Even if Valentine’s Day was a couple of days away, the St. Valentine’s Day Fashion Show And Lunch wasn’t waiting as it took over the Meyerson on Wednesday, February 12. Despite the outdoor temperatures still chilling, the lobby filled with guests in pink and red as if spring was happily nestled there.
But behind the scenes in the McDermott Concert Hall, the run-through was underway with Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) Red River Region Executive Director Leah Swanson, 202 St. V-Day Co-Chairs Courtney Petit and Caitlin Wilson, emcee Clarice Tinsley , LLS President/CEO Dr. Anders Kolb, and the day’s recipients Dr. Brian Berryman and Preston Hagman going through their parts in the program.
Each man had his own reason for being there. Berryman, whose mother had overcome breast cancer only to die from multiple myeloma, had raised hundreds of thousands of dollar for research and treatments. Preston’s father, the late Larry Hagman, had fought valiantly to the last days, overcoming lung and liver cancer only to succumb to complications of acute myeloid leukemia in 2012. And 21-year-old Jude Cobler had faced and walloped leukemia five times.
In the meantime, the crowd in the Meyerson lobby grew for the champagne reception that included St. Valentine’s Day Luncheon And Fashion Show Co-Founders Rusty Duvall and Janet Evans, Past Chairs Brooke Shelby, Peggy Sewell, Debbie Raynor and Samantha Wortley and 2025 Icon Awardee/former First Lady Laura Bush‘s longtime friend Debbie Francis.
As the chimes called the crowd to the Concert Hall, the program got underway with a game plan to keep it down to an hour.
But the acceptance speeches pushed that time plan just minutes longer than anticipated.
Highlights included Berryman’s sincere and emotional acceptance of the Lynda Adleta Heart Of Gold Award followed by towering Preston’s keeping it short and sweet in his cowboy hat and Jude modestly shunning the mic about his battle with the deadly disease.
In accepting the Icon Award, Former First Lady Laura Bush recalled her family’s dealing with Barbara and George H.W. Bush’s daughter Robin Bush being diagnosed with the blood cancer while the young family was living in Midland. Despite receiving the best treatments at the time in New York City, the little girl died at the age of three years nine months. Despite having been buried with her grandparents in Connecticut, Robin has now found a new resting place with her parents at the George H.W. Bush Library at Texas A&M.
Thanks to a brief video and a call-for-cash, the fashion show got underway with clothes from Highland Park Village merchants (Carolina Herrera, La Vie Style House, Lela Rose, LoveShackFancy, Simkhai and Veronica Beard). It was just long enough for the guests to be introduced to the spring looks and head to the stores for more after sitting down for lunch.
For more looks of the day’s sweethearts and fashions, check MySweetCharity Photo Gallery.