It was a gathering of the Crystal Charity Ball “Ma’ams,” as they’re called. Once a woman chairs the Dallas County children’s non-profit fundraiser, she automatically becomes a Ma’am.
For the 2023 Ma’ams dinner, 22 were at Barbara Hunt Crow’s fabulous home overlooking Hackberry Creek on Wednesday, May 17.
While Barbara had so wanted to have the seated supper in her beautiful backyard, the recent rains had made Barbara go to Plan B for fear of the lush grounds being a bit too damp for tables, chairs and heels.
No problem. Plan B would have been most peoples’ Plan Great. With tables of all shapes and sizes placed in the dining room, sitting room, family room and the room overlooking the backyard, the arrangement provided that aura of intimacy that might not have been possible spread out in the outdoors.
But it was so typical of Barbara. Looking at her rooms filled with all types of collectibles and memories, she explained that one of her concerns had been what would happen to years of family treasures. Simple. She’d told her kids that she wanted them to select items that the might want to have one day and to put their name or sticky note on the piece.
Before Barbara could finish explaining her reason for moving the dinner indoors, she was hugged by Debbie Oates, who declared that Barbara was the perfect hostess.
Down the hallway, Drs. Kevin Kadesky and John Pickens were talking shop…well, sorta. When someone asked why doctors wash their hands for surgery only to slip on gloves, they explained that it was done just in case there was a tear in the glove.
Dwight Emanuelson reported that their Old Baldy Club digs was a work in progress, with Dwight in charge of the building and wife Claire Emanuelson handling the interior design with interior/best taster Shelby Wagner. Plans hopefully call for completion in March 2024.
Just as the last ma’am arrived, the group gathered on the backyard terrace for a greeting by 2023 CCB Chair Angie Kadesky and the traditional group photo.
Angie gave a touching thank you to the past chairs for the efforts and help they had provided for decades.
Evening sponsor Bank of America Private Bank and Merrill Lynch Wealth Management‘s Jennifer Chandler told the group that Bank of America was providing $5M to area non-profits. And while that amount was impressive, there were hundreds of thousands of non-profits like CCB helping neighbors.
Immediately following Angie’s and Jennifer’s thanking Barbara, the chairs and their husbands, the men returned indoor while the ma’ams’ group photo — Lyda Hill (1975), Linda McFarland (1979), Joyce Mitchell (1988), Sara Martineau (1993), Barbara Stuart (1994), Randi Halsell (1996), Becky Bright (1999), Karen Shuford (2000), Louise Griffeth (2003), Margo Goodwin (2004), Jill Smith (2005), Gloria Eulich Varel (2008), Debbie Oates (2009), Connie O’Neill (2011), Caren Kline (2013), Michal Powell (2015), Christie Carter (2016), Pam Perella (2017), Claire Emanuelson (2018), Pat McEvoy (2019), Tucker Enthoven (2020) and Susan Farris (2022) — was snapped.
Then it was a seated supper featuring Art2Catering’s menu (chilled roasted corn and coconut soup, grilled shrimp and sesame cracker with Alta Adige Italian Pinot Grigio; pan roasted beef tenderloin, potato mille feuille, caramelized onions, baby turnips, pergourdine sauce with Santa Barbara Paring Pinot Noir; and lemon gooey cake, lavender honey ice cream and butter cookies).
For more looks of the evening, check out MySweetCharity Photo Gallery.