Normally a couple of educators on stage conversing might not seem all that interesting except to other professionals or possibly parents. However, there is an exception and it will take place Thursday, March 27, in the Khmer Ballroom of the Hilton Anatole.
The conversation will take place between SMU President Gerald Turner and teacher Kaitlin Roig-DeBellis for the Spirit of CONTACT Luncheon.
If Kaitlin’s name sounds familiar, it should be. No, she didn’t teach your child. Instead, she was a 28-year-old, first-grade teacher at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newton, Connecticut, on December 14, 2012, when 20 first-graders and six adults were killed.
Thanks to quick thinking, she managed to pile her 15 first-graders into a 3’ by 4’ bathroom.
Look around and imagine that itty-bitty amount of space. Then consider gunshots were going off and the challenge of trying to calm the little ones in that cramped room for 45 minutes. According to Kaitlin, the children “knew something bad was happening. But I had to keep them calm. If one of them started to cry, we all would have cried.” Instead, she got the students to whisper their wishes.
Since that day Kaitlin has been determined to not let the tragedy “define me or my kids.”
According to National PTA President Otha Thornton, “Every day teachers go beyond the call of duty, touching children’s lives. Kaitlin is proof of that in so many ways.”
Luncheon Chair Leigh Anne Haugh has arranged for Marla and Mike Boone to serve as honorary chairs and Kaitlin to be recognized and honored along with Dallas-area first responders including Dallas Police Chief David Brown and the Police Department, Dallas Fire Chief Louie Bright III and the Fire and Rescue and Dallas 911 Dispatchers.
Needless to say, the conversation between Gerald and Kaitlin should be fascinating with brutal reality and amazing recovery.
But that’s what CONTACT and the honorees deal with daily — providing amazing recovery for those who are facing brutal reality.
CONTACT President Benaye Rogers said, “The Spirit of CONTACT event is a tremendous benefit to CONTACT. It serves not only as a fundraiser, but also as a chance for us to interact with and thank the people, who dedicate their time and money to helping us serve the Dallas community.”
Tickets are going fast with Mary Kay Inc. sponsoring 100 Hope Boxes that “contain special gifts” from sponsors “valued up to $1,000.” The boxes can be purchased online or at the luncheon for $100.
For a list of the event sponsors, just follow the jump.
- Open Heart — Nancy Ann Hunt and Gay and Bill Solomon
- New Beginning — Carol and Jeff Heller
- Turning Point — Haynes and Boone/Marla and Mike Boone, The Hersh Foundation, Hunt Oil, Jan Jarvie and Beverly Lancaster and David B. Miller Foundation
- Answer the Call — Ruth and Ken Altshuler, Frost Bank, Jan and Fred Hegi, Sharon Meurer, Sandy Nachman, Susan Odom, Texas Health Resources and Marilyn and Ben Weber
- Call to Hope — Serena Cole, Mary Ann and Tom Hill, Hockaday and Greenhill, Joan and Marvin Lane and Mary Kay Inc.
- Tête-à-Tête — Brinker International, Children’s Medical Center, Kirsten Cobb, Barrett Cole, Maureen Croley, Farr Systems, Leigh Anne Haugh, Alexandra Lovitt, Mollie and David Monaco, Parish Episcopal School, Catherine and Will Rose, Southern Methodist University, Southwestern Medical Foundation and Connie Stephens