Coronavirus pivot

Fun and fundraising go virtual at these upcoming Dallas society events

Dr. Evan Antin, dubbed "America's Sexiest Vet," will emcee the virtual EarthXGlobalGala.

Photo by Mariusz Jeglinski

In any other year, Dallas philanthropists and social butterflies would be picking outfits and preparing pocketbooks for the big fall fundraising season ahead.

But in this year of social distancing and canceled gatherings, many nonprofit galas and luncheons are pivoting creatively to virtual formats. They can still raise crucial funds to continue providing services without risking the health and safety of patrons.

Below are the latest Dallas-Fort Worth organizations to unveil plans for virtual fundraisers — and how to join in the fun without leaving your couch.

AIDS Outreach Center Evening of Hope, September 12
Evening of Hope, AIDS Outreach Center's largest fundraising event, has transitioned from a gala at Fort Worth’s Ridglea Country Club to a virtual event. Co-chairs are Scott W. Green and Karen McKenzie, with honorary co-chairs Dr. Cheryl McDonald and Dr. Kevin Connelly, and they've chosen the jazzy theme “Roaring '20s: Vision of Hope.” So don your flashiest flapper dress and most dapper pinstripe suit, and plan to show up online at 7 pm. The event helps fund programs and clients of AIDS Outreach Center. For more information and tickets, $25-$50, visit the website.

Austin Street Center Humble Beginnings Luncheon, September 25
The 20th anniversary of this annual luncheon will take place virtually beginning at 11:30 am. Tony and Grammy Award-Winning artist Leslie Odom, Jr., best known as Aaron Burr in the smash-hit Broadway musical Hamilton, will perform live and participate in a moderated conversation. The luncheon, co-chaired by Richie Butler and Chris Kleinert, celebrates and assists Austin Street Center’s work to provide safe shelter and basic needs to individuals experiencing homelessness in Dallas. Tickets start at $45 and can be purchased on the website.

Black Tie Dinner, October 18
Always one of the buzziest Dallas events of the season, and the nation’s largest LGBTQ fundraiser dinner of its kind, Black Tie Dinner is heading to TV this year. The first-ever live TV special called Black Tie LIVE will air on on WFAA-TV (Channel 8) from 4-5 pm October 18. The give-a-thon special will feature entertainment, segments on LGBTQ history, a live auction, car raffle with Park Place Mercedes-Benz, and fundraising opportunities for Black Tie Dinner’s 2020 beneficiaries. The organization is also launching a virtual peer-to-peer fundraising tool called “Black Tie Dinner Ambassador Program” to help generate proceeds for the 2020 beneficiaries. Jeremy Hawpe is the 2020 Black Tie Dinner chair; for more information, visit the website.

EarthXGlobalGala, October 22
The EarthxGlobalGala recognizes individuals, celebrity icons, expert leaders, organizations, and corporations who are dedicated to a more sustainable future. Highlights of this year’s virtual event include the presentation of the Swarovski signature awards (made of upcycled crystal) and a live auction. Also appearing will be The Compton Kidz Club and Grammy winner Skip Martin of Kool & the Gang, featuring Bastards of Soul. Animal Planet’s Dr. Evan Antin, dubbed “America’s Sexiest Vet,” will serve as the emcee for the evening. It all begins at 6:30 pm, and tickets are $25-$150 at the website.

Baylor Scott & White Dallas Foundation Celebrating Women Event, October 28
In lieu of an in-person luncheon this year, Baylor Scott & White Dallas Foundation will take its Celebrating Women event online. The virtual celebration, chaired by Peggy Meyer, will include a conversation with TV’s Dr. Mehmet Oz starting at 11:30 am. Leading up to the event, inspiring patient videos and updates regarding breast cancer innovations and research initiatives at Baylor Scott & White Health will be shared throughout the month of October. The Dr. Oz event will be available for free to anyone who signs up online. This year’s efforts will focus on support for the Celebrating Women Gift of Life Fund, which assists women in need of breast cancer services who are unable to afford their care. For more information and to sign up, visit the website.

