Charity
It was a little over a century ago when humanity was exiting an era defined by a world war and a pandemic. Yet the decade that followed — the Roaring ’20s — was an era of hope, progress, and lavish events. As we remain steadfast in making an economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, there is reason to think history might be repeating itself — extravagant parties are making a comeback.
After nearly two years of health restrictions and isolation, Fort Worthians are primed to trade in their slippers for dancing shoes — that is, if we can keep the omicron variant at bay and still safely gather.
FALL RECAP
While events carefully make their way out of their shells, the most impactful parties resurfacing are nonprofit fundraisers. Out of the nonprofit events that Fort Worth Magazine sponsored in fall 2021, 88% of them moved forward as originally planned. Below are a few of the highlights.
Girls Inc. – Champions Breakfast
The mission of Girls Inc. of Tarrant County is to inspire all girls to be strong, smart, and bold.
Held on a beautiful morning at the Fort Worth Zoo’s outdoor pavilion on Sept. 16, this breakfast recognized Bold Woman honorees and Champions for Girls donors. Attendees heard from the Morales family, who has been positively impacted by Girls Inc. programming. The event raised over $140,000 to support the Girls Inc. mission.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Tarrant County – Youth of the Year Gala
Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Tarrant County held its annual Youth of the Year Gala at the AT&T Stadium Oct. 7. Attendees enjoyed a plated dinner on the field and a keynote presentation from Dallas Cowboys legend and former Club member, DeMarcus Ware. This gala is Boys & Girls Clubs’ premier fundraising event, dedicated to uplifting the mission of the organization and recognizing the remarkable lives of its Club members.
The Junior League of Fort Worth – Christmas in Cowtown
After canceling in 2020, Fort Worth’s favorite holiday shopping market, Christmas in Cowtown, returned on Oct. 14-17 at Will Rogers Amon G. Carter Exhibit Hall. Upon arrival, shoppers were surrounded by festive Christmas décor leading into the large market that had over 200 vendors who sold a variety of products like home goods, jewelry, clothing, gifts, and accessories. Since its inception, this event has raised over $5 million to help support women, children, and families in need.
The Women’s Center – Monster Mash
Supporters of The Women’s Center look forward to Monster Mash annually. The event took place at Ridglea Country Club on Oct. 22 last fall. Guests were asked to dress to the theme Cartoon Smash. Imagine attendees dressed as all your favorite television characters from all generations, from the old-school Flintstones to new-age Disney Princesses. The night included a cocktail party with a raffle and games, a sit-down dinner, and silent auction, followed by dancing to the entertainment of Emerald City Band.
Ronald McDonald House of Fort Worth – 40TH Anniversary Party
Guests began their evening at the Ronald McDonald House of Fort Worth’s 40th Anniversary Party with a pre-event cocktail party, liquor toss, and big board auction. Later in the evening, attendees enjoyed a seated, buffet-style dinner, live auction, and live music by Josh Weathers. The element of surprise at this event was a balloon emerging from the centerpiece when each table reached their fundraising goal. The celebration was held at Lucky Spur Ranch Retreat on Oct. 30. This was the first event for Ronald McDonald House of Fort Worth since taking a pandemic pause.
“The cancellation of special events created huge pressure to find operating funds elsewhere while still connecting with our very generous supporters,” Ronald McDonald House Chief Impact Officer Beth Lamb says. “We were pleasantly surprised and deeply grateful for the overwhelming support received from our many supporters.”
Altogether, the event netted $387,000 for the families of sick and injured children.
National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame – Desert Rose Luncheon and Fashion Show
A chic luncheon presented by the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame, the inaugural Desert Rose Luncheon and Fashion Show was held on Nov. 10 at River Crest Country Club.
“The Desert Rose Luncheon was new,” National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame Director of Development Emmy Lou Prescott says. “We have been doing the Old Bags Luncheon for eight years, but it was recommended by my dear friend and a great volunteer, Olivia Kearney, to come up with a new luncheon idea.”
Women in the Fort Worth community strutted on the catwalk as they modeled clothing that will be sold at the new Desert Rose boutique located at the museum. Attendees enjoyed a mouthwatering fall menu selection of tomato basil soup with gourmet grilled cheeses; a fall flavor salad with candied pecans, cranberries, apples, butternut squash, quinoa, and creamy cider dressing; and a fall spiced carrot cake with maple ice cream.
The purpose of the event is to raise both awareness and education funding. “It raises about $70,000 each year,” Prescott says. “We must have these events to survive.”
