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MySweetCharity Photo Gallery Alert!: 2024 Crystal Charity Ball Ten Best Dressed Fashion Show
By Jeanne Prejean Leave a Comment
Thanks to months of planning, 2024 Crystal Charity Ball Chair Cheryl Joyner and Ten Best Dressed Fashion Show Chair Kim Hext were feeling positive that all seemed headed to a seamless fundraiser at the Neiman Marcus flagship in downtown Dallas on Thursday, September 12.
Even the day before, a hijacking of the fundraiser’s delivery truck of the luncheon chairs by a “homeless person” had been handled, with replacement chairs founded seamlessly.
Still, there were the itty bitty challenges like gathering the past Hall of Famer Honorees for a group photo, resetting the photo of the 2024 Ten Best Dressed (Monica Eastin, Tracey Kozmetsky, Meredith Land, Tracy Lange, Anne McPherson, Wendy Messmann, Kim Quinn, Lisa Rocchio, Sunie Solomon and Katherine Wyker) and HofF-er Lisa Cooley, the stiletto heels managing the ultra plush runway carpeting, the models trying to navigate billowing gowns down the narrow walkway, a surprise luncheon menu featuring beets and other stealth issues.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcvwvT1wqGc
But still an issue developed, sometime between the completion of the show and the guests like Oscar de la Renta designers Laura Kim and Fernando Garcia, NM executive Ryan Ross and Jody Kahn and Annette Simmons, Gene Jones, Charlotte Jones, Laura Bush, Nancy Dedman, Lana Andrews, Anita Arnold, Nancy Rogers, Melody Rogers, Jeanne Phillips, Erin Mathews, Carol Seay, Dwight Emanuelson, Steve Stodghill, Gina Betts, Kit Sawers and Linus Adolfsson taking their seats for a luncheon that literally stopped traffic within blocks and led the evening newscasts.
As the post is being finished up, check out fashions both on the runway and in the crowd at MySweetCharity Photo GallerMySweetCharity Photo Gallery.
Art Advocates Gayle Halperin And Jim Nugent To Receive TACA’s 2025 Silver Cup Award
By Jeanne Prejean Leave a Comment
2025 TACA Silver Cup Award Co-Chairs Phil Clemmons, John Dayton, Tara Lewis and Donna Wilhelm have just announced the plans for the 47th TACA Silver Cup Award Luncheon.
Taking place at the Omni Dallas Hotel, the fundraiser will honor Bruce Wood Dance Dallas Executive Director Gayle Halperin and “one of Dallas’ foremost arts advocates” Jim Nugent on Wednesday, May 7.
According to TACA Donna Wilhelm Family President/Executive Director Maura Sheffler, “We are excited to celebrate Gayle and Jim at next year’s TACA Silver Cup luncheon for their years of passionate, selfless dedication to our arts community. Our community Is stronger and more dynamic because of their contributions.”
* Graphic/photo courtesy of TACA
We Regret: Fundraiser’s Anatole Guests Paid Dearly With Time And $$ For “Complimentary Self-Parking”
By Jeanne Prejean Leave a Comment
There’s a reason why dessert is served at the end of a meal. Or, why a mint is placed on the pillow before going to sleep. It’s to finish off the moment on a sweet note. Alas, such was not the case at a non-profit’s otherwise stellar fundraising luncheon at the Hilton Anatole today.
As the event finished up just a minute or two past one, guests headed to their cars. Some made for the valet pickup line; others went to the special event self-parking lots that had been designated at the Anatole’s Market Center entrance.
It should be noted that both the valet and self-service options were complimentary.
For those in the valet line and in the north self-parking lot, the parking went as smoothly as could be expected for an event that had around 900 guests.
However, it wasn’t such a pretty story at the south self-parking lot, where a lowered parking arm was firmly in place.
Really? In the past, one took their ticket upon entering the lot, safe in knowing it would be just a take-home souvenir since the arm would be raised sky-high for guests of fundraising events with complimentary service.
But not today. Those who parked in the south lot discovered there was no getting out of there without paying more than $32. And even then it required a type of multi-task game that had drivers scanning a QR code on the entry ticket, providing the ticket number, and supplying their credit card information to seal the deal. Alas, even after successfully going through this rigamarole, all the game’s “contestant” got then was a text back saying, nonsensically, “The valet will have your car in five minutes.” One guest sitting in her driver’s seat looked around the rows of parking spaces, wondering whether a valet would magically appear to drive her out of this quagmire.
The first unsuspecting drivers were sacrificial lambs as they pulled up to the drop-dead parking arm, which was so imposing, it could have been used to prevent crossings at the southern border. Having not played the text-to-escape game yet, the uninitiated got over the initial shock, texted their ticket number, fumbled around for a credit card and gave up their card’s numbers. With cars lining up behind them from all lanes, the pressure was on — a bit like being back in elementary school and sweating through “speed long addition.”
