Rescuing kids

Stunning $1 million donation leads efforts of Unlikely Heroes at Dallas gala

The word "rescue" doesn't get said at many glittering galas, but not every black-tie ball calls its attendees "heroes," either. Those were the two words repeated the most at the sixth annual Unlikely Heroes Recognizing Heroes Awards Dinner & Charity Benefit, which took place October 27 at the Ritz-Carlton, Dallas.

Unlikely Heroes is a nonprofit organization that rescues and restores child victims of slavery worldwide. One of its seven "restorative homes," which houses and cares for rescued children, is located in Dallas.

The sold-out fundraiser brought together 450 patrons from Dallas and beyond, including a star-studded lineup of entertainers and musicians who took the stage.

Before the dinner bell rang, VIP guests mingled and sipped in an exclusive reception hosted by TV personality Melissa Rycroft. They bid on dozens of fabulous silent auction items, including rare sports memorabilia, trips, and retail and restaurant gift certificates.

Once the ballroom doors opened, guests — including Rachel Hawkins, Alex Ashraf, Christen Lockett, Simone Collett, Tiffany Derry, William Johnson, Michelle Davis, Ryan Davis, Hamilton Sneed, and Cynthia Smoot — sat down to a delectable dinner of chicken Romesco and chocolate truffle cake for dessert.

Award-winning actor David Oyelowo (Selma, A Wrinkle in Time) and his wife, Jessica, the event chairs, set the tone for a powerful evening as they welcomed guests from the stage.

“We love that you are here to help set those trapped in slavery free,” David Oyelowo said. Jessica described meeting some of the girls whom Unlikely Heroes has rescued, adding, "[They told us] when you rescued us, you gave us a fighting chance to live and to become educated to help others in need."

Unlikely Heroes founder and CEO Erica Greve described personally meeting and rescuing children — from teenage girls held in brothels to newborns who were barely given the chance to live. She reminded guests that it's hard to imagine that people are kept against their will "when we're all dressed up, thinking of our champagne problems," but added, "Together we are going to make a declaration that slavery is not going to be part of our modern world."

In an unique twist, the gala employed a musical director, Shane Stevens, who kept singers and musicians busy throughout the night — between the many presenters and sometimes even behind them while they talked, church revival style — which kept table chit-chat to a bare minimum. Singers Pia Toscano and Emily West, both alumni of TV competition shows, both sang several songs, while actors Chike Okonkwo and Francia Raisa were among the presenters.

Dallas notables LeeAnne Locken (of Real Housewives) and Candace Payne ("Chewbacca Mom") announced winners of silent auction items and engaged in other witty banter on stage as event hostesses. And hero award honorees Cathy Delapaz of the Dallas Police Department; Carrie Wright of the Dallas County Multi-Disciplinary Team; Elle Snow, a survivor leader and advocate; and Alan Schonborn of the Texas Governor's Office Child Sex Trafficking Team got their moments to shine.

But the emotional high point of the night came courtesy of the keynote speaker, Rebecca Bender, who told her own harrowing story of being rescued from trafficking.

"Trafficking is diverse and and it's dynamic, and it's very complex," she said. "How it looks in the karaoke bars of Thailand is not how it looks with the Boko Haram of Nigeria nor how it looks in the illicit massage parlors of San Franciscon or the cantinas in Houston or the online ads in Denton."

She went on to praise Unlikely Heroes for creating strategic ways to rescue victims out of specific situations in specific communities.

Those who were moved to pledge contributions to Unlikely Heroes then got the chance to do so. They were led by the efforts of Austin Hurst of Hurst Capital, who announced to a stunned crowd that he was pledging a $1 million matching grant that would rescue 200 kids and give them full restorative care for a year.

The evening turned from heartfelt to celebratory when the featured musical entertainer, country superstar Sara Evans, took the stage. She played a short but lively set of her hits, from "Suds in the Bucket" to — appropriately — "A Little Bit Stronger."

Hamilton Sneed, Cynthia Smoot

Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images

Hamilton Sneed, Cynthia Smoot

galas fundraisers

A Glittering Celebration

Christine Baranski brings Hollywood sparkle to Dallas luncheon

Photo by Kim Leeson

Karen Hughes White, Caren Lock, Christine Baranski, Shonn Brown.

The Omni Dallas Hotel shimmered in ruby tones on November 14 as more than 950 supporters gathered to celebrate a milestone four decades in the making: the Texas Women’s Foundation’s Ruby Anniversary Luncheon.

The afternoon blended Hollywood sparkle — courtesy of award-winning actress Christine Baranski — with heartfelt tributes to the visionary women who sparked a movement in Texas 40 years ago.

The annual luncheon, one of the region’s most significant events advancing women and girls, raised an impressive $840,000. More than $112,000 of that came in during the program itself, underscoring the energy in the room and the urgency of the mission.

TXWF used the occasion to announce a landmark figure: a cumulative $115 million in impact since its founding in 1985. That number includes nearly $90 million in grants to organizations serving women and girls, as well as more than $25 million invested in research, advocacy, and leadership initiatives designed to shape long-term change.

Board chair Cris Zertuche Wong opened the program by welcoming seven of the Foundation’s 11 living founders, who also served as the event's honorary co-chairs: Susan Shamburger Bagwell, the Honorable Harryette Ehrhardt, Catalina E. Garcia, Frances Griffin-Brown, Helen LaKelly Hunt, the Honorable Kay Bailey Hutchison, Madeline Mandell, Patricia Meadows, Gwendolyn Oliver, CoYoTe PhoeNix, and Rebecca Russell Sykes.

Their presence cast a powerful through line from 1985 to 2025, reminding guests how a collective of 19 bold women stepped across differences in background, beliefs, and political leanings to create an organization with the singular purpose of supporting Texas women and their families.

Wong also recognized former Foundation leaders and Ruby Anniversary co-chairs from across the decades: Gail Griswold and Brenda Jackson representing the 1980s; Laura Estrada, the 1990s; Helen Frank, the 2000s; and Shonn Brown, the 2020s.

TXWF president and CEO Karen Hughes White spoke to the road ahead, noting that while the founders’ vision remains timeless, the challenges facing Texas women have grown more complex. “It will take all of us to create meaningful, lasting, systemic change that levels the playing field for women and, in turn, creates a strong and vibrant Texas for all,” she said.

Throughout the luncheon, guests were treated to archival video clips of the founders recalling how they built TXWF from scratch: the meetings held around kitchen tables, the spirited debates, the shared belief that change was not only possible but necessary.

Brown then honored each of the 11 living founders, as well as those who have passed, noting that their collective voice will be further amplified in a forthcoming 40-story collection documenting TXWF's history.

The afternoon’s featured guest, introduced by Target executive and event sponsor Sabrina Thomas, was the incomparable Christine Baranski, the Emmy and Tony-winning actress of The Good Wife, Cybil, and The Gilded Age.

In an onstage conversation moderated by former board chair Caren Lock, Baranski charmed the audience with stories from her upbringing in Buffalo, New York, where she grew up in a working-class Polish American family. She spoke of perseverance, discipline, and dreaming big, qualities that carried her to Juilliard and ultimately into a celebrated four-decade career spanning television, film, and theater.

As the luncheon drew to a close, the mood was equal parts celebratory and forward-looking. Forty years in, the Texas Women’s Foundation continues to push for equity with the same passion that fueled its founding.

Photo by Kim Leeson

Karen Hughes White, Caren Lock, Christine Baranski, Shonn Brown.

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