The charming lanes of Preston Hollow were packed with cars for fundraising on Tuesday, October 13. Interestingly, two of them were just a block or two away, and they both dealt with youngsters’ well-being and education.
Great Adventure Hunt Kick-Off
In the backyard of Barb and Mike Tonti’s marvelous estate were hi-top tables adorned with orange tablecloths. On the evening of Tuesday, October 13, as guests gathered for the Great Adventure Hunt kick off, someone asked GAH Co-Chair Barb if she’d arranged for the touches of orange because it was well-known that it was longtime GAH supporter/puzzle master sponsor Lyda Hill’s #1 color. Barb fessed up that it was not a one-night-only splash of color. She just liked orange, too.
As it was, Lyda wasn’t able to make it due to a prior commitment, but her teammate Peggy Allison was on the scene to learn about plans for the next GAH at the Perot Museum on Saturday, January 23.
As the family’s 11-year-old Yorkie wandered in and out of the stiletto heels and loafers belonging to such guests as Deborah and Arthur Budge, Kemp Sawers, Co-Chairs Christy and Robby Berry and Tessa and Bob Mosteller, Tom Shroder mingled in. Little did many of the guests realize that Tom in his unassuming black T-shirt was the GAH puzzle master. Newbie game player Bob White admitted that he had heard about the ChildCareGroup fundraiser from Norm Bagwell and been curious about it. (The fundraiser has grown steadily over the years, raising $50,000 in 2012 and $350,000 last year.) Luckily, Bob got some one-on-one time with Tom.
Off to the side, Tom revealed that puzzle mastering was as much fun for him as it was for the game players. Pulitzer-Prize winner Tom, who used to work at The Washington Post, has the Pulitzer in his gene pool. His grandpa MacKinlay Kantor won the coveted award for his “Andersonville.” Since leaving the Post, Tom has focused his writing talents on books. His “The Hunt for Bin Laden” became a #1-bestselling Kindle book. Tom’s most recent work, “Acid Test: LSD, Ecstasy and the Power to Heal,” deals with the medical community reconsidering the possible use of psychedelic drugs.
This fundraiser is one of the true-blue fun events, especially since it has moved to the Perot which has become the ultimate Chuck E. Cheese for adults.
If you’re one of the lucky team members playing, leave the silks, satins and tuxedos at home. But pack laughs and curiosity with a smidge of All-American competition.
Notre Dame School
When folks hear Notre Dame, a lot of ‘em think of the Paris cathedral and the South Bend university. But Dallas has its own Notre Dame that is both legendary like the church and bent on education like the college.
Since 1963, Dallas’ Notre Dame School has been “exclusively devoted to educating those with intellectual disabilities.” It provides students with IQ scores ranging from 30 to 70 with programs focusing on reading, technology, vocational training and extracurricular activities that “aren’t available in any public institution.”
With a curriculum that is tailor-made for each of the 150 student’s needs, the student-to-teacher ratio is 5:1.
A year ago non-stop philanthropist Mary Terry kicked off the Hearts & Hammers Capital Campaign to raise $11M with three goals in mind to:
- renovate the 61-year-old school
- provide for current and future faculty needs and
- double the size of the school’s endowment.
Dallas First Couple Micki and Mike Rawlings held a reception at their home that included Vicky and John Day and Jan and Trevor Rees-Jones to celebrate the progress of the campaign. To date, $10M has been raised. They just have $1M rest to raise and then it’s “Mission: Accomplished”.
Perhaps Notre Dame’s Affair of the Heart on Saturday, November 7, at the Hilton Anatole will help do just that.
* Photo provided by Notre Dame School