Parties for a cause

The latest Dallas charity soirees to unveil COVID-friendly formats this spring

Dallas-area nonprofits have been rethinking their big fundraising events for the past year. In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, virtual auctions have replaced galas, and streaming Q&As with celebrity speakers have replaced live luncheons.

What hasn't changed? Their need to raise critical funds to provide desperately needed services to the community.

Below are the latest nonprofit events being held in more pandemic-friendly formats. (Note that their plans were revealed before Gov. Greg Abbott lifted mask and capacity restrictions on March 2, so their plans could change again.) Here's what they're doing and how to join in.

Chabad of Plano/Collin County presents "The Legacy of Elie Wiesel," March 2
Chabad of Plano/Collin County will present "The Legacy of Elie Wiesel, through the eyes of his son, Elisha Wiesel — A Story for Our Times" via livestream. The only child of Elie Wiesel — the famed Holocaust survivor, Nobel Peace Prize recipient, author, and human rights advocate — Elisha Wiesel will deliver a message of optimism, mutual understanding, and compassion through his personal recollections and journey. Mabrie Jackson, director of public affairs for H-E-B/Central Market, will be honored with the Florence Shapiro Distinguished Leadership Award. The event will be livestreamed for free, 7:30-8:30 pm March 21 at https://chabadplano.org/event.

21st Annual Destiny Award Luncheon: A Conversation with Isabel Wilkerson, March 26
St. Philip’s School and Community Center will host its 21st Annual Destiny Award Luncheon as a virtual experience. The event will feature a conversation with Isabel Wilkerson, the Pulitzer Prize and National Humanities Medal winning author of Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents and The Warmth of Other Suns. Lisa and Clay Cooley serve as co-chairs, and Tom Joyner will receive the 2020 Mona & David Munson Humanitarian Award. A student showcase will begin at 10:30 am, immediately followed by the luncheon at 11:30 am. Purchase tickets, $175, and join in at www.stphilips1600.org/destiny.

Mad Hatter’s Tea: Out of Africa – Into the Garden, April 15
Now in its 33rd year, the beloved event supporting Women’s Council of the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden and A Woman’s Garden is making a few changes to ensure the health and safety of its patrons. The April 15 event be held entirely outdoors at the Dallas Arboretum, from 1-4 pm (rather than the all-day affair it usually becomes.) It's limited to just 300 guests, and tables can be for as few as four people. As of press time, masks would be required, organizers said. Jolie Humphrey is chair and Carole Ann Brown, honorary chair. Read more about the hat themes and purchase tickets (starting at $350) at https://womenscouncildallasarboretum.org.

Vogel Alcove 29th Annual Arts Performance Event, May 1
Vogel Alcove presents its annual Arts Performance Event, featuring a concert by The Beach Boys, 5-9 pm May 1 at AT&T Performing Arts Center's Annette Strauss Artist Square. Picnic meals and open bar will be provided by Wolfgang Puck Catering for onsite guests only. All seating is on the grassy area in front of the stage. The grass will be marked off in squares, and there will be one comfortable chair in each square. As of press time, masks and temperature checks will be required. The event will also be livestreamed for those more comfortable viewing at home. Chairs are Scott Beck and Alex Holmes. All proceeds benefit Vogel Alcove, an early childhood education and Parent Opportunity Center that works to break the cycle for homeless children and their families in Dallas. Information and sponsorships (starting at $1,500; no individual tickets sold), and virtual viewing package ($1,000) at www.vogelalcove.org.

ReuNight for The Family Place, May 13
The Family Place's popular annual ReuNight fundraiser is returning this spring as an outdoor garden party. The dinner party will take place the evening of Thursday, May 13 at the Nasher Sculpture Center Garden. Capacity will be limited to 100, and masks will be encouraged. Guests will enjoy dishes from Wolfgang Puck Catering at tables spaced 6 feet apart. This year’s co-chairs are Kristen Sanger and Lisa Singleton and honorary chairs, Kristy and Patrick Sands. All proceeds benefit The Family Place, the largest family violence service provider in Texas. More information and tickets (starting at $1,500) available at https://familyplace.org.

Mad Hatter's returns as an all-outdoor event.

Dana Herberston, Gina Ginsburg, Kesha Couville, Kelley Gonzalez

Photo by Ashley Gongora

Mad Hatter's returns as an all-outdoor event.

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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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