mentioned two years ago. He's chairman of the Marie board.
I asked Brown if Copley's award isn't just a little like awarding the mayor a key to the city.
"It's really the services rendered over the last 10 years, because he's been the go-to guy from the get-go," he said.
"I think Irving thought it was a good idea if Steve got it, and I think that was thrown out to the committee. 'Well, there are other people, but ....' That's how it came down."
And here's what Irving told me, "My brother and I created the award not only to honor our mother. It grew out of my research on the Little Rock crisis. Some of the most outstanding leaders opposing the segregationists -- especially teachers and ministers -- lost their jobs or had their livelihoods threatened because they had been invisible to the larger community until they became controversial in a crisis. The idea of the Marie is to give visibility to good guys so that in moments of crisis they may be able to marshal broader alliances. ... Steve Copley has led the implementation of the Marie as well as establishing a record of constructive troublemaking in regard to a variety of issues in Little Rock."
There's no fundraiser to this nonprofit. There's no office, no year-long program or outreach, and therefore, no staff. Like the Great Pumpkin, it makes an appearance just one night a year about this time, when it gives out a trophy and holds a lecture or panel discussion concerning some issue. This year it's "The Good, the Bad and the How of Public Service," and former state Sen. Jim Argue will moderate a discussion between former state Rep. Kathy Webb, state Sen. (and current board member) Joyce Elliott and the Rev. Marie Mainard O'Connell.
No word if Democratic Party Chairman Vincent Insalaco will also attend.
There's no charge for the reception and lecture, but the public is invited to RSVP at themarie.com.
Incidentally, the four band members of ABBA are Agnetha, Benny, Bjorn and Anni-Frid. And here I thought "Abba" was just a metrical foot.
WOMAN IN WAITING
Sharon Bale will be the next Woman of the Year. This is the most fawning, lush party-in-your-honor any Little Rock woman can aspire to. For that night, you're bigger than the governor, who is one of hundreds applauding you. Bale's night is Jan. 17 at the Women & Children First annual gala.
She joins the most exclusive sorority of distaff tastemakers and philanthropists in the area. Eileen Sotomora is the current Woman. Before her, Phyllis Brandon (2007), Cindy Murphy (2008), Millie Ward (2009), Donna Cone (2010), Ginger Beebe (2011), Linda Gleason (2012) and Terri Erwin (2013).
Give Bobby Ampezzan what-for at
bampezzan@arkansasonline.com
High Profile on 10/19/2014