Not every non-profit can celebrate 25 years of success or attract a who’s who of Dallas to its silver jubilee. But the Center for BrainHealth at the University of Texas at Dallas did both on Wednesday, April 24, at the swank Hotel Swexan in the Harwood District.
There, 200 or so guests gathered on the boutique hotel’s sixth floor to enjoy the Center’s 25th Celebration Gala, marking a quarter-century of the organization’s mission to enhance, preserve and restore brain health. Over that period the group has engaged 250,000 people through signature events, published 1,000 peer-reviewed research articles and worked with 525 scientists, researchers, clinicians and other collaborators.
The who’s who attending the celebration included the likes of Diane and Daryl Johnston, Dee Wyly, Keana and Morgan Meyer, Mike Boone, Jay Rosser, Brill and Jason Garrett, Elizabeth and Brian Conroy, Aimee and Clint Bruce, Stacey and Dan Branch, Phil Ritter, Ka Cotter, Andy Walsh and Debbie and Jim Francis.
Moving from the opening reception to a dinner setting inside the Swexan’s grand event space, attendees were welcomed at 7:35 p.m. by Debbie, the Gala chair. “What a milestone this is!” she exulted from the raised stage.
She then recognized Linda and Joel Robuck, the Gala’s Platinum Sponsors, before introducing videos about the Center that included UTD President Richard C. Benson, Center spokesperson Admiral William McRaven and a number of people who’ve been profoundly affected by the organization’s work.
Wrapping up the video presentations, William said, “We’ve got to figure out a way to make brain health sexy, so everyone wants to be a part of it!” The guests laughed heartily, apparently agreeing.
Following an invocation by Dan Branch, guests tucked into lively table conversations and a delicious meal of carrot and ginger soup, plus pan roasted filet mignon with EVOO charred asparagus and potato pave. Dinner was topped off by a caramelized chevre cheesecake with fresh fig, blackberrry, balsamic glaze and honeyed mascarpone.
Soon enough, it was time to hear from Tom Leppert, the former Dallas mayor and co-leader of the Center’s landmark BrainHealth Project. Tom began his remarks with an apology for interrupting “your great” dinner conversations. “I have children, and I used to make speeches to the city council, so I’m very used to having people not listen to me,” he said with a smile.
Tom invited guests to think back 25 years ago, when “there was not really that much focus on the brain. But because of the work of the Center for BrainHealth and [the Center’s Distinguished Professor and Chief Director Sandra “Sandi” Chapman, PhD], today we’re starting to see the potential of healthy brains.”
He recalled how fast things have changed in our society. “Today if you’re in your 70s, you can expect to live into your 80s and early 90s,” he said. “When Social Security started, you retired at 65 and the average life expectancy was 64.”
Like the city of Dallas with its pioneering, entrepreneurial spirit, “Sandi and her team are pioneers,” Tom said, “They are making a difference.” And the next 25 years will see even more exciting brain enhancements, he concluded, because of the Center for BrainHealth.
Tom then gave way to a musical performance by David McDonald and Scott Stegall. The two strolled onstage with guitar and banjo to perform the upbeat, intricate “Dueling Banjos” theme from the movie “Deliverance.”
They followed with a song that was chosen specifically to honor and introduce Sandi. The tune, titled “The Rainbow Connection,” included these lyrics:
Rainbows are visions,
But only illusions,
And rainbows have nothing to hide.
So we’ve been told and some choose to believe it.
I know they’re wrong, wait and see.
Someday we’ll find it, the rainbow connection,
The lovers, the dreamers and me
“The Rainbow Connection” is one of her favorite songs, Sandi announced as she mounted the stage to thank David and Scott and deliver the evening’s closing remarks.
Touching on a variety of topics, she recalled how Debbie had stressed the importance to her of this celebration gala: “Twenty-five years don’t come often, so we have to make it perfect!” Sandi recognized her husband Don Chapman and her son Noah Chapman, the entire Center staff and all the recipients of the Center’s prestigious Legacy Award, many of whom were present.
“The first one was Dianne Cash,” Sandi said, turning to face Dianne, who received the honor in 2006. “Without you, we would not be here!”
Other winners of the award Sandi named were the late T. Boone Pickens (2009) — Boone’s faithful longtime employees Jay Rosser and Sally Geymuller were in the crowd — and Dee Wyly (2011).
Other Legacy winners singled out for the spotlight were Linda and Joel Robuck (2020) — they’d invited their good friends Gloria and Juan Ernesto Snead to the Gala, by the way — and 2022 honoree Leppert, of whom Sandi said to laughter, “He could motivate an inchworm!”
She concluded by announcing the creation of a new giving program to mark the non-profit’s 25th anniversary, called The Cortex Society. Recognizing cumulative lifetime giving to the Center, the new Society consists of four levels of contribution, each named for a critical region of the cerebral cortex: Frontal, $1 million and above; Temporal, $500,000 to $999,999; Occipital, $250,000 to $499,999, and Parietal, $100,000 to $249,999.
“We have not lost a bit of momentum,” Sandi proclaimed. And advances by the Center over the next 25 years, she predicted, will be more impressive still.
* Photo credit: Jason Voinov Photography