Venture Commercial

PARTYING WITH THE STARS

2012-02-28T14:45:00.000-06:00

Last month we posted about David Davidson, Jr., being selected as one of Bisnow’s 35 Under 35: Dallas’s Rising Stars of Commercial Real Estate.

Bisnow recently highlighted David's success:

Venture Commercial Real Estate Associate, David Davidson Jr. (here with his dad, David Davidson Sr., owner of Davidson Real Estate Co, at Children’s Medical Center). David tells us that he and his dad raise money for various cancer-related philanthropies, including Children’s Medical Center. In 2011, David and his team brought in more than 50 retail land listings. Among his biggest clients: Hillwood Communities, one of the top 10 residential land developers in the US. Venture works all of Hillwood’s retail properties throughout DFW. In December, David was part of one of the most significant CRE deals of the year, assembling several land parcels totaling 433 acres for Nebraska Furniture Mart. This June, David plans a trip to El Salvador to visit his girlfriend’s family.

PARTYING WITH THE STARS

Group Shot-The Winners

David also attended the Bisnow DFW 35 Under 35 event which was held at the swanky Ocean Prime in Uptown on February 21st.

Congratulations again, David! We are so proud to have you as part of our team here at Venture!

Mosaic's Heart & Soul Gala 2012

2012-02-17T14:00:00.001-06:00

Friday, February 24th at 6:30pm
The Westin Galleria, San Antonio Ballroom
Formal/Evening Attire

To purchase tickets, please call 972.866.9989

Mosaic in Dallas partners with people with intellectual disabilities to provide a meaningful life in a caring community, giving a voice to people's needs. For more than 25 years Mosaic has been a partner in the community providing homes, family support, educational opportunities and vocational training to children and adults with special needs throughout Dallas, Denton and Rockwall counties. Currently, Mosaic serves more than 80 children and adults providing support 365 days a year, 24 hours a day.
Kris Schuster, Senior Property Manager here at Venture, has been on the Mosaic Gala Committee for three years and says that they are expecting a larger than normal attendance this year as Mosaic is celebrating their 25th Anniversary! Tickets are still available and can be purchased by calling 972.866.9989.

The Heart and Soul Gala is Mosaic's primary fundraiser. It is also a time for Mosaic to recognize community members who have made a significant difference in the lives of people with intellectual disabilities. In addition to the community awards, the Gala also features dinner, silent and live auctions and dancing.
If you are interested in learning more about Mosaic, please feel free to drop in for one of their monthly "Moments with Mosaic" meetings. These gatherings are short and sweet and outline their mission message. Meetings are held on the first Tuesday of every month, from 12pm-1pm at:

Mosaic in Dallas
2245 Midway Rd., Suite 300
Carrollton, Texas 75006

Venture Brokers Featured as D CEO Power Brokers

2012-02-16T12:39:00.000-06:00

Venture Commercial congratulates the following brokers who made D CEO’s 2012 Power Brokers list:

The annual D CEO Power Brokers list recognizes the top commercial real estate professionals in Dallas-Fort Worth. The brokers are featured in the March/April issue of D CEO and will be recognized at a private reception tonight.

SUPERSTAR: 35 UNDER 35 ~ Congratulations David!

2012-01-26T23:12:00.000-06:00

David Davidson, Jr., has been selected as one of Bisnow’s 35 Under 35: Dallas’s Rising Stars of Commercial Real Estate.

The TOP 35 are described as the top young stars of Dallas-Fort Worth commercial real estate.

David’s main focus is on land sales and acquisitions. Since joining Venture in 2009, he has quickly demonstrated his talent for business development, having brought in more than 50 retail land listings.

David has a strong foundation of real estate knowledge, combined with an endless supply of energy and a perseverance that is hard to match. Growing up in the DFW real estate business, David has seen commercial real estate deals, from land to shopping centers, evolve from the ground up. Prior to joining Venture, David interned with Davidson Real Estate, where he started his real estate education at the foot of his father, a 35-year veteran of the Dallas real estate market.

In 2011 David participated in one of the most significant CRE deals of the year, assembling several land parcels totaling 433 acres for Nebraska Furniture Mart, the largest home furnishing store in North America. He also represented Hillwood Communities in the purchase of 52 acres in North Fort Worth, a complex transaction involving multiple players and a unique set of challenges.

David, everyone here at Venture is so proud of you! Congratulations again!

