Jonathan’s Place, which offers a variety of services to help abused and neglected children, says it’s facing a roughly $1.28 million budget shortfall this fiscal year. So it’s counting on its seventh annual A Chance to Soar Luncheon fundraiser on Tuesday, April 3, to help close the gap. On Tuesday, February 6, it also welcomed the support of about 100 guests who turned out for the A Chance to Soar sponsor reception at Merry Voss‘ Canary boutique on Lovers Lane.
There, guests could learn about a dozen raffle packages up for grabs at the April luncheon. In addition, Voss’ popular store was donating 10 percent of all sales that night to Jonathan’s Place. One guest poring intently over the merchandise was Marianne Staubach. It seems that Marianne and Roger Staubach and the Staubachs’ daughter Jennifer Gates, along with Jennifer’s husband John Gates, all are serving as Hero Sponsors for the luncheon.
While Marianne checked out the goods, Roger was eyeing the “light bites” catered by Jose restaurant and talking about Jonathan’s Place. He and Marianne have been involved with the nonprofit for awhile, he said, though it’s Jennifer who’s the group’s most robust supporter. Other attendees at the Canary party included Pam Busbee—she’s on the Jonathan’s Place board—Robyn Gould and Linda Wimberly, who are co-chairing the April luncheon, and Shannon and Ted Skokos, the event’s honorary chairs.
Just then someone whistled loudly, and Allicia Graham Frye, the Jonathan’s Place CEO, began to talk. After welcoming everyone and introducing all the chairs, Allicia said of Robyn and Linda, “They blow my mind. I cry every night.” She then announced that $302,000 had been raised for the April 3 luncheon so far, before ending by saying, “At this very moment, my cup runneth over.”
The A Chance to Soar Luncheon will be held at the Hyatt Regency Dallas at 11:30 a.m., with a VIP reception beginning an hour earlier. The keynote speaker will be Jeannette Walls, whose best-selling, 2005 memoir, “The Glass Castle,” documents her harrowing personal escape from extreme childhood poverty to a life of courage, determination, and authenticity. Walls’ book recently was brought to the big screen in a film starring Woody Harrelson, Naomi Watts, and Brie Larson as Jeannette.