Meetings & Events

Grey Matters meetings are held on the second Tuesday of each month from 6:45-9:00 p.m. unless otherwise noted in the calendar below. A complimentary light meal is provided starting at 6:45 p.m. Please join us — no invitation is required.

Meeting Location

Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Plano
(formerly named HealthSouth Plano Rehabilitation Hospital)

2800 West 15^th St.

Plano, TX 75075

Upon your arrival, please check with the receptionist for the exact location within the building.

2019 CALENDAR

Official Grey Matters meetings/events are shaded in grey.
Please check back periodically as new events are added throughout the year.

JANUARY
January 8, 2019	Monthly Meeting & Chili Cook-off Please bring your favorite chili to share for our annual chili cook-off contest! Prizes will be awarded. Grated cheese, sour cream, cornbread, fritos, chopped onions, and salad will be provided by Grey Matters. Sharing as time permits.
January 21, 2019 11 AM - 10 PM	Shake Shack Fundraiser for Head for the Cure Location: 7401 Windrose Ave #150 Plano, TX 75024 Shake Shack is hosting a giveback for Head for the Cure on Monday, January 21, ALL DAY! Enjoy burgers, fries, and delicious milkshakes and they will donate 25% of sales back to Head for the Cure North Texas! All you have to do is simply mention Head for the Cure prior to paying.
FEBRUARY
February 12, 2019	Monthly Meeting Guest Speaker: Victor Mangona, M.D. Texas Center for Proton Therapy Read more about Dr. Mangona here. Click here to view a PDF of an overview of Proton Therapy.
February 15-16, 2019	Fort Worth Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Oncology Coalition 2019 Conference The Worthington Renaissance 200 Main Street, Fort Worth Register by December 22 and receive $50 off the regular price of conference admission. Learn more and register here.
February 18, 2019	Grey Matters Ladies Only Night Out! The women of Grey Matters are invited to join us for a ladies night out on Monday, February 18, at 6 p.m. We will meet at La Madeleine located at 520 West 15th Street in Plano (near Central Expressway). Come one and all for an informal get-together to discuss any concerns or issues you may have and to gain support. We hope to see you there!
February 21, 2019	A free Cancer Care Call In workshop, "Update on Glioblastoma in Adults," will be held on February 21 from 12:30-1:30 p.m. Learn more and register here.
MARCH
Saturday, March 2, 2019 Register at 8 a.m. Opening Ceremonies at 9 a.m. Walk at 9:30 a.m.	American Brain Tumor Association (ABTA) BT5K Dallas Run & Walk Oak Point Amphitheater at Oak Point Park 2801 E Spring Creek Pkwy Plano, TX 75074 More information about the event can be found here. Be sure to register as a member of the "Grey Matters North Texas Brain Tumor Support Group" team. The BT5K Breakthrough for Brain Tumors Run and Walk is the American Brain Tumor Association's national signature fundraising event, taking place in cities coast to coast. Your participation allows the ABTA to provide vital brain tumor resources to patients and their families, fund promising research studies, and conduct nationwide brain tumor educational programs.
March 12, 2019	Monthly Meeting Please check back for more details.
Tuesday, March 19, 2019	CancerCare Connect Education Workshop: Caregiving for Your Loved One with Cancer CancerCare educational workshops on cancer-related topics are completely free of charge. However, pre-registration is required. Registrants can listen in live over the phone or online as a webcast. More information and online registration can be found here. Download a PDF of the brochure for this workshop here.
APRIL
Sunday, April 7, 2019 4:05 p.m.	Frisco Rough Riders Baseball Game Dr. Pepper Ballpark 7300 Roughriders Trail Frisco, TX 75034 Join us for the annual Head for the Cure/Grey Matters outing/fundraiser at a Frisco Rough Riders baseball game. Tickets are $12 each and include good seats and fireworks after the game. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Head for the Cure. Click here for more details and to purchase tickets.
April 9, 2019	Monthly Meeting Please check back for more details.
April 12-14, 2019 (other dates and locations available)	Reel Recovery Fishing Retreat in Glen Rose, TX Reel Recovery is a national non-profit organization that conducts free fly-fishing retreats in Texas and Oklahoma for men recovering from all forms of cancer. Click here to read the flyer for more information. Flyer includes other dates and locations for the retreat.
Thursday, April 25, 2019 1-2 p.m.	The ABTA Presents "Altering Metabolism for Brain Tumor Therapy: Food for Thought" Learn about how the ketogenic diet can serve as a supportive therapy for malignant brain tumors. Strategies to increase blood ketones, reduce blood glucose (sugar) levels and decrease potential side effects will also be discussed. Learn more about this webinar and register here.
Saturday, April 27, 2019 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.	North Texas Firefighters Agility Challenge Garland Fire Department Training Facility 1500 Highway 66 Garland, TX 75040 Come join the Irving, Grand Prairie, Plano, and Garland Firefighter Departments as they challenge each other in a skills test. See their equipment and skills as they battle each other to raise funds for the Nick Gonzales BT Foundation for Research. There will be a raffle fundraiser, and children can tour all the equipment. This is a great family event! More details can be found at the following links: Agility Challenge brochure Grey Matters to Firefighters brochure Firefighters Agility Challenge website
MAY
May is Brain Tumor Awareness Month
