With Daylight Saving Time about to reset clocks back an hour later that night, Dallas Zoo residents were amazed at the crowd of 700 who turned out on Saturday, November 4, for the 32nd Zoo To Do 2023.
Featuring the theme “Adventure Awaits,” the zoo’s biggest annual fundraiser was presented by The Eugene McDermott Foundation and Honorary Chair Lyda Hill.
While the event inspired some guests to dream of great adventures, no one had more fun at Zoo To Do than the facility’s permanent residents. As the ever-approachable giraffes were accepting handouts, for example, a couple of zebras in the far-off Giants of the Savanna habitat were grazing while a lone elephant in the distance looked like a pup welcoming treats from the hay tower.
Speaking of handouts, Lyda was pretty impressed by the hippos chomping down on her offerings. She was also beaming about the temporary mural in the zoo’s Wilds of Africa tunnel featuring 12 women in STEM, bankrolled by a grant from her IF/THEN Fund at the Texas Women’s Foundation.
“The zoo is important because if helps us educate young people about the bigger world, and the IF/THEN initiative shows girls they can be a zookeeper,” Lyda said. “Zoos are also good for the economy in an area, and they’re one thing that great cities have.”
Lyda was enjoying some edibles at the traditional food hotspot stop overlooking the zoo’s elephants, where food stations manned by Salum’s Abraham Salum and Parigi’s Janice Provost were joined by Suze’s Gilbert Garza. Among the throng vying for the coveted bites was Michael Meadows. “Janice, it was to-die-for, as usual. You made my night!” Michael said. “These three here are the Mount Olympus of chefs!”
Everyone — paying guests and critters alike — agreed that the weather had turned out to be ideal, despite the previous too-chilly days. Guests spotted enjoying the perfect temps and festivities included Joan and Alan Walne, Cindy and Mark Newman, Diane and Hal Brierley, Linda and John McFarland, Kim Noltemy, Tucker and Rich Enthoven with Tucker’s mom Julie Ford, Stacie and Steve Adams and Kathleen Sams with gal pal Grace Cook, who will be co-chairing the 2024 Zoo To Do with her mom Mary McDermott Cook.
While others like Carol and Don Glendenning, Marena and Roger Gault and Dan Patterson were partying in the VIP reception at the Gorilla Research Station along with Pat and Charles McEvoy, Ann and Arun Agarwal were telling about their silk prints and elephant outfits picked up on a trip to India.
Besides Arun, who’s president of the Dallas Park and Recreation Board, other politico types in the mix were former City Councilmember Jennifer Staubach Gates, current Councilmember Paul Ridley and former Dallas City Manager Mary Suhm. Mary had made the three-and-a-half-hour drive up from her 4-acre spread in Dripping Spring to join Randi and Ed Halsell for the occasion.
And, what an occasion it was. Co-Chairs Thai-lan Tran and Steven J. Roth graciously greeted attendees, many outfitted in Safari Chic togs; the live auction saw a private chef’s dinner sell four times at $32,500 each; and guests ended the evening dancing to lively tunes by party band Manhattan. A herd of party animals, indeed.