Kids' Cause
Kids shine bright at Dallas luncheon starring Oscar-winning actress
- Tiffany Beaudine and Rachel, a Rainbow Days childPhoto by Dana Driensky and Rob Wythe/Gittings
- Marlee Matlin addresses the audiencePhoto by Dana Driensky and Rob Wythe/Gittings
- Heather Appel, Julianne AmezcuaPhoto by Dana Driensky and Rob Wythe/Gittings
- Jill Hurd, Dale HurdPhoto by Dana Driensky and Rob Wythe/Gittings
- Maria Gallegos, Cindy Wright, Rocio RodriguezPhoto by Dana Driensky and Rob Wythe/Gittings
- Chris George, Nicole WilliamsPhoto by Dana Driensky and Rob Wythe/Gittings
- Phyllis Horan, John Horan, Ivann Cernak, Ronda HoranPhoto by Dana Driensky and Rob Wythe/Gittings
- Leah Frazier, Lauren BlackPhoto by Dana Driensky and Rob Wythe/Gittings
- Jasmine Moguel, Sylvia Davis, Nikki Chriesman Green, Morenika Davis, Letetia PatinPhoto by Dana Driensky and Rob Wythe/Gittings
- Ashley Case, Liz Case PickensPhoto by Dana Driensky and Rob Wythe/Gittings
- Todd Whitthorne, Sherri AnsleyPhoto by Dana Driensky and Rob Wythe/Gittings
- Tré Black, Lauren BlackPhoto by Dana Driensky and Rob Wythe/Gittings
- Sudesh Anand, Sahil Anand, Nihal Anand, Katie AnandPhoto by Dana Driensky and Rob Wythe/Gittings
What: Pot of Gold Luncheon benefiting Rainbow Days
Where: Hilton Anatole
The 411: Nearly 550 guests attended the 22nd annual fundraiser for Rainbow Days, a nonprofit that helps children and youth in adversity build coping skills and resilience to create positive futures. The Dallas-based group achieves this through support groups, camps, mentored events, and an array of tangible items, and has helped more than 10,000 at-risk kids since its 1982 inception.
The luncheon brought in $179,000 via sponsorships, individual seats, auction bidding, raffle ticket sales, and donations.
Marlee Matlin, an Academy Award-winning actress and activist, delivered a touching keynote speech that revealed abuse, addiction, and adversity throughout her life. She likened herself to the children of Rainbow Days who, like her, have big dreams and limitless potential.
In honor of Matlin, the children performed a version of “This is Me” from the film The Greatest Showman in American Sign Language, and received a teary-eyed standing ovation. Matlin lost her hearing as a young child but has never let that deter her from going after what she wants.
Reflections of Hope: A Short Film premiered at the luncheon and showed raw, real-life testimonials of the impact that Rainbow Days has on children and families.
Todd Whitthorne emceed the event, and Nikki Chriesman-Green and Nicole Williams served as luncheon chair and auction chair, respectively.
Who: Sherri Ansley, Jasmine Moguel, Sylvia Davis, Morenika Davis, Letetia Patin, Sudesh Anand, Sahil Anand, Nihal Anand, Katie Anand, Chris George, and Tiffany Beaudine.
Keith Lee Latte is a matcha drink.Instagram 