April is turning out to be the nesting month for “round robins” by the score. Here is the wrap up for April 15.
North Texas Food Bank
It’s a rare occasion when Ruth Altshuler is upstaged. But it was a by-a-nose finish at the North Texas Food Bank’s fifth annual “Dishing Out Gratitude” program, when Genie Pattison accepted her Young Ambassadors Award. The elementary school student had mounted an effort with her classmates to raise resources for the North Texas Food Bank. Genie’s acceptance speech was a hit with a ”Thank you. That’s all,” and that was about it.
But if you thought legendary food-raising champion Ruth felt upstaged, then you obviously are so new to the hood.
Handholding with husband Ken, she looked extremely pleased knowing that the future was assured thanks to the spirit of youngsters like Genie.
Ruth was also a bit stunned by the presence of a mystery guest. The North Texas Food Bank had gone an extra mile or two and managed to keep it a secret that former First Lady Laura Bush would be there for Ruth’s receiving the “Individual Golden Fork.”
Ruth, who is never at a loss for clever quotes, was almost speechless. When someone told her that Laura was there, she dismissed the thought saying there was no way since Laura was in New York City for the over-the-weekend birth of her first granddaughter. But sure enough, there was Laura without a hair out of place sitting next to Ruth.
Others in the audience including Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins, Jeanne Phillips, Ellen Terry, Louise Eiseman, Marilyn Augur and Caroline Rose Hunt watched the following “plates” handed out:
Core Value: Do what needs to be done — Felton Dickens, George Peabody Elementary
- Core Value: Urgency — Harold Simmons Foundation
- Core Value: Stewardship — Beaumont Foundation of America
- Core Value: Diversity — A.K. Mago
- Core Value: Celebrate Passion — Dallas Theater Center
- Community Innovator of the Year — Communities Foundation of Texas
- Corporate Innovator of the Year — Rent-A-Center
- Individual Innovator of the Year — Ray Hemmig
- Young Ambassadors Award — Genie Pattison
- Corporate Golden Fork — AT&T
- Food Industry Golden Fork — Larry Tolbert, Performance Foodservice
- Lifetime Achievement — Liz Minyard and Ambassador Kathryn Hall
Both A.K. and Ray commented that their involvement was spurred largely due their wives’ influence. As A.K. put it, “The man may be the head, but the wife is the neck and directs the head.”
As for Genie, she loved the attention and the “plate,” but she’ll probably never forget being hugged by the former first lady.
Equest
Val Kilmer is everywhere, everywhere. The week before he was at Carolina Hererra’s for an Equest fundraiser, the Nasher to get a tour by Jeremy Strick, Dallas International Film Festival to present William Friedkin with Dallas Star Award and D Broadcasting and KLUV to promote his “Citizen Twain.”
In addition to driving interest in “Citizen Twin,” he was at the Equest and DIFF events because of his friendship with Jennifer and Doug Houser. And, dang, if he didn’t do it again! Since Jennifer is chairing the underwriting for the Equest Fashion Show, she got her buddy Val to stop by Trina Turk’s for the official kick-off for the Equest event.
While many of the gals worked the racks finding summery outfits and Carolyn Lupton and Jean Lattimore established a camp on the couch, Val continued his conquest posing for photos with guests like Ellen Winspear and Lynn McBee, who was on her way to the University of North Texas at the Meyerson.
One of the gals in the crowd with an armful of new purchases was Gina Betts, fresh off her Wings Luncheon success. She’s already started putting plans in order for the 2014 Art Ball.
When it came time to announce plans for the fashion show, they invited Val to talk. Well, heck! Of course, Equest Fashion Show Chair Tiffany and Jennifer just knew the ladies wanted to hear from the hunk in the room.
Using his Val charm, he nicely admitted that he was encouraging people to buy tickets. And even if they couldn’t attend, they could buy tickets and have them donated for Afghanistan vets to attend in their place. Already more than 200 tickets have been provided for the soldiers.
University of North Texas
And speaking of the University of North Texas, the Meyerson was indeed filled with “Scrappy” alumni and fans for the Emerald Eagle Honors. Highlights of the evening included:
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[UNT alumna/co-host] Melissa Rycroft Strickland teasing [UNT/co-host] Peter Weller the whole night for being a bit older by saying he was in the black and white generation. She also teased him for not being able to say her name correctly.
- Peter Weller getting applauded for his most beloved role as RoboCop, which he mentioned was filmed in Dallas.
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UNT’s The Green Brigade Marching Band entering the Meyerson to a standing crowd playing the UNT fight song tribute for [honoree] “Mean” Joe Greene
- Drew Pearson speaking a lot about the rivalry between the Cowboys and the Steelers and how it was to play against Joe Greene.
- A spoof of “Mean” Joe Greene’s Coke commercial with Roger Staubach making a special appearance playing the young boy in the original commercial.
- Ron Kirk referring to [honoree] Mary Suhm as Ginger Rogers, quoting the saying that “Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did, except backwards and in high heels.”
- The house band for the evening, Prophets & Outlaws, playing “Proud Mary” in tribute to Mary Suhm. Mary was on her feet and clapping the entire time!
- When Lisa Loeb sang a few bars of “Only the Lonely” to introduce [honoree, the late] Roy Orbison‘s story.
- Lisa Loeb telling about the time she was able to hear Roy Orbison play and meet him when she was a teenager in Dallas.
- When Peter Weller spoke about Roy Orbison he said, “He enrolled at UNT to be a geologist to study rocks. Instead he helped write the history of Rock ‘N Roll.”
* Photos provided by the University of North Texas