It's a Circus Out There

DIFFA Dallas confirms that fundraising can be the greatest show on earth

House of DIFFA returned to the Omni Dallas hotel on May 21, and the city’s most colorful gala-goers turned out in droves for the spectacular annual fundraiser presented by Nancy C. and Richard R. Rogers. This year’s grand affair boasted a Circo Rouge theme, which can best be described as a circus on acid.

Before entering the grand ballroom at a quarter past 7, guests sipped cocktails — served from a bar on which scantily clad women with masks and feather fans danced and writhed — and perused the items offered in the silent auction. This, of course, included 55 DIFFA jackets, donated by designers like Alexander Wang, Alice + Olivia, Badgley Mischka, Billy Reid, Lanvin, Lela Rose, Missoni, Marc Jacobs, Naeem Khan, Versace, and Zac Posen, among others.

Once the doors to the ballroom opened, guests took their seats for a few brief comments from 2016 board chair Justin Bundick and House of DIFFA 2016 event chair Clint Bradley, as well as the awards presentation and introduction of this year’s Style Council Ambassadors: Kim Burgan, Kurt Anderson, Courtney Rider, Cearan Henley, Shelby Wagner, Carmen Surgent, Carinthia Kishaba, Tim Flannery, Bob Gibbs, JL Forke, Steffi Burns, and Jason Parker.

Then there was a live auction for big-ticket items that included not one, but two trips to a manor in Scotland, as well as a vintage-inspired Stella 125 scooter.

But it was after the auction that the real fun began. As attendees — including Real Housewives stars LeeAnne Locken, Tiffany Hendra, and Cary Deuber; Nick Boulle and Taylor Johnson; Anne and Steve Stodghill; Billy Milner and Jerod Dame; Niven Morgan and Shelby Wagner; and Kate and TJ Weiser — wined and dined, the freakiest of freaky circus acts took place on stages sprinkled among the dinner tables.

Everything from ring and ribbon aerial acts to a gravity-defying pole performance, as well as one particularly cringe-worthy-yet-awe-inspiring body suspension act, was on offer. In between each set, a fashion show of epic proportions took place, complete with stilt walkers, human animals, and, yes, those legendary DIFFA jackets, as well as looks from Traffic LA, Forty Five Ten, and TenOverSix.

Applause to co-producers Rhonda Sargent Chambers and Brian Brothers for the spectacle, and to generous title sponsor Headington Companies, a longtime DIFFA/Dallas supporter.

Post-dinner, guests went around the corner to the Glazer’s After Party on the Midway for a raucous mix of games, fortune-telling, and dancing.

House of DIFFA is the signature fundraiser for the Dallas chapter of the Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS (DIFFA), which raises and grants funds to organizations that fight HIV/AIDS. To date, House of DIFFA has contributed more than $7 million to local HIV/AIDS outreach centers.

Scott Schreiver, Sarah Hobson

Scott Schreiver, Sarah Hobson

Photo by WJNPHOTO

Scott Schreiver, Sarah Hobson

galas fundraisers jwvideo

Alfresco evening

Dallas’ Klyde Warren Park patrons party under the stars to raise $1.1M

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Photo by Tamytha Cameron and Kelly Alexander

Trevor and Kellen Smith, Jess Bass Bolander and Tyler Bolander.

WHAT: Party in the Park

WHERE: Klyde Warren Park

THE 411: Dallas’ favorite green space sparkled under the city lights as the nonprofit Klyde Warren Park celebrated its 13th anniversary on October 9. Presented by Republic National Distributing Company, the open-air bash drew 960 guests and raised an impressive $1.1 million to keep the beloved urban oasis thriving.

Party in the Park 2025 Myrna and Bob Schlegel, Margot Perot.Photo by Tamytha Cameron and Kelly Alexander

The evening kicked off with a lively cocktail reception beside the Nancy Best Fountain, hosted by First United Bank, where guests mingled amid the sound of splashing water and the glow of downtown’s skyline. A starlit supper sponsored by SMU followed, with HALL wines flowing freely and the scene set by lush florals and sleek décor from Todd Events.

Entertainment was as dazzling as the setting. Texas-born singer-songwriter Erin Duvall opened the show with a soulful performance before the crowd hit the dance floor for Stayin’ Alive: One Night of the Bee Gees, the world’s top Bee Gees tribute band. Sequins, shimmer, and a whole lot of disco fever kept guests grooving late into the night.

Guided by honorary co-chairs Debbie and John Tolleson and their children Amy and Peter Baldwin and Kacy and Carter Tolleson, who served as event co-chairs, the celebration underscored Klyde Warren Park’s vital role as Dallas’ town square.

Party in the Park 2025 Peter and Amy Baldwin, John and Debbie Tolleson, Kacy and Carter Tolleson.Photo by Tamytha Cameron and Kelly Alexander

Since opening in 2012, the park has welcomed more than 1.5 million visitors annually and hosted over 1,300 free community programs each year.

WHO: Jason and Porschla Kidd, Klyde Warren Park president and CEO Kit Sawers, Myrna and Bob Schlegel, Margot Perot, Paul von Wupperfeld and Andy Smith, Lynn McBee, Jennifer Staubach Gates, Jody and Sheila Grant, Lyda Hill, Randy and Nancy Best, James and Kristen Hallam, Brent and Monica Christopher, Gillian Breidenbach, Aleta Stampley, Michelle Fojtasek, Brendan and Helen McGuire, Calvert Collins-Bratton and Vince Bratton, Gavin and Caroline Loehr, George and Lindsay Billingsley, Lloyd Pierson and Laura Ginsburg Pierson, Heather and Barrett Linburg, Mary Jalonick, Monica and Brent Christopher, Ray and Heather Washburne, Tori and Ross Mulford, Trevor and Kellen Smith, Jess Bass Bolander and Tyler Bolander, Penny Reid and Tom Nolan, Chantel and Robb Boudreaux, Muffin Lemak, Julie Butler, Lee Cullum, Caren Kline, Theo Ross, Troy and Kari Kloewer.

Party in the Park 2025

Photo by Tamytha Cameron and Kelly Alexander

Trevor and Kellen Smith, Jess Bass Bolander and Tyler Bolander.

fundraisers galas klyde warren park

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