The Insider: 10.5.16

Headliners come and go, but great causes stay the same. Two upcoming galas have announced changes in their entertainment: Concordance Academy’s A Western Fling Oct. 22 now features Brett Young at its VIP pre-show, and Cedric the Entertainer and Friends gala, also Oct. 22, announced Smokey Robinson will replace an ailing Aretha Franklin.

The popular Glennon Card is back! Purchase the $50 card—all of which goes to support SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital—and get a 20 percent discount at more than 300 retailers, restaurants and salons around town. Discounts apply Oct. 21 through Oct. 30. Visit glennoncard.org for details. T&S  is a proud sponsor of the Glennon Card.

Two great global resources will come together Oct. 16 when conservationist and diver Sylvia Earle receives the World Ecology Award from the Whitney R. Harris World Ecology Center. Earle, 81, is the National Geographic Explorer in Residence and has devoted her life to preserving marine ecosystems. The World Ecology Center supports ecology education and research at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, Missouri Botanical Garden and the Saint Louis Zoo.

OMG! Did you know the U.S. Chess Team placed first among 180 nations in the 42nd Chess Olympiad held recently in Baku, Azerbijan? Better yet, two of the five-member U.S. team have ties to Webster University: Grand Master Ray Robson is a current student, and Grand Master Wesley So a former one.

It’s hard to keep track of all chef Mike Johnson has on his plate these days! The latest: a stint on The Food Network’s Beat Bobby Flay! Known for his Sugarfire BBQ spots, Johnson will appear Nov. 10 in an episode called ‘Country Boys in the Big City.’