Linda Armstrong Kelly to Speak at PARTNERS Luncheon

Linda Armstrong Kelly mother of seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong, will be the featured speaker at the 2006 Annual Spring Luncheon for PARTNERS, the community support group for The University of Texas School of Nursing at Houston.

The event, which benefits the nursing school, begins with registration at 11:30 a.m. and the luncheon at noon-1:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 1, at the Hilton Houston Hotel, 2001 Post Oak Blvd.

Kelly, author of No Mountain High Enough (Broadway Books, 2005), will discuss her journey from a poverty-stricken teenage mother in an abusive relationship to a role model and business executive, single-handedly raising a child who would overcome cancer and go on to become one of the greatest athletes of all time.

“Raising children is like an armadillo race,” said Kelly. “You tend to this little life and feed him well and put something out in front of him and teach him to want to chase after it. But at the end of the day, he’s still a wild thing. All you can do is let him go and hope he stays on track. And maybe, just maybe, he’ll be a little faster than the other armadillos that day.”

Since 1994, PARTNERS has raised its student scholarship endowment to more than $1 million, awarding 56 full-tuition scholarships. In addition, PARTNERS has funded 27 faculty research grants, presented silver school pins to graduating nursing students, supported the student services committee, and purchased technologically advanced equipment for the school.

Luncheon ticket prices start at $100. Call (713) 500-2006 to order.

By Shanon Rasp, Public Affairs