C.A.R.E. is Relocating

2012-01-11T11:20:00.001-06:00

What is C.A.R.E?
C.A.R.E. is a community resource for anyone who has a concern, question or needs a confidential place to look for help. C.A.R.E. works with families with substance abuse issues or who simply need support with parenting challenges. Parents and youth are welcome to call or come by anytime.

Peggy Bessellieu, friend of the Venture family, is on the board for C.A.R.E. (Chemical Awareness Resources, Education) and she is excited to announce that they are in the process of establishing their own office. They have been housed at the Park Cities YMCA. Their needs are many for their new office:

Office Furniture – desks, office chairs, 4-6 guests chairs, couch, coffee table, 3-4 lamps, medium-sized conference table and chairs, bookshelves, filing cabinets.
Office Equipment – High quality and high volume black and white printer, color printer, copier, fax/scanner, postage machine.
Computer Hardware – desktops and monitors, laptops.
Office Supplies – soup to nuts!

If you have any of the above items (yes, used is acceptable!), please contact Peggy to make arrangements:

PEGGY BESSELLIEU
214-871-7070 tel
214-912-1548 cell
peggy.bess@gmail.com

Bethesda Young Life Benefit Concert on January 21st

2012-01-09T11:10:00.001-06:00

Joe Berry, an Associate here at Venture, along with his wife are very involved with Young Life. They have passed along the following information to us about a great concert event.

This year Bethany Dillon, Drew & Ellie Holcomb and Christopher Williams will be headlining the concert. All money raised through ticket sales and donations will benefit The Bethesda Special Needs Ministry, which supports teenagers and adults with disabilities in the DFW area.

The concert will take place on Saturday, January 21st at 7pm at Northwest Bible Church. The church is located at 8505 Douglas Avenue, Dallas, TX 75225.

You can purchase tickets and find more info at www.YoungLifeConcert.com. This should be an amazing evening of music.

The Plaza at Preston Center Helped in Providing 39,000 Meals to the Hungry

2012-01-06T10:59:00.000-06:00

The Plaza at Preston Center welcomed Santa and his loyal reindeer, Comet and Cupid, for the 2011 Santa Days on December 3, 10 and 17, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Donations were taken for The North Texas Food Bank at all three Santa Days events at The Plaza. Kids of all ages came to have their picture taken with Santa and his reindeer for free while experiencing the Plaza’s always-popular holiday decorations and unique shops.

This year through the generous support of the community and families that visited Santa, The Plaza at Preston Center raised $3,300 for The North Texas Food Bank and also collected a good deal of food. This money was doubled due to the matching donation by Plaza ownership to $6,600 and then doubled again by NTFB for a grand total of $13,200 thanks to a match from the Houston J. and Florence A. Doswell Foundation and The Meadows Foundation.

This donation will enable The North Texas Food Bank to provide 39,600 meals for children, families and the elderly in North Texas. The Plaza at Preston Center is very proud to have been a part of this through their Santa Days and plans to continue this long standing holiday tradition next year in the hopes of raising even more money.

Kristen Sweat (North Texas Food Bank), Pam Spadaro (The Plaza at Preston Center)
and Liz Mora (North Texas Food Bank)

The Plaza at Preston Center is leased and managed by Venture Commercial.

Congratulations Stephen!

2012-01-03T12:05:00.002-06:00

Stephen Knowles, our resident IT Guru, recently graduated from The University of Texas at Dallas, with his Masters Degree in Computer Engineering. I guess that means we should now refer to him as Master IT Guru.

We love to celebrate here at the office, and we just happen to know that Stephen's favorite candy is M&Ms ... so

a "sweet" work environment was created for his special day!

complete with a saran wrap door

humm, a lifetime supply?

should be easy for him to find the mouse

I think he was surprised!

With all the morning sweets, we had to balance the day with a celebratory pizza party at lunch.

And the team behind this creative effort, fellow graphics team members:

Karis and Courtney

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from Venture!

2011-12-23T11:58:00.000-06:00

This year the Property Management team decided to try something new and different with our Christmas cards ... so our awesome graphics department went to work. Several designs were submitted for review and after much deliberation, two winning cards emerged.

Special thanks to Courtney Carlton who designed the cards, to the entire graphics team for printing over 300 of them for us, and to Lisa Lockwood who came up with this original idea for us to try!

