Going purple at TMS

TCU has great friends and supporters across the Metroplex! When Mayor Betsy Price and members of the Fort Worth City Council encouraged all residents and businesses in town to wear purple on Tuesday in support of TCU, the staff at the Texas Motor Speedway responded. Mike Zizzo, vice president of media relations at the speedway, sent these photos to campus on Tuesday, noting, "I just wanted you to know that the school continues to have Texas Motor Speedway’s unwavering support. To show our support, the entire staff wore a purple piece of clothing and we have TCU on our marquee today in addition to a plan to run full-page ads in the school newspaper on consecutive weeks (late March, early April). We’re behind you!"

Mayor Price said the recent actions taken by the university against illegal drugs are more examples of why TCU has been and will remain an outstanding organization.

“This is our opportunity to stand up for TCU and show that everyone in Fort Worth loves our Horned Frogs,” Price said. “TCU is a world-class university, and they pride themselves on providing a safe and healthy place for students to learn and succeed. TCU sent a strong message that any attempt to harm its students or its reputation won't be tolerated, and we fully support them.”

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Two TCU hoops lettermen meet on the court coaching sons

Longtime TCU basketball fans will remember Vladimir Jaksic '00, the 6-foot-8 sharpshooter for the Frogs during the Billy Tubbs era. Today, Jaksic is a sales and leasing consultant at North Point Volvo in Atlanta, Ga., and coach of his 11-year-old son Luka's basketball team. (Photo above right)

"This past season, one of the teams that we played against was coached by a very tall gentleman wearing a purple TCU basketball shirt," writes wife Vicky Jaksic. "Needless to say, introductions were made, and we discovered it was Jeff Boutelle '89, another TCU basketball letterman. His son Bryce is also in the fifth grade. Both of our sons were chosen to play on the sixth grade all-star team. It's not a typo. Both boys played up a year due to their skills. I guess apples don't fall far from their trees." (Photo above left of Luka Jaksic, Jeff Boutelle, Bryce Boutelle)

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Kind note from Notre Dame alum

Patrick Yurasek of Richmond, Texas, mailed us a thoughtful note last week, sharing that his family's prayers were with the TCU community. Yurasek, a 1967 grad of Notre Dame, has a TCU family. Wife Janet '71 is a Horned Frog, and son Chris '00 is a TCU alumnus. "TCU has a special place in my heart," he wrote.

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TCU beats SMU in Chicago alumni chapter bowling challenge

When it comes to bowling, everyone knows that TCU Horned Frogs have the SMU Mustangs beat. (Pasadena anyone?)

But we Frogs are also superior at the bowling alley, too.

Last week, 15 TCU alums from the Windy City knocked down more pins than 15 SMU grads in an Iron Skillet Bowling Competition between the two Chicago-area alumni chapters. Note that the Frogs are victoriously hoisting a replica of the Iron Skillet they made especially for the event. (Pretty impressive to create a trophy, put on the line in competition and win it anyway!)

Follow the Chicago-area TCU chapter on Facebook, or get updates from any chapter on Froglinks.

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Alumnae wins Outstanding Small Business of the Year Award

Jenny Conrad '99, (right) owner of custom gift basket company Conrad Creative, won the Outstanding Small Business of the Year Award from the Mansfield Area Chamber of Commerce at the organization’s annual awards banquet in January. Accepting the award with Conrad was Carrie Ingram (left).

“We were honored to receive this award,” Conrad shared with us. “The Mansfield community has truly embraced our business and helped us to grow over the years. We are extremely appreciative.”

The award recognizes a business with fewer than 50 employees that has enhanced Mansfield's economy, exhibits model customer service and provides innovative leadership to employees and clients.

Conrad founded the company in November 2006 and has seen a 50 percent jump in sales and customers. The company introduced a line of baskets geared for breast surgery patients in 2011.

This is Conrad's second award from the Mansfield chamber. In 2010, she was recognized for her leadership in the community as Volunteer of the Year and Woman of the Year.

“I think it is important to give back to the community where you live and work,” Conrad wrote. “I push my employees to get involved too. We don’t want to just have a business in Mansfield, we want to be a part of Mansfield."

Conrad Creative specializes in customized gift baskets, corporate gift programs and centerpieces.

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TCU bride has surprise in Auburn alum's groom's cake

Meggie (Taylor) Schissler '09 of Auburn, Ala., married John Schissler, who is an Auburn Tiger alum, in July 2011 in Dallas. Her husband insisted on a groom's cake that highlighted the Tigers as the college football national champions.

But Meggie worked with the cake maker to add a Horned Frog twist. "I made sure that my school that finished No. 2 (TCU) did not go unnoticed," she wrote us. "So without him knowing, I dyed the inside of his cake purple. He was surprised and had a good laugh."

Meggie works for the Reformed University Fellowship at the university.

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