The word “impact” is indeed making an impact on a couple of upcoming North Texas fundraisers. In addition to Dallas-Fort Worth Urban Land Institute’s (ULI) Sixth Annual Impact Awards Gala on Thursday, October 20, at the Dallas Renaissance Hotel, there’s the AIA Dallas and Architecture And Design Foundation’s Inaugural Impact Dallas Gala two weeks later on Thursday, November 4, at The Thompson Hotel in The National.
While the ULI event will honor people and organizations in the real estate industry, the Impact Dallas Gala fundraiser co-chaired by Todd Howard and Katherine D. Seale, “celebrates the role design plays in solving real-world problems, connecting communities and improving peoples’ lives.”
According to Katherine, “Impacting our region is a task that extends beyond architects; it is a collaboration between community leaders, philanthropists and all stakeholders who are striving to improve out city.”
In this first year partnership of AIA Dallas and the Foundation, “the gala will bestow awards on two community members and one architect who exemplify their shared mission.”
Considered the highest honor for an architect by the organization, the 2021 AIA Dallas Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to GFF Founding Principal/chair Larry Good, FAIA.
The second award of the evening — the George Foster Harrell Award — has only been given five times since its establishment in 1980 — to Margaret McDermott, J. Erik Jonsson, Frank Welch, Stanley Marcus and O’Neil Ford. This year the Award will honor philanthropist/community leader Deedie Rose.
As part of the launch of the black-tie fundraiser, the AD EX Community Cornerstone Award has been created to recognize “a non-architectural entity in recognition of outstanding contributions that enhance the quality of life by shaping environments and building community.” The recipient of this award will be announced the night of the gala.
With a goal of raising $175,000 from the seated dinner and auction, the Foundation plans to use the funds “for public programming, scholarships that make college and careers accessible and bring diversity and equity to architecture and grants that implement community-based design ventures like the AIA Dallas Merging Leaders Programming’s 2021 project benefiting Camp Summit, which provides barrier-free, sleep-away camps for children and adults with disabilities.”
Sponsorships and tickets are now available here.
* Graphic/photo provided by Impact Dallas Gala