Tacky Holiday Sweater Day / Contest

2011-12-21T11:44:00.000-06:00

Karis Narofsky

AND THE WINNERS ARE...

1st Place: KARIS

Sweater Details: Designed by Karis, included lights which ran off of a battery pack!

Charlotte Walley

2nd Place: CHARLOTTE

Sweater Details: Complete with shoulder pads! Hello '80s!

3rd Place: REBECCA
Sweater Details: Flashback to "A Christmas Story." A few dreidels were added for a touch of Hanukkah.

Rebecca Feldman and her Charlie Brown Christmas Tree

And yes, there were others ...

Lori Lanzone

Tina McClary

Trish Parker

Joe Berry

Toni Celum

Teresa Mitchell and Lisa Lockwood

Courtney Carlton, Karis (1st Place), and
Charlotte (2nd Place)

3rd Annual "Adopt a Family" Family #3

2011-12-16T09:54:00.000-06:00

Please refer back to our first post for the history of this project and more about the cause.

Family #3
Clients: 28 year old twin males with mental retardation

Dress and Casual Socks, Size 9-11
Dress Shirts, Size Large (neck, 16-16.5)
Dress Pants, Size 34/29
Playstation 2 Games (Dragon Ball Z Infinite Worlds)

Clients' Mother:

PJs, Size XL (cotton, short, sleeveless)
Robe, Size XL
Black Dress Shoes, Size 9.5

Client's Grandmother:

Jacket, Size Large
Sweaters, Size Large
Socks, Size 9-11
Thermals, Size Large ("long-johns")

Requested Food Items:

Peanut Butter
Rice
Canned Corn
Any other food items (note: they do not eat pork or ground beef)
Tom Thumb, WalMart or Fiesta Gift Cards

Donation Deadline: December 20th.

As a reminder of the different ways you can donate:

* Items can be dropped off to Lisa at our office (8235 Douglas Avenue, Suite 620, Dallas, 75225).

* Money can be donated via Pay Pal. Funds will be used to purchase items from the wish lists.

* Drop off items or cash donations at Sol Irelandes during a special Happy Hour on Thursday, Dec 15th from 4-7pm. Sol Irelandes is located at 1525 Main Street, Dallas.

3rd Annual "Adopt a Family" Family #2

2011-12-15T07:45:00.001-06:00

Please refer back to our previous post for the history of this project and more about the cause.

Family #2
Client: 16 year old male with Autism

Jacket, Size 2XL
T-Shirts, Size 2XL
Pants, Size 40/32
Socks
Shoes, Size 12
Underwear Briefs, Size XL
Video Games for Playstation 2 (race car or basketball games)

Client's Mother:

Nurse/Work Shoes, Size 10 Wide (can be found at WalMart)
Casual Shoes, Size 10 Wide
Pants, Size 18W
Shirts, Size 18W

Client's Sister (20 years old):

Hair Bows (all kinds, any design)

Requested Food Items:

Canned Vegetables (tomatoes, corn, kidney beans, etc.)
Spaghetti and Sauce
Any other food items
WalMart Gift Card

Donation Deadline: December 20th

As a reminder of the different ways you can donate:

* Items can be dropped off to Lisa at our office (8235 Douglas Avenue, Suite 620, Dallas, 75225).

* Money can be donated via Pay Pal. Funds will be used to purchase items from the wish lists.

* Drop off items or cash donations at Sol Irelandes during a special Happy Hour on Thursday, Dec 15th from 4-7pm. Sol Irelandes is located at 1525 Main Street, Dallas.

Santa Visits Mosaic Vocational Center

2011-12-14T11:05:00.000-06:00

Jo Beth Collier, Beth Sabella, Sarah Boyea
along with Kris Schuster and Pam Spadaro

Kris Schuster, Senior Property Manager here at Venture, is involved with Mosaic Dallas, a faith-based organization serving people with intellectual disabilities. Kris has served on the Heart & Soul Gala committee for three years and this is her second year to host Santa and his "elves" at Mosaic's Vocational Center.

Margo Rye, Aisah Holland, Santa, Debbie Canterbury,
Kris Schuster, Suzanne Cody and Jayme Skelton - along with
the Greyhound "elves" Rocksie, Sophie and Lacy

Mosaic's Vocational Center provides vocational services which promote and support inclusion within the community. They encourage and assist people in obtaining jobs in the community or running their own small business. Their focus is on assessing interest, job placement, and job coaching.

