Les Femmes du Monde 2009 Woman of the Year Carolyn Lupton and Dee Wyly,Honorary Chairs Jill Rowlett and Carmaleta Whiteley, Co-Chairmen Sue Prather, President Friday, October 9, 2009 at the Rosewood Crescent Hotel in the Crescent Ballroom

	Yvonne Crum was announced as Les Femmes du Monde 2009 Woman of the Year at an elegant soiree hosted by Justin Ghiradi, manager of Carolina Herrera's in Highland Park Village (who served Veuve Clicquot and martinis - a truly elegant soiree).  Carmaleta Whiteley and Jill Rowlett, co-chairs, made the announcement. Sue Prather was there as Les Femmes du Monde president.
Jill Rowlett, Co-Chair, Gala Dinner; Justin Ghiradi, manager, Carolina Herrera's and host; Sue Prather, President, Les Femmes du Monde; Yvonne Crum, 2009 Woman of the Year; Carmaleta Whiteley, Co-Chair, Gala Dinner

Other Les Femmes supporters who were there included Honorary Co-Chair Carolyn Lupton, Niven Morgan, John Clutts, Shirley Dunn Hanks, Lee Bailey, Caroline Rose Hunt, Dixie Marshall, Billie Leigh Rippey and Yvonne's husband, Mayo and her daughter in law, Bri Crum. Honorary Co-Chair Dee Wyly, was unable to attend, but sent her congratulations.
         
Representing the gala dinner beneficiaries were Jim Falk, President and CEO, World Affairs Council of Dallas Fort Worth; Carrie Croley and Amy Cobb from Children's Medical Center.
         
Carmaleta agreed with Jill when she said, “For more than 40-years, Yvonne Crum has dedicated herself to scores of Dallas area charities -- helping raise critical funds for agencies that range from LFDM, Dallas Council on World Affairs, the Autism Treatment Centers, Suicide Crisis Center and Salvation Army, to the Dallas Center for the Performing Arts and the Dallas Children's Theater.   There are so many charities and organizations that have benefited from her commitment to her community that it would be difficult to mention all of them.  
    
I, personally, have never known anyone with such energy and drive, such devotion and love for her community.  Through personal tragedy and health issues that would overwhelm the average person, Yvonne continues to fight the good fight for those who most need her help.  Dallas, indeed all of North Texas, benefits from Yvonne Crum's selfless and tireless determination to better every facet of our community.”
         
“I couldn’t have stated it better,” Whiteley said. “We’d love for you all to join us on Friday, October 9th at the gala dinner, featuring Tracy Rowlett as guest speaker.”
         
The co-chairs offer a special thank you to members of the host committee: Ruth Altshuler, Dr. Sami Arslanlar, Lee Bailey, Sally Blanton, Ruth Buzzi, John Clutts, Barbara Daseke, Shirley Dunn Hanks, Elaine Everitt, Caroline Rose Hunt, Linda Ivy, Megan Myercord, Billie Lee Rippey and Terry Van Willson.
         
The gala dinner will be at the Rosewood Crescent Hotel Crescent Ballroom. Tickets are $150 each and sponsorships and underwriting is available. The event is open to the public, by reservation only. For more information, contact tel. 214.252.0558 or whiteleycw@tx.rr.com.
         
Mission Statement:  Les Femmes du Monde was organized on June 14, 1961 by a group of 20 Dallas women who were concerned with all aspects of world conditions, especially those affecting our community and country.  We are a support group of volunteers whose Woman of The Year Award Dinner raises funds for the following two groups: Children’s Medical Center Dallas Child Life program and the World Affairs Council.  The CMC program provides psychological preparation for children undergoing cancer and other critical and invasive procedures.  The World Affairs Council has provided outstanding programs and speakers on some of the most important issues of our time.  Since 1950, the Council has brought North Texans face-to-face with key players on the international stage. 

Yvonne H. Crum, Dallas, Texas
American Airlines and Community Volunteer Leader

The 2009 Les Femmes du Monde Woman of the Year, Yvonne Crum, has been a community leader and civic volunteer since the '70s. It all began with Dallas Summer Musicals and Les Femmes du Monde.
         
Going from social worker to flight attendant (known as hostesses back then) with Braniff International (until their bankruptcy in 1982), to PR Director for The Lincoln, A Radison Hotel and Southwest Regional Director of the Statue of Liberty Ellis Island Foundation when they raised over $1 million to benefit the restoration of the Statue of Liberty in 1985.  When Braniff started back up, Yvonne was in the air again all the while doing her volunteer work.
         
Her indefatigable nature and boundless energy make her a unique combination for the many non-profit organizations that call upon her and her talent for fundraising.
         
Having a background in Sociology and Psychology, Yvonne wanted to “save the world” but soon realized that it can be done in many ways not just as an occupation.  Volunteering has become a way of life. She is able to do so even with her full time job at American Airlines, where she works her schedule to accommodate the many organizations she helps each year and has no plans to leave the “air.”
         
Mrs. Crum became involved with Northwood University’s Texas Campus in the 70s and has never stopped.  She was recently honored with an Honorary Doctor of Law from Northwood University, from which she has been involved with all their programs since the early 70's. She is a member of the Dallas chapter of the National Women’s Board and the co-chair of the Dallas Chapter (2001-2002).  She has served as a member of the Texas campus Board of Governors and is very involved with the Distinguished Women’s Program each year. Northwood University recognized Mrs. Crum as a Distinguished Woman in 2001; however, her proudest moment at Northwood was watching her late son M. Paul Crum III receive his degree from the Texas campus in 1995.
         
In 2006, she was honored with the prestigious Award for Excellence in Volunteer Community Leadership from the Dallas Historical Society for her many years of service to Dallas organizations.
         
Yvonne has served on the boards of Kidney Texas, Leukemia Society of America, Dallas Summer Musicals, American Heart Association, Nexus Recovery Center, Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden, Les Femmes du Monde President and Event Chair, the Women’s Auxiliary of the Salvation Army and The Dallas Children’s Theater.  In her 35 years of fundraising, Mrs. Crum had raised over $5 million .
         
Today, Mrs. Crum’s passions are her granddaughter, Samantha, and the Suicide and Crisis Center of North Texas, where she helps with fundraising and is dedicated to helping make sure that the Teens Can Survive program, their outreach to adolescents in the community, is offered to all area schools
         
Mrs. Crum resides in Dallas, Texas along with her husband Mayo Crum, their son Michael, his beautiful wife Bri and her granddaughter Samantha Jordan Crum, age 2.