Meet the honorees of the 5th Annual Hearts & Heroes Event

Friends, family, volunteers, advocates, elected officials, and community leaders will join in celebrating this year’s honored heroes at the 5th Annual Hearts & Heroes Black Tie Event on Saturday, October 14th at the University of North Texas Gateway Center starting at six o’clock in the evening.

These individuals and this organization exemplify the compassion, strength, self sacrifice and hard work that make a difference in our community day in and day out. The Hearts & Heroes honorees include:

Pam Clayton, recipient of the Richard Sale III Award

Euline Brock, recipient of the Spirit Award

Pat Evans, recipient of the Community Leadership Award

Randy and Sandra Robinson, recipient of the Founders Award

Christian Community Action, recipient of the Agency of the Year Award

Richard Sale III Award: Pam Clayton

Pam Clayton has a long history of community involvement and innumerable contributions in the response to the growing need in the HIV/AIDS community. Pam grew up in Cuero, Texas, graduating from Bonham High School. UNT (North Texas State College at the time) brought her to Denton where she attained a degree in Home Economics, and developed quite the flair for Gourmet Cooking. She continued her education at East Texas State University where she earned a Masters of Education.

Her interest in cooking led her to support the Oak Cliff Dinner Club, which provided dinners to AIDS patients. This was the first step in what has become a grand tradition of supporting the HIV+ community. Pam served on the board of Razzle Dazzle for 6 years working to address the needs of the HIV/AIDS community in the 80’s.

In 1987 Pam founded the Care Line Home Health Agency in Dallas providing the first home health care agency for patients with HIV. She also served on the Board of Directors for the AIDS Resource Center in Dallas for 6 years, serving as chair for 2. She served on the Oak Lawn Community Services Board, which initiated the first AIDS Life Walk.

In 1985 Pam began her involvement with Black Tie Dinner as an attendee to the dinner. Several years later she was asked to sit on the Board of Directors. In a short two years she became a Co-chair of Black Tie Dinner, serving in that capacity for 2 years. She took the dinner to new heights raising over 1.24 million dollars for local beneficiaries including AIDS Services of North Texas. Pam continues to serve on the Advisory Board of Black Tie Dinner, devoting her energy and support to raising much needed funds and awareness for the HIV+ community.

Pam shares her fast paced life with her partner Jean Vining and their dog Sophie. Even considering her tireless efforts, Pam feels that she has yet to reach her full potential in supporting our community and has many years of giving to accomplish her dream.

AIDS Services of North Texas is most pleased to recognize this extraordinary woman with the Richard Sale III Award.

Spirit Award: Euline Brock

Euline Brock has long displayed a vested interest in the well being of her community as well as the surrounding communities. Her Mayoral victory in 2000 was hardly the first of her extensive endeavors.
After earning a Ph. D. in history form the Univ. of North Texas, Ms Brock served as an Associate Prof. of History at Texas Women’s University from 1986 to 1996. Prior to that, she was Prof. of History for T.C.C. and the Univ. of Maryland in Istanbul, Turkey. She also served as an Instructor of English for UNT.

As Mayor, Brock served on the following City Council committees: Agenda Committee, Audit Committee, Committee on the Environment, Investment Committee, Mobility Committee, and the Hotel Occupancy Tax Committee.

She has also been heavily involved in the regional policy-making efforts. As President of the Metroplex Mayors, she promoted development of a regional transit system and organized the first-ever joint meeting of the Metroplex Mayors (mayors from Dallas Collin and Denton Counties) and Tarrant County Mayors Council. She helped organize the Regional Transit Initiative and served as part if the group’s liaison to the Texas Legislature. She has been a member of the Executive Board of the North Central Texas Council of Governments and served on the steering committee. In April 2005 she participated in the region-wide “Vision North Texas” process and continues to be involved in implementing the growth policies developed through those efforts. She is a member of the Executive Board of the North Texas Commission and works actively with the regional “Keep Local Government Local” group lobbying in the Texas Legislature. In May 2005 the North Central Texas Council of the Governments gave Mayor Brock the William J Pitstick Regional Cooperation Award in recognition of her efforts to promote trans-jurisdictional solutions to regional problems.

In addition to these feats Mayor Brock was appointed to two standing committees (Energy and Environment and Arts, Parks, Recreation, and Sports) by the U.S. Conference of Mayors. Locally, she serves on the Economic Development Partnership Board and co-chairs the Downtown Development Task Force. She has been President of the Denton Rotary Club, on the Board of the Denton Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Greater Denton Arts Council, the Greater Denton Arts Council, the Denton Humanitarian Association, and HOPE Inc. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for the University of North Texas Foundation.

A.S.N.T is pleased to honor Euline Brock with this year’s Spirit Award.

Community Leadership Award: Pat Evans

Mayor Evans, Magna cum laude graduate of the Univ. of Texas at Austin, has long been an active participant in local advocacy and policy change and implementation. A Juris Doctorate graduate of S.M.U., and recipient of the Jurisprudence Award in 1990; she currently practices as a Child Advocacy Attorney and Family Law Mediator; and is a member of the Collin County Bar Association, the State Bar of Texas and the Plano Chamber of Commerce.

