THE COMMERCIAL APPEAL
Monday, June 6, 2011 | Memphis, TN M section
Party Line: Carnival king, queen begin week of charitable, social appearances
By Michael Donahue
Carnival Memphis king John Hull Dobbs Jr. and queen Kate Orgill Smith greeted their subjects Friday night at the Crown & Sceptre Ball at the Hilton Memphis. Kate described the ball as “a kickoff to what I know will be a fantastic week.”
With the Royal Court of more than 30 princesses and their escorts, the Royal Pages, the Loyal Order of Scarabs who serve the king and queen; the Boll Weevils; Carnival krewe royalty; and past Carnival Memphis kings, queens and presidents, the ball was pretty fantastic, too.
During “Carnival Week,” the king and queen will make charitable visits by day and attend parties at night. John and Kate visited some schools prior to Friday’s ball. Kate told the audience a little girl at Memphis Oral School for the Deaf asked her, “Do you all have to go back to the castle now?”
Kate, the daughter of Irene and Fred S. Smith Jr., recently graduated from the University of Virginia with a bachelor of arts degree in art history. Her family’s legacy with Carnival dates to 1937 when her great-grandfather, S. Richard Leatherman, was king. John, who is chief executive officer of Dobbs Equity Partners LLC, and his wife, Katherine, are the parents of a daughter, Yvonne Stewart, and a son, John “Johnny” Hull Dobbs III. Jess Wesberry, the 2011 Carnival Memphis president, attended the ball with his wife, Mary Lee.
This year, Carnival Memphis, which celebrates its 80th anniversary, honors the health care industry. The 2011 Children’s Charities of Carnival are Hope House, Memphis Athletic Ministries and SRVS.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011 | Memphis, TN M section
Party Line: Carnival Week
By Michael Donahue
Carnival Memphis king John Dobbs and queen Kate Smith attended more than a dozen parties at night and visited numerous hospitals and nursing homes during the day during Carnival Week, which began June 3.
“This has been the most spectacular week of my life,” John told the audience Friday night at a party at the University Club of Memphis. John, who jokingly wore a large Mad-Hatter-looking crown at that party, had his face painted to look like Batman during a visit with children at Memphis Athletic Ministries earlier in the week.
The king and queen were whisked to parties and charitable visits accompanied by a Shelby County Sheriff’s Office motorcycle escort, whose sirens heralded their arrival. Parties included Carnival Memphis grand krewe functions and parties at private clubs to honor their princes and princesses.
Carnival Memphis and its grand krewes, which honored the health care industry, raised $180,000 with matching funds for the 2011 Children’s Charities of Carnival: Memphis Athletic Ministries, Hope House and SRVS.
The amount was announced at a party Wednesday evening at the Children’s Museum of Memphis. James Armfield, Memphis Athletic Ministries president, lauded Carnival Memphis, which is known as “the party with a purpose,” for its efforts “to give back to some kids who really, really need it.”
One more article below.
Friday, June 24, 2011 | Memphis, TN My Life\Greater Memphis
Carnival tradition 80th anniversary of Carnival Memphis celebrated in style
By Emily Adams Keplinger
Carnival’s three C’s — Commerce, Community and Celebration — held court in Memphis the first week of June with parties and charity work taking place throughout the area.
Carnival Memphis began as Cotton Carnival in 1931, and continues to recognize local industry, promoting the City of Memphis, and celebrating people and business from the Mid-South. This year’s royalty included King John H. Dobbs, Jr. and Queen Kate Orgill Smith, who presided over many of the festivities, along with president Dr. Jess Wesberry, Jr., a member of this year’s honored industry, the Health Care Industry.
As part of the Business and Industry Salute, nine companies were honored at a luncheon: Cardiovascular Surgery Clinic, PLLC; Baptist Memorial Health Care Corporation; Campbell Clinic, Duckworth Pathology Group, Hospital Wing, The Medical Education & Research Institute (MERI); Regional Medical Center (The Med). University of Tennessee Health Science Center and UT Medical Group.
Four individuals, leaders in the Health Care Industry, were also honored:
The Chairman’s Award was presented to Dr. Kevin T. Foley who serves as Director of Complex Spine Surgery at Semmes- Murphey Neurologic & Spine Institute and also founded MERI; The President’s Award was given to Dr. William H. West, onocologist and entrepreneur who founded The West Clinic; The King’s Award was presented to Gary. S. Shorb, president and CEO of Methodist LeBonheur Healthcare; and The 2011 Cook Halle Award was given to Dr. Ralph S. Hamilton, who has made helping patients and teaching new doctors his life-long passion, and he continues to practice as a comprehensive Opthalmologist to this day.
In addition to all of the exuberant festivities associated with Carnival, there is another component of the annual celebration that takes place in a more behind-the-scenes fashion — The Children’s Charity Initiative (CCI). The CCI is dedicated to assisting non-profit agencies that serve the needs of children. This year over $180,000 was raised, with the help of matching funds, to assist the 2011 Children’s Charities of Carnival: Hope House, an organization that works to improve the lives of HIV-impacted children and their families; Shelby Residential and Vocational Services (SRVS), a service provider for people with disabilities; and Memphis Athletic Ministries (MAM), an organization that uses organized sports to share and model Christ to urban, at-risk young people, as well as foster unity among diverse segments of our community.
Ed Galfsky, executive director of Carnival Memphis explains, “Since the inception of the Children’s Charity Initiative program in 1999, Carnival Memphis and the Grand Krewes have raised over $1.3 million for local children’s charities. This year’s funds came from the success of the Business & Industry Salute Luncheon, our third annual Krewes for Kids fundraiser, and donors and sponsors who helped support our mission to better the lives of those less fortunate in our community.”
