YP Holiday Party

Echelon young professionals mix business with pleasure at Red Hot Christmas

On the eve of winter weather that knocked Dallas on its bum, the young professionals of Echelon were out and about, getting cozy at Sambuca for the third annual Red Hot Christmas party, where there was plenty of good cheer to go around.

Guests — including Ashley Shelton, Madison Broyles, Meredith Counce, Chelsey Lovell, Holly Hilburn, Josh Cortez, Chart Westcott, Helen Brock and Colin Huffines — donned red ties and red dresses, danced to Special Edition and wished each other happy holidays. But perhaps more important, they collected toys for the organization they support: Salvation Army.

"We specifically collected toys for tweens and teens as part of the Salvation Army's Forgotten Angels program," said party co-host Alex Baker. "While it's fun to buy gifts for a baby or toddler, a lot of people forget that this program benefits 11- to 14-year-olds too. It's cool to know we're specifically supporting a group that tends to go forgotten."

At the end of the evening, Echelon members had a carload of toys to show for their efforts — something that everyone in attendance could raise a glass to celebrate.

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