During Santa's visit this year, 46 people showed up to to have their special picture taken with Santa. All received a goody bag from Santa with Christmas socks, stuffed snowmen, rice crispy treats and cookies…..it was such a heartwarming sight to see them pull out their socks (some of which wanted to put them on right there) and eat their goodies.

There are many ways to get involved with Mosiac Dallas including donations, volunteering, advocating and joining the Mosaic team!

Happy Birthday Wes Bowen!

2011-12-12T13:09:00.001-06:00

Wes back to work (after the balloons were cleared from his desk)!

We decided to take a little time out today to wish Wes Bowen, the President of our Property Management Company, a HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Can you tell that he is an OU alum? He was given just a bit of grief on his birthday poster from some Baylor Bears, Texas Longhorns and an Aggie or two (yes, we have a diverse office which always makes football season exciting!).

And of course, we couldn't celebrate without a little cake! Happy Birthday Wes!

3rd Annual "Adopt a Family" Project: Family #1

2011-12-08T07:30:00.003-06:00

Lisa Lockwood, an Assistant Property Manager here at Venture, along with gal-pal (and former Venture employee), Raquel Steinbaum, are on a mission. That mission is to bring some Christmas joy to 3 very deserving and truly needy families. We will feature and focus on 1 family per day.

Raquel left Venture a few years ago to pursue her calling and to put her Sociology degree to work! She works for a not-for-profit organization which services families that are raising children or caring for adults who have profound intellectual and/or physical disabilities. Every year Raquel witnesses families who would not even have Christmas Dinner (something taken for granted by most) without the help of others.

This will be the 3rd year that Lisa and Raquel have teamed up to offer their time and organizational skills to help out some of these families. Raquel chose 3 of the most needy families that her organization currently services. She spent time with each family to find out what they really need this season. As you can see by the lists below, most of the items are very practical needs (not wants). There's also a wish list for the parents / caregivers as most of their resources go directly to providing for those they care for.

There are several ways to donate this year. Please have all donations in by December 20th.

* Items can be dropped off to Lisa at our office (8235 Douglas Avenue, Suite 620, Dallas, 75225).

* Money can be donated via Pay Pal. Funds will be used to purchase items from the wish lists.

* Drop off items or cash donations at Sol Irlandes during a special Happy Hour on Thursday, Dec 15th from 4-7pm. Sol Irlandes is located at 1525 Main Street, Dallas.

The Wish Lists ...

Family #1 - Today's Featured Family
Client: 43 year old female with mental retardation.

Lightweight Jacket, Women's Large (her favorite color is green)
Long or Short Sleeved T-Shirt PJs (that go past the knees), Women's Large
Queen Sized Sheet Set
Coloring Books
Markers and Crayons

Client's Mother:

Black Socks
Full Sized Sheet Set

Requested Food Items:

Canned Vegetables (corn, green beans, green peas)
Vienna Sausages
Canned Chicken
Kroger Gift Card

Thank you in advance for your kindness and be on the look-out for the 2 other families.

5th Annual Charity Toy & Pet Supplies Drive (& Happy Hour)

2011-12-07T13:18:00.000-06:00

It's that time of year again ... we are participating in the 5th Annual Charity Toy & Pet Supplies Drive benefiting Children's Medical Center and Operation Kindness.

The goal of this drive is to improve the quality of life for the children that cannot spend Christmas at home with their families and to give support to animals that are in need this season.

Jason Byrne, a former Venture broker (who has now moved on to The Big Apple) started this project. When Jason was 7 years old he spent about 5 weeks on and off in Children's Medical Center. He can still remember how people would always stop by and bring toys to everyone. This was a true blessing as it gave him something to do and made the stay more bearable. For years afterwards Jason and his family took on the tradition of visiting the kids and taking in toys to both Children's and Parkland. About 5 years ago, Jason took a big step and turned his mission semi-public by just putting the word out there for family and friends. He had an overwhelming response from people that wanted to donate and get involved in the cause.

One of those people, Tommy Cromwell of Standridge Companies, took the collection and decided to make it a formal toy drive. This also served as a great way for real estate colleagues to band together and give. Charlotte Walley came along and wanted to include her furry friends at Operation Kindness. Charlotte has also taken the lead as point person for the donations here at Venture. And of course, Jim Weir of The Retail Connection, joined in and the Happy Hour tradition came to life!

