Cindy Brinker Simmons has dedicated her life to serving others.  With an emphasis on fighting cancer, she has devoted countless hours providing emotional support to those families impacted by the disease. 

Cindy will share her story and discuss her new book Restored: Reconnecting Life's Broken Pieces at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 9, at the Allen Public Library.  

The daughter of famed restauranteur and Brinker International founder Norman Brinker and Maureen “Little Mo” Connally Brinker, Cindy has personally confronted loss and grief on multiple occasions.  At age 12, her mother died of ovarian cancer.  In 1953, Maureen was the first woman to achieve a Grand Slam—winning all four major tournaments (Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open) in the same calendar year.  In 2019, the Postal Service honored “Little Mo” with a stamp, citing that she was an American treasure and historic sports figure.

In 1973, at age 15, Cindy played the world-famous Chris Evert at a tournament named for her mother.  She lettered on the University of Virginia’s women’s varsity tennis team and served as captain her senior year. Cindy then transitioned from the tennis courts to the world of public relations, founding her own company, Brinker Communications.

In 1980, Cindy established Wipe Out Kids’ Cancer (WOKC), an organization that funds innovative and novel pediatric cancer research projects nationwide.

Cindy and her husband Bob Simmons had one son, William. Tragedy struck Cindy’s life again when Bob died of cancer in 2005 when William was only nine years old.  Cindy did now allow this heartbreak to hold her mission back and she has molded it into a compassion and empathy for others that is straight from the heart.

Can’t be there in person? The program will be streamed live on ACTV. Find viewing options at Watch ACTV or view online at  ACTV.org or YouTube.com/AllenCityTV

The library is located at 300 N. Allen Dr. Call 214-509-4911 for additional information.