events

Smarties, it’s my honor to introduce you to Smarty Warrior, Erin Santos, Founder of the Isabella Santos Foundation in memory of her baby girl Isabella who is now in heaven. I just cannot imagine the level of pain Erin has endured over the years. My hope is that by sharing her story with you, together, we may all make a difference in fighting the pediatric cancer battle that is undeniably underfunded and often too little too late. Erin is a true warrior in my book. I’ve followed her Caring Bridge site for almost a year now and so wished I could have done something to change her outcome. She has strength and courage that I only hope to have if I ever walk in her shoes, which I pray each and every day that I never do. But as you know, cancer does not discriminate – it knows no bounds and can come into your life overnight.

So we ask you to share in Erin’s story this beautiful Saturday morning, halfway through Pediatric Cancer Awareness month. Make sure you visit the Isabella Santos Foundation site to learn more about how you can help.

Smarties, meet Erin Santos.

Smarties, mark your calendars for AdamFest this weekend where families can enjoy carnival rides, live entertainment, inflatables, face painting, snacks and meet Sir Purr – while helping ensure that children with cancer can continue to get treatment in Charlotte. Like Adam Tanksley did.

AdamFest, held during Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month, is the flagship fundraising event of the Adam Faulk Tanksley Foundation, one of the supporting members of the Carolina KIDS Cancer Research Coalition.

The foundation’s goal is to raise $500,000 for the coalition, which was established during the depths of the economic downturn in 2010. Carolinas HealthCare Foundation — the philanthropic arm of Carolinas HealthCare System — united small charities to fund local cancer research and treatment. The coalition pledged nearly $6 million to support Phase I and Phase II clinical research trials at Levine Children’s Hospital, the first steps toward finding new treatments.

Smarties, we’re excited to bring you a chance to win one of SIX free tickets to the Women’s Symposium sponsored by our friends at Carolinas HealthCare System. Now you have ZERO excuses to focus on YOUR health for a change!

Women of all ages are invited to join CHS experts for an entire day dedicated to you! Learn how to maintain a healthy lifestyle through all stages of life and participate in a variety of discussions and screenings dedicated to making a healthier you. Guess who the keynote speaker is, and let me tell ya, she’s F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S! It’s Giuliana Rancic, the Anchor of E! News and breast cancer survivor. This is definitely a gal you are going to want to meet, pinkie swear!

Happy Wednesday Smarties! County Fairs, consignment sales, beach music and corn mazes. It is shaping up to be a great Fall in the Queen City! We have several events to put on your calendars and many to chose from this weekend. Support Tyler’s Treehouse, The Nature Museum, The Schiele or Woofstock, all are Smarty, family fun. Get out and enjoy!

Tyler’sTreehouse 5K and 1-Mile Fun Run/Walk
Old Georgetowne Swim Club
September 8, 8:00am
Tyler’s Treehouse 5K and 1-Mile Fun Run/Walk in Charlotte off Sharon Road in the Olde Georgetowne/Sharon Hills neighborhood. 5K at 8am and fun run/walk at 9am. This is a family-friendly event. Post-race party includes pool party from 10am-1pm at Olde Georgetowne pool and food from sponsors. Tyler’s Treehouse was established in 2006 in memory of 5 year old Tyler Scott who died of brainstem glioma. Benefits brainstem glioma research at St Jude Children’s Hospital. To register go to www.sportoften.com.

American Presidential Experience
407 West Third Street Charlotte
August 31 – September 8
The American Presidential Experience is a nonpartisan educational exhibit celebrating American history, democracy and the US Presidency featuring more than 35 exhibits, historic memorabilia and artifacts along with a vendor marketplace. Appearing for the first time in North Carolina, this nonpartisan tribute invites everyone to learn more about how the Presidency operates with exhibits celebrating three centuries of presidential history.

Congrats to Jessica! This is the event of the fall for golf-loving families!

CSP is proud to partner with the 2012 Symetra Classic, a stop on the Symetra Tour – Road to the LPGA! The 2012 Symetra Classic will take place September 10-16, 2012 at the Raintree Country Club in South Charlotte and will bring together a field of 144 women professional golfers from around the world and across the United States. The Symetra Tour – Road to the LPGA is the developmental tour of the LPGA, whose mission is to prepare the very best young professional women golfers for a successful career on the LPGA Tour. Every year, the top 10 Symetra Tour players earn automatic membership to play on the LPGA Tour. The tour includes nearly 30 players with North Carolina ties, as well as many of the stars of the most recent season of the hit Golf Channel show, “Big Break: Atlantis.”

