More than 1,500 fabulously philanthropic women came together at the Dallas Women's Foundation annual luncheon at the Hilton Anatole to prove that together they can make a difference in their community and beyond. The sold-out luncheon, chaired by Lauren Embrey, Sarah Losinger and Lynn McBee along with honorary chair Caren Prothro, helped to raise more than $1 million for women and girls.
Devout attendees — including Kimberly Schlegel Whitman, Amy Vanderoef, Jane Hurst, Heather Hays, Jan Rees-Jones, Nancy Ann Hunt, Heather Hunt, Kay Winzenried, Caroline Hickey, Jeanne Phillips, Sally McDonough, Lucy Billingsley, and Deb and Ric Pomeroy — are committed to the Dallas Women's Foundation because they believe that stronger women make for a stronger world.
During the lunch, Kalita Beck Blessing was the first ever to receive both the 2013 Power of the Purse Philanthropist Award and the 2013 Power of the Purse Advisor Award.
The luncheon's keynote speaker was Academy Award-winning actress, mother of four and United Nations goodwill ambassador for the global fight against human trafficking Mira Sorvino, who chatted at length about her efforts to end this heinous crime. Sorvino was moved to tears multiple times throughout her speech, and she delivered the horrifying reality that more adolescent girls are trafficked in one month in Texas (740) than teen girls who die by suicide, homicide and accidents combined in one year.
The Dallas Women's Foundation is founded on the belief that when you invest in a woman, there is a ripple effect that benefits her family, her community and her world. It is the largest regional women's fund in the world and is a trusted leader in advancing positive social and economic change for women and girls. All tallied, the annual luncheon raised more than $1 million to aid in the foundation's mission.
Kimberly Schlegel Whitman, Amy Vanderoef, Jane Hurst, Heather Hays