With cars backed up and still more innocent guests pouring out of the hotel into their cars, an Anatole employee who’d parked in a space near the exit appeared to have had enough when she spied one driver failing to meet the text challenge. The employee got out of her car and went to the automated motherboard, where she evidently flashed a card and the arm lifted. She stayed and flashed her card for the arm to lift for another car. Returning to her own vehicle, the employee was rewarded by other drivers who let her back out of her parking space and move to the front of the line.
Then it was back to the business as usual of waiting … and waiting … and waiting. One guest decided that 15 minutes had gone by and things were still not improving. So, she contacted a luncheon event staffer and reported the problem. The staffer was shocked, saying that surely something had gone wrong and the Anatole team would quickly fix it.
Five minutes later, the staffer called the driver back, only to learn that the slo-mo, car cha-cha-cha was still being played and hearing the words, “Yes, I’m still in my parking space.” The driver called a friend explaining why she was going to be late for her next appointment, adding, “I’m thinking about decorating this space to make it a bit more homey.”
Another five minutes went by, but the lowered arm continued playing hardball. The staffer called again and said she’d contacted the Anatole people, who said it was all a big mistake and would be rectified pronto.
It was now 30 minutes into Car Hostage-gate, when the staffer made one final call asking if the driver was on her way yet, only to hear, “No. I’m still stuck in the space.” So now the staffer, who ordinarily makes Mary Sunshine seem like The Grinch, had had enough and marched to the hotel’s front desk to remedy the situation.
At 1:33 p.m. she texted, “OK, they are sending someone over there to the gate. They are aware there is an issue.”
Minutes later, a fellow in uniform came running out of the atrium entrance and made straight for the gate. There seemed to be a collective sigh of relief among the trapped guests.
Little did they know that the long-awaited relief now was going to cost them more than their time. As they pulled up to the parking arm one by one, the uniformed fellow had them hand over their ticket — as well as their credit card info. He told one guest, “I saw the long line and knew you needed help.”
R-r-r-ight.
The result of the day’s fiasco: “Complimentary parking” wound up frustrating dozens and dozens of the luncheon guests leaving a bitter taste after a thoughtful fundraiser — and pumping more than $1,000 into the coffers of the Hilton Anatole. The right thing to do would be to a) refund the money or b) refund the money and make an equal donation to the non-profit that was in need of achieving the day’s match.
* Photo credit: Skeeter Hagler
JUST IN: 2025 Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary Fashion Show Details And Honorees Revealed
By Jeanne Prejean Leave a Comment
Dallas’ 2025 Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary Fashion Show Chair Stacey Walker announced their plans for the ever-popular fundraiser this morning at Kathie King‘s home.
High on the list of announcements were the top-tier group of women who will be honored.
Two of the honorees were original Women’s Auxiliary members. Nancy Dedman will receive the Margot Perot Service Award and Millie Cooper will be presented with the Women’s Auxiliary Legacy Award.
Longtime Women’s Auxiliary member Toni Turner will receive the Love In Action Award.
Louise Griffeth will serve as honorary chair for the event that has provided more than $15M to support services provided at 19 local Salvation Army facilities.
Returning to the Meyerson Symphony Center, the event featuring gently experienced clothes from the best closets in North Texas will take place on Tuesday, May 6.
* Photo credit: Kelly Alexander
2024 CCB Fashion Show Cocktail Party Was A “Seay” And Be Seen Feast Worthy Of An Oscar
By Jeanne Prejean Leave a Comment
While Oscar de la Renta co-designers Laura Kim and Fernando Garcia were surrounded by guests, over on a couch in the living room of Gretchen and George Seay‘s glorious mansion sat Laura’s “boyfriend” Linus Adolfsson, enjoying the music just an arm’s-length away from the pianist. Earlier in the evening he had been happily settled in a wooden chair on the porch at the front door, taking in the beautiful view and remarkably beautiful weather.
This was the setting for the 2024 Crystal Charity Ball’s Ten Best Dressed Fashion Show night-before cocktail party on Wednesday, September 11.
