Abbott Marie Jones may appear to be your typical associate – but Abbott is anything but typical. In her spare time, Abbott sings opera and performs with Opera Birmingham.

Abbott has always enjoyed singing but it wasn’t until after law school and moving to Birmingham that her opera career was launched. After hearing from a friend that Opera Birmingham needed chorus members, Abbott decided to give it a try. She has been singing and performing ever since.

Abbott performing in Lucia di Lammermoor

Performing with Opera Birmingham allows Abbott to make wonderful new friends and utilize her singing talents. It also offers humorous stories. While performing Aida, live animals were brought on stage to add more realism to the performance – but the camel provided more realism than expected.

During dress rehearsals, the camel experienced a “nervous stomach” and had an accident on stage. The next day, the decision was made to use the camel during the actual performance. In the middle of the performance, cast members on stage heard the familiar rumbling of the camel’s stomach. But the show must go on and fortunately for all, the camel was able to control his nerves until he was safely ushered off stage.

Abbott says her favorite performance was Faust. The music and storyline are famous and besides, it is not often one has the occasion to work with the devil!

Visit Opera Birmingham to learn about scheduled performances and see how you might become involved.

When Terri, a secretary at Christian & Small, was recently diagnosed with breast cancer, friends immediately asked, “What can we do?” It did not take long for someone to think of participating in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure.

A team was immediately formed, t-shirts designed and produced, a website created and fundraising began.

Team Terri

Race Day, October 15,  dawned clear and beautiful – the perfect day to walk with thousands of friends. Team Terri was there is force and in spirit with  more than 50 friends and supporters – all proudly wearing their Team Terri t-shirts.

Team Terri raised just over $4,000 for breast cancer research.

We are thrilled to report that Terri

Terri and a fellow survivor

is doing great and plans to be back with us after the first of the year. Proof of the power of friends, prayer and research.

Thank You.

UPDATE: For the 2011 season, Steven Nichols coached the 6^thgrade Colts this year in Mtn. Brook’s little league.  They won the regular season championship, going undefeated… perfect 8-0 record.  Unfortunately, they lost by 1 pt. in the semifinals of the playoffs, and missed the chance to go to the super bowl.  Still a great season – for Steven and his players.

Steven and his sixth grade league champion team

Steven has loved football for as long as he can remember. Steven played youth football from third through sixth grade with the Mountain Brook Youth League and won a championship game in fourth grade and made it to the Super Bowl in sixth grade. Those early experiences stayed with Steven into his adult life developing a strong relationship with his youth football coach, Coach Pruitt. But the ties are even stronger. In fourth grade, Steven played alongside his best friend who is now his brother-in-law.

In his third year of law school at the University of Alabama, Steven volunteered to coach a youth football team – the Northport Wildcats. Steven was hooked. Upon returning to Birmingham to begin his career, Steven returned to Mountain Brook youth football as a coach. Steven began coaching a group of third grade boys. Together with his best friend and brother-in-law, Steven has stayed with those same boys who are now in fifth grade. Together, they coach youth football in the same community where they grew up and played…..right beside Coach Pruitt who is still coaching.

According to Steven, “Football is the ultimate team sport. A kid might not be the best athlete, but quickly learns that every player and position is crucial and has value.” This is the philosophy that Steven uses to teach more than football skills; he instills the importance of giving 100% effort 100% of the time, of picking up a team mate when they are down, and the importance of being a team player. “Football is a way to build up a kid, give them confidence and demonstrate the leadership skills they will need to be successful in school and in life.”

Football isn’t the only factor that influenced Steven in his youth. In grade school, Steven became friends with a child with special needs. As the boys matured and entered high school, the friendship continued. Steven would take his friend to Brave’s games, and to lunch at Gus’ Hot Dogs. The boys remained friends through college with his friend visiting Steven and attending Alabama football games. The friendship continues today.

It was through this relationship that Steven first became aware of the Exceptional Foundation – a non-profit organization dedicated to meeting the social and recreational needs of mentally and physically challenged individuals in the greater Birmingham area. The Exceptional Foundation currently serves over 350 individuals in its various year-round programs allowing participants to experience life’s opportunities by providing social and recreational activities that they would not otherwise be fortunate enough to experience.

Steven and his wife, Frances, have served on the junior board for several years and Steven has played a leadership role in the annual Chili Cook-Off held each spring. Last year’s Cook-Off was attended by more than 5,000 people with all proceeds going directly to The Exceptional Foundation programs. Steven and his team from Christian & Small did not win the contest, but have been perfecting their recipe. They are ready for the 2011 Chili Cook-Off and look forward to serving their new and improved recipe.

When not perfecting his chili recipe or designing football plays, Steven volunteers to referee basketball games at the Exceptional Foundation.

