Had it really been 10 years since Claire and Dwight Emanuelson hosted the 2012 Celebrating Women Luncheon patron party — and the luncheon’s star attraction, Rob Lowe — at their former estate in Highland Park?
Karen and Donald Key could scarcely believe it, either. That sent Karen on a hunt through her phone’s photos to prove that she’d indeed been there with Lowe that evening.
And here she and Donald were a decade later, this time at yet another patron party for the Celebrating Women Luncheon benefiting the Baylor Scott And White Dallas Foundation at the Emanuelsons’ newer, more modern Highland Park home on Tuesday, October 11.
Karen, who’s a breast-cancer survivor, and other guests hadn’t gathered just to reminisce, though. They were there to celebrate the event’s return to in-person fundraising and to hear more about the upcoming, 23rd Annual Celebrating Women Luncheon at the Hilton Anatole on Friday, October 21. Co-chaired by Marybeth Conlon and Elizabeth Gambrell, with Gene Jones, Charlotte Jones, Karen Jones and Lori Jones serving as honorary co-chairs, the luncheon will have another Hollywood movie star as its featured speaker: Patricia Arquette.
As guests like Angie Kadesky, Pam Perella, Pat and Clyde McCall, Christie Carter, Sue and Jeff Porter, Pat McEvoy with sister-in-law Carol McEvoy, Paige McDaniel, Elizabeth and Dr. Bob Gunby and Tom Thumb’s Lara Christy gathered in the Emanuelson home’s handsome main rooms, Dwight pointed out how even though the spring flooding along the property’s creek had challenged the backyard’s fence, it had held up nicely nonetheless. Melinda Knowles was admiring the Emanuelsons’ infinity pool, which seemed to spill right into the creek.
Sisters Kristi Sherrill Hoyl and Melissa Sherrill Martin reported that Hoyl daughter Sydney Hoyl would be on stage for the Tex-Mex Fest at The Rustic to raise funds for the Farrah Fawcett Foundation and Dallas’ Hope Lodge.
Dwight also explained how upon the death of neighbor Rita Clements, a slice of a lot between the Clements’ and the Emanuelson property that had belonged to the Clements had gone up for sale. When Realtor Faisal Halum called Dwight to measure his interest in obtaining the lot, the deal was struck.
While plans are underway for the Emanuelsons’ new (second-home) digs at the Old Baldy Club in Wyoming, Claire and Dwight were heading to their Lexington place near Washington and Lee University for 10 days. Claire was disappointed, however, that this getaway would mean missing the Sweetheart Ball Tea and the Celebrating Women Luncheon.
Meantime, Tim Moore was back in the Baylor fold after joining Children’s Medical Center Foundation. It had been a tough decision, he said, since his child had benefited from Children’s staff and resources.
During brief remarks, Foundation President Ben Renberg told the guests that this would be his “first official Celebrating Women” luncheon, and that this evening’s party was to “celebrate your generosity.”
The luncheon to date has raised a total of $37 million to support Baylor Scott And White Health’s fight against breast cancer in North Texas, Ben added — “thanks to you.”
Elizabeth and Marybeth also spoke, acknowledging their Underwriting Chairs Amy Hegi and Libby Hegi, the $2.5 million that’s been raised for the luncheon over the last two years and three physicians “in the trenches” who were attending the party: Drs. Ronan Kelly, Alison Palumbo and Lucy Wallace.
Baylor Scott And White Health CEO Pete McCanna wrapped things up for the night, pledging that the hospital would do more in the future to help patients navigate their journey through the system.