What: ReuNight "Evening in Provence" benefiting The Family Place
Where: Nasher Sculpture Center Garden
The 411: On a picture-perfect evening May 12, 175 guests gathered at sunset for an elegant outdoor "Evening in Provence." They were there to raise crucial funds for the Dallas-based family violence agency The Family Place.
Guests — dressed in floral-inspired cocktail attire with appropriate French-Provençal flair — mingled among the art in the garden, sipping Whispering Angel wines and nibbling hors d’oeuvres catered by Wolfgang Puck Catering, all while DJ Steffi Burns kept the musical vibe relaxed and entertaining. In keeping with the theme, guests could even luxuriate with lavender-scented ice towels to cool down on the warm evening.
ReuNight co-chairs Marisa Howard, Roni Proter Kelly, and Max Trowbridge, along with honorary chair Shelle Sills and The Family Place CEO Mimi Sterling, thanked sponsors and welcomed patrons as they sat down to their dinner places — each one set with a small piece of handmade art and a hand-tied bundle of lavender made by a child at The Family Place.
They enjoyed a multicourse dinner of Potage Saint Germain Soup and Haricot Vert Salad, Tomato Confit Crusted Snapper, Filet Mignon, and Farmer’s Market Berry Tart. The meal was capped off with that most French of traditions, a cheese course (Triple Cream Camembert and Gruyère de Comté), and each course was accompanied with wine pairings.
During dinner, Sterling underscored the mission of The Family Place and updated supporters on the agency after surviving the pandemic and Winter Storm Uri. Auctioneer extraordinaire Wendy Lambert led a spirited but intimate luxury live auction of six fabulous trips and experiences. After the auction, domestic abuse survivor Susan Foster spoke to the audience about her journey in escaping domestic violence and the impactful role of The Family Place.
The evening concluded with an enthusiastic Raise the Paddle initiative, enhanced with matching gifts by two anonymous donors. Through these donations alone, The Family Place raised enough funds to provide 3,027 nights of shelter beds for the men, women, and children of domestic violence, they report.
Who: Kit Sawers, Rich Sterling, Laura Koonsman, Marcia Dunn, Rajan Patel, Jessica Nowitzki, Lynn McBee, Allan McBee, Lisa Hewitt, Andrea Cheek, Hannah Fagadau, Claire Emanuelson, Dwight Emanuelson, James Hallam, Kristin Hallam, Joyce Goss, Jane Weempe, Marjon Zabihi Henderson, Mary McGreevy, Michelle Goosby, Jennifer Walters, Christin Livesay, Tracy Ripsin, Susie Straubmueller, Tré Black, Clarisa Lindenmeyer, Lauren Black, Alexa Parra, and Robert Weatherly.
Kit Sawers, Mimi Sterling, Rich Sterling, Laura Koonsman
