Despite a cold front arriving in North Texas, it didn’t discourage the munchkins from donning costumes for the Community Partners of Dallas‘ 2023 Change Is Good on Sunday, October 29, at Turtle Creek Park’s Arlington Hall. Thanks to a mammoth, enclosed tent adjacent to the building, the youngsters competed turning in change and a costume contest as a precursor to the upcoming Halloween. Here’s a report from the field:
Change is Good 2023 chair families Jenny and Patrick Babb with children Caroline, Connor and Kenneth, and Lexi and Chris Jewell with children Callahan and Colsen, along with honorary chair family Jacie and Matt Vittitow with children Sutton and Abbott Walker, welcomed a spooktacular crowd of changemakers on Sunday, October 29, for the 17th annual Change is Good presented by CrossFirst Bank.
Held at Arlington Hall at Turtle Creek Park, the day’s early winter weather didn’t dampen the spirits of the Halloween costume-clad attendees ready for a day of fun. As guests arrived, they exchanged their jars full of change, which had been collected for the last several months, for chance tickets to win exciting prizes.
As they entered the tented event, there were no tricks and lots of treats for the partygoers of all ages, from pumpkin painting with Porch Pumpkins, cookie decorating, balloon artists and hat making with the Rad Hatter, to mini-manicures and temporary tattoos, face painting, hula-hooping, an outdoor game truck, and of course lots of delicious treats.
At the appointed time, CPD president and CEO Joanna Clarke gathered the crowd to thank them for supporting the annual event that encourages kids to collect change in order to change the lives of abused and neglected children in Dallas County. She also thanked presenting sponsor CrossFirst Bank for their ongoing support of Change is Good, before recognizing this year’s top change collectors, which were:
- First place – $1,844.13 raised – Brooke, Cate and Caroline Gray, who also took home the prize for most online changed raised with $1,323.00 and most quarters collected with 2,043 quarters. As longtime Change is Good change-collectors, even Brooke’s freshman year at Texas Tech couldn’t stop her from collecting change – where she sent out e-mails for donations online! (see pic)
- Second place – Patrick, Jenny, Caroline, Connor and Kenneth Babb – $1,137.78
- Third place – Margaret Ann Boehme – $802.02
As well Clarke recognized the two t-shirt design contest winners, whose artwork was featured on this year’s commemorative t-shirt: Lola Bonfield for the front of shirt design featuring the Change is Good mascot “piggie” as a pumpkin, and Lauren Nix for the back of shirt design.
And new to Change is Good, winners of the first-ever Halloween costume contest were announced with the top prize of Best Overall costume going to Caleb Hammer as a Peanut Butter Cracker Sandwich, along with Most Creative to Manning Fuquay as Carmen Sandiego; Spookiest to Rose Dickson as a Skeleton; and Silliest to Miles Schale as a Banana.
Then it was time for the announcement all of the kids were waiting for: this year’s lucky prize winners, with more than 20 prizes, including a money tree, an iPad mini, Beats by Dre headphones, Dallas Stars and Dallas Mavs tickets, and Instax polaroid camera and an electric scooter with helmet to name a few.
As guests departed, the kids each received a commemorative t-shirt.
* Photo provided by Community Partners of Dallas