WOODLANDS HOLIDAY COUNTOWN ANNOUNCES FIRST WINNERS. Thomas and Dianna McDermott, new residents of The Woodlands, won the October weekend package in The Woodlands Holiday Countdown, a program that rewards those who purchased new homes between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31.

The McDermotts won deluxe weekend accommodations at The Woodlands Resort, dinner for two at The Woodlands Dining Room and a round of golf at the Panther Trail golf course.

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SALVATION ARMY HARBOR LIGHT CHOIR PERFORMS FOR THE HERITAGE TRAILS DAR CHAPTER. Members of the Heritage Trails DAR chapter enjoyed a holiday luncheon with a presentation by the Salvation Army Harbor Light Choir. The luncheon kicked off a season of giving for the DAR chapter as they volunteered for many service opportunities in the community and for veterans throughout the Houston area.

The chapter presented a donation to the Salvation Army and members served the Montgomery County Food Bank during the “Feeding the Frontier” fundraiser, along with the Judge Nathaniel Hart Davis DRT chapter.   The DAR chapter has sent more than 80 boxes to the troops and visits the Wounded Warrior Center in San Antonio with donations and financial aid through the DAR Project Patriot committee.

The DAR Service for Veterans opportunities included decorating the Fisher House (a home away from home for military families who are treated at the Michael E. DeBakey Hospital); adopting veterans for the Christmas season; serving as hostesses for two Christmas parties for veterans at the hospital; and laying wreaths during the Wreaths Across America ceremonies at the Houston Veterans Memorial Cemetery.

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MCUW RECIPIENT OF HOME DEPOT GRANT. The Home Depot Foundation awarded a $10,000 grant to Montgomery County United Way to assist the “Deerwood Familia Community Center Project,” which benefits the residential community of Deerwood, located off of Highway 105, east of Conroe.

Approximately 80 Home Depot employees and managers joined forces with residents and other community volunteers to complete a variety of improvement projects including rebuilding the entrance sign to the community, building a small pavilion and storage shed, installing a flag pole and swing set, and landscaping.

The Geezer Squad, a self-named group of volunteers who regularly participate in MCUW’s Days of Caring program, built a wheelchair ramp. The Home Depot Foundation grant paid for materials used during the project.

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HANDMADE BLANKETS AND HOLIDAY STOCKINGS DELIGHT MONTGOMERY YOUTHS. Montgomery County Youth Services received what has become a wonderful holiday tradition from Montgomery County resident Doris Oakley — more than 100 handmade blankets and 100 stockings full of treats for young people served by MCYS.

Oakley worked with her daughter, Cindy, and two friends, Linda Cornwall and Pat Hampton, to make the blankets and stuff the stockings.

“We just didn’t like the idea of kids being cold or having to do without this holiday season, so we decided to do something to make sure that wouldn’t happen,” said Oakley.

“We are so grateful to Doris, her daughter and friends for this donation,” said Chris Gritzmacher, MCYS site supervisor. “The gift meant so much to one girl who received a blanket when she was younger, that her mother offered to help Doris with the donated blankets to ensure that her daughter would be able to receive one again this year.”

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MUSEUM CELEBRATES ANOTHER MILESTONE. The Woodlands Children’s Museum has new signage after opening in the Panther Creek Shopping Center. The museum occupies 11,000 square feet and features 6,000 square feet of exhibit and classroom space.

“Fast Signs did a super job for us and we are so excited to have our sign up where people can find us easily,” said Angela Colton, executive director for The Woodlands Children’s Museum.

For more information about workshops, classes, memberships and other events, e-mail angelacolton@sbcglobal.net or call 281-465-0955.

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UHY ADVISORS RAISES MONEY FOR JUVENILE DIABETES RESEARCH FOUNDATION. UHY Advisors raised more than $27,000 in the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation’s Rock the Cure 2010 Walk to Cure Diabetes.

More than 200 UHY employees, family members, friends and clients came together to walk in the 5K event as team UHY Cares and helped raise funds for diabetes research.

“Our firm philosophy is to lead by example and encourage all of our people to volunteer time, talents and resources to deserving organizations in the communities where we live and work,” said Rick Stein, co-CEO of UHY Advisors. “We are proud to be a part of JDRF’s efforts in finding a cure for diabetes, and we hope to do another walk next year with an even bigger showing.”

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CONTINENTAL AIRLINES HONORED AT MCYS GALA FOR DEDICATION TO YOUTH. Continental Airlines was honored at the Montgomery County Youth Services’ Our Kids Are Going Places Gala during the MCYS Celebrity Golf Classic weekend. The company was honored for its 18-year participation in the annual event as a Platinum Sponsor and its dedication to the youth of Montgomery County.

The three-day event, hosted by PGA professional golfer Jeff Maggert and his wife Michelle, netted more than $115,000 to benefit the children and families supported by Montgomery County Youth Services.

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ST. LUKE’S DONATES TO INTERFAITH. The staff at St. Luke’s The Woodlands Hospital and St. Luke’s Lakeside Hospital held a holiday drive for Interfaith of The Woodlands. Hospital representatives delivered numerous toys, gift cards, food and household items just in time for the holidays.

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LOCAL AUTHORS ENHANCE SIGNATURES AUTHOR SERIES. More than 860 were in attendance at the Signatures Author Series. Local authors from The Woodlands and surrounding areas represented a variety of book genres to round out the literary lineup at the 6th Annual Signatures Author Series featuring bestselling author Nicholas Sparks.

