It was an event that every Crystal Chair Ball chair lives for and dreads. For 2018 CCB Chair Claire Emanuelson, it was the evening of Wednesday, March 27.
In the Hall Arts Residence Showroom, the New Orleans transplant admitted that the past year had flown by. Now, the “fruits” of her and her committee’s labor were benefiting eight Dallas children’s nonprofits (After-School All-Stars Dallas – $592,140, Booker T. Washington High School for The Performing and Visual Arts – $766,190, Boys and Girls Club of Greater Dallas – $600,591, Buckner Children and Family Services – $1,125,435, Friends of the Dallas Public Library – $752,455, Mosaic Family Services – $666,612, Nexus Recovery Center – $747,681 and Ronald McDonald House of Dallas – $1,250,000). It was the handing over of checks amounting to $6,501,105.
As the crowd gathered, Comerica Chair/CEO Ralph Babb, who is also on the CCB Advisory Board, checked out the Hall models. When asked where his wife, Barbara Babb, was, Ralph reported that she was home. And then he added that they were preparing to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary… 2018 CCB First Husband Dwight Emanuelson was on the phone finalizing arrangements for a business trip to Kapalua with Claire in tow… Mike Malone said that his dropping 25 pounds was not due to health but rather vanity. Clothes were just not fitting… Others in the crowd included Patti Flowers, Christie Carter, Pam Busbee, Shelle and Michael Sills, Beth Thoele, Angie and Kevin Kadesky, Kristina Whitcomb, Gina and Ken Betts, Hall Group President Don Braun. and Hall Arts Residence Sales Director Lea Anne Laughlin.
When the time came to hand out the checks, all nonprofits admitted that as needed as the funds were, the validation by CCB was priceless.
For photos of each of the handing over of the checks, click on MySweetCharity Photo Gallery.