Children’s Charities – Margarita Ball
An anticipated black-tie affair, the Margarita Ball returned in person on Nov. 13 at The Worthington Renaissance Hotel. This fundraiser benefits 13 children’s charities throughout Fort Worth. Tickets included a toy donation for local children, entertainment by Stratosphere Band, complimentary Don Julio Tequila margaritas, and entertainment such as a casino game room, photos with Santa, raffles, and a silent auction with board member and auctioneer Chuck Darling of Tyson Fundraising. Over 1,200 tickets were sold to the event.
“This year was bigger and better than ever,” Children’s Charities President Beth Driskill says. “We had the most successful year in all 32 years of hosting the Margarita Ball in terms of the amount of money we raised. People were ready to get back out in the world and contribute.”
Presbyterian Night Shelter – Home for the Holidays Gala
Poinsettia centerpieces and twinkling holiday décor adorned the Fort Worth Club on Dec. 3 when guests gathered for an evening to raise money benefiting Presbyterian Night Shelter. A virtual option for the event was also available to further its reach in educating attendees about what the community can do to help Tarrant County’s homeless population.
“With the pandemic being very difficult for those who are experiencing homelessness, the funding we received from the Gala is especially important during a time that the homeless population in our community need us the most,” Presbyterian Night Shelter Director of Communications Whitney Rice says.
BEHIND THE SCENES
Although a well-planned charity fundraiser looks and feels like a seamless experience to attendees, months (if not years) of planning go into the making. Some have a volunteer committee, others have a salaried employee to do the job, and many have a hybrid team.
“We are volunteer-lead and staff-driven,” March of Dimes Development Director Heather Evans says. “We had an event planning committee, an executive committee, and a chef’s recruitment committee for our Signature Chefs Auction event that happened this fall.”
Committee tasks include coordinating donated goods and services such as the venue, vendors, raffle, live auction items, and food.
“Operational costs can be very high to put on events,” Evans says. “However, our generous chefs, like Richard King of Ellerbe Fine Foods, donated 100% of the food that is served at this event. A plated dinner is the most expensive component, so because of these donations, our overhead costs are less and a lot more is going back to the mission.”
Outside of the normal heap of tasks incurred from event planning, fundraising, and garnering donations, charity organizations have had extra work cut out for them specifically dedicated to implementing health and safety restrictions at their events to ensure a positive guest experience. The required restrictions at these events vary. Some are following minimum CDC guidelines. Others are still requesting that guests wear face masks, sanitize hands, and participate in temperature checks. Many choose outdoor and well-ventilated venues and require attendees to sign a COVID-19 waiver of liability.
“Everything that we do at March of Dimes locally has to be approved by our headquarters nationally. Nationwide, our COVID-19 policy is a mandatory vaccine. However, we couldn’t implement that regulation in Texas, so we had to require a negative test for all attendees to enter,” Evans says.
The Signature Chefs Auction was initially scheduled for Sept. 30 but then was postponed to Nov. 17. This was due to the spread of the delta variant, to allow attendees time to schedule tests, and with hopes that regulations might be lifted for health care workers so they could be present.
“A handful of people were deterred by the test requirement, but the room at the event was as packed in 2021 as it was in 2019,” Evans says. “We almost doubled our fundraising goal.”
EVENTS ARE ESSENTIAL
The purpose of charity events goes far beyond an opportunity to show off bowties and ballgowns. These events are crucial for most organizations to maintain operations and carry out their mission. Over the past two years, many organizations have missed out on the valuable (for some critical) donation opportunity that hosting an event provides.
“Our organization is events-driven, and 80% of the revenue that we receive locally is through events,” Evans says. “If we’re not having events, we’re not raising money for our mission.”
Driskill with Children’s Charities of Fort Worth shares that the donations from the Margarita Ball accounts for 85% of their overall fundraising efforts, netted in one single day.
“Margarita Ball is absolutely essential and critical for our organization,” Driskill says. “We are already planning for 2022.”
SPRING PLANS
If the omicron variant settles down so that we can continue to gather and support Tarrant County’s nonprofits, there are several soirées to look forward to.
Cook Children’s Foundation – Jewel Ball
One of Fort Worth’s longest-standing charity traditions and largest fundraisers for Cook Children’s Foundation, the Jewel Charity Ball, is scheduled for March 5 at the Amon G. Carter Exhibit Hall. Guests will be transported to the streets of New York City with the theme “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.” Words that come to mind are Audrey Hepburn, The Temptations, The Four Tops, a Tiffany & Co. store front, and delicious fare catered by Wolfgang Puck.
