Fergie to talk about health
By Robyn Kriel
Staff Reporter

Royalty will descend upon the TCU campus Monday.

The Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson, will be speaking from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m. at the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum to about 4,000 high school senior girls and any TCU women who wish to attend.

The duchess is the author of more than a dozen books, as well as the spokeswoman for Weight Watchers and the volunteer spokeswoman for the American Heart Association.

She will be speaking on issues of health, wellness and how she achieved her goals and successes.

Ferguson is being invited to speak by the Women’s Foundation of North Texas, a philanthropy to promote welfare among women and girls.

Shirley Turner, founder and co-chairwoman of the foundation, said this is their first major fund-raiser.

“We donate money to various women’s groups, such as the Boys and Girls Clubs of America and the Young Women’s Christian Association,” she said.

Turner said the Women’s Foundation is focusing this year on health and wellness issues, which is why the foundation members invited Ferguson.

“Not only is she involved in Weight Watchers and the Heart Association but she also takes immense pride in reaching out to the average person,” Turner said. “Listening to her will be amazing.”

The Burleson High School’s drill team will be performing at the event, as will Julia Duffy, a Fort Worth native and stand-up comedian who has done warm-ups for Billy Crystal and Jerry Seinfeld.

“It is going to be a very fun morning,” Turner said. “I am sure that the audience will find Fergie a lot of fun.”

She said this is not Ferguson’s first visit to the United States, or Texas, but that she has never been to Fort Worth.

“We will not be a stuffy audience,” Turner said. “We are going to show the duchess a big Fort Worth welcome.”

Coordinator of Conference Services Flo Hill said the duchess did not require any special security precautions for her visit. The TCU Police will be taking precautions as usual and will be searching backpacks and purses, she said.

After the event, Ferguson will speak at a fund-raising luncheon at the Fort Worth Convention Center.

Jennifer Jensen, a junior advertising and public relations major at TCU, said she was incredibly excited about the duchess’s visit.

“I will definitely be there,” Jensen said. “I am a huge admirer of Fergie and have heard that she is an incredible speaker.”