March 3, 2014

 

Mark and Ann Hafernick of Diboll, along with their son Brian Hafernick, DVM, of Lufkin, recently attended the Sky Ranch Gala at the Omni Hotel in Dallas.  The event was entitled Cowboys & Cowboys and in attendance were former Dallas cowboy football greats and Pro Rodeo cowboys.  The purpose of the gala was to raise money for scholarships to send underprivileged boys and girls to Sky Ranch.  This is a Christian based weeklong camp located in Van, Texas.  Michael Irvin was the honorary celebrity chair and Walt Garrison and Rope Myers were celebrity co-chairs.  Mark got his picture made with Tony Dorsett and Jay Novacek.  Mark and Ann’s daughter, Lauren Hafernick, of Dallas, was the event planner for the event.  Some of the more popular auction items were:  Alaskan Salmon fishing trip, Golf trip to Colorado Springs via private jet with Michael Irwin and PGA Pro Shawn Stefani, Dinner prepared by nationally recognized chef David Holben at Walt Garrison’s ranch with him and Roger Staubach, Two floor tickets to George Strait’s farewell concert at Cowboy stadium in June along with an autographed Martin guitar.  Approximately 600 people attended the gala and it was estimated it raised enough funds to send more than 300 kids to camp this year!

Lauren Havar has been an Event Planner for ten years and is the daughter of Mark and Ann Hafernick of Diboll. Mark, Ann, their son Brian and his one-year-old son, Gibson were excited to attend her lastest event, along with 600 other guests last weenend at the Omni Hotel in Dallas

Sky Ranch is one of North America’s premiere Christian Camp. It exists to provide people with a positive, recreational, fun and memorable experience while being exposed to the truths of the Word of God. I love their Mission Statement: Leading youth and families to know and follow Christ. The ranch opened in 1955 in Denton, Texas as a vision of Mel & Winkie Brewer, with 66 campers.  There are now located in three states serving more than 50,000 individuals every years.

This years Gala featured superstar of the Football Field and Rodeo Area. Michael  Irvin was the Honorary Celebrity Chair

Mark frequents the Round Table more often now that he is officially retired from The Campbell Group. He’s been retired less than a year and I heard him say he is just now getting where he doesn’t look at every log truck now; for 40 years he looked at every load of logs on the highway and could tell by the logs which mill it was going to and most of the time knew the driver of the truck, the logging company he worked for and probably been on their job site at one time or another. It is amazing to hear him call people by their names that worked with him many years ago. I don’t think he ever forgets anyone he’s ever met.

It was nice to “catch up” on Caurie Cheshire when she came in the store. She is the daughter of ?? and I remember her when she was a checker at Brookshires while attending Diboll ISD and graduating from SFA in just three years. She is presently living in Houston and teaching Special Ed in an inner city school. She also has a passion for mission work and in her young life has been to Haiti six times and one time to Africa which she says is beautiful. She is a member of the Providence Community Church in Atasacita. About a year ago, she was wearing a teeshirt that said “Here to Serve” which attracted the attention of Morgan Gantz who is also a missionary. These two are being married March 8th. They plan to spend their honeymoon in Mexico aboard a cruise ship and they are excited about spending this summer in Zimbawaee, South Africa, doing mission work. Congratulations and may God bless you both.

Another young woman and high school classmate of Caurie shares the same passion of helping people. Kendal Martel is presently living in Africa while serving in the Peace Corp for two years.

Lee and Desirae Allen came in and we learned they have just returned from their first trip to Las Vegas where they celebrated their 5th wedding anniversary. Both were impressed with the sights while staying at the Flamigo Hilton. They enjoyed the Dolphin show and the Million Dollar Quartet which was the story about Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Elvis and Jerry Lee Lewis. They were impressed with the magic shows of David Copperfield at the MGM and Mac King at Paris. While observing the beautiful white tigers at the exhibit in the Mirage, they personally saw and took pictures of one of the greatest magicians, Sigfried, as he was visiting in the crowd telling them about the tigers and other animals in their exhibit.

John Ralph and I stopped by the Brisket House one evening when we noticed lots of construction work. We met Brice Curl who is having the work done and learned he presently manages the Bed and Breakfast, The Mansion at Manning. His plans are to reopen the building and serve BBQ, burgers and anything that can be cooked on a pit. He has experience in the restaurant business starting at 14 when he bussed tables in his grandparents’ family restaurant, Hills’ Seafood on the seawall in Galveston. The new restaurant will be named T.K.’s Smoke House after Brice’s son, Trevor Keith Curl. Trevor also has experience and will be moving here from Liberty where he works at the Landmark Steak House that was voted “Best Steaks in East Texas”. He also worked at Legends in Baytown for five years. It’s great Diboll is getting another place to eat!!

The contractor on the jobsite for building the pit room at the old Brisket House looked familiar and no wonder he did because it was John Wojhan, a graduate of Diboll, whose dad, Eddy Wojhan, was a well known contractor years ago. John and his wife, Lisa, the daughter of Van and Bernice Harris, live below old Manning. Their four children are Heather, Amy, David and Rachael and they also have four grandchildren.