Below is the Donation Wish List. All toys and pet supplies will be delivered on December 21st; therefore, please make all donations prior to December 20th. To make life easy, there are 4 convenient drop-off locations around town (listed below), including ...

Vickery Park

2810 N Henderson Avenue

Dallas 75206

HAPPY HOUR ~ December 20th

5:30pm-7:30pm

Stop by with your donation and have a beer on us!

Thank you for your kindness and support!

2011 Down Syndrome Guild of Dallas Buddy Walk

2011-12-05T15:46:00.000-06:00

What is the Buddy Walk? The Buddy Walk seeks to promote acceptance of people with Down syndrome and raise funds to support important programs and services provided by the Down Syndrome Guild of Dallas. With over 260 walks nationally, the Dallas area Buddy Walk attracts more than 7,000 participants for a fun filled day of music, activities and fellowship.

The Walk

This year's Buddy Walk was held on Sunday, November 13th at Flag Pole Hill at White Rock Lake. It is a special event for us because one of our valued employees, Jennifer Andrick, has a daughter with Down syndrome. Allison ("Allie") is 9 years old and is the sweetest girl you will ever meet (and her mischievous side will keep you in stitches!).

Jessica, Allie, Trevor, Jennifer and Tom

Eric's Incredibles

Allie and her family have participated in the walk since Allie was a baby. They have been part of the Eric's Incredibles team the last 2 years. Venture Commercial has been a t-shirt sponsor for their team in 2010 and 2011.

Allie and Trevor showing their Venture Pride

The fundraising goal for this year's event was $225,000 - I'm excited to announce that they exceeded their goal and raised $233,707.35! Little Allie raised $861.00 of that! Great job Allie! Everyone here is very proud of you!

Allie and Allison

To learn more, visit: Down Syndrome Guild of Dallas.

Santa Days Begin Today at The Plaza at Preston Center

2011-12-03T13:08:00.002-06:00

Santa Days, 11am - 4pm on Saturday December 3rd, 10th and 17th.

The tradition continues at The Plaza! Santa will be on-site in his sleigh ready for all the little girls and boys to climb in and tell him their Christmas wishes (Santa even knows the name of each child when he meets them).

Photographs will be taken and 4X6 prints will be ready to take home that day. All proceeds from the photos will be donated to the North Texas Food Bank.

Last year, after all on-site donations and matching gifts (from the property ownership and an additional sponsor) were collected, the NTFB received close to $11,000. That equated to about 44,000 meals!

Happy Anniversary Kris Schuster

2011-12-01T12:52:00.001-06:00

Congratulations on your nine year anniversary with the company. Words can not express how much your hard work and commitment to the company and your clients are appreciated. I hope you have a great day!

Wes Bowen
President, Venture Commercial Management

'Tis the Season

2011-11-17T14:45:00.001-06:00

It is that time of year again … when the Christmas debate begins. Should the tree be called a Christmas tree or a Holiday tree? When should the decorating and Christmas music begin … just how early is too early?

Oh, then what about poor Thanksgiving? Shouldn't it have it’s own time to shine? It seems to always be pushed into the corner. For some, the only reason to look forward to Thanksgiving ... is, well for the day after: BLACK FRIDAY shopping (well, for the women ~ I would say football still wins out for the men -- and we won't even get into the UT v A&M game, yet).

I must admit, I am one of those crazy women who gets up pre-dawn on the day after Thanksgiving and ends up in line outside of one of my favorite stores before 5am! I’m not sure why I do this each year. I tell myself “this year is going to be different … I’m not fighting the crowds, I’m sleeping in.” I mean, really, I deserve to sleep in after spending an entire day sweating while cooking, cleaning, serving, cleaning, re-heating, cleaning … you get the point.

But, then between the cleaning sessions – the newspaper beckons me (yes, we still subscribe to the actual real newspaper – the kind that you can feel and turn the pages). I slowly start going through the sales papers … and thinking, oh, the kids would like this, ooh and they would like this … oh, and it’s such a good deal … maybe I’ll just hit a few stores. And so the tradition continues.

So, let’s take a little poll. Just how many of you will admit to being a Black Friday shopper?

~ Anonymous Crazed Shopper

Veterans Day ~ Thank You!

