Fall Date Book

9 fall charitable events every good Dallas socialite must attend

September's arrival means it's time to start thinking about society season. From now through the first week of December, altruistic Dallasites flex their philanthropic muscles to raise money for causes that are near and dear to their hearts. Won't you join them to support your charity of choice?

TACA 50th Anniversary Gala, September 8
Happening a couple weeks early, this art-focused fundraiser jumps into the spotlight as this fall's official philanthropic kickoff event. The Custom Auction Gala is celebrating five decades, so it's sure to be a glittering affair. The Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek will open for a night of fine wine, decadent dining, a lively auction, and a commissioned performance by the area's finest dance companies. Funds raised for TACA support various performing arts organizations in North Texas.

Crystal Charity Ten Best Dressed Fashion Show & Luncheon, September 15
This ultra-exclusive luncheon always sells out. On the guest list are the crème de la crème of Dallas society. Luncheon chair Christi Urschel will welcome guests to Neiman Marcus Downtown, where honorees — Anita Arnold, Delilah Boyd, Katherine Coker, Janie Condon, Lisa Cooley, Tucker Enthoven, Pat Harloe, Julie Hawes, Amy Hegi, and Piper Wyatt — will model the Zac Posen Resort 2017 Collection. Charlotte Jones Anderson is the 2017 Hall of Fame honoree.

Dallas Symphony Orchestra Gala, September 16
Legendary cellist Yo-Yo Ma will join the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and music director Jaap van Zweden for this musical tradition, which kicks off the symphony season each year. Lisa and Clay Cooley will welcome guests to the Meyerson Symphony Center for a cocktail reception and seated dinner with wine pairings before the performance. A lively after-party will take place once the final notes are played.

Susan G. Komen 35th Anniversary Luncheon, September 27
Each fall, there's always a stellar luncheon speaker or two at Dallas events, and this year the buzz is about TV personality Giuliana Rancic giving the keynote address at the Susan G. Komen 35th Anniversary Luncheon at the Belo Mansion. Luncheon chair Gigi Hill Lancaster and honorary chairs Linda Custard, Ruth Altshuler, and Gene Jones are pulling out all the stops to honor those who have helped fund life-saving breast cancer research and programs through Komen.

The Dallas Opera First Sight, First Night, October 19, 20
The festivities, which celebrate 60 years of The Dallas Opera, will start with the First Sight luncheon, chaired by Lisa Cooley, Ciara Cooley, and Bela Pjetrovic; it will showcase the latest fashions of Italian designer Salvatore Ferragamo provided by NorthPark Center, along with lunch by Wolfgang Puck. First Night chairs Dianne and Mark LaRoe and honorary chairs Nancy Nasher and David J. Haemisegger then will welcome opera fans to the gala, with both a pre-performance dinner and an after-party. The featured production will be "Samson & Delilah." All events will take place at the Winspear Opera House.

Cattle Baron's Ball, October 21
Talk about serious pressure. Each year, Cattle Baron's event chairs are expected to bring in the best of the best in country music (past acts have included Tim McGraw and Toby Keith). This year's co-chairs, Sunie Solomon and Anne Stodghill, don't disappoint, as they've snagged legendary duo Brooks & Dunn. Add endless food, stiff drinks, and auctions galore, and you've got yourself one of the best cowboy-boot balls in the land. The event, themed "Shooting for the Stars: A Dream as Big as Texas," will take place at Gilley's Dallas.

Two x Two for Aids and Art Gala and Auction, October 28
This Rachofsky House event packs the party with contemporary art and benefits the Dallas Museum of Art and amfAR. The 2017 honored artist is Jonas Wood. Nasiba Hartland-Mackie and her husband, Thomas, are co-chairing the black-tie gala dinner, which will feature a live and silent auction of significant contemporary art, as well as live entertainment.

Black Tie Dinner, November 11
This downtown Dallas gala attracts a long list of celebrity guests who help raise funds for LGBTQ organizations in North Texas. This year's keynote speaker will be the 22nd secretary of the Army, Eric Fanning. The annual Kuchling Humanitarian Award will be presented to Rev. Eric Folkerth for his positive impact on Dallas’ LGBTQ community, and Terrance McNally will be this year’s Ally for Equality Award recipient.

Crystal Charity Ball, December 2
Atop the social hierarchy, the Crystal Charity Ball is the city's most drop-dead gorgeous gala. This year's theme, "Evening in the Alps," is sure to see the Hilton Anatole's Chantilly Ballroom drenched in snowflake crystals. The 2017 ball beneficiaries are Autism Treatment Center, Inc.; Big Brothers Big Sisters Lone Star; Children’s Medical Center Foundation; Dallas Holocaust Museum; Hunger Busters; Presbyterian Communities and Services Foundation; Rainbow Days; Santa Clara of Assisi Catholic Academy; The Crystal Charity Ball Educational Scholarship Project' and The Crystal Charity Ball Endowment Fund.

Greg Louganis, Deborah Cox, Debra Messing, Dana Goldberg, and Todrick Hall at Black Tie Dinner 2016

Greg Louganis, Deborah Cox, Debra Messing, Dana Goldberg, Todrick Hall

Photo by WJNPHOTO

Greg Louganis, Deborah Cox, Debra Messing, Dana Goldberg, and Todrick Hall at Black Tie Dinner 2016

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Coffee news

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

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 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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