The Omni Dallas Hotel was the site of two great North Texas non-profits holding fundraising luncheons at the same time just a few feet apart on Friday, April 19. While Dallas CASA‘s Cherish The Children Luncheon honored Betty Regard with the 2024 Caroline Rose Hunt Cherish the Children Award, Grant Halliburton Foundation‘s Beacon Of Hope Community Luncheon presented by Emily Lewis was honoring Eric Nadel and featuring Kevin Berthia and Kevin Briggs with their remarkable story on how their coming together had become a lifelong changing relationship for both men. Here’s a report from the field:
Nearly 700 guests entered Grant Halliburton Foundation’s 15th annual Beacon of Hope Community Luncheon at the Omni Dallas Hotel on April 19, and were greeted with a champagne wall and plenty of mental wellness activities. While DJ Lucy Wrubel played entertaining tunes, guests wrote and drew on the Hope wall, bid on a raffle packages, and made connections at the Beacon Brews Coffee House.
As the luncheon began, and the L.D. Bell High School (Hurst) Bell Tones and Decibelles sang “You Will be Found” from the Broadway musical Dear Evan Hansen. Steve Noviello of FOX 4 news, who normally emcees, had a conflict, so good friend Jenny Anchondo, host and producer of CW33’s “Inside DFW,” stepped in for him.
Rev. Katie Newsome, executive director and lead pastor of Union Coffee, gave the invocation. Guests ate lunch and visited at their tables.
After lunch, Anchondo introduced the 2024 luncheon co-chairs, Natalie Hatchett and Courtney Hubbard. Hatchett remarked, “Courtney and I have been close friends for more than 30 years, and it has been such a joy for us to plan this together. It’s a cause that is near and dear to our hearts.”
Hubbard added, “Thanks to our presenting sponsor, Emily Lewis, our Vice Chairs Chris and Brent Bolding, Founding Luncheon Chair Barb Farmer and all of our event sponsors for their generous support.”
Anchondo introduced The Beacon Award honoree through a video. This year’s honoree was Eric Nadel, Voice of the Texas Rangers, who was open about his struggles with depression and mental health issues during last year’s baseball season. Nadel spoke openly about his struggles and came back the last couple of months of the season—just in time to commentate the Rangers winning the World Series. Wearing his official World Series ring, he accepted his award and talked about how his situation “gave me an opportunity to talk about it. And I did.” He added, “We had a storybook ending (with the Rangers winning). I’m so proud to keep the conversation going and to start the conversation in high school.”
Next, attendees watched a video about Grant Halliburton Foundation and its work. Foundation President Kevin Hall spoke next. “We are losing young people to suicide at an alarming rate. At the Foundation, we envision a world where suicide is no longer a leading cause of death for young people and where everyone affected by mental illness has the support and resources they need.” He discussed all the services that the Foundation provides in English and Spanish.
After they received a standing ovation, a video told of Natalie’s and Courtney’s friendship spanning three decades with all the milestones – childhood, teenagers, college, young adults, marriage and motherhood. Hatchett shared openly about her son Preston having mental health issues and depression. He died by suicide at age 20 in 2021. After the video and many tears from them and the audience, the co-chairs asked for people to support Grant Halliburton Foundation by giving hope. Guests gave $76,000 with the paddle raise, and the total raised for the event was more than $350,000–the most ever at the Beacon of Hope Luncheon.
Katie Norris, producer and founder of nonprofit Fotolanthropy, introduced the featured speakers Kevin Berthia, suicide prevention advocate and suicide attempt survivor, and Kevin Briggs, California Highway Patrolman and author of “Guardian of the Golden Gate: Protecting the Line Between Hope and Despair.” She told of the inspirational true story that they are profiling in creating “92 Minutes,” a feature documentary. She showed a short clip of the film, and then the Kevins spoke about the day they met in 2005 on the Golden Gate Bridge when Berthia was about to take his life.
With their baby photos shown behind them, they talked about their backgrounds. Briggs grew up in Marin and had three suicides in his family. When he was 20 years old, he was diagnosed with stage four testicular cancer while he was in the army. His mom had cancer at age 49, and “that took a huge toll on me and my siblings.” A motorcyclist hit him head on, he went through a divorce, and his wife wrote a suicide note to their two boys. When his oldest son was 14, he was suicidal, hospitalized and had major depression and anxiety.
Berthia, who grew up in Oakland, talked about being adopted and not fitting in, though he had a nuclear family. When he was 13, his parents divorced, and he remarked, “I didn’t do anything that made me want to live.” In his early 20s, his girlfriend had a baby prematurely, and he thought was his fault. In 2005, he said “I lost my job. I lost my hope. I had been done trying to pretend.”
Berthia was on the Golden Gate Bridge to end his life, but “this voice distracted me. His voice was of hope, peace, compassion. It’s the first time I talked about me, the real me.” That day marked Berthia’s 11th suicide attempt. Berthia chose to come back over the rail, and this moment was captured by a photographer resulting in an image shared globally. Fas tforward to 2013, Berthia attempted suicide 22 times.
In 2013, Briggs won an award for his service as a California Highway Patrol, and he asked Berthia’s mom if Kevin would present this award. Berthia reluctantly agreed to do it and to tell his story, which he had not done. Berthia said, “A woman came up to me afterwards and said she hadn’t slept in five years and told me my story gave her hope. She said, ‘I now know how Jacob (her son) felt, and I can sleep tonight.” This moment was a pivotal one for Berthia.
In the last 11 years, Briggs and Berthia have been able to share their story of how important connection is, and how important it is to listen to one another. They are brothers united with their stories of hope and connection.
The Beacon of Hope Luncheon supports Grant Halliburton Foundation’s work to provide education, resources and support for children, teen and young adult mental health. In the last 18 years, the Foundation has provided mental health education, training and support to nearly 325,000 students, educators, parents and professionals, thanks to funds raised from the Beacon of Hope Luncheon. To learn more, visit GrantHalliburton.org/boh.
* Photo credit: Simon Luna Studios, LLC