Saturday, May 4, 2019 Registration at 7 a.m. Walk/Run at 8 a.m.	Head for the Cure 5K – North Texas Oak Point Amphitheater at Oak Point Park 2801 E Spring Creek Pkwy Plano, TX 75074 Be sure to join our "Grey Matters North Texas Brain Tumor Support Group" team. Learn more and register here. Also, please stop by the Grey Matters booth/tent to visit with members and pick up a brochure about our group. Now through March 17, take advantage of a $5 St. Patrick's Day discount when you register! Promotion code: GOLD Head for the Cure is dedicated to raising hope, awareness, and funding in the fight against brain cancer. Our 5K events are not only successful fundraisers, but unique tributes to those who are fighting brain cancer and those who have lost their battles. Their memories carry on through the teams that are formed around them, and these teams return year after year to celebrate their legacies. Funds raised from the event benefit the Brain Tumor Trials Collaborative (BTTC) and UT Southwestern.
Friday, May 10, 2019	The Nick Gonzales Foundation for Brain Tumor Research's 12th Annual Golf Tournament, Dinner & Auction Join us to raise money for brain cancer research. Fees: $175 for golf (includes dinner), $55 dinner only. Dinner includes a beef carving station. There will be live and silent auctions. Golf Ball Drop tickets are $10 each. Register by April 15 at http://thenickgonzalesfoundation.org.
May 14, 2019	Monthly Meeting We will elect Grey Matters board members for the coming year during this meeting.
JUNE
Sunday, June 2, 2019	National Cancer Survivors Day More information can be found here.
Tuesday, June 4, 2019 6:30-8:00 p.m.	Optune Open House Residence Inn by Marriott DFW North Airport, Irving You’ll learn about Optune, an FDA-approved treatment for GBM and hear firthand from Optune users and their caregivers about their experiences. Read the open house flyer here. Learn more and register here.
June 11, 2019	Monthly Meeting Jamie Dennison and Valda McClaine from the Jewish Family Service of Greater Dallas (JFS) will share information about the organization. The JFS is a nonsectarian mental health and social services agency that impacts over 13,000 lives a year. For more than 65 years, JFS has welcomed anyone through its doors regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, or the ability to pay.
JULY
July 9, 2019	Monthly Meeting Guest speaker: Dr. Karen Fink, MD, PhD, neuro-oncologist Baylor Scott & White Neuro-Oncology Associates - Dallas
July 17, 2019	Glioblastoma Awareness Day National Brain Tumor Society (NBTS) is proud to announce its endorsement of a bipartisan resolution introduced on May 16, 2019. Read more.
AUGUST
August 13, 2019	Monthly Meeting Guest speaker: Noralyn Pickens, Ph.D., OT “Home environment modifications for living-in-place” Noralyn Pickens, PhD, OT, is Professor and Associate Director of the Texas Woman's University, School of Occupational Therapy - Dallas Center. Dr. Pickens teaches in the entry-level graduate and PhD programs. She is an Affiliate Scientist with the R2D2 Center at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and serves as current Editor of the AOTA Productive Aging Special Interest Section Quarterly. Dr. Pickens' research addresses assessment and intervention to facilitate aging-in-place for people with chronic conditions and their families. We’ll also enjoy our ICE CREAM SOCIAL. Ice cream will be provided. Please bring your favorite topping to share. This will be a sharing meeting.
SEPTEMBER
September 10, 2019	Monthly Meeting Please check back for more details.
OCTOBER
October 18-20, 2019	The Bluebonnet Retreat Please check back for fall dates to be announced. The Bluebonnet Retreat offers, at no charge, a unique experience for adult cancer patients. During the three-day, two-night camp, attendees are provided a creative, educational atmosphere of support with a focus on wellness. The retreat is a special project of Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Hurst-Euless-Bedford and is funded through donations. Ambulatory adults age 18 or older who have been diagnosed with cancer within the past five years are invited to attend. The retreat is held each year in the fall and spring. Attendance is limited to 24 and first time campers receive priority. More information about the camp and application process can be found here. The application deadline is September 20, 2019.
October 8, 2019	Monthly Meeting Please check back for more details.
October 11-13, 2019 (other dates and locations available)	Reel Recovery Fishing Retreat in Glen Rose, TX Reel Recovery is a national non-profit organization that conducts free fly-fishing retreats in Texas and Oklahoma for men recovering from all forms of cancer. Click here to read the flyer for more information. Flyer includes other dates and locations for the retreat.
Sunday, October 13, 2019 1:00-4:00 p.m.	Annual Grey Matters Picnic Country Place Treehouse 3600 Country Place Road Plano, TX 75023 Hamburgers, hot dogs, side dishes, desserts, and drinks will be provided for all by Grey Matters. All you need to do is bring your family, friends, and an appetite! We will meet on the covered patio, and there is a clubhouse in case of inclement weather. We look forward to seeing everyone!
NOVEMBER
Saturday, November 2, 2019	NBTS Ft. Worth Brain Tumor Walk The National Brain Tumor Society hosts an annual walk at Trinity Park, and you can participate as part of the "Grey Matters No TX Support Group" with team captain Karen Kurlya (please note that there is another group by the name Grey Matters, so make sure you select the correct team). Come out and have a great time and support a wonderful cause...let's find a cure! More information and registration can be found here. $25 until Oct. 11 $30 from Oct. 11-31 $40 on day of event Ages 17 & younger are FREE
November 12, 2019	Monthly Meeting & Thanksgiving Celebration Join us as we give thanks and enjoy a light meal. Please bring a favorite pie to share for a sampling of desserts.
DECEMBER
Tuesday, December 3, 2019	Giving Tuesday SAVE THE DATE! On December 3, thousands of individuals will show their support to nonprofit organizations on #GivingTuesday. We invite you to join the movement and give on or even before December 3 in support of Head for the Cure or any other organization of your choosing that supports brain tumor research.
December 10, 2019	Monthly Meeting & Holiday Party Join us as we celebrate the holiday season and prepare to ring in a New Year filled with health and happiness! Sharing as time permits.