The gardens of Marie Gabrielle Restaurant glowed as partiers clad all in white showed up for the sixth annual White Party. The Young Friends of the Wilkinson Center's biggest fundraiser of the year turned the Harwood District hot spot into a South Beach-inspired soiree, complete with chic lounge areas and VIP enclaves for bottle service.
Host chair Jenna Owens, of The Kidd Kraddick Morning Show, and her fellow committee members OJ De Souza, Meredith Diers, Alex Flores, Marty Martinez, Jessica Serna, and Amanda Tumey, with the help of Gro Designs and CodeBlue Sound & Entertainment, built a dazzling celebration that rivaled any Miami dance club.
Glamorous guests — including J-Si Chavez, Kinsey Chavez, Claudia McGlovkin, Sheila Cardenas, Ana Martinez, Areli Gonzalez, Mercedes Fowler, Natalie Westbrook, Jesselyn Hayes, Meridith Zidell, Jeremey Zidell, Omar Aridi, Kathryn Dunn, Jasmine Alley, and Mary Galbraith — grabbed cocktails from the cash bar before hitting the shiny white dance floor, where DJ Souljah was spinning the tunes. Fountains of sparklers erupted throughout the night, illuminating the floor and playing with the lasers that cast colorful shadows on the crowd. Canary-yellow paper fans, courtesy of sponsor Bumble, helped keep everyone cool while they danced up a storm.
When attendees needed a breather, they could purchase raffle tickets for packages that included a diamond necklace, Harwood District restaurant gift cards, an array of clothes from activewear brand Fitish, jewelry gift cards, and a stay at any Omni hotel in the U.S., with American Airlines miles to help get them there.
Now in its sixth year, the White Party helps raise funds for the Wilkinson Center, a leading poverty rescue and prevention agency serving over 10,000 people annually, mainly in east and southeast Dallas. They help transform the lives of Dallas families by providing pathways to self-sufficiency with dignity and respect, tackling food insecurity, unemployment and underemployment, economic instability, and lack of education.
J-Si Chavez, Kinsey Chavez
