While more than 200 of Dallas’ most generous philanthropists enjoyed cocktails and a never-ending buffet on the Wyly Theatre’s sixth floor, there were just about that many backstage preparing for a really big show.
The February 27th occasion was a bit of a mystery. The extremely impressive black-and-silver foldout invitation from Erle Nye and Dr. Leonard Riggs Jr. only said, “a celebration of excellence and the beginning of a momentous journey.”
As guests arrived, little did they know what was being planned for the 7:30 to 9 p.m. event. In a backstage dressing room, Baylor Health Care System’s #1 team leaders (BHCS President/CEO Joel Allison, Baylor Health Care System Foundation President Rowland “Robin” Robinson and host Erle Nye) talked about their plans for the “momentous journey.” During a brief interview, the trio revealed they would be announcing the “first comprehensive fundraising campaign in its 110-year history” — “Campaign 2015: Baylor Makes Us All Better.”
And they weren’t starting from scratch. With a goal of $250M, they had already raised $166M.
But what led to this mammoth undertaking?
According to Joel, it was due to the “Rapidly changing health care environment. . . As we continue to grow. . . we want to be able to continue to meet our needs. . . This is going to help us continue beyond the excellence in patient care. This will give us the opportunity to go to the next level.”
Robin reported that the money would go to “four big pillars: research, medical education, patient programs and capital — equipment and buildings.”
Targeting 2015, Erle said “I think Dallas’ economic situation has come back. These gentlemen have led the system for the last several years, where excellence is so apparent. So much has been accomplished. It is Baylor’s time. With due respect to all the other wonderful hospital systems, Baylor’s at the top.”
Joel added, “Dallas is a wonderful community. This is a very caring, very giving community. They give to great causes, making the community better, and that’s what Baylor is about. . . We’re blessed to live in a community where people want to give to many causes.”
When asked if he would be the chief fundraiser, Erle smiled, saying, “Whatever Robin tells me to do. He knows what we need to do. I gonna help him every chance I get.”
Ever the diplomat, Robin countered with, “Erle’s one of the finest citizens in Dallas. And his involvement, presence, leadership, counsel is extraordinarily valuable to us.”
So what exactly is the strategy for getting the remaining $84M?
Robin explained, “More of the same. The public phase will kind of raise our profile. We continue to work with literally thousands of donors. We’re doing the same kind of nuts and bolts work we’ve always done. But, Baylor is a great brand to represent out there. We have raised our profile in recent years. We’re making connections now with people we’ve never had connections with before. . . . Like my friend Plack Carr said, ‘It’s good for everybody. Everybody who gives a major gift, it’s good for everybody.”
Joel summed it up, “A rising tide raises all boats.”
Admitting the evening’s announcement was “a high-water mark,” Joel explained why it had taken three years to get here. “It’s important to take that time. This is a significant event. . . something that’s very meaningful. The beneficiary is the patient.”
Then the threesome left the dressing room down the hallway, past the Baylor staffers and production crew, to join guests at the receptions that were taking place on the sixth floor and in the lobby.
Lucky were those, like Nancy Dedman, Harriet Miers, Jill and Dr. Bob Smith, Gillian and Mark Breidenbach, Trisha Wilson, Elizabeth Robertson, Margaret Crow) who arrived early and strolled down the tented walkway to the Wyly lobby. They were ushered up to the sixth floor’s Studio Theatre and Patron
Lounge that had all the appearances of a fabulous discotheque, with multi-colored lights, buffet, bar, tables, chairs and banquettes. At the far end of the room, just behind the bar, were New Age musicians on platforms of varying heights. For those who procrastinated in their arrival, they were grounded to the lobby because the sixth floor was filled to the walls with top-notch socialites and blue-ribboned CEO’s balancing plates of food on their laps. But they’re troopers and can handle any situation demanding balance. Others (Dee Wyly, Alicia Landry, Allie Beth and Pierce Allman, Tucean Webb, Marti and Larry Carlin, Jeff Roser) lucked out at tables.
Downstairs in the lobby, the face watching was equally stellar with the likes of Shelle and Dr. Michael Sills, Micki and Mayor Mike Rawlings, Lana and Barry Andrews, Linda Gibson, Bob Kaminski, Kristi Hoyl, Nancy Cain Marcus, Gene Jones, Fredye Factor, Sarah Losinger, Deedie and Rusty Rose, Brent Christopher, Aileen and Jack Pratt, Lydia and Dan Novakov, Christi and Hal Urschel, Betsy and Richard Eiseman, Jan Miller and Jeff Rich and Annette and Harold Simmons.
Diane Brierley, who had been at the sixth floor reception, was seen walking down the stairs to the lobby. Seems the elevator had gotten stuck, so guests took to stair-stepping. She had no sooner gotten to the lobby than Erle welcomed the crowd and asked that they adjourn to the Potter Rose Performance Hall.
Taking their seats, the crowd settled back like schoolchildren for an assembly. But what they got was something akin to a George Lucas production, with speakers rising from the stage, rolling waves of smoke at times filling the stage like an English moor, video that seamlessly rolled vertically from the stage up to the two-story wall. Oh, sure, there was an occasional glitch when wireless mics left the guests lip-reading the people on stage. But the cast of people on stage, whether singing or talking, all had personal involvement with Baylor. They were patients, families of patients and staff members.
Leonard was the first person to talk to the group, telling them, “We’re not here tonight to twist your arm. Well, maybe just a little.”
Then the focus was placed on three different patients and their relationship with Baylor — Adele Brown in need of a liver transplant, James Chippendale with leukemia and the Rev. Larry Walker, who suffered a heart attack.
Joel addressed the guests, “Help us to go beyond excellence. . . . It’s about people!”
More singing. Then Robin rose from underneath the stage to announce the public phase of Campaign 2015. In recognizing major contributors, he congratulated Harold Simmons, who had just celebrated his fifth anniversary of undergoing a kidney transplant.
T. Boone Pickens then appeared in a video asking, “How could you not choose Baylor?”
After the first hour, some guests toward the back of the hall decided to duck out via the elevator. Maybe because it was a school night? After figuring out their strategy, some headed to the elevators. Alas, their POA had a hiccup. Upon arriving at the elevators, they were instructed by ushers that the floor level lifts were not accessible, and that they would have to take the stairs to the next level up to use those elevators. Realizing that they could not return to their seats without making a scene, the guests climbed the stairs like Maria von Trapp taking on the Alps, which proved a little challenging for the gals in stilettos.
As the program wound up, a mammoth flood of smoke rolled out from behind the backdrop. Out of the fog walked the three profiled patients with their families and/or significant others. As the mic was passed to each of the patients, James Chippendale summed it up: “Baylor, next time can you make the event bigger and a little more dramatic for me?!”
That brought down the house.
Then, as the grand finale took place with fireworks over the stage and the backdrop disappearing to reveal a dessert buffet, guests were invited onstage for dessert. The smart ones headed to the dessert buffet, while others headed for their cars. But instead of returning to the tented walkway to retrieve their autos, they were told by ushers that vehicles would be fetched via the side-door entrance, which was tented. Unfortunately, the flimsy white tents were little match for keeping the cold out, and many guests were advised to wait inside to eliminate the wait time in the cold. Needless to say, the guests who opted for dessert, missed the rush and made a sweet departure.