Dallas Cowboys to the Rescue

Dallas heroes strut the runway at record-breaking Children's Cancer Fund gala

Heroes both big and small, fictional and real, assembled at the Hilton Anatole on Friday, April 11 for the sold-out Children’s Cancer Fund gala.

The event, celebrating its 35th year, raises millions of dollars for pediatric cancer research and Child Life services. This year's gala proved especially successful, breaking records with a whopping $3 million raised.

Patrons got to browse photos, drawings, testimonials, news clippings, and other memorabilia from years past during the cocktail hour, as well as check out the well-stocked silent auction. Guests could also slip behind the wheel of a gleaming Aston Martin DB12 Volante — which was for sale, if anyone felt so inclined.

Children's Cancer Fund gala 2025 Gala chairs Meredith Land, Lori Jones.Photo by Tiffany Sage

Photo by Tiffany Sage

Nancy Rogers, Nicky Hilton, Meredith Land, Stacey Bendet, Lori Jones, Laura Kim, Tina Craig, Olivia Abbott Rogers

Inside the ballroom, emcee Kimberly Schlegel Whitman, gala chairs Lori Jones and Meredith Land, and CCF chief executive officer Jennifer Arthur welcomed supporters before everyone tucked into an elegant dinner.

Sarah Yanniello, a pediatric hematology/oncology nurse at Children’s Health, received the TeamIzzy Healthcare Award, first awarded in 2024 in honor of Izzy Martin, who passed away shortly after participating in 2022's gala.

Then the main event could really begin.

Honorary chairs Troy Aikman, in his 26th year of support, and Dak Prescott, marking his third year of involvement, led a fashion show featuring 20 pediatric cancer patients, ages 6-16, all glammed up in outfits provided by Dillard's.

These runway stars included:

11-year-old Rufo Abbajifar of McKinney
6-year-old Skylar Adams of Frisco
6-year-old Darius Alexander of Dallas
6-year-old Octavia Castillo of Richardson
6-year-old Wells Denison of Dallas
8-year-old Mikensie Duncan of Euless
16-year-old Kyndall Frederick of Longview
12-year-old Lauren Gutierrez of Coppell
10-year-old Kira Handrale of Lewisville
13-year-old Matthew Haynes of Terrell
6-year-old August Johansen of McKinney
7-year-old Isabela Lam of Plano
14-year-old Lennox Lannon of Dallas
6-year-old Clayton Moorse of Dallas
11-year-old Matthew Norris of Celina
7-year-old Lorenza Ruiz of Plano
7-year-old Mateo Badillo Soto of Dallas
13-year-old Erin Savage of North Richland Hills
6-year-old Lincoln Schoessow of Celina
16-year-old Dylan Williams of Bedford

Children's Cancer Fund gala 2025 Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders, Octavia Castillo.Photo by Tamytha Cameron

The children were escorted by a wide variety of celebrities:

Spider-Man, Queen Elsa, and the larger-than-life transformer Bumblebee (who later lit up the dance floor — literally)
Alice + Olivia founder Stacey Bendet, U Beauty founder Tina Craig, influencer sisters Maddy and Sophie McGuire, and fashion icons Nicky and Kathy Hilton
Aikman, Prescott, former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, Cowboys mascot Rowdy, and four members of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders (including fan favorite Reece Weaver)
members of Highland Park's fire department, Dallas SWAT, and even some of the patients' own doctors

Aikman and Prescott continued the “Quarterbacks for a Cure” legacy established by Cowboys legend Roger Staubach in representing Children’s Cancer Fund. Staubach served as a Children’s Cancer Fund gala chair from the fundraiser’s inception until passing the torch to Prescott in 2022.

“The joy these kids bring, knowing everything they’re going through and the resilience it takes just to be here, is what brings me back year after year,” says Prescott. “Being part of a night that gives them spirit, love, hope, and support — while recognizing the obstacles they face every day — means the world to me. My mission is to help decrease the number of diagnoses and increase the number of survivors. It takes all of us, and playing even a small role is something I cherish.”

Arthur and Brent Christopher, president of Children's Medical Center Foundation, announced the building of a new pediatric campus. This partnership between Children's Health and UT Southwestern Medical Center, set to open in 2031, will replace the current Children's Medical Center Dallas.

“It was incredibly special to celebrate all that we’ve accomplished over the past 35 years with our friends and partners,” Arthur said. “At the same time, the night was about looking ahead to the future of pediatric health care in North Texas. We were proud to share news of our partnership with Children's Health and UT Southwestern as they build a new pediatric campus — an exciting milestone for Dallas and the entire region."

Children's Cancer Fund gala 2025 Sophie McGuire, Maddy McGuire, Natalie McGuire, Mike McGuirePhoto by Tamytha Cameron

A live auction led by Wendy Lambert raised big bucks, with the winners bound to enjoy a Porsche racing experience in Atlanta, a NorthPark Center shopping spree, a suite experience for a Dallas Cowboys game, a Jet Linx private membership, a custom Alice + Olivia design, a meal for 40 at The Charles, a stay at a private villa in Cabo San Lucas, and a "Breakfast at Tiffany's" package in New York City.

Guests — and superheroes — danced long into the night at the after-party, celebrating the event’s extraordinary fundraising total and all the children and their families it will soon help.

Children’s Cancer Fund was founded in 1982 by a coalition of parents whose children were receiving cancer therapy at Children’s Health. CCF raises millions of dollars for pediatric cancer research and Child Life services each year and has created 10 endowments that support pediatric cancer patients at Children's Health and UT Southwestern. CCF is one of the nation’s leading fundraising groups supporting local research toward treatment and prevention of childhood cancers.