Despite the home-drive traffic along Lakeside, more than 220 guests including the 10 BD-ers Monica Eastin, Tracey Kozmetsky, Tracy Lange, Anne McPherson, Wendy Messmann, Kim Quinn, Sunie Solomon and Katherine Wyker (alas, Meredith Land and Lisa Rocchio were unable to attend), Hall of Fame Honoree Lisa Cooley, Fashion Show Chair Kim Hext, Carol Seay, Suzy Childress, Jennie and Stuart Reeves, Cindy and Charles Feld, Christy Berry, Diane Etheredge and Stacy McCord arrived at the Seays’ stately mansion. And as in past years, they were met there by JPMorgan Chase And Co. Dallas Region Chairman Elaine Agather inside the door, greeting each guest like an old friend. Despite recent hip surgery, one old-timer guest laughed that Elaine at the door was more elegant than Loretta Young. [Editor’s note: For anyone born in recent decades, check here for what the BB-er (Baby Boomer) meant.]
Luckily, while the home’s entry hall could have easily been a jam, the guests seamlessly moved to other parts of the house and the beautiful backyard, thanks to the trays of beverages and appetizers placed enticingly beyond the hallway.
But one gent who wasn’t on hand was Gibbs Henderson. After all, wife Marjon Henderson was juggling the Ten Best Dressed event logistics at the Neiman Marcus flagship store in downtown Dallas while also co-chairing the Cattle Baron’s Ball with Lora Farris on Saturday, September 28.
Not to worry. Marjon’s young and bright-eyed, so it should be no problem.
NM super-duper execs Ryan Ross with Robbie Kruithoff and Mary McGreevy made a stop-and-visit before dashing off in a black SUV to make a dinner commitment.
Chatter of the Night: A near catastrophe took place earlier in the day when a delivery truck filled with chairs for the fashion show and parked in front of the store was hijacked by an alleged “homeless person.” While the gent in question was stopped by Dallas’ local law enforcement, the organizers were dealing with an additional problem. It seems the truck and its contents were evidence in the crime scene. Thus the chairs could not be released even briefly for the show. Don’t ask how the replacements were found, but they were hauled in as stand-ins… or, in this case, sit-ins.
2024 Crystal Charity Ball Cheryl Joyner didn’t miss a beat with the perfect weather and the setting for the evening. Why, even as guests departed, she arranged a favor in keeping with her CCB New York Holiday theme: a box of four Oreos stamped with I Love NY.
MySweetCharity Photo Gallery Alert: 2024 Crystal Charity Ball Ten Best Dressed And Hall of Famer Honoree Cocktail Party
By Jeanne Prejean Leave a Comment
The weather and location could not have been simply more perfect for the 2024 Crystal Charity Ball Ten Best Dressed Fashion Show invite-only cocktail party on Thursday, September 11 (aka the night before the big fashion event at the downtown Neiman Marcus store). Despite the rush-home traffic along … Read More...
JUST IN: Jan And Trevor Rees-Jones Gift $100M For Future Children’s Pediatric Campus At Groundbreaking
By Jeanne Prejean Leave a Comment
Leave it to UT Southwestern Medical Center (UTSW) and Children's Health to not only break ground for its future Children's pediatric campus, but to add a spectacular cherry to top off the occasion. That's exactly what just happened today. Learning that generous philanthropists Jan and Trevor … Read More...
A Gentle Reminder: Rosh Hashanah Starts The Jewish New Year On Wednesday At Sunset
By Jeanne Prejean Leave a Comment
At 7:09 p.m. Wednesday evening the Jewish New Year — Rosh Hashanah — begins. In Judaism it is considered to be the first day of the calendar year and one of the holiest days, commemorating the creation of the world. Celebrated for 48 hours, Rosh Hashanah will end at 7:06 p.m. on Friday, October … Read More...
Country Band Midland Supported All For The Hall Dallas With A Backyard Show In Preston Hollow
By Glenn Hunter Leave a Comment
The sun had just set in the backyard of Anne and Steve Stodghill in Dallas' Preston Hollow neighborhood on Monday, September 9, when the neo-traditional country band Midland took the stage. Best known for their five-times-platinum hit, "Drinkin' Problem," the Dripping Springs-based trio were … Read More...
JUST IN: White Rhino Coffee’s Chris Parvin Recently Made Quite An Impression For All The Right Reasons
By Jeanne Prejean Leave a Comment
For folks who haven’t heard of Chris Parvin, they’ve been missing a businessman who knows how to make a difference with a flair. In legal circles, he founded the Parvin Group two decades ago, ceasing operation four years ago to focus on expanding his service outside of practicing law. In the local … Read More...
A Gentle Reminder: Hints On How To Enjoy Those “New Horizons” At Saturday’s Cattle Baron’s Ball
By Jeanne Prejean Leave a Comment
2024 Cattle Baron’s Ball Co-Chairs Lora Farris and Marjon Henderson and their 98 baronesses have been at Southfork fixing up the place for Saturday night’s "New Horizons" mega-fundraiser. It will feature Straight Tequila Night on the Pike Electric Live Auction Stage and Carrie Underwood on the … Read More...