In following in the annual tradition of welcoming the new Crystal Charity Ball members, 2014 Crystal Charity Ball Chair Robyn Conlon hosts a breakfast where the newbies not only get to meet the others but also learn about the activities and responsibilities that lie ahead. Ironically, the breakfast on Tuesday, January 21, for newbies Sally Dutter, Lora Farris, Catherine Jaynes and Katie Oster was held in “a local country club’s” room that featured paintings highlighted by Hill Country bluebonnets. But more about that later. Here’s a report from the field:
The bluebonnets were in full bloom at “a local country club,” metaphorically speaking, on Tuesday, January 21, as the Crystal Charity Ball Committee welcomed four new members with a seated breakfast underwritten by 2014 Ball Chair Robyn Conlon. They are Sally Dutter, Lora Farris, Catherine Jaynes and Katie Oster, all of whom have extensive fundraising experience.
Each year, the Crystal Charity Ball Chair selects an internal theme to create an esprit de corps for the 100 active members of the organization who raise millions of dollars for children’s charities in Dallas County. This year’s Chair Mary Martha Pickens who hails from Kerrville in the heart of the Texas Hill Country, couldn’t resist the opportunity.
She and husband, Dr. John Pickens, are world travelers, so Mary Martha decided her theme would be “I love to travel, but my heart is the Hill Country.” Thus, the new member class has been dubbed “The Bluebonnets” to reflect Mary Martha’s passion for the Texas state flower that blooms prolifically every Spring.
As one observant breakfast guest noticed, the elegant room where the breakfast was held, had three beautiful paintings of Texas bluebonnets. While the artwork and event theme were coincidental, the combination of the art and motif was a fitting combination and mental memento of the gathering.
On hand for the get together were New Member Liaisons Tiffany Divis and Patti Flowers, who will be shepherding the newbies as they join in the 2025 fundraising campaign that begins with a day-long kick-off on Wednesday, February 26, after this year’s beneficiaries are selected on Thursday, February 6. That means the ball date, Saturday, December 6, is just 308 days from the kick-off, seeming not so far away.
* Photo credit: Tamytha Cameron Photography