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    Unite Forever Gala Greatness

    Blake Shelton and Usher help United Way show Dallas how to party properly

    Diana Oates
    Feb 10, 2015 | 10:01 am

    The United Way of Metropolitan Dallas is celebrating 90 years of life-changing work in our community, and there was only one logical place to hold a birthday bash: AT&T Stadium. Unite Forever Gala event co-chairs Charlotte Jones Anderson and Troy Aikman pulled out all the stops to make this a party that no one in attendance​ would soon forget.

     

    Is it too early in 2015 to declare this the event of the year?

     

    For starters, two of music's biggest names, Blake Shelton and Usher, teamed up to headline the concert portion of the evening. And it wouldn't be a successful event at Jerry World without a few famous Dallas Cowboys in the mix, including Roger Staubach, Darren Woodson, Emmitt Smith, Daryl Johnston, Ed "Too Tall" Jones, Preston Pearson, Tony Dorsett and Charles Haley.

     

    It's safe to say that Jones and Aikman fulfilled the dreams of every music and football fan in the stadium with this star-studded lineup.

     

    The evening kicked off with 1,400 VIPs — Gene and Jerry Jones, Nancy Rogers, Micki and Mayor Mike Rawlings, Ross Perot, Todd Fiscus, and Ruth and Ken Altshuler, to name but a few — walking the red carpet on their way to a seated dinner on the field before the performance. While they dined and nearly 20,000 concertgoers settled into their seats, United Way CEO Jennifer Sampson took the stage with the aforementioned former Cowboys and the event chairs to reminisce about the impact the United Way has had on Dallas over the last nine decades.

     

    Then honorary chair and former first lady Laura Bush, joined by daughters Barbara Bush and Jenna Bush Hager, shared a funny family story: President George W. Bush nearly missed the birth of his twin girls to attend a United Way event, so his daughters can accurately claim the organization has been in their lives since birth. The Bush family then signaled that it was showtime, and the crowd erupted in cheers.

     

    Shelton charmed the crowd with hits like "All About Tonight" and "Who are You," while Usher had everyone on their feet, swaying to tunes like "Burn," "Confessions" and "DJ Got Us Falling In Love." Each artist played a full set, but the highlight came when these two Voice​ judges sang "Home" and "Little Help From My Friends" together.

     

    The concert also served as the launch for the Young Leaders Society, and YPs held their first official party in the pit closest to the stage. The show came to a close when United Way staff and select volunteers, along with the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, hopped onstage with the guys as confetti fell from the sky.

     

    After the concert, VIPs were invited to an exclusive after-party replete with late-night bites, photo booth and a soundtrack provided by DJ Lucy Wrubel. Rumor has it that some of Usher's dancers joined guests on the dance floor to show them how to properly break it down.

     

    The United Way of Metropolitan Dallas brings people together to improve lives and create lasting change here in North Texas by focusing on education, income and health. The organization raises, invests and leverages more than $50 million annually in community-focused solutions serving Dallas, Collin, Rockwall and southern Denton counties.

     

    Blake Shelton and Usher headlined the Unite Forever Gala at AT&T Stadium, the 90th anniversary celebration for the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas.

    usher, blake shelton, unite forever gala
      
    Photo by Jordan Taylor Wright
    Blake Shelton and Usher headlined the Unite Forever Gala at AT&T Stadium, the 90th anniversary celebration for the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas.
    unspecified
    news/society

    Coffee news

    Starbucks partners bestow $53K in grants to favorite Dallas nonprofits

    Teresa Gubbins
    Jul 2, 2025 | 3:00 pm
    Starbucks Resource Center
    Courtesy
    Chalkboard at Starbucks celebrates Resource Center.

    In a one-of-a-kind charitable program, coffee giant Starbucks has bestowed more than two dozen grants to organizations across Dallas — organizations selected by Starbucks employees themselves.

    Called The Starbucks Foundation’s Neighborhood Grants program, it's unique as a charitable effort thanks to its profound level of engagement, by allowing employees to nominate nonprofit recipients.

    The Starbucks Foundation is the company's charitable arm which issues grants to nonprofits — from coffee and tea-growing communities around the world to neighborhood groups.

    The Neighborhood Grants program gives their "partners" (what they call their employees) the opportunity to support the local organizations they care most about. This year, more than 3,200 grants are being awarded across the U.S. and Canada. Of that number, 27 organizations in Dallas received a Neighborhood Grant, totaling $53,000.

    That included a $4,000 grant to Resource Center, a Dallas provider of LGBTQIA+ services and a big Starbucks staff favorite: It was nominated by an unprecedented 40 partners, and has previously earned seven grants totaling $20,000 from The Starbucks Foundation since 2019.

    Resource Center's director of corporate engagement & events Bill Scott says that the grant is part of a larger meaningful partnership.

    "In the current climate, we've seen many corporations turn away from our community, but Starbucks has remained steadfast," Scott says. "And we see it in ways that go beyond the grants, whether it's volunteering at our food bank or being ready for any fundraising event where they'll set up a coffee station to distribute to our guests."

    Founded in 1983, Resource Center focuses on three pillars: positive social engagement in safe spaces, supportive services to promote wellness, and skill-building opportunities to promote growth.

     Resource Center Resource Center accepts grant from Starbucks Foundation, from left to right: Bill Scott (RC), Daniel Sanchez (RC), Tres Brown (RC), and Howard Jackson (SBUX).Jeffrey McWhorter

    "The grant will help us continue to serve and uplift our community with more programming in areas like health and wellness," Scott says. "Last year, we opened our first low-income affordable housing complex for seniors, and before it even opened, it was sold out. We can see that the services we provide fill a real need."

    It's a rare scenario in the corporate world, Scott says.

    "There are not many companies I have dealt with like the Starbucks Foundation where they rely on their partners to make recommendations and listen to their partners," he says.

    For Starbucks partners like Marsh King, an operations consultation manager who's been with the company for nearly 28 years, Starbucks' priority on being mission-driven has been a big incentive to stay with the company.

    "When you see a grant that might give Resource Center the funds to do something like buy more refrigeration for the food pantry they just opened — it's gratifying to see that direct impact and know that you're a part of it," she says.

    The level of engagement is very grass-roots, says senior partner employee relations associate Howard Jackson.

    "We have customers who come in and say, 'I saw you at that event last weekend," he says. "We support the community, and they are our customers, as well. Through this work, we connect a lot of dots."

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