2011-11-11T12:47:00.000-06:00

Fighting The Battle Against Cancer

2011-11-09T14:14:00.001-06:00

David Davidson, Jr. and Peyton Riley
Photo by: Steve Foxall. Publish in PaperCity

David Davidson Jr., an Associate here at Venture is involved with several cancer related philanthropic organizations and events related to raising awareness and funds for cancer research. David lost his mother to cancer in 2003 and since then has tried to help fight the battle!

David has been involved with Young Texans Against Cancer for two years. Young Texans Against Cancer (YTAC) is an independent, nonprofit organization comprised of young men and women who have either lost or witnessed a loved one fighting cancer or are seeking to become more actively involved in the cancer community. The organization is focused on raising funds for local research and support organizations, using our member base to increase awareness of volunteer organizations and helping to educate our community on cancer research.

Shelby Krause, David Davidson, Jr.,
and Courtney Tennison
Photo by: Jennifer McNeil Baker. Published in PaperCity

David was recently spotted at a fundraising event for YTAC, BubblyQ, which was held at Fearing's at The Ritz Carlton.

Another organization that David is involved with is The One Society. The mission and purpose of The One Society is to support Children's Medical Center by engaging and fostering young leaders to make life better for children through philanthropic, educational, fundraising, volunteer and social opportunities.

Children's Medical Center is "the one" for Children and we want this organization to be "the one" for young professionals, as one, we can make a difference. “The One” Society raised $30,000 in their inaugural year for the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, with 150 members.

More about David:

David Davidson Jr. teams a strong foundation of real estate experience and knowledge with energy and perseverance hard to match in any real estate environment. He began his real estate training under the direction of a 40-year business veteran, his father, David Davidson Sr., where he learned to assemble large land parcels for investors and developers. From there he teamed up with John T. Evans of John T. Evans Company and learned first-hand how to target the most strategic real estate opportunities for numerous restaurant groups. In 2009 David joined Venture Commercial Real Estate and completed his intern experience working directly with managing partner Kenneth E. Reimer, CCIM.

David’s commitment to serving his clients with excellence can be seen in his diligent pursuit of all facets of commercial real estate while keeping a strong focus on land sales and acquisitions. His current clientele includes Hillwood (a Perot company), Huffines Communities, Hunt Properties, Centurion American Development Group, Merritt Capital Partners, Emerging Market Partners, Realty Capital Partners and Ashton Woods among many others. In addition, he is currently pursuing his CCIM designation.

David is a graduate of Southern Methodist University where he earned his BSFA, majoring in economics with financial applications, in 2009. He is an active member of ICSC, Calyx, YTAC, The One Society, The Episcopal School of Dallas Annual Fund Committee, Texas Young Republicans, DSOL Honor Guard, and a founding member of Network of Business Associates.

Venture Thinks Pink

2011-11-02T15:20:00.000-05:00

Lori Lanzone and Aisah Holland participated in the 2011 Komen Dallas Race for the Cure on Saturday, October 15th.

Two women on two journeys ... for Aisah, this was a first for her; for Lori, this is part of an annual family tradition.

Aisah Holland with family and friends

When Aisah decided to participate, she grabbed family and friends and off they went!

Aisah summed up her experience, "...just so overwhelming, it's hard to explain the emotion that is around all the people at this race. Happy to be living, sorrow for those who lost the fight to cancer and celebration for the hope that one day there will be a cure!"

For Lori, the Race for the Cure is near and dear to her heart because Susie Komen and Nancy Brinker are her uncle Mark's first cousins. They used to play together as children. When Susie got sick, Nancy vowed to her sister to never stop trying to find a cure for this terrible disease. It is truly a family affair as "Uncle Mark" is the General Council for the Foundation.

Lori Lanzone, Jessica and Michelle Solls

Timmy and Lori Lanzone

Lori was kind enough to pass along a special family story to us (warning, you may want to grab some tissues). This is the story of the very first-ever Race for the Cure: Nancy coordinated it in Dallas….It was a terrible, rainy Saturday morning. As she sat in the rain at Northpark, she just knew that the 500 people that registered for the race would not show up on such a cold, dreary morning, and as she waited and watched, she saw the car lights rolling in…and they kept coming and coming. That was the very beginning of this amazing race.

"Uncle Mark," Michelle, Jessica and Nancy Solls and Lori Lanzone

Lori also shared some of her thoughts and feelings about this race, "Cancer has no boundaries. You see every walk of life, young and old, children, adults and the elderly binding together for the same common goal. Finding a cure. It is the most united, inspiring, moving thing I have ever done in my life."

