By 3 p.m. today the North Texas Giving Day tote board was busting with more than $18.5 M and over 74,000 gifts. Throughout the region all types of activities are also busting loose thanks to Communities Foundation of Texas!
Celia Weitzel and Lindsay Moreau
Over at Highland Park Village NTGD flags were waving and at Starbucks, Just Say Yes!’s Celia Weitzel and Lindsay Moreau were womaning a table for coffee-lovers to not only learn about their organization, which helps area students, but to, hopefully, get some donations.
As Celia put it, “We’re appreciative of every donation we can raise to help North Texas students.”
Ashley Wilson, Kevin Hurst and Ros Dawson
On the other hand over at NorthPark Center, Nancy Nasher and her team were hosting various nonprofits showing their stuff to all types of donors, beneficiaries and shoppers like Dallas Women’s Foundation’s Ros Dawson, Neiman Marcus’ Kevin Hurst, Business Council for the Arts’ Ashley Wilson, Girls Scouts of Northeast Texas’ Linda Kordek-Milton and Amanda Duquette, SPCA’s Victoria Albrecht and Friends of the Bath House Cultural Center’s Ann Slate Gaspari.
Billie the snake
The showboaters of the day were, of course, the organizations with critters. From the Dallas Zoo’s Billie the snake fascinating Alcuin School students, Equest’s mini-ambassador posing for photos with folks to Chihuahua Rescue and Transport’s slimmed-down Ariel (she’s down to 12 pounds from 25 when she was in an Arlington ditch in 2013) accepting a Theodore gift card at the noontime drawing, the animals scored in popularity.
Diana Hightower, Ariel, Nancy Nasher and Jennifer Clifford
But the humans held their own with all types of entertainment. Whether it was Shakespeare Dallas or the Anita N. Martinez Ballet Folklorico, NorthPark’s North Court was filled with music, drama and singing.
Anita N. Martinez Ballet Folklorico
For a small group of donors, Communities Foundation of Texas board members and NTGD best buds, a private luncheon was held at Theodore’s patio. And despite it being one of the hottest days weather-wise and fundraising-wise, the outdoor luncheoners like Jane Pierce, Becky Bright, Lydia Novakov, Karen Shuford and Lydia Novakov were all smiles and cool.
Frank and Helen Risch
CFT Board Chair Frank Risch was checking the leaderboard updates on his smartphone and very pleased with the results. He easily reeled off all of the past successes and had hopes of once again breaking another record with more than 2,500 nonprofits participating.
When asked about the search for CFT’s new executive director, Frank said the search was going very smoothly but they’re continuing to vet applicants.