The Meyerson Symphony Center looked like a Barbie convention on Thursday, February 8. Instead, it was the 2024 St. Valentine’s Day Luncheon and Fashion Show’s “Love Rising” benefiting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society North Texas.
While Event Producer Jan Strimple was doing a run-through with the models plus Luncheon Co-Chairs Brooke Shelby and Samantha Wortley and the day’s honorees, the lobby swelled in pink and red on the white marble flooring.
Among the ladies in pink were Honorary Co-Chairs Sharon McCullough, Libby Hunt and Debbie Hayhurst, Louise Griffeth with daughter-in-law Annie Griffeth, Melissa Sherrill Martin, Heather Baker , Katie Leyendecker, Victoria Snee, Caroline Ross and Keely Cawley with longtime LLS supporters Nancy Rogers and Lynda Adleta Heart of Gold Awardee Moll Anderson with husband Charlie Anderson.
Brooke laughed at the idea of husband Aaron Shelby‘s being a part of the crowd, saying, “It’s way too girly!”
Surprise guest Alana Stewart shouldn’t have been a surprise. After all, she and Libby had become friends when Farrah Fawcett Foundation President Alana had co-chaired the Foundation’s Tex-Mex Fest fundraiser in Dallas this past year.
Across the lobby, St. V-Day Co-Founders/2024 Icon Awards Rusty Duvall and Janet Evans admitted they were amazed at the 40th event. Janet laughed that when they came up with the idea, they thought it might be a two-time event at best. Rusty recalled the idea resulted from their love of Dallas, how Dallas women love fashion and it was a cause in need of support. The twosome had found that out when they both lost their fathers to the blood cancer in 1985.
For the Spirit Of Tom Landry Award honoree Campbell Fearing, it was a true family affair with mom Lynae Fearing with Doug Cochran and dad Dean Fearing with Wanda Fearing. A college sophomore, Campbell’s didn’t look quite right and mama Lynae immediately scheduled an appointment with a dentist. Within days he was in the hospital being treated for myeloid leukemia. Thanks to his parents and friends holding a donor drive for a life-saving blood stem cell, a match was found and Campbell received a life-saving transplant on April 3, 2023, and returned to college.
Then there was Event Co-Chair Samantha, who was proudly introducing her petite mother, Suzanne “Big Mom” Hom. In addition to being daughter-proud, Samantha was grateful for the developments in treatments that had recently resulted in Suzanne’s recovery from lymphoma.
In a black jacket and skirt highlighted with roses and a gray blouse was Niki Anthony, who had witnessed the importance of fundraising. It was such fundraising that had allowed her late husband Ryan Anthony to outlive the odds. In 2012 at the age of 42, the lead trumpet for the Dallas Symphony Orchestra had been diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a disease usually relegated to senior citizens. The life expectancy of multiple myeloma was five years. But thanks to advanced treatments, Ryan lived to celebrate his 51st birthday. But that hasn’t stopped Niki, who continues to raise awareness and funds to get even with the cancer. But on this occasion she was accepting the 2024 Memorial Hero Award on behalf of her late husband.
When the McDermott Concert Hall doors opened and the crowd poured in, emcee Clarice Tinsley welcomed the guests. As the program got underway, it became obvious that the video backdrop was having challenges. After the awards had been handed out, still projections were on the two mammoth side panels, but the center panel was blank. That void was a bit of a problem when it came for the call-for-cash that Campbell and Dean had depended upon during the rehearsal. But, thanks to the inspiration of the presentation, especially Campbell’s poignant reading of a poem he had written while in the hospital, the funds rolled in, with one starting at $40,000.
Then it was time for the fashion show of Highland Park Village merchants (Alice and Olivia, Frame, La View, Lela Rose, LoveShackFancy and Market), with the blank panel providing the perfect canvas to highlight the spring colors.
And in keeping with any occasion featuring youngsters, the kids in the LoveShackFancy segment stole the show. However, one toddler upstaged all by lifting her pink dress sky high. No doubt in the years to come she’ll be reminded of her moment in the spotlight.
For looks of the runway fashions and some of the guests, check out MySweetCharity Photo Gallery.