The annual luncheon, sponsored by The John Cooper School Fine Arts Council, was held at The Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel in November.

A portion of the proceeds from this year’s Signatures Author Series will go to the Montgomery County Memorial Library System and the Children’s Books on Wheels organization.

Teresa Catlin, who was visiting from Virginia, was the winning bidder in the silent auction for a chair donated by Bellacasa Designs of The Woodlands and signed by Sparks. The chair sold for $2,500.

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HODGES COLLISION CENTER PRESENTS HOLIDAY DONATION TO COMMUNITY CLINIC. In the spirit of the season, Steve Guinn, owner of the two Hodges Collision Centers, presented a $1,000 donation to The Community Clinic to support them in their efforts to provide dental and medical care to the working poor and uninsured of Montgomery County and surrounding areas.

“This year, Hodges Collision decided to give to The Community Clinic because we know that the work they do truly makes a difference in our community,” said Guinn.  “Hodges Collision Center has a history of giving back to the community, and we are happy to support The Community Clinic in their efforts to help those who need medical care.”

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MEN’S TURKEY-CARVING EVENT HOSTED BY ELLIS & ELLIS. The Ellis & Ellis financial advisory firm hosted a Men’s Turkey-Carving Event for several of their clients and guests. With help from chefs Wallace Hulse and Joseph McGrath of Hubbell & Hudson’s Viking Cooking School, the men learned to wield carving knives just in time for Thanksgiving. The group cooked and carved four turkeys, which were donated along with seven others to Interfaith of The Woodlands’ food pantry.

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PAVILION NOMINATED FOR BEST OUTDOOR CONCERT VENUE. The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion has been nominated for the 2010 Pollstar Awards’ Best Major Outdoor Concert Venue. Winners will be announced at the 22nd Annual Pollstar Concert Industry Awards on Feb. 5 in Los Angeles.

Other nominees for the Best Major Outdoor Concert Venue include Bethel Woods Center for The Arts in Bethel, N.Y.; Gorge Amphitheatre in Quincy, Wash.; Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles; Mann Center for The Performing Arts in Philadelphia; and Molson Canadian Amphitheatre in Toronto.

Nominees for the Pollstar Awards are selected by international music business professionals. Winners are then determined by votes from the international readership of Pollstar.

The Pavilion also ranked second in the world based on the number of tickets sold through the third quarter of the year according to Pollstar. The Pavilion’s ticket sales totaled 307,489 for shows played between Jan. 1 and Sept. 30, 2010.

In 2010, The Pavilion had seven sold-out concerts including Buzzfest XXIV, Jimmy Buffett, Jack Johnson, John Mayer, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Rush and Buzzfest XXV.

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CENTERPOINT ENERGY SPONSORS WORLD OF HOLIDAY TREES. CenterPoint Energy was sponsor once again of the World of Holiday Trees at the annual International Winter On The Waterway (iWOW) festival along The Woodlands Waterway.

“CenterPoint Energy is happy to support iWOW and thrilled to be part of an event that partners with a local elementary school in teaching about different cultures around the world,” said Bob Roy of CenterPoint Energy. “We look forward to many more years together supporting this annual community event.”

In conjunction with the 28th Annual Lighting of the Doves Festival, iWOW celebrates the cultural diversity represented in The Woodlands and surrounding areas. The students at Creekside Forest Elementary School in The Woodlands decorated 20 trees highlighting countries and areas around the world including the United States, Mexico, Canada, Holland and New Zealand. The trees were displayed at the school through mid-December.

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DUPONT STAFF PARTICIPATES IN DAY OF CARING FOR WOMEN’S CENTER. DuPont employees spent a day volunteering for Montgomery County United Way Funded Partner Montgomery County Women’s Center.

DuPont’s 28 volunteers were joined by four employees of International Paint LLC who spent the day working around the center. They power-washed the building, walkways and driveway; painted bookcases, shelves and tables in the children’s activity room; painted several offices; landscaped and mulched the children’s playground and landscaped several flower beds on the property. International Paint donated the paint for the project.

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SHENANDOAH CVB CELEBRATES GRAND OPENING OF NEW VISITORS CENTER AND Museum. A crowd of more than 100 business and civic leaders, politicians and members of the community turned out for the grand opening of Shenandoah’s new free-standing visitors center and museum. The 3,700-square-foot facility is located behind Home Depot in Shenandoah.

In addition to providing maps and information about Texas and all of its cities and attractions, the new center will also showcase the area’s history through its Footprints in Courage Museum, featuring David the Bubble Boy.

A native of Shenandoah, David Vetter was born with an immunological disorder that forced him to live inside a sterile environment from the moment he was born in 1972 until he died in 1984. His legacy is memorialized with the naming of a wing at Texas Children’s Hospital, a street in his hometown, and the only school in the country named after a child — David Elementary in The Woodlands.

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RAISING CANE’S THE WOODLANDS GIVES BACK TO LOCAL SCHOOLS. Raising Cane’s in The Woodlands hosted a fundraiser for Collins Intermediate PTO, raising nearly $400 for the organization.

Raising Cane’s continually supports local school athletics, school activities, churches, community sports programs and nonprofit organizations in the
community.

“We enjoy giving back to the schools,” said Jesson Gil, owner of Raising Cane’s The Woodlands. “We like to be involved in the community and give back whenever we can. We are happy to help the Collins PTO raise money for their projects throughout the year.”