Leave it to Janelle and Larry Friedman to hit it out of the ballpark—again. A couple of year ago, they orchestrated a Children’s Medical Center benefit. The CMC folks were so impressed with their efforts, they came a-calling for the Friedmans to put together an event for the CMC’s 100th anniversary.
Talk about tantalizing! But they weren’t going to just have a birthday cake and party favors. No, siree. The Friedmans went for it like a freshman cheerleader after a senior quarterback. Children’s had been vital in the lives of one of their children and the Friedmans were committed to payback in a very good way. They wouldn’t just throw a party. It would be an extravaganza for the Dallas jaw-dropping record books — “Celebrating Our Century”.
On Saturday, November 2, they delivered with just a couple of hiccups. But more about those later.
From the curb it was obvious that something was definitely up at the Omni Dallas Hotel. Mammoth white balloons with “100” on them lined the driveway. As guests handed their cars over to the valet, there was a student drum corp setting an upbeat tempo.
From ground floor to the third floor, CMC seemed to be everywhere. Check-in took place on the ground level right as guests arrived. Instead of the usual rectangular tables with tablecloths and guests having to look down at those checking them in, there was a very professional, hotel-style registration Very smart. This allowed guests to get that registration stuff over with instantly and eliminated the need for tacky old check-in tables in the third-floor lobby.
After a ride up the escalators, guests were welcomed by a pink and purple light wall that said, “Celebration of Our Century” behind a glittering netted screen. Making a U-turn they entered a whimsical wonderland of pink and purple lit walls highlighted by tree limbs coated with white and silver. On the right were seven tiers of champagne flutes on a table with Jeroboams of Moet & Chandon ready for pouring. At the far end of the lobby was MASS Ensemble’s Katie Boeck playing the Earth Harp.
Over in a corner of the lobby was a velvet roped-off area. That was the scene of one of the hiccups. It was for the VIP meet and greet with the Pointer Sisters. When the trio arrived, the line had already formed. Guests were there; sisters were there. Only things missing were lighting—and a photographer. Not to worry. Guests were flexible and high tech. When they realized they were on their own, the guests pulled out smartphones and created a buddy system to record the grip-and-grin.
As for the collection of 900 guests throughout the lobby, it was an interesting mix — politicos (Pete Sessions, Chart Westcott and Joel Williams III), socialites (Claire and Dwight Emanuelson, Sarah and Alan Losinger, Connie and Chris O’Neill, Emilynn and Claude Wilson), nonprofit types (Brent Christopher, Kathleen and Robert Gibson, Jennifer Sampson, Marnie and Kern Wildenthal) and heavy hitters (Kathy and Richard Holt, Kandis and Bill Hutchinson, June and Pete McGuire, Margot and Ross Perot, Lynore and Robbie Robinson and Jimmy and Carl Westcott). They were all looking good and feeling better.
Visiting with one and all were the Friedmans. Janelle, who had had back surgery two weeks before, was leaning on a custom-made crystal-laden cane and wearing a form-fitting red Oscar gown. No way an off-track back was going to keep her away. She claimed she was going to be on hand even if they had to bring her in on a stretcher. Like a wise husband, Larry knew his place. In honor of CMC’s red, he sported a red bowtie, socks and even underwear. . . or, at least, that’s what he said.
As the ballroom doors opened, mouths dropped. While some guests were as familiar with the Dallas Ballroom as their own home, they still weren’t prepared for what lay before them. Nowhere was the usual ballroom, except for the carpet—and who looked down? Across the far back of the room were fabulous light-blue walls surrounding a multi-tiered white stage. Across the way was a production platform that would have impressed Steven Spielberg. One Omni staffer looked at it in awe. Throughout the ballroom were tables of all types, shapes, sizes and décor. Some tabletops were like light boxes; chairs were dressed in a variety of fabrics ranging from glittery covers to elegant woven fabrics. The light around the room was a show in itself.
Even the table setting screamed “WOW!” Butter pats were in the shape of CMC’s red balloons on strings. At one table the confusion of the butter was so great that one man dabbed his finger across the “balloon” and reported, “It is butter.”
Initially the guests took their seats for a hearty four-course feast. But it was soon discovered that dining was going to be leisurely, to say the least, with 20 minutes between courses. On the good side, this time-out allowed for table-hopping, which this group did like youthful kangaroos. On the darn-it side, it resulted in a very extended night.
To get things going, a sponsor tribute video featuring “patient hosts” Ed Brady and Natalie Burraston was presented with a big old tip o’ the hat to million-dollar sponsor Alliance Data. It was a very clever way to reveal the event’s sponsors. So clever that 2013 Crystal Charity Ball Chair Caren Kline smiled in amazement. It ended with Ed being a “talk show” host interviewing CMC President/CEO Chris Durovich. After a thank you by the Friedmans (Larry: “This is just like my house. When my wife is done, there’s nothing left to say”) and an elaborate dance presentation filling the stage with professional dancers and children with red balloons, Chris told how CMC is the fifth-largest pediatric hospital in the U.S. and served 200K children last year.
Guests had hardly had time to resume their table-hopping/dining when Starlight Orchestra from New York got the entertainment kicked off. They must have been fueled with Red Bull. Gyrating like metal detectors at a coin show, they bumped, bounced and blew everyone away.
Nicole Blue and her buddy Carmine Achtman were so caught up with the moment, they joined the troupe on stage. Soon they were joined by a gent in a red plaid dinner jacket. As Nicole bounced hips with a female member of the ensemble, Carmine saw something in the audience that caused her to pause. She quickly signaled Nicole that it was time to return to their seats. Someone noted seeing Nicole’s mom, Carol Aaron. Standing in the middle of the ballroom, the diminutive brunette with blue eyes looked fabulous in a black Escada blouse. She also looked like an unhappy-camper parent waiting for an errant teenager past curfew. As Nicole and Carmine decided their stage appearance was done for the night, Tony Miller, who was seated nearby, hopped up and offered his hand to the ladies as they made their way down the stairs in their long gowns.
For those who held out till 11, the wait was well worth it. The Pointer Sisters didn’t just take the stage, they stole it with a vengeance. Songs that rose to the top of the charts in the 70’s “jumped” the room’s energy to new highs. Pretty soon the base of the stage was filled with guests videotaping and bouncing like the Sisters.
But it was starting to get a bit late and, by the time the Sisters finished at 11:25 p.m., some guests were satisfied with their partying ways and headed home. Others stood their ground waiting to hear Academy Award winner Jennifer Hudson.
With her new pixie haircut and svelte figure, Jennifer took her place on stage just before midnight. While it had been a long day (she had quietly visited the CMC patients in the afternoon and requested no media coverage), Jennifer amazed the guests. When she sang “Hallelujah,” she could have just closed down shop and called it a day, but she continued on, providing everyone with sweet dreams of the night.
Yes, it was a century since the first baby camp in the Southwest opened and eventually became Children’s Medical Center. And over the past 100 years, 5M children have been treated. With the money raised by the Friedmans’ undertaking and support by sponsors like Alliance Data, the next 100 years is off to a good start. Happy birthday to Children’s and the children they have served and will serve.