• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Contact
  • FAQ
  • Advertising

My Sweet Charity

An Ongoing Conversation For the Good Of Dallas

  • Home
  • Photo Gallery
  • Event Calendar
  • Fundraisers
  • Health
  • Heroes
  • Contact

2021 Crystal Charity Ball Underwriters Party Got A Dazzling Eyeful Oozing With History And Memories

Dec 13, 2021 5:30 PM by Jeanne Prejean

Libby and David Hunt are widely known for their love of history and preservation from hosting Dallas Historical Society and La Fiesta De Las Seis Banderas events at their previous residence. That’s why, when word came that the Hunts had purchased the stately Greek Revival mansion in University Park formerly owned by one-time Texas First Couple the late Rita and Bill Clements, history buffs breathed a collective sigh of relief.

Still, the question was out there: how would the Hunts adapt 21st century changes to the 11,300-square-foot manse? On Wednesday, November 10, the Crystal Charity Ball Underwriters were amazed to find out.

Leslie Diers and Holly and Phillip Huffines
Sunie and Steve Solomon
Bianca Elise and John Muldoon
Kevin and Angie Kadesky and Claire and Dwight Emanuelson

Early on, with inclement weather predicted, organizers suspected the guest list of 235 might be whittled down some. But, no. An hour into the gathering, the guests like Holly and Phillip Huffines, Sunie and Steve Solomon, Louise and Joe LaManna, Bianca Elise with her fiance John Muldoon and the Hunts’ next door neighbors Claire and Dwight Emanuelson kept on arriving, filling the home’s entryway and then spilling into the side rooms.

Zuber wallpaper in Hunt dining room
Hunt dining room

They soon discovered that the Hunts had flawlessly blended their collection of antiques into the new home. On this evening, the dining room table that once had belonged to Rita was now filled with a sumptuous buffet cooked up by Cassandra. Surrounding the dining table was a marvelous panoramic Zuber wallpaper depicting the Revolutionary War that reminded one of the Zuber artwork that the late Jacqueline Kennedy installed in the White House Diplomatic Reception Room.

Clements dining room table
Sweets
Sliders

In the formal living room, the soft apricot walls and the Hunts’ couches fit in perfectly, just as if planned.  In the family room there was a pop-up display by the evening’s sponsor, Diamonds Direct, that added a dazzling sparkle to the festivities.

Gene Jones, Annette Simmons and Libby Hunt

“This is a great house,” declared million-dollar underwriter Annette Simmons as she arrived with Gene Jones, Jill Smith and Gayle Stoffel. Dr. Kevin Kadesky recalled visiting the home when he was a student. Another guest reported that he and his Boy Scout troop had toured the residence more than a decade ago. Pam Perella said she’d been in the house years ago for a Junior League event. Tiffany Divis remembered attending a function at the home back in the 2000s.

Paul and Tiffany Divis
Leslie Diers and Cheryl Joyner

Soon enough, it was time for Crystal Ball Chair Leslie Diers to mount the stairs and address the group. After thanking the Hunts — “they’ve been very generous donors for many, many years,” she said — Leslie mentioned the upcoming Ball, now just “three and a half, four weeks away.” She also urged guests to check their vehicles for a copy of the CCB luxury silent auction catalog — “hot off the presses” — when the valets brought their cars around.

At about 8:30, it became obvious that the predicted stormy weather would be arriving soon, earlier than planned. As organizers passed the word that guests might want to avoid the possible hail and torrential downpour, a few held out. They weren’t quite ready to leave Cassandra’s delicious buffet, it seemed — or the grand mansion with its many memories. A doggy bag was offered to help encourage their departure.

For more looks at the evening, check out MySweetCharity Photo Gallery.

Filed Under: By invitation only, Cocktail reception, Events, FYI, History, Home Sweet Home, In-person, Jewelry, Underwriters Tagged With: Angie Kadesky, Annette Simmons, Bianca Elise, Bill Clements, Cheryl Joyner, Claire Emanuelson, Crystal Charity Ball, David Hunt, Dwight Emanuelson, Gene Jones, Holly Huffines, Jacqueline Kennedy, John Muldoon, Kevin Kadesky, Leslie Diers, Libby Hunt, Paul Divis, Phillip Huffines, Rita Clements, Steve Solomon, Sunie Solomon, Tiffany Divis, Zuber

Primary Sidebar

We cover the people, organizations and activities that make the North Texas area unique thanks to philanthropic and nonprofit endeavors. We limit our coverage to only news that directly impacts and benefits the area, but we do it with an "honest but friendly" hand.

MySweetCharity does not cover activities or news of a controversial nature.

Materials on this site are © copyrighted. Images contained on this website are not within the public domain. To republish, please send request to [email protected] for permission.

Disclaimer: We are provided gratis invitations from organizations without any expectations on their part of any coverage.

Subscribe for Email Updates

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Search

Follow MyTweetCharity on Twitter
Follow MySweetCharity on Facebook

MySweetCharity

Resources

  • After-School All-Stars North Texas
  • Baylor Scott & White Health
  • Callier Center
  • Children's Health
  • Community Partners of Dallas
  • Dallas CASA
  • Dallas Film Society
  • Dallas Symphony Orchestra
  • Equest
  • Family Gateway
  • Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas
  • Goodwill Industries of Dallas
  • Housing Crisis Center
  • Leukemia Texas
  • North Texas Giving Day
  • Southwest Transplant Alliance
  • Suicide and Crisis Center of North Texas
  • Texas Women's Foundation
  • The Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture
  • The Dallas Opera
  • The Family Place
  • The Magdalen House
  • Trinity Park Conservancy

Categories

Archives

MySweetCharity sponsorships

  • Callier Cares Luncheon
  • Cattle Baron's Ball
  • Celebrating Women
  • Community Partners of Dallas
  • Crystal Charity Ball
  • Day At The Races
  • Equest
  • Healing Hands Luncheon
  • KidneyTexas
  • Mad Hatter's Tea
  • North Texas Giving Day
  • Texas Women's Foundation Annual Luncheon
  • Women's Auxiliary of The Salvation Army Dallas Fashion Show And Luncheon
Copyright © 2010-2021 My Sweet Charity · Website Design by Shauna Callaghan