Carol Burnett Fundraiser

Entertainment icon Carol Burnett, one of the spokespersons for the American Lung Association, will be the headliner at an annual fundraiser for the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center Sept. 28th.

"Conversation With a Living Legend Luncheon" in Dallas, TX will be held at the Hilton Anatole and chaired by Dallasite Barbara Thomas Lemmon. Lunch is from 11:30-1:30 at 2201 Stemmons Freeway.

For tickets, call 1-866-262-9029.

Burnett's daughter Carrie passed away from lung cancer a few years ago. Carrie and Burnett wrote a play together about Burnett's life which was performed on stage by Burnett and cast after Carrie's passing.

Burnett started out as an aspiring actress who was able to move to New York City in her junior year thanks to an anonymous donor who sent her a check for $1,000.00.

A six-time Emmy-award winner and author, Burnett grew up in Texas and is famous for, among other things, her many creations of characters on her former TV show "The Carol Burnett Show" and her Tarzan yell. She was also a frequent guest on the old "Match Game" show in the 1970s and has done numerous films and TV movies. Her variety show in the 1970s was one of the most successful ones of its kind of all time, airing from 1967-1978. Burnett married Joe Hamilton and had three children with him, among them the late Carrie Hamilton.

In 1981 Burnett starred with Alan Alda in the adult drama/comedy movie "Four Seasons" and the following year was featured in "Annie" as the crotchety "Miss Hannigan" who ran the orphanage.

"The Carol Burnett Show Reunion" aired in 1993.

Being a child in the 1970s, I have fond memories of the weekends, watching "The Carol Burnett Show" with my sisters and making homemade pudding on the stove that seemed to take forever to harden in the fridge so we could eat it. One of our favorite skits was the one involving "Eunice," her husband, and "Momma" as well as Tim Conway's "Mr. Tudball" and Burnett's "Mrs.Wiggins."

My sister Cindy, who now runs her own business, has sometimes laughingly compared some people she's come in contact with to "Mrs. Wiggins." One of Burnett's famous TV characters by the name of "Eunice" was the inspiration for Cindy naming her former Calico cat that name.

Back in 2002, world renowned cyclist and cancer survivor Lance Armstrong, also a Texan, was the featured headliner for the Dallas Legend event.

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