Lori is proud to announce that she surpassed her goal and raised $725.00 from her "awesome" family, friends and co-workers! She said it would not have been possible without her VC family!

Everyone here at Venture is extremely proud of these strong, caring women! Y'all ROCK!

From the first race of 500 participants ... wow! how things have changed ...

Partners Card!

2011-11-01T09:45:00.006-05:00

Partners Card ~ Friday, Oct 28th - Sunday, Nov 6th

There's still time to purchase a card and start shopping!

Partners Card is a unique charity fundraiser that benefits The Family Place’s programs for victims of family violence. Since its inception in 1993, the Partners Card program has raised more than $11 million to help end the cycle of abuse in our community. 100% of your $60 Partners Card purchase goes directly to supporting survivors of family violence.

Partners Card is near and dear to our hearts here at Venture. Our Marketing Director, Chasity Terry, is on the retail advisory board; Sleep Experts (represented by our brokers Bryan Cornelius and Dave Carter) is a proud sponsor; and many of the fine retailers at The Plaza at Preston Center participate each year.

American Eyewear / Apples to Zinnias / Bachendorf's / Betty Reiter / The Biz / Calypso St. Barth / Castle Cap Jewelers / Jos. A. Bank Clothier / KidBiz / Lucky Dog Barkery / Lucy / Matthew Trent Design Studio / Mel Crews / New Balance DFW / Occhiali Modern Optics / Orvis / Pickles & Ice Cream Maternity & Apparel / Priscilla of Boston / Swoozie's / Tootsies / Waterworks

The list of retailers can also be found under Area 11 (pages 60-61) of your Partners Card Booklet.

The Plaza at Preston Center is leased and managed by Venture Commercial.

Happy Halloween from Venture!

2011-10-31T14:19:00.002-05:00

Every year we have a little fun for Halloween and invite all of the "Venture Kids" to come up and trick or treat around the office. Of course there is a little prep work involved...

Pamela Sommermeyer

We seem to be into spiders around here!

We have some big "Venture Kids" around here too!

Stephen Knowles

Mommy Dearest aka Rebecca Feldman
NO MORE WIRE HANGERS!

Courtney Carlton

And let's not forget why all of this was done (no not just for the candy) for ... the little ones.

Emma Hampton

Toni and Brayden Celum

Nate Carter

Kyden Celum

Autumn Mitchell

Emma Zikos (and friend)

Roof-Top Cook-Out

2011-10-25T13:29:00.000-05:00

Several times a year Chef Tony works his magic at the grill and we take a few moments out of our busy schedules to sit down as a group and laugh, catch-up and of course EAT.

Chelsea Green and Lori Lanzone

It's always a good idea to stake out a spot close to the grill!

Chef Tony, Linda Payne, Bob Moore and Chris Corbin.

The ladies ~ enjoying a nice sunny day ... roof-top style!

Chelsea Green and Bridget Clower

Becca Addison

Courtney Carlton, Peggy Bessellieu and Karis Narofsky

Even though this is our fun time ... business matters still beckon.

John Rutledge

John Rutledge and Mike Geisler

Feel the love ... bonding over BBQ and Banana Pudding.

Tina McClary and Kris Schuster

Festivities are winding down, bellies are full ... people are happy! The only question on everyone's mind is when is the next cook-out? Chef Tony?

Art of Knox ~ Saturday, October 22nd, 4-8pm

2011-10-21T16:00:00.001-05:00

Art of Knox ~ Saturday, October 22nd, 4-8pm

Knox Street Festival ~ Celebrating Area Businesses & Restaurants!
Travis Street at Knox Street ... Admission is FREE

Food & Wine Tastings / In-Store Promotions / Live Music / Local Artists / Fashion Show
Raffle - benefiting The Friends of The Katy Trail

3300 Knox is leased and managed by Venture Commercial.

HeartCard Kicks off Tomorrow in Tarrant County

2011-10-21T11:47:00.000-05:00

HeartCard ~ Saturday, Oct 21st - Sunday, Oct 30th

Shop with your heart by purchasing the HeartCard for $55. All proceeds benefit SafeHaven’s emergency shelters and counseling programs and more than 120 area stores offer a 20% discount to cardholders. Many of the fine retailers at The Village at Camp Bowie participate in this program.

The Village at Camp Bowie is leased and managed by Venture Commercial.

Click here for additional October Community Events.