For The Crystal Charity Ball committee of 100 volunteers, there is one event that annually takes place that’s an oddity of sorts. The past months of fundraising have wound up with the grand finale celebration taking place on the first Saturday in December. Almost immediately the outgoing chair has cleaned out her office and the incoming chair starts moving in and assembling committee members and scheduling all the fundraising activities. Quietly behind the scenes the teams of committee members are not lolling around. They’re researching and visiting the countless beneficiaries for the next year.
But during this “quiet time” before the next crop of beneficiaries are selected, the outgoing chair hosts a tea. Sort of a “farewell tea” in which she thanks the women and people who were the team that provided millions of dollars for Dallas County children’s non-profits.
This year’s farewell tea hosted by 2024 CCB Chair Cheryl Joyner at “a local country club” not only included the committee members, past chairs (Louise Griffeth, Pam Perella, Tucker Enthoven, Leslie Diers and Angie Kadesky), staff members (Cindy Ethel Peña, Bevin Shaw and Mary Ann Vacilek), but also “resource people” (Tom Addis, Junior Villanueva, Darrell Weaks and Terry Van Willson) for their spartan efforts in meeting the challenges of the recent gala on Saturday, December 7.
Cheryl will now join the former CCB chairs, known as the “Ma’ams,” who have provided $189,843,304 for the children’s beneficiaries since 1952.
On the other hand, 2025 CCB Chair Mary Martha Pickens and the committee will officially start fundraising $7,459,305 this month for the following beneficiaries: Café Momentum, Cristo Rey Dallas High School Inc., Dallas CASA, Foundation for The Callier Center, Retina Foundation of the Southwest, The Stewpot and West Dallas Community School.
For a look at the farewell tea, check out MySweetCharity Photo Gallery.