No matter your political views, the DNC is an exciting time to expose your family to the important issues of our times, including healthcare, energy, the economy and education. Carolinas HealthCare System will be part of a wonderful family event during the Democratic National Convention and we invite Smarty families to join us! Spend a day celebrating the Carolinas, the South and Labor Day!

CSP is proud to partner with the 2012 Symetra Classic, a stop on the Symetra Tour – Road to the LPGA! The 2012 Symetra Classic will take place September 10-16, 2012 at the Raintree Country Club in South Charlotte and will bring together a field of 144 women professional golfers from around the world and across the United States. The Symetra Tour – Road to the LPGA is the developmental tour of the LPGA, whose mission is to prepare the very best young professional women golfers for a successful career on the LPGA Tour. Every year, the top 10 Symetra Tour players earn automatic membership to play on the LPGA Tour. The tour includes nearly 30 players with North Carolina ties, as well as many of the stars of the most recent season of the hit Golf Channel show, “Big Break: Atlantis.”

This event is for the entire family to enjoy all week long and support women’s golf and the next generation of LPGA superstars. I personally am thrilled to see Charlotte bring a women’s golf event of this caliber to Charlotte! It’s about time we lift up these Smarty women in golf!

Smarties, we have LOTS going on this week, actually over the next month! So don’t forget to wake up with us over your morning joe every single day! Here are your reminders for this week:

The Extreme Ice Center Giveaway registration ends on Wednesday!

We’re giving away $140 worth of skating lessons (boy or girl!) and we’re picking our winner on Wed at 8p, so don’t hesitate. You can’t win if you don’t enter. Click here for details.

Smarties, do we have an amazing event in store for you, so get your calendars out and pen this in! This event is all about Y-O-U for a change, and it’s sponsored by our friends at Carolinas HealthCare System.

As a mom, we are always putting others first, even when it comes to health. We make sure our children never miss a check-up. EVER. When they get sick, you are on the phone at 8:29am sharp so you can be first to get your sick appointment. But what have you done for YOUR health lately? I’m guilty myself – I’m late in getting my annual PAP smear. I can’t give you one good reason why, except that I’m done having babies, so my OBGYN, now GYN, visits just fell off my radar. Well thanks to our Smarty friends at CHS, they have put a day together just for us gal pals to focus on getting our health back on track. Thanks, CHS, this Smarty pink & green girl will be there with bells on!

Happy Wednesday Smarties! The Monster Trucks are back. This is one of my family’s summer favorites – I don’t know what it is except that it is good, family fun. Head up to the speedway today to help kick off the fall season. Discovery Place and the Charlotte Nature Museum have a full array of activities/movies this weekend. Get out and Enjoy.

Parade of Power – TODAY!!!
Charlotte Motor Speedway
August 8, 2012 Begins at 10:00am, parade begins at noon
Charlotte Motor Speedway will make Bruton Smith Boulevard roar to life with some of the fastest and most powerful machines on the planet when the Parade of Power thunders down the popular thoroughfare to roll out the speedway’s Fall Season of Speed. The parade will include vehicles representing all of the events planned at the legendary superspeedway complex throughout the fall, including a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series car, an NHRA Top Fuel dragster, a World of Outlaw sprint car, a monster truck and many more. NASCAR and NHRA drivers, including Joey Logano, Erica Enders and Doug Herbert will take part in the event, which will also include an autograph session and driver Q&A following the parade. Fans in attendance can participate in a question and answer session with the drivers and the first 100 fans to arrive at the speedway Wednesday morning will be invited to an autograph session in the speedway ticket office following the fan forum. Children 13 and under can take a ride in a monster truck and photo opportunities will be available with the cars. The POWERADE Play Zone, which includes the Charlotte Motor Speedway Fan Van, face painters and a bounce house will be open from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Fans can also enjoy live music and inexpensive refreshments during the event. As part of a one-day-only promotion, fans who purchase tickets to any fall Season of Speed event will also have the chance to spin-to-win other great prizes, including camping chairs, collectible diecast cars or tool kits.