The Hilton Anatole is like a second home to fundraising types. After lunch earlier in the day for the Girls Scouts of Northeast Texas’ Distinguished Women, the generous types were headed back for the Robert S. Folsom Leadership Award Dinner on Wednesday, October 14, benefiting Methodist Health System Foundation.
It was an odd sight to see the trafficking of the conventioneers in open shirts and lanyards exiting the door, as more than 800 Folsom guests in their suits and stilettos headed to the reception area outside the Grand Ballroom.
But once the ballroom doors opened and the band from the School for the Talented and Gift at Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center got underway, there was no doubt that the festivities had started. The guests like Joy Duncan, Phyllis and Ron Steinhart, Joan and Alan Walne, Trammell S. Crow, Steve Folsom, Diane Folsom Frank, Bobby Lyle and Lottye Brodsky found their way into the ballroom and started to visit. That turned out to be part of a problem. They were just having so much gabbing, they didn’t want to settle down.
Still, it appeared there were a number of guests who were MIA. Then magically a wave of guests arrived. As Ashlee Kleinert explained, “We were in the car listening to the Rangers-Blue Jays game.” They would have done better not listening to the Rangers losing to the BJ’s.
Finally, all took their seats and emcee Gary Cogill got things started, telling guests of honoree/former TDIndustries CEO Jack Lowe Jr.’s fondness of Jack Daniel and poker. A dishy type in red-sequined dress appeared holding a signed poster of “The Princess Bride,” Jack’s fav. With a video camera over their shoulders, Gary and Jack downed a glass of Jack Daniel’s and played cards for the poster.
Taking a break for dinner, the guests then discovered that Jack enjoyed magic. Up the ramp to the stage, a magician arrived and did all types of things to a blonde assistant. He sliced her in two. He stuffed her in a box only to have her disappear and then reappear. He levitated her. For the finale he covered her with a backdrop curtain and moments later made Methodist Health System Foundation CEO April Box appear. She took over the program, telling guests that this year’s proceeds would go to providing prenatal group care, individual education, ongoing pregnancy monitoring and medical care to support full-term delivery.
Her words were hardly out and the applause thundered when the sound of a scissor lift decked out in colorful lights rolled into the ballroom with Event Co-Chair/TDIndustries CEO Harold MacDowell at the helm.
Hopping on to the stage and after telling a couple of jokes about Jack, Harold told how Jack’s leadership had literally saved TDIndustries in 1986 when mechanical contracting firms were folding left and right. Sounding a little amazed himself, Harold recalled how when it looked like the company was on the verge of going under, Jack called his team in and told them the solution to their problems was to end the benefit retirement plan and for them to sign over checks for the company’s salvation. They did and it was the best investment they made.
Adding to Jack’s story, a video was shown featuring his daughter Coley Canter and Michael Hinojosa wearing a Batman T-shirt and surrounded by Batman collectibles that segued the program to the “Jackman” portion of the evening.
When the video ended, a mammoth animated pop-art-style presentation of “Jackman” was shown with Jack as the heroic problem solver. Following the last slide, the Lowe grandkids in “Jackman” garb and masks took the stage dancing to the “Batman” theme song, much to the delight of Jack and the rest of the guests. Just as the applause rewarded the dancing efforts, Jack hopped up on stage to the arms of the children. It was a wonder Jack didn’t topple over as they all hugged him.
As the kids took their seats on stage, April presented Jack with his own Jackman cape. Keeping his words brief, Jack recalled when they got the contract for the Anatole on July 7, 1977 (7-7-77). “I think that’s lucky.”
Turning the attention to the award’s namesake, Jack paid tribute to Bob Folsom, saying, “In addition to serving as the Mayor of Dallas, he served as president of the board of trustees of the Dallas ISD school board. To my knowledge, no one else has served in both positions.
“I want to share three ways he impacted me. One, he was the only four-sport letterman ever at SMU, and I aspired to play end like him. Two, early in my career at TDIndustries, he was one of our most important customers. Three, he opened my eyes and my mind to the idea of volunteering to serve our community by running for political office.”
He then thanked the Methodist team and the guests, who had helped raise a record-breaking $1.3M.
jan strimple says
Great shenanigans!