Sponsorships really paid off Saturday, September 6. Those who had coughed up some extra bucks for CitySquare’s “A Night To Remember” arrived at the Winspear just before 7 for a cocktail reception and seated dinner in the Hamon Hall.
In addition to having curbside valet, a photo taken in front of the sponsor board and the dinner, they also missed the waterfall of rain that seemed to have the Winspear as ground zero.
As perfect as the Winspear may be, the designers didn’t allow for shabby weather. Unfortunately, one lady trying to make her way from her car in the rain down the steps to the walkway leading to the Winspear missed a step. As onlookers gasped at the fall and the very slow recovery with three valets in assistance, a red canvas wheelchair was Johnny-on-the-spot with a gracious attendant explaining that they would have first aid check the guest out. Don’t know if that included a repair of the runner in her stocking.
The rain also brought out staffers with brooms to whisk away the ponds of water on the walkway. Sisyphus had a better chance getting that boulder up a hill. So, that’s no big deal if you’re heading to a football game, but when you’re wearing your party clothes and dress shoes, puddle skipping just ain’t good.
But the purpose of the evening was not to test the Winspear waterwalk. It was to raise funds for CitySquare and to enjoy a concert by Aretha Franklin. She joined a stellar group of entertainers who had graced the annual event including Diana Ross, Lyle Lovett, Jay Leno, Kirk Franklin, Steve Martin, Clint Black, LeAnne Rimes, Vince Gill, Gladys Night, Patti LaBelle, B.B. King and Bill Cosby.
Since the Queen of Soul does not do airplanes, her bus had brought her to Dallas Thursday and allowed her to rest up Friday.
Saturday morning Co-Chair Scott Collier, who had postponed a trip to Europe with his Co-chair/wife Cindy, got a request from Aretha for 10 more tickets for relatives and friends. Scott told the diners that to find 10 seats meant that some in the room might have to be axed. Not to worry. He said it with a big old grin. But Rev. Vincent Gaddis said just before the invocation, “I’m probably one of those who got the axe.” More laughter.
All kidding aside, Scott had indeed managed to find those extras seats despite the event having been sold out for months.
But that’s the kind of wizardry that Scott, Cindy and Co-Chairs Kara and Ross Miller had undertaken to make their goal for CitySquare that is in the trenches fighting the “cause and effect of poverty thought four pillars — hunger, health, housing and hope.” Just this past year, it had “touched 50,000 lives.”
Scott told how CitySquare had broken ground on Hickory Square, a collection of 50 cottages for Dallas’ most expensive homeless people. What did he mean by “most expensive homeless people”? He pointed out, they use $30,000-50,000 a year in community services — hospitals, jail, community centers. CitySquare’s goal is to make them independent and contributing members of the community. “Once you put a roof over somebody’s head, that’s the first step in getting them out of poverty.”
This year’s fundraiser for the 25-year-old organization had started a year ago on the heels of achieving their goal. Then the following Monday a handwritten note had arrived with a personal check from a guest for $1M.
CitySquare President/CEO Larry James told the guests including Ellen McStay, Brill Garrett, Brenda James and Annette Simmons that between 2000 and 2012, the population of Dallas grew by 5%. But during that same time those living in poverty in the area had increased by 41%. 38% of the children in Dallas live below the poverty level. There are people who are living in “toxic stress” — it takes everything they have just to survive.
Following dinner the top-tier sponsors joined the rest of the guests in the Margaret McDermott Performance Hall for a blonde Aretha on stage. Despite some technical “oops!”, the crowd got their Aretha fix. In fact, Jennifer and Jack Carter had their names drawn to have their photos taken with Aretha. It just proved that third time is indeed a charm. Seems Jennifer had “tried twice before to see the Queen of Soul. One time the show was cancelled and the other time [her] friend who was supposed to accompany [her] was having a baby and could not travel.”
As for the fundraising, the night raised “a record $850,000.”
* Photo credit: JBeck Photography