Despite searing temperatures in the 100s, Texas Horse Park was even hotter on Friday, July 20, for Equest’s Boots and Salutes. Not only did the sold-out, USO-style evening have a WW1 T-6 Texan flyover at sunset and loads of food stations from Asian Mint, Carlton Provisions, Doc B’s Fresh Kitchen, Haute Sweet Patisserie, Lucky’s Café, Farm To Marketing Catering, Seasons 52 and Taco y Vino, even the Equest mini-ambassadors were dressed up for the event.
But there was more than grazing around. Veteran/Equest client Mike Maas received the first-ever Mike Maas Circle of Excellence Award … guests stayed cool dancing to the Jordan Kahn Orchestra thanks to industrial fans donated by Global Cooling systems… retired Navy SEAL special operations chief/Emcee William “Wags” Wagasy paid tribute to six World War II vets like Darold Keiser.
Thanks to a live auction of a pretty darn adorable playhouse and a great turnout of folks like Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson, Lezlie and Bill Noble, Connie and Denny Carreker, Pam Dealey Petty and Michael Petty, Russell Dealey, Kathleen and Ban Bywaters, Kristin and Mike Reed, Linda and Ray Tunnell, Brad Causey, Susannah Denney, Becky and Dwayne Minyard, Colleen and Jeff Hensley, Laura Lyon, Michele Ritter, Rosa and Fil Martