Saturday night downtown Dallas looked more like a Tim Burton movie than a civilized business district. Automobiles were locked in place vying for event parking, but the headlights and brake lights seemed to make the mess look rather festive. On the sidewalks were all types of strange creatures in costumes bound for pre-Halloween parties; all types of music rose in the air (Burt Bacharach, the Fab Four, Trombone Shorty, Polyphonic Spree); and the glittering skyscrapers looked like colorful giant druids overseeing the whole evening.
Arthritis Foundation’s 7th Annual Dallas Bone Bash
Pity the poor soul who had had one too many cocktails in the Fairmont bar as guests arrived for the 7th Annual Dallas Bone Bash. Having developed quite a reputation for making the most of Halloween dress up, the Arthritis Foundation fundraiser presented by The Carrell Clinic proved that imaginations were livelier and current.
Natty Harley Warren came in sports jacket and khakis as Mitt Romney with a “Women Binder” hanging around his neck. Uh, what about that mustache? Harley admitted that there was just so much he would do for the sake of dressing up.
Looking like she was fresh from a tanning salon, Emma Nichols, with a baby doll strapped to her chest and a sign reading “I’d Rather Be Tanning,” came as the New Jersey Tanning Bed Mom.
Speaking of sunny topics, Paul Devereaux wore a sandwich board with a collection of items — sunglasses, fans, sun visors, sunscreen, grenades — grenades?! He was promoting the Nasher Sculpter [That’s the way Paul spells it] Center Souvenir Shop. No one came as the Museum Tower or Klyde Warren Park.
Evening emcee/KDFW-CH. 4’s Mike Doocy and his wife Ruth looked a little out of place in normal cocktail attire surrounded by the
likes of Queen Bee Clair Hyde and her husband/beekeeper William,
Detron Powell as “the tan version” Hugh Hefner with martini in hand, and Bo “Snow White” Frederick with his wife Sharon, who was the “eighth dwarf, ‘Psycho,” wielding a blood-drenched cleaver.
Winning the historical odd couple category were Amy and Travis Ripley, who came as Mary and Abraham Lincoln. What made them stand out was the fact that itty bitty Amy came as whiskered Honest Abe and Travis was a towering Mary. When asked why, they honestly said that when they discovered the costumes at the Dallas Costume Shoppe, they thought “trading places would be funny.” Must admit that it was downright tempting to give Amy’s whiskers a tug.
After a show-and-explain-your-costume reception, guests entered through a cave-like hallway into the Regency Ballroom for dinner starting with tomato basil bisque en croute following by an entree of Dijon and thyme roasted chicken with lemon caper sauce and butternut squash risotto, asparagus, carrots and blistered red and yellow tomatoes. Dessert was a chocolate hazelnut mousse martini with whipped cream, cherries and chocolate swirl.
While all looked right at home among the 500 costumed celebrants, one couldn’t help but wonder how the walk to the car and ride home would be. Pity the poor policeman who pulled over “satyrs with big horns” Kevan Wong and Paul Rook literally in red body paint and woolly looking leggings, black wigs, soul patches and “hooves” and gold horns.
BeatLeukemia Ball
This year’s BeatLeukemia Ball experienced some changes from last year’s fundraiser for Leukemia Texas. Instead of the Hilton Anatole, it was decided to hold it at the Omni Dallas. Instead of co-chairs, it was decided to “recognize a decade of chairwomen and men” (2003 Co-chairs Susan Holman and Lindalyn Adams, 2004 Chair Joanne Fay, 2005 – Co-chairs Stephanie and Dr. Robert Haley, 2006 Co-chairs Kaki and Dr. Shelton Hopkins and Honorary Chair Alicia Landry, 2007 – Co-chairs Patti Flowers and Tom Swiley, 2008 – Co-chairs Sally Cullum and Pam Busbee and Honorary Chairs Peggy and Carl Sewell, 2009 – Co-chairs Cynthia and Brice Beaird and Honorary Chair Lindalym Adams, 2010 – Co-chairs Pam Busbee and Sally Cullum and Honorary Chair Caroline Rose Hunt and 2011 – Co-chairs Kim Miller and Janie Condon and Honorary Chairs Julie and Jim Turner), and have retired Capt. Dick East and the Southwest Airlines Family as honorary chairs. That was a natural since it was Dick who lost his daughter, Muffy, to leukemia when she was just 9. In the early ’80s he got the idea that Southwest pilots on their layovers should volunteer to cook dinner for families staying at Ronald McDonald Houses. It was such a great idea that the flight attendants joined onboard, and so did SWA’s then-main-man Herb Kelleher and then-main-gal Colleen Barrett. In fact Colleen told Dick, “You keep recruiting the pilots, we’ll get the SWA board of directors behind it,” and they did just that.
Looking around at the crowd growing to 350, Dick claimed they [Leukemia Texas] “drafted’ me as honorary chair because of what I’ve done for leukemia.
Dinner consisted of tomato mozzarella salad (sliced red, yellow and green tomatoes, micro greens, sliced fresh mozzarella, basil pesto, cracked pepper and chilled lobster chunks served with balsamic vinaigrette), filet and shrimp duo (seared potato terrine, asparagus, baby carrots and baby zucchinis) and white chocolate mousse and raspberry cake with raspberry sauce and cream and truffles.
