Dallas sports legends, fashion icons, and even a Transformer were on hand to helps raise as much money as possible for Children's Cancer Fund during its Color Out Cancer gala at the Hilton Anatole on April 22.
Chaired by Amanda Schufeldt Dillard, the night was also a celebration of cancer patients, survivors, and their families.
Honorary chairs and Dallas Cowboys hall-of-famers Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman have been involved with Children’s Cancer Fund for 33 years and 23 years, respectively, and Staubach chose tonight to pass his philanthropic torch to current quarterback Dak Prescott.
"When Troy gave me a call to fill in for Roger Staubach, I didn’t care what he said next," said Prescott. "Count me in. Just following these guys’ footsteps on the field is amazing enough, but to be able to do it off the field is a privilege, and there’s nothing I take for granted about it."
The event started with a silent auction and VIP reception, followed by the dinner and program featuring cancer survivors modeling their bravery and fashions provided by Dillard’s.
Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo joined his blue-and-silver brethren, along with Dallas Stars legend Marty Turco, fashion icons Nicky and Kathy Hilton, Alice + Olivia founder and CEO Stacey Bendet, former astronaut Michael Good, Dude Perfect's Tyler Toney, and and other celebrities as runway escorts for 20 pediatric cancer patients, ages 6-17.
Emcee and NBC 5 anchor Meredith Land introduced each participant, as well as Dave Clark, Amazon's CEO of Worldwide Consumer and representative of the evening's presenting sponsor.
Thanks to generous donors, a live auction, raffle, and call for the cure, more than $1.5 million was raised to support pediatric cancer research and treatment programs at Children's Health and UT Southwestern.
Children’s Cancer Fund was founded in 1982 by a coalition of parents whose children were receiving cancer therapy at Children’s Medical Center. In the past five years, CCF has raised over $5 million for pediatric cancer research and Child Life services, creating four additional endowments for Children’s Health.
CCF is one of the nation’s leading fundraising groups in supporting local research toward treatment and prevention of childhood cancers.
Marty Turco, Ben Jones
