It was just two years ago at this time that North Texas and the rest of the world was navigating on thin ice created by the COVID-19 virus. But thanks to the international efforts from the scientific/medical worlds, April 2022 was no longer clamoring for masks and hand sanitizers.
A perfect example of the recovery was the 2022 Crystal Charity Ball announcement of its Ten Best Dressed Women of Dallas fundraiser on Wednesday, April 6, at Neiman Marcus NorthPark.
Deciding to repeat the changes made from 2021 in making the big event a two-fer, 2022 CCB Chair Susan Farris and 2022 CCB Fashion Show Chair Jennifer Dix decided to change up the announcement event itself. Instead of a morning-type announcement that was 97% female in attendance, they opted to have a nighttime presentation making it more accessible to other guests, especially husbands, sons and other fellas.
But before the announcement of the ten plus Hall of Famer, CCB organizers and the Ten BD-ers went through a non-dress rehearsal sans one of the ten. It seems that newbie BD-er/KXAS anchor Meredith Land had to finish up her 5 p.m. newscast in Fort Worth before heading to NorthPark. Not to worry. Meredith confided that she knew back roads that would avoid the typical drive-home traffic hold-up. And what do you know — the gal was right!
But before Meredith arrived, the rest of the 2022 class (Marybeth Conlon, Tiffany Divis, Monica Eastin, Libby Hegi, Kim Hext, Meredith Land, Karla McKinley, Anne McPherson, Amy Prestidge and Kim Quinn) plus Hall of Famer Pat McEvoy did a run-through with NM VP/GM NorthPark Mary McGreevy, Susan and Jennifer.
Following the drill, Jennifer explained the game plan to newbies, admonishing then to stay in the back until the presentation got underway. Then the group retired to the dressing room area for the traditional “shoe shot” and to relax until they heard their name called.
In the meantime, a third of the floor that a year before had been a morning affair with individual chairs socially distanced apart was now three or four rows of tables surrounded by chairs. Around the outskirts of the tables and chairs were high-top tables. When someone asked about the limited seating, the answer was simply — “It’s a cocktail party.”
And in the crowd of cocktails were jewelry designer Margot McKinney with Shelle Sills, Dolce and Gabbana’s Jessica Swick and Sanjay Hathiramani, Corey Prestidge, Kristen Gibbins, Piper Wyatt, Cara French, Preston Hext with Claudia Lode, Suzy Gekiere, Candace Swango, Lora Farris with dad John Farris, Richard Dix, Beth Thoele, Wendy and Boyd Messmann, Jennifer Chandler, Diana Hamilton, Amy Hegi, Kristi Francis, Candace Swango, April Abney in the 2022 season’s brace boot, Victoria Snee, Susan Glassmoyer, Daffan Nettle and Kay Sim with daughter Stacey Walker, who had a full calendar filled with leg surgery on Tuesday, April 12, the day after her chairing the Callier Cares Luncheon at the Dallas Country Club.
It didn’t take long for the program to get underway with Mary McG, Susan and Jennifer announcing the return to NM NorthPark with the two-event presentation on Thursday, September 8, with Dolce and Gabbana being the featured designer. The response was an overwhelming success with the date being immediately locked down on cellphone calendars.
They emphasized that funds raised from the day of fashion will benefit the 2022 Dallas County beneficiaries (The Agape Clinic, Baylor Oral Health Foundation, Behind Every Door, Educational First Steps, Family Compass, Hope Supply Co., Southwestern Medical Foundation and United To Learn).
Next Mary announced the presentation of the 10 BD-ers and Hall of Famer, with each receiving cheers and applause. Pity the poor shoppers who wondered what the heck was going on on NM’s top floor.
Then it was a quick group shot of Mary, Susan, Jennifer and the 11 ladies of the presentation followed by friends and families congratulating them on the news.
For individual shots of the 10-BD-ers and Pat plus others, check out MySweetCharity Photo Gallery.