A Writer's Garden Literary Symposium and Luncheon, November 17
The Women’s Council of the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden will present the 14th annual symposium, themed “Near or Far…There Is No Place Like Home,” virtually beginning at 9:45 am. It will feature two internationally renowned speakers, Southern lifestyle author and interior designer James Farmer and acclaimed textile designer Lisa Fine. Underwriting starts at $2,500, and includes lunch delivered to the host’s home or business for up to 10 guests, and more. Individual patron tickets start at $75. The event, chaired by Suzanne Millet with Diane Sealy as honorary chair, benefits the Women’s Council of the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden and the development and maintenance of A Woman's Garden. For more information and tickets, visit the website.

luncheons fundraisers galas

history in the making

Taylor Sheridan to be honored with legendary Texas award in 2027

1923 Las Vegas Premiere Screening & After Party Taylor Sheridan

Photo by David Becker/Getty Images for Paramount+

Taylor Sheridan is a 2027 recipient of the History-Making Texan Award.

Trailblazing North Texas producer, director, and screenwriter Taylor Sheridan will add a new award to his shelf in 2027. Sheridan has been named one of two recipients of the History-Making Texan Award, which the Texas State History Museum Foundation (TSHMF) will present in Austin in spring 2027.

Since 2005, the organization has honored "living Texas legends whose contributions to the state and the nation have been truly historic and exceptional in scope and nature." Past galas have recognized prominent Texas figures such as former presidents George H.W. and George W. Bush and former first ladies Barbara and Laura Bush, as well as H-E-B chairman Charles Butt, singer-songwriter and accordionist Leonardo “Flaco” Jimenéz, among others.

Joining Sheridan as the other 2027 honoree is Texas Historical Commission chairman, businessman, and philanthropist John L. Nau, III. The 2027 gala will be held at the Bullock Texas State History Museum in Austin on March 2, Texas Independence Day.

"Our honorees are national leaders whose accomplishments have elevated Texas’ distinctive place on the national and international stage," said Debbie Raynor, Dinner Chair and TSHMF Trustee, in a relase. "John L. Nau, III and Taylor Sheridan have each, in very different ways, helped tell the Texas story — one through the preservation of our history and treasured places, the other through the power of storytelling that has brought Texas and the American West to audiences around the world."

Quadruple-threat filmmaker Sheridan is most widely recognized for his award-winning neo-Western TV series Yellowstone and its associated spin-offs 1883, 1923, Marshals, and Dutton Ranch. Raynor hailed Sheridan for his success in bringing a "remarkable new dimension to the way the world sees Texas and the American West."

"As a creator, writer, director, and executive producer of some of television’s most successful series, he has captured the imagination of audiences across the globe while bringing the people, landscapes, traditions and enduring spirit of the West into millions of homes," she said. "And he does more than tell the Texas story — he lives it, as a native Texan, accomplished horseman and steward of two legendary Texas ranches."

Nau is the former chairman and CEO of Silver Eagle Beverages, one of the largest Anheuser-Busch distributors in the U.S. Raynor said Nau's "commitment to preservation" extends further than his protection of Texas historic sites "to the stewardship and conservation of the land itself, including his bay area lodge in south Texas and his ranch in west Texas."

"[Nau's] leadership and lifelong dedication to history have earned him national recognition, but perhaps his greatest legacy is his determination to ensure that the stories and places that shaped Texas endure for generations to come," Raynor said.

A release estimates about 450 "business, political, and community leaders" attend the Texas Independence Day Dinner each year, and proceeds will benefit the Bullock Museum's educational programs and special projects.

The 2027 Texas Independence Day Dinner will take place March 2, 2027, at the Bullock Museum in Austin. A VIP reception will start at 6:30 pm, followed by a 7 pm reception, and 7:30 dinner and program.

Taylor Sheridan is gifting his creative archive to Texas State University.

Photo by David Becker/Getty Images for Paramount+

Taylor Sheridan is a 2027 recipient of the History-Making Texan Award.

taylor sheridan galas awards ceremony texas texas historical commission bullock museum yellowstone awards