The Community Partners of Dallas Chick Lit Luncheon is typically held in the spring, and this year's attendees maintained that mindset by showing up at the Hilton Anatole on September 24 dressed in their floral best.
Even though celebrity speaker Goldie Hawndid not attend in person due to coronavirus concerns, her presence permeated the event with life-size cardboard cut-outs and a hand-held mask of her famous face at every seat.
The Oscar-winning actress and best-selling author instead participated in a pre-recorded conversation with NBC 5 anchor Laura Harris, where she dished on everything from the role that got away (hint: Meryl Streep ended up playing the musical mom who entertains three blasts from the past on a Greek island) to the actor she'd most like to work with (fellow funnyman Jim Carrey).
The literary luncheon — presented by Dr. Robert and Lara Tafel with Claire Emanuelson serving as chairwoman, Pat McEvoy as honorary chair, and Hollee Hirzel and Erin Pope as underwriting co-chairs — also gave Hawn a chance to discuss her two books: a 2005 memoir called A Lotus Grows in the Mud and 2011's 10 Mindful Minutes (a copy of which could be found in each guest's swag bag.
The star is also the founder of The Goldie Hawn Foundation, a nonprofit that helps equip children with social and emotional skills.
That dovetails nicely with Community Partners of Dallas' mission, which helps bring safety and restore dignity to abused and neglected children by providing support to Dallas County Child Protective Services.
CPD's president and CEO, Paige McDaniel, was on hand to present the Sewell family with this year's Partners for Children award, which honors a person or organization that demonstrates outstanding support of the community's in-need children.
Cheering from crowd were Libby Hunt, Mersina Stubbs, Pryor Lancaster, LaStarr Roberts, Jennifer LeLash, Maggie Kipp, Bryanna Roop, Nancy Gopez, Laura Whitfield, Kacy Dillard, Stephanie Cao, Rachel Trowbridge, Kylie Gutzman, Mary Parker, Tina Hucklebridge, Molly Dorsey, Stacey Townsend, Kim Lewis-Gleason, Lauren Purvis, Jess Bass Bolander, Ashley Nowak, Lauren Hancock, Kim Tingle, Jourdy Wallace, Lauren Baldwin, Tucker Enthoven, Tina Christensen, Heather Briggs, Rana Chehabi, and Shelley Capriotti.
Chick Lit Luncheon honorary chair Pat McEvoy and chair Claire Emanuelson
Margo Johnson, Lauren Swope, Cathrine Rowsey, Nina Byrd, Chelsea Hargrave, Lauren Ott, Ashley Newton, Emily Fuquay Photo by ASHGPHOTO
The Taste of the Masters group.Photo by ASHGPHOTO
Emcee — and self-proclaimed Georgia peach —Laura Harris.Photo by ASHGPHOTO