Pat Evans was first elected Mayor of Plano in 2002 then re-elected in ’04. This, however, was hardly the first of her extensive community efforts. She served on the City Council, Place 3 in 1996, and Place 2 from 1998-2001. She is involved with the North Texas Commission and has served as Liaison to the Planning & Zoning, Parks & Recreation, Senior Citizens Advisory Board, Animal Shelter Advisory Board, Building Standards Commission, Community Relations Commission, Cultural Affairs Commission, Library Advisory Board, Plano Cultural Arts Commission, and the Collin County Community Justice Council.

Mayor Evans is a member of the North Texas Council of Government Executive Board, as well as the Executive Board of the Dallas Regional Mobility Coalition and the Metroplex Mayors Council. She has also displayed a continued interest in culture and diversity through involvement with such organizations as the Voice of Asian-American Association, Indian-American Friendship Council, and the League of United Latin American Citizens.

In the past Mayor Evans has served on the boards of the Junior League of Plano, PISD Futures Foundation, Hopes’ Door Women’s Shelter, Plano Parks Foundation, Collin County Children’s Advocacy Center, DART Citizen’s Advisory and many others.

Mayor Evans has been honored with such prestigious awards as the Plano Citizen of the Year in 2004, Plano Civic Volunteer of the Year, “Voice of the Children” Award for CASA of Collin County, and the “Hero of Hope” Award from the Collin County Children’s Advocacy Center.
AIDS Services of North Texas is delighted with the opportunity to present Mayor Evans with this year’s Community Leadership Award.

Founder’s Award: Randy & Sandra Robinson

Randy and Sandra Robinson, both alumni of the University of North Texas, have an established record of community involvement.
Sandra has been involved with several organizations, including Salvation Army, Danton Festival Foundation, Denton Benefit League, Denton Community Theatre, The Arts Guild of Denton and United Way. She has served in a leadership capacity with several of the aforementioned as well as North Texas Exes, Denton Country Club and Beaujolais & More Wine Tasting Committee that benefits the Campus Theatre.

Randy has been an equally community enriching part of Denton. He has been involved with The United Way, Denton Chamber of Commerce, Greater Denton Arts Council, Friends of UNT PAC, Denton Country Club, and the Board of Cumberland Presbyterian Children’s Home, just to mention a few. In addition, he has served in a leadership capacity with City of Denton 2005 CIP Bond Committee and the CIP Citizen Advisory Board, City of Denton Economic Development Partnership Board, and Texas Woman’s University Foundation Board among others.

He has also been the recipient of several community awards including Denton Chamber of Commerce Star Award 2000, Denton Business and Community News-2003 Businessman of the Year, and 2005 Denton Distinguished Citizen Award presented by Longhorn Council of Boy Scouts of America.

AIDS Services of North Texas is most pleased with the opportunity to recognize Randy and Sandra Robison with the 2006 Founder’s Award.

Agency of the Year Award: Christian Community Action

This exemplary community organization was established in 1973 as a faith-based assemblage of citizens compelled to help those in need. Initially they were very much a grass roots group utilizing flyers and the like to identify those who needed help. Even in their infancy, CCA was able to provide gifts of clothing, furniture and house wares. In addition, they organized volunteer work parties with donated materials to repair and paint houses. Recognizing that the community needs extended far beyond their scope; CCA restructured to address the financial requirements of those impoverished members of their community.

Currently, CCA serves over 15,000 people each year with the help of 2,500 volunteers. They have distributed over 1.1 million in food and served over 50,000 free lunches to children over the summer months. They not only provide vital medical services in collaboration with volunteer doctors, but have also distributed nearly $675,000 worth of essential prescription medication to those who need it. In effort to assist people in self sufficiency, CCA has provided educational and vocational training to over 1,660 citizens.

In addition to these phenomenal feats, Christian Community Action furnishes new shoes, two sets of clothes, and school supplies to over 1,400 children, and distributes toys to more than 2,900 children each Christmas.

AIDS Services of North Texas is not only thrilled with the opportunity to honor Christian Community Action with the 2006 Agency of the Year Award, but is proud to share a community with such a remarkable organization!

This black tie event, which raised over $26,000 last year, benefits AIDS Services of North Texas (ASNT). ASNT, a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization is headquartered in Denton.

ASNT is dedicated to decreasing the impact of HIV and AIDS on communities in rural and suburban North Texas through prevention, care, and advocacy. ASNT provides outpatient primary care, insurance and prescription assistance; medical and comprehensive case management, food pantries, mental health counseling, housing assistance, and transportation to over 460 low-income individuals living in five counties.

The evening commences with a reception and silent auction and progresses with dinner, program and entertainment. Tickets for the event are $100 per person and can be purchased in advance by calling 940-381-1501 or 1-800-974-2437.