Brad Hightower has been involved with tennis his entire life with early instruction coming from his dad. After moving to Birmingham, Brad began playing in local tournaments and on tennis teams. Brad became familiar with the work of LETT – Learning Excellence Through Tennis. LETT is a program of the Birmingham Area Tennis Association, Inc. (BATA), created to provide tennis and academic opportunities to children in the community.

In 2009, a position on the board of LETT opened and Brad was a natural fit. Most recently, Brad was elected vice president of the board. In his year and a half with LETT, Brad has worked with LETT to increase its fundraising efforts and refine its mission to bring tennis to kids who would otherwise not have the opportunity to play. He’s also enjoyed trading a few groundstrokes with the kids at their weekly practices. According to Brad, “Tennis has long been considered an elitist sport and LETT is working to change that perception.”

There are four components to LETT. An after school program teaches kids life skills, cultural awareness, nutrition and conflict resolution. It is the goal of the program to keep the same children involved for three years to create more opportunities to have a positive impact on each child’s life. An in-school program allows LETT instructors help introduce tennis to students who would otherwise be unlikely to play. Instructors also loan racquets, balls, and portable nets to physical education teachers.

A summer program offers tennis lessons for youth ages seven through 18. Additionally, instructors and volunteers assist children in writing essays for the annual USTA Arthur Ashe Essay and Art contest. Just recently, LETT was thrilled to learn that one of its participants was named one of only ten winners of the 2010 national contest. Daniel’s winning answer to the question, “Some say that winning the 1968 US Open as the first African American male was Arthur Ashe’s greatest accomplishment. What do you think?” secured him a trip to New York City for the 2010 U.S. Open Tennis Tournament.

Children who have participated in one or more of LETT’s programs and wish to play tennis competitively are eligible to join the year round Excellence Program. Participants are required to maintain an academic average of 2.8 and above, and must participate in Junior Team Tennis and/or tournaments to improve their playing skills.

Currently the LETT programs offer year round instruction reaching over 10,000 youth a year. It offers beginner-level tennis instruction all the way to USTA Youth Team Tennis competition. LETT has all the equipment necessary to introduce the game of tennis to any youth wanting to play.

Website: www.bhamtennis.com

Ken Simon, one of the firm’s partners, has been involved in numerous community charitable and service organizations for almost thirty years. His involvement dates back to 1981, when he was one of the founding members and Chairman of the Board for the Bay Area Food Bank when he lived in Mobile, Alabama. Today, this organization supports over 700 feeding programs and recently received the $100,000 Pepsi Refresh Project Grant announced on the Today Show. His leadership and willingness to give is also guiding other lawyers in the firm to do the same. Ken has continued his dedication to community service, as exemplified in the list below of his current involvement and leadership positions with charitable organizations:

• Cornerstone Schools of Alabama: Ken served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Cornerstone Schools of Alabama for five years. Cornerstone is a highly successful K-8 private school which provides a high quality education for at-risk, urban children in a Christ-centered environment. Cornerstone recognizes the unique challenges facing today’s urban families and provides the tools and resources necessary for children to develop to their fullest potential while supporting parents in nurturing their child’s personal and spiritual growth, enhancing self-esteem, and teaching personal responsibility.
• Salvation Army: He has been serving on the Advisory Board of the Birmingham Salvation Army since 1992, and served for many years as Chairman of the Salvation Army’s Youth Services Council supporting the operations of the Salvation Army’s Crestwood facility, a home and school for at-risk adolescents and young adults. The center offers a residential treatment program as well as an educational treatment program.
• Holy Family Cristo Rey Catholic High School: Ken serves as Chairman of Holy Family Cristo Rey Catholic High School, the local unit of the Cristo Rey Network which is a national association of high schools providing quality, Catholic, college preparatory education to inner city children. Under Ken’s leadership, the conversion of Birmingham’s Holy Family High School to a Cristo Rey High School is moving forward. Cristo Rey schools offer a college prep high school curriculum to our inner city children and provide internship programs with local businesses. There are now 250 children attending the Holy Family Cristo Rey High School. Ken devotes several hours a week to this organization. Holy Family offers another high school option for the children who complete Cornerstone Schools of Alabama, another organization close to Ken’s heart. Mike Vercher, Will Pringle and Oscar Price are involved with these organizations as well and serve in leadership roles.
• Birmingham Emmaus Community: Ken was one of the founders of the Birmingham Emmaus Community. Its unique focus is to promote spiritual growth and sponsor spiritual retreats in communities all around the world. The Birmingham Emmaus Community was the first of its kind in the world to bring the Emmaus movement to the inner city. As Community Lay Director of the Birmingham Emmaus Community for its first five years, Ken was involved in organizing weekend spiritual retreats at Camp Chula Vista. Since the first retreat held in 1995, there have been almost sixty retreats more than 1,000 participants. Ken has attended and been involved in more than twenty-five of them.