A trip experience sponsored by Tiffany & Co. will be included in the silent auction. The lucky winner will have an insider tour of the New York City flagship store and be the first to dine in the newly renovated Blue Box Café.
“Since we canceled in the past with the protection of our hospital, membership, and community in mind, we have been planning the 2022 event for the past three years,” Jewel Charity Volunteer President Michelle Marlow says. “The response of the event coming back has been nothing but positive and joyful.”
Since the first Jewel Charity Ball 68 years ago, the organization has raised over $77 million for Cook Children’s Foundation. Each year, a signature project is selected for the funding to be dedicated toward. This year, funds will support a project called Protecting Your Tomorrows, which will provide Cook Children’s aid in better preparing for the possibility of future pandemics.
“Cook Children’s did a wonderful job handling COVID-19, but we need isolation rooms for families, so this project will help aid in preparing us for possible scenarios similar to COVID-19,” Marlow says.
The Alzheimer’s Association North Central Texas – ABLAZE
After a two-year hiatus, ABLAZE is finally coming back to Cowtown. The Alzheimer’s Association plans for this event to be held on March 5 at a new favorite venue, Hotel Drover. This event benefits the nonprofit’s mission to end Alzheimer’s.
Cuisine for Healing – Dinner Party for Life
Cuisine for Healing’s annual Dinner Party for Life event will return on March 10 at Hotel Drover. Participating celebrity chefs will feature artful dishes and select complimentary wine pairings for guests to enjoy. The support garnered at this event provides immune-boosting meals for community members battling life-threatening diseases.
“We do not receive any government funding,” Cuisine for Healing Executive Director Lori Henson says. “The funds raised at this event go directly to our programming, which is to provide organic, healthy meals to people in Tarrant County going through a health crisis like cancer.”
Goodwill North Central Texas – Project Goodwill
An interesting concept, this event tasks aspiring local designers with designing fashionable garments using materials from Goodwill stores. Leading up to the fashion show, attendees will enjoy cocktail hour and a wine raffle. The event will be on April 7 at Ridglea Country Club.
“Over the years, participants have used materials including lampshades, album covers, a trampoline, suitcases, tin foil pans, air filters, and more to complete their looks,” Goodwill Director of Community Engagement Liz Confiliano says. “Contestants compete for top honors in design materials and method, and runway presentation.”
All proceeds go to the Moncrief-Ryan Scholarship Fund, supporting initiatives focusing on providing jobs and training for the homeless, at-risk youth, veterans, the formerly incarcerated, and people with disabilities.
Recovery Resources Council – Stars in Recovery
The 34th Annual Jim Bradshaw Memorial Stars in Recovery event featuring Jason Starkey will take place on April 21 at the Fort Worth Botanic Gardens.
“For those attending in person or virtually, Stars is a chance for guests to join their like-minded neighbors in helping Texas families get addiction and mental health treatment,” Recovery Resources Council Development Director Alicia Peoples says.
A Wish with Wings – Butterfly Wishes Gala
This exciting event is back on April 22 just in time to celebrate the 40th anniversary of a Wish with Wings. Guests can look forward to dinner, an auction, and live entertainment from Emerald City Band at the Simons Bank Plaza at Dickies Arena.
SafeHaven of Tarrant County – Purple Party
The Purple Party is set for April 22 at Ashton Depot. SafeHaven Director of Marketing Micah Thompson says the event will include a cocktail hour with hors d’oeuvres, a mystery wall, silent auction, dinner, a light program, and even dancing.
“Purple Party is, of course, a night of fundraising for the shelter, transitional housing, counseling, legal aid, and prevention services, but we also love this time of celebrating with our community partners,” Thompson says.
Leukemia Texas – BEATLeukemia Ball
The BEATLeukemia Ball is scheduled for May 7 at the Omni Fort Worth Hotel.
“The funds raised at this event allow us to provide a $100,000 Research Grant to a Texas researcher/doctor who has applied for funding to aid in their research of leukemia cures, better testing, and blood cancer issues,” Leukemia Texas Chief Executive Officer Jessica Dunn says. "The remaining funds are used to provide financial aid grants to leukemia patients of all ages across Texas to support them and their families during their cancer journey. These funds are used to help offset their costs for medical treatments and help so many patients keep their lights on or food on their table.”
Big Brothers Big Sisters – Big Taste
After postponing this event originally planned for the fall, Big Taste will now be held on May 22 at The Worthington Renaissance Hotel. Big Brothers Big Sisters mission is to help children reach their potential and build their futures. This event honors former Fort Worth Magazine employee and philanthropist Diane Stow Ayres.
