Pre-Party Time
Black Tie Dinner divulges 2013 featured celebrity at sneak peek party
Giddy with anticipation for the 2013 Black Tie Dinner themed "One Voice," devotees gathered at Seven for Parties in the Design District for a sneak peek of the fall affair. After last year's fete, named one of the most glamorous event of the year by CultureMap readers, we — and hundreds upon hundreds of supporters — have high expectations.
While Melissa Grove, Nathan Robbins, Debra Nelson, Don Tapani and Carol Hutton sipped on cocktails and noshed on bites from Food Glorious Food, Black Tie Dinner co-chairs Mitzi Lemons and Ken Morris revealed that award-winning screenwriter and executive producer Dustin Lance Black will be the featured speaker at the charitable event.
Among his many accolades, Black received an Academy Award for Milk and was a writer for the hit film J. Edgar, which grossed more than $11 million during opening weekend. He was also featured in The Out List, the HBO documentary that Black Tie Dinner fans got to see at a private screening last month.
Lemons and Morris also announced that Zach Wahls — the son of two lesbian moms and an activist on behalf of LGBT — will receive the 2013 Elizabeth Birch Equality Award for his unwavering support of LGBT rights.
Throughout the night, Black Tie Dinner supporters enjoyed video montages from past events and purchased early raffle tickets for a 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA, which will be given away at the dinner. Frederick L. Ward's ticket was pulled from the drawing at the sneak peek, and his will be placed the pool of 20 tickets in the final raffle pull on November 2.
Spotted on the scene were 2013 Raymond Kuchling Humanitarian Award recipient David Taffet; esteemed auctioneer Mike Jones and his wife, Lori; Mack Campbell, Rita Carl, Gilbert Castillo, Scott Berry, Toni Miller and Bill Bucher.
Tables are still available for purchase for the 2013 gala, which benefits up to 20 North Texas organizations and the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. Black Tie Dinner has distributed more than $17 million to its beneficiaries.