The legendary blood moon was standing by as the New Orleans Saints went down to defeat to the L.A. Rams in the NFC playoff game in the Crescent City on Sunday, January 20. Over at the Dallas Country Club, at a thank-you reception for Children’s Health supporters hosted by Christina and Chris Durovich and Brent Christopher, the talk was about the Saints’ loss that afternoon and the upcoming AFC game that evening between the New England Patriots and the Kansas City Chiefs.
Carol Seay was one of the first at the DCC to head to the exits to catch the start of the Patriots-Chiefs’ game. She was “slightly upset” because her Saints had lost. Others were checking their smartphones, grumbling that New Orleans had been robbed.
But it wasn’t all talk about football. After all, it was a time for guests like Barbara and John Stuart, Cindy Brinker Simmons, Glenn Callison, Marnie and Kern Wildenthal, David Biegler, John Scovell, Mary Lee Cox with daughter Therese Rourke and Laran O’Neill to catch up from the holidays.
Connie O’Neill, who will be going off the Komen Foundation board this year, was thrilled nonetheless that she would continue to be on the Communities Foundation of Texas board, as well as one of the three gals in the Salesmanship Club. She admitted that while sweating in the traditional red pants at the Salesmanship Club’s Byron Nelson annual golf tournament, the gentlemen members were still gentlemen, pulling out chairs for all three female members (Connie, plus Linda Perryman Evans and Ann Shaw).
Sheila Long from Children’s was comparing notes about the importance of Children’s in her life with her SMU alumna pal Knoxie Edmonson. While Sheila hadn’t had the need for Children’s resources in raising her kids, Knoxie admitted that her daughters had sought services there over the years.
Christina Durovich’s 2019 plans include getting more involved with strategic planning for the Women’s Auxiliary of Children’s Medical Center, as well as other organizations benefiting children.
Across the room, Chris Durovich, who’s now been with Children’s for 16 years — and with Christina for 24! — said that 2018 had been a “good year” for the organization, which he said is well-positioned for the future. Any plans for future expansion? “We’re serving more kids where they live and where they go to school, so expansion [does not just mean] new buildings,” Chris said carefully. “There’s telemedicine, for example, and health and wellness activities … with other entities in the community. Stay tuned.”