The 2013 Celebrity Waiter Luncheon benefiting Family Gateway was as lively as ever. Co-chairs Lindsay Jacaman and Jamie Singerwelcomed supporters to The Joule, where they eagerly anticipated the antics that were about to ensue.
Emcees Stacy Girard, in an exquisite orange dress by Victoria Beckham, and the always-charming Ron Corning instructed the waiters — including Aubree-Anna, Darren Kozelsky, Dawn Mellon, Deanna Johnson, LeeAnne Locken, Liz Mikel, Lynae Fearing, Shane Walker, Shona Gilbert, Ashley Burghardt — on their various challenges, which ranged from an intense limbo competition to an impressive round of karaoke.
But the luncheon really heated up when celebrity waiters were challenged to do both "The Dougie" and a whole lot of twerking. I don't know about the rest of the attendees — like Melissa Katz, Angela Crates, Cynthia Trocha, Dawn Nuefeld, Jayne Chobot Herring, Robbin Solis, Lea Yancey, Amy Kozelsky, Jennifer Bowers, Amanda Ryan, and 2012 co-chairsShay Geyer and Maggie Kipp — but I was blushing. Hey, anything for charity.
Despite the lightheartedness of the luncheon, no one in attendance lost sight of its importance in helping Family Gateway and the homeless families the organization serves. To drive home this point, speaker Lisa Garza, owner of Sissy’s Southern Kitchen and Bar, shared her own story of being homeless as a teenager — proving that it can happen to anyone.
Family Gateway is the largest provider of supportive housing services to homeless families in Dallas County, serving about 1,000 adults and 5,000 children at six sites annually. In 2012, Family Gateway was named Homeless Services Agency of the Year by Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance and served its 10,000th child.
LeeAnne Locken
