At first blush, the swank and swinging W Hotel Dallas might have seemed a surprising spot to host a gathering of the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, Women of Tocqueville Society. After all, these women—who donate $10,000 or more to the local United Way each year—are more often seen munching finger sandwiches inside staid digs in Greenway Parks or Preston Hollow.
But that thinking’s so yesterday. “We try to spice it up” now and then, admitted Margaret Reid, senior director of the United Way’s Tocqueville Society at the August 15 Summer Social event in the W’s second-floor Social Room. All around her, about 60 attendees were chatting and sipping on “social sangria” or the much-in-demand “summer social” drink—a freshly pureed mango mojito. The women deserved the break—billed officially as a kickoff for the fall campaign year—as they’d spent countless hours volunteering and donating to help United Way improve the North Texas community.
Among the partygoers were Women of Tocqueville Chair Gail McDonald; Kristy Faus, a member of the group’s steering committee; members Tanya Allen, Gaynelle Henger, Jessica Lee, Cassandra McKinney, Kristy Faus, Debra SoRelle, Darcy Cowell, Cathy Helmbrecht, Pamela Osborne, Katie Rose, Shakeya McDow and Carol March; guests D’Andra Simmons and LeeAnne Locken; and EY executive Debra von Storch, whose company will be Red Carpet sponsor for the United Way’s “Live United. Forever. Gala” scheduled for Saturday, February 7, 2015, at AT&T Stadium.
That gala, by the way, was a big topic of conversation at the W, as it will celebrate the 90th anniversary of United Way of Metropolitan Dallas. Co-chaired by Charlotte Jones Anderson and Troy Aikman, the bash has some pretty high-powered honorary chairs as well: Ebby Halliday Acers, Ruth Altshuler, Lyda Hill, Sally and Forrest Hoglund, Caroline Rose Hunt, Margot and Ross Perot, and Marianne and Roger Staubach. For more information and to purchase tickets, contact Tricia Dzina at [email protected].
* Photos provided by the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas