Around the room were attorneys, banking executives, an engineer and those whose goal was to provide millions of dollars for Dallas County children. But instead of being held in a high-rise boardroom, the morning gathering was at a home in Old Highland Park on Tuesday, February 4.
It was 2014 Robyn (“I’m not out to pasture.”) Conlon’s annual brunch for the newest members of Crystal Charity Ball (former attorney Lindsay Ballotta, banker Jennifer Chandler, banker Wendy Messmann and former attorney Amanda Shufeldt).
After an introduction by 2020 CCB new members liaisons Pam Busbee and Leslie Diers of the new members, 2020 CCB Chair/engineer Tucker Enthoven asked the committee chairs to introduce themselves (Charity Selection Chair Kristina Whitcomb, Underwriting Chair Susan Farris, Foundations Chair Mary Martha Pickens, Silent Auction Chair Laura Downing, Special Gifts Chair Brooke Shelby, Children’s Book Chair Ola Fojtasek, Fashion Show Contribution Ticket Co-Chairs Elizabeth Gambrell and Cheryl Joyner, Ball Arrangements Dee Velvin and Membership Chair/2006 CCB Chair Debbie Snell).
Then it was sausage egg souffle, fruit, blueberry muffins and table talk. Robyn revealed that the recent Caribbean earthquake had the Conlon’s Cayman home’s chandelier rocking back and forth. When it came to get about the island, the Conlons had bought a Kia. One of the reasons was that the Toyota dealership was nine miles away. That didn’t seem very far, but in Grand Cayman it takes 40 minutes to get that far… Regarding the next day’s forecast of frigid weather and the St. Valentine’s Day Fashion Show and Luncheon, Debbie recalled how back in the late 1990s when she chaired the epic Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of North Texas fundraiser, the conditions were so cold and icy that servers barely showed up and models ended up pulling their clothes off the rack. In hindsight, she laughed that often nightmarish situations make for great memories.
Afterwards, the four newbies headed to the CCB offices for a tour and to learn in detail about the Dallas County children’s fundraising operation. First on their agenda will be attending the general meeting and the selection of the 2020 beneficiaries on Thursday, February 6.
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