Monday two dads took time off from their high-profile professional lives to celebrate youngsters they had never met. One father had daughters who are their early 20s; the other had just become the father of a daughter the week before.
The occasion that brought the men to NorthPark’s NorthCourt was the 2024 Children’s Cancer Fund Gala reveal of the kid models for the annual fundraiser that the two dads — Troy Aikman and Dak Prescott — would serve as honorary co-chairs.
Like typical models, these youngsters were great looking and had style. But they also were heroes who had been battling forms of cancer that most people couldn’t even pronounce, like “Rhabdomyosarcoma,” “Blastic Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cell Neoplasma” or “Piloid Astrocytoma.” They and their families had endured more than their share of treatments, hospital stays and sacrifices, so today was a celebration of progress and a momentary relief from battling cancer.
But on this day it was also a coming together of more than the models’ families. It also brought together the Children’s Cancer Fund family, the NorthPark family and the Dallas Cowboys quarterback family(Troy, Dak and emcee Babe Laufenberg) to celebrate the reveal of the CCF Class of 2024 models, who would strut their stuff on the runway at the Hilton Anatole for “A Knight To Remember” on Friday, April 12.
As CCF Honorary Co-Chairs Troy and Dak signed personalized Dallas Cowboys footballs behind the screens, the kids and their families took their places in the cordoned-off area in front of the screen. Some of the gals like Paisley Bennett and Amairy Leon Valazquez donned fashionable crowns and bows, while Libby Evans was a standout in pink with her pixie hair style of new-grown hair and the twinkle in her eye. And the gents showed that they weren’t playing second fiddle. While Kewan Gibson and Trevor Hurton looked downright natty in suits, Preston Pipkins, Shameel Farishta and Luis Garza opted for a more casual look wearing polo shirts.
On the front row were seated were Dr. Karen Bradshaw and Children’s Cancer Fund Co-Founder Fred Shapiro, whose daughter Melinda Shapiro was diagnosed with “malignant medulloblastoma at age 6 [in 1985] and survived with many health challenges but cancer free to age 44 due to the expert care of the Oncology team and surgeons at Children’s Medical Center and University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.” Melinda died this past September in her sleep.
On the sidelines, the NorthPark family including NP First Lady Nancy Nasher, Anna Kern, Lindsey Croley, Meredith Hays and First Daughter Izzy Haemisegger were on hand preparing to cheer on the children as well as share news about recent changes. Nancy reported that NP Marketing and Strategy Executive Director Kristen Gibbins had been named general manager of the legendary shopping center. While Kristen admitted that the news was still settling in, another NP-er was celebrating her final day at the center.
Catharine Recht was moving over to the Frontiers of Flight Museum on Monday, April 1, where she was to be director of advancement, overseeing five divisions in the newly restructured Advancement Department. Evidently the aerospace gene runs in her family — her grandfather John Flagg was an aerospace pioneer working for the David Clark Company for 52 years, of which 31 were spent as president.
But this day was for the kids. As FOX4 sportscaster Mike Doocy and fellow sports videographers took aim, the youngsters lined up and their families prepared their cellphones to capture the moment.
As Babe opened the program, he let the families know that he had been where they are in having a child battling cancer. In Babe’s case, his son didn’t survive, but inspired Babe to continue to carry on the battle.
He then introduced Troy and Dak, who shared how they each got involved in the fundraiser. Chairing this year’s “A Knight To Remember” would be children’s book author Emberli Pridham.
Then it was time for the big reveal. Onstage, CCF Executive Director Jennifer Arthur, Nancy and Emberli joined Troy and Dak for the individual presentation of models who hugged and high-fived the adults to their delight of families, like Team Cannon McGough and Team Bennett Sieck, who saluted the moment with their cellphones.
It was gratifying to see all the families coming together as a community cheering each child. Even passersby stopped and put their shopping bags down to join the families in honoring these children from all over North Texas who battle a ruthless killer. Even when Babe announced that one of the models was unable to appear — Dak Lopez (6) — the families rose to the occasion and cheered in honor of the missing youngsters.
With footballs in hand, the models Paisley Bennett (6), Cami Clements (7), Analise Cuington (17), Maycee Dickson (17), Miller Dietsche (14), Libby Evans (13), Shameel Farishta (10), Luis Garza (17), Kewan Gibson (8), Annaliah Gonzalez (7), Briella Hernandez (11), Trevor Hurton (10), Sergio Jaramillo (17), Amairy Leon Velazquez (6), Daniella Luevano (10), Stella Matthews (13), Cannon McGough (8), Mackenzie Mickelson (11), Eleazar Moreno (10), Preston Pipkins (14), Dustin Samuel Rodriguez (9) and Bennett Sieck (11) joined Jennifer, Nancy, Emberli, Troy, Dak and Children’s Medical Center Foundation President Brent Christopher onstage for their class photo. Then the children returned to their families to show off their new footballs, and Troy and Dak headed to the sports media for interviews. When asked why Dak hadn’t mentioned onstage that he’d become the father of “MJ” the week before, someone responded, “He didn’t want to take the spotlight away from these kids. After all, it was their moment to shine.”
Sponsorships and tickets for “A Knight To Remember” are available here.
For more looks of the presentation, check out MySweetCharity Photo Gallery.