For more information or to donate, visit www.ChildrensCancerFund.com.

celebrities childhood cancer childrens cancer fund dak prescott dallas cowboys dallas cowboys cheeleaders dcc fundrasiers health kids sports tony romo troy aikman video galas

Centerstage spotlight

Showstopping Dallas Theater Center gala raises the curtain on a new era

Photo by Tamytha Cameron

Zeke Williams, Grace Cook, Jeff Netzer, Lynn McBee, Kristina Kirkenaer-Hart

On a picture-perfect Saturday night, more than 250 of Dallas’ most devoted arts patrons gathered at the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre for CENTERSTAGE 42, the annual gala benefiting Dallas Theater Center. The elegant evening on May 2 proved to be both a celebration of Dallas theater’s past and a curtain-raising for its future.

As the sun began to set across the Diane and Hal Brierley Esplanade in the Dallas Arts District, guests descended the outdoor staircase for an al fresco cocktail reception. One popular stop was just inside the doors of the lobby: A "Ziya" digital photo booth from local company Make Life Sweeter that turned patrons' posed photos into stylized watercolor portraits.

Throughout the venue, installations highlighting Dallas Theater Center’s Public Works initiative reminded attendees that the organization’s impact stretches from the stage to the neighborhoods of North Texas.

A multicourse dinner was served on the stage inside the Potter Rose Performance Hall, making attendees feel like the stars of the show in the intimate, theatrical atmosphere.

One of the night’s most meaningful moments came with the presentation of the prestigious Linda and Bill Custard Award to Larry Angelilli, recognized for more than three decades of leadership and advocacy that helped shape Dallas’ cultural landscape. The gala also paused to honor the memories of two beloved arts patrons, Linda Custard and Sarah Warnecke, both longtime champions of Dallas Theater Center and the broader arts community.

Inspired by their example, guests bid high for fabulous live auction items, including trips to Palm Springs and Hawaii and a private dinner with actor Michael Urie at a home on White Rock Lake. A paddle raise followed, with patrons giving generously all around the room.

Every $100 counted - from upstage, downstage, and closer to the wings - as the sold-out fundraiser's earnings totaled an impressive $545,000 in support of the Tony Award-winning theater company and its education and community engagement programs, including Project Discovery, Summer Stage, Saturday Sessions, and Community Workshops.

It wouldn't have been a theater benefit without a showstopping performer. When scheduled headliner Michael Urie was called away for filming commitments tied to Shrinking, Dallas Theater Center called on homegrown talent — and the result brought the crowd to its feet. Broadway performer Tiffany Mann, a DFW native with credits including Be More Chill and Waitress, delivered a powerhouse performance - and a few sparkly outfit changes.

The entire program was emceed by Bri Woods and Akron Watson, both fresh off Dallas Theater Center’s acclaimed production of Ragtime. Woods, an SMU Meadows graduate and Linda and Bill Custard Meadows Actor in the Diane and Hal Brierley Resident Acting Company, represented the next generation of Dallas theater talent, while Tony-, Grammy-, and Emmy-winning Watson brought Broadway pedigree and star power to the gala stage.

This year’s gala leadership reflected the milestone spirit of the evening. Rather than appointing a single chair, Dallas Theater Center reunited gala chairs from the past decade to lead CENTERSTAGE 42 collectively. Leadership included Jennifer and Peter Altabef, Mickie and Jeff Bragalone, Stephanie Byrd, Scott Davis, Melinda Johnson, Brett Levy, Michelle Lockhart, Ann Mahowald, Deborah McMurray, Scott Moore, Scott Orr, Andy Smith, Paul Von Wupperfeld, Hamilton Sneed, and Krista Farber Weinstein.

The evening also marked an exciting turning point for Dallas Theater Center as it prepares to enter a new era under incoming Enloe/Rose Artistic Director Jaime Castañeda, a TCU grad who is making his return to DFW. The affable leader introduced himself to the audience with a few fun personal anecdotes (including one involving an Easter bunny suit) and expressed his enthusiasm for the vision and direction of DTC.

Cheers went up as Castañeda made a surprise announcement: That The Lehman Trilogy would be the final show in DTC's 2026-27 season.

Upon retrieving their cars from valet, guests departed with an ingenious gift on their front seat: A thank-you note and invitation for two tickets to the DTC's next production, the world premiere of Jonathan Norton's play Malcolm X and Redd Foxx Washing Dishes at Jimmy’s Chicken Shack in Harlem -on stage now through June 7. "We look forward to welcoming you back to the theater!" read the note.

Spotted in the crowd, enjoying the evening, were DTC patrons and supporters including Zeke Williams, Grace Cook, Jeff Netzer, Lynn McBee, Kristina Kirkenaer-Hart, Ann Mahowald, Michelle Lockhart, Hamilton A Sneed, Krista Farber Weinstein, Caroline Hamilton, Brandi Willis, Paul von Wupperfeld, Andy Smith, Mickie Bragalone, Jeff Bragalone, Deborah McMurray, Glen Davison, Cynthia Smoot, Jeff Netzer, Jeremy Lock, D'Andra Simmons Lock, Lynn Richardson, Elvenn Richardson, Michelle Lockhart, Krista Weinstein, Paul von Wupperfeld, Sarah Jackson, Andy Smith, and many more. (Scroll through the photos, above, to see highlights of the night.)

Photo by Tamytha Cameron

Zeke Williams, Grace Cook, Jeff Netzer, Lynn McBee, Kristina Kirkenaer-Hart

dallas theater center theater galas