Then it was time for The Fab Four to take over and for the dance floor to fill.
Legends 2012
The lineup of cars heading into the House of Blues parking lot was backed up as a Bentley eased its way into a primo parking spot. Six-figure vehicles definitely have privileges. As soon as the luxury car was in place, things picked up immediately. Guests for Legends 2012, the St. Paul Medical Foundation and UT Southwestern’s Heart, Lung, Vascular and Cerebrovascular programs fundraiser featuring Burt Bacharach, were directed to the Music Hall. No costumes for this group. They came as themselves and that was plenty enough.
Honorary Chair Nancy Rogers was just back from a week in New York City with her gal pals like Gina Betts, Tanya Foster and Sunie Solomon. While there they attended the Anderson Cooper “Anderson Live” show, where her second-oldest, goddaughter worked. At the show it was announced that Mary Kay was presenting a check for $1M to Love in Respect to combat domestic violence. Nancy admitted that they had just gotten out of the Big Apple in time to miss Hurricane Sandy.
After a lot of talking and enjoying beverages, guests settled in to their seats on the main floor and in the balcony including Fort Worthies Olivia and Jeff Kearney, Ebby Halliday Acers with Cody Baker, Charlotte and Kirk Dooley,
Laura McClung in from the country with her brother Dr. Hugh McClung, Katy and Lawrence Bock and Lynn and Allan McBee.
Unlike other parties where the event chairs find their front row seats after greetings from the stage, not so for Co-chair Couples Betty and Michael Bullington and Mersina and Phil Stubbs. After they handed out thanks and recognition to the people and companies supporting their efforts, they quietly went upstairs to the balcony.
Then it was time for Burt to come on stage wearing an orange scarf that he quickly tossed on top of the piano, saying, “I’ve been cold all day,” but adding that he didn’t need it now.
One person was surprised that Burt was . . . shall we say, not as tall as thought. The guest described the multi-award (Academy, Golden and Grammy) winner as “an achondroplasic dwarf.” Dare you to look that one up.
Regardless of his height or age, Bacharach proved to be legendary as he launched into a medley dedicated to his late partner Hal David, who died two years ago. It wasn’t a surprise that these guests were humming “Don’t Make Me Over,” “Walk on By,” “This Guy’s In Love With You,” “I Say A Little Prayer,” “Trains and Boats and Planes,” “Wishin’ and Hopin’” and “Always Something There to Remind Me,” as they drove home past the characters leaving the Bones Bash.
MakeAWay
Since MySweetCharity’s main forces were trapped downtown thanks to traffic, an elf north of LBJ filed this report:
More than 400 people attended the Get Groovy with MakeAWay Charities annual gala and donated $96,000 at the silent and live auction. Combining that with sponsorships and ticket sales, a total of $240,000 was donated. This 4th annual event was held October 27, 2012 at the Westin Galleria. With Pat and Emmitt Smith* as honorary chairs, the 60s-themed event featured entertainment by internationally top-rated Beatles tribute band Hard Day’s Night and 60s-themed dancing by Arthur Murray Dance Studios.
Aside from the band (which convinced me I would have been “one of those girls” in the 60s had I ever been exposed to any of the real Beatles), the highlight for me was when la Madeleine founder Patrick Esquerre took over the live auction mic to explain the Parisian trip he donated and spur donations. As the bidding for the trip appeared to be winding down at $15,000, he surprised everyone and asked if both bidders wanted to go on the trip. When they said yes, he agreed and threw his hands up in the air in celebration, doubling the donation to nearly $30,000. The photo of this moment is in the link above.
Another highlight is when a MakeAWay volunteer at the event was given a car that had been donated by an anonymous donor. Marshall is a hard-working single dad struggling to make ends meet with his wage-paid job and no car. Without a car or enough money for reliable transportation, he bikes or walks to work and can not easily see his son who lives apart from him. The anonymous MakeAWay donor donated their family’s used car with request that it be given to a single parent in need.
Before the band took the stage, founders Mike and Kathy Hayes and executive director Jay Hellwig hosted a speed-donating round of “Fund a Need” where they read excerpts from 20 financial assistance applications from struggling families. Individuals donated nearly $10,000 in 10 minutes to fully fund those 20 requests for energy, rent and medical bill assistance.
Donors and sponsors of this year’s Get Groovy Gala benefiting MakeAWay Charities include: Generational Equity (title), Metroplex Pain Management, la Madeleine and Covenant Church (presenting sponsors), and P.M. Standley Motors, PhotoStat, Jason Montgomery DDS and Uptown Enterprises.
If MakeAWay is new to you, it is relatively new considering it was created in 2008. But during this brief time it has helped “more than 1,000 families in North Texas. . . More than 95 cents of every donated dollar goes directly to families in need. The support allows families to stay in their homes, get vehicle repairs so they can transport children to school and commute to work, and not have to choose between keeping electricity or getting needed medical help.”
* Editor’s Note: Pat and Emmitt were able to greet guests via video, due to the fact that they had to be on the West Coast for Dancing With the Stars.
** Photo credit: Jason Janik