The Spirit of Contact luncheon patron party was held behind closed curtains. That is, the gathering commenced behind the stage in the Anatole’s Khmer Pavilion. Thanks to a mammoth curtain, very few knew a VIP reception was taking place. It included the Spirit of Contact honorees — keynote note speaker/Sandy Hooks teacher Kaitlin Roig-DeBellis and Dallas’ First Responders including Dallas Police Chief David Brown and Fire Chief Louis Bright III. Despite being honored for their work, it was a rough celebration for those First Responders. Just the day before, Dallas police Senior Cpl. David Myers had died in a motorcycle accident. Chief Brown admitted that it was a tough day. . . a very tough day.
But just beyond the group of First Responders were folks posing for photos with Kaitlin. 2012 Spirit awardee Jan Hegi was with Honorary Co-Chair Marla Boone. Gail and Gerald Turner were being congratulated on SMU’s advancing the night before in the NIT at Moody Coliseum.
Then the crowd quietly moved to their seats at the tables filling the room. It was show time for the Contact fundraiser.
On cue the First Responders were introduced and created a gauntlet of honor for Kaitlin to be escorted by Brown and Bright to a standing ovation.
Everything was going as planned. Or, at least that’s what Contact President Benaye Rogers thought as she sat at her table and watched Contact Board of Directors Chair-Elect Dave Monaco kick off the program. Ah, but then Dave went off script and not only recognized Benaye for her contributions over the years to Contact, but he had her come up to the stage to accept the praise and a SO. As she returned to her seat, Benaye caught her breath and wiped the tears away with her napkin.
KDFW’s Calvert Collins then took over the emcee duties. The new mom, who had been on maternity leave, was subbing in for her co-worker Heather Hayes, who had to attend her daughter’s special event. BTW, when asked how Calvert had returned to her pre-pregnancy figure, the adorable blonde smiled and answered with one word, “Spanx.”
Luncheon Chair/2011 Spirit Awardee Leigh Anne Haugh then introduced Honorary Co-Chairs Marla and Mike Boone, who briefly extolled the importance of Contact.
Then the production crew created an “Ah, shoot!” moment. In introducing Kaitlin to accept her award, the ABC interview of Kaitlin with Diane Sawyer suddenly appeared on the two screens on either side of the stage. Despite very obvious hand gestures by Benaye (index finger crossing her throat two, three or four times), the video continued.
But, hey, this is a group that goes with the flow when it comes to the unexpected. On stage Kaitlin and Benaye realized the video was not going to be stopped and just smiled at each other and shook their heads.
In accepting the award, she stressed that everything that she has done in the past 16 months has been for the “26 angels who I know are looking down on us right now. Thank you for honoring me, so I can continue to honor them.”
Following her gracious acceptance speech, Kaitlin and Benaye were joined by Gerald Turner on stage in three chairs for a conversation of hope. The conversation varied between what Kaitlin had experienced and what Contact does. Highlights included the following:
- Kaitlin had wanted to be a teacher since the age of four. When she was five, she asked her father if she could babysit the two-year-old boy next door. From the age of ten to college, she held “every job imaginable working with children.”
- Kaitlin and the First Responders were selected because they encapsulated the Spirit of Contact. Kaitlin was a perfect example of what Contact tries to get across to its callers — hope and to keep on trying.
- Until the day of the shooting on December 14, 2012, Kaitlin had never been in the 3’ by 4’ bathroom because it was too uncomfortable for an adult.
- (There was a pause as an Anatole staffer presented her with a Diet Coke. The blonde broke with the talk, gasped and said, “Somebody brought me a Diet Coke.” The audience laughed and Gerald without missing a beat said, “Speaking of angels. . .” more laughter.)
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She told the children to be quiet. Her first graders followed her orders because of the gunshots in the hallway.
- When asked what prepared her for that day, she believed it was the angels. Then she added that she wanted her children and herself to survive, so those were the choices that had to be made. At that moment those children were her children.
- Benaye agreed that her volunteers are put in the same situation in dealing with clients in crisis.
- When people approach Kaitlin and tell her how they have been diagnosed with cancer or lost a loved one, they say, “but it’s nothing like yours.” Her response is, “Loss is loss. Hard times are hard times. What you’re doing, you can choose to have hope. You can focus on the positive.”
- It took five months to work through the immediate shock. . . “zombie-like state.” She kept asking herself, “Why her school? Why the loss of life?” Then one day she realized that she couldn’t answer those questions and decided to focus on the questions that she could answer. First, “How do I not let this tragedy define myself?” Second, “How do I make sure that we get our control back?” It took three weeks to work through it.
- When Kaitlin and her students returned to school in January 2013, they were inundated with gifts from around the country. One morning a box of recess toys arrived at her classroom and it triggered a thought — “We’ve been getting and now we’re going to give.” After lunch, she asked her students why someone had sent the toys. Their answer was because they wanted to do something nice. . . . they wanted to be kind. She told them they were absolutely right and “in life when somebody does for you, it is your responsibility to do for someone else. And that is what we’re going to do. We’re going to find a class and find out what they need and we’re going to make them feel like we feel right now — happy.” It was the turning point. They students were thrilled at the idea of giving freely. Thus, it was the creation of Class For Class.
- In August 2013, Kaitlin undertook a year-long sabbatical.
- Benaye told that many of the Contact volunteers have shared the same feeling of helping and paying it forward.
- Regarding the kids, Benaye told how Contact assists in helping children in crisis situations, whether they’re in a household in turmoil or experiencing their own personal crisis.
Kaitlin closed the chat by telling the educators in the room, “You are the difference makers. Teachers are the common denominator in our world. Every single person starts in school. Everyone sitting here — athletes, doctors, presidents — we all start in school. And it’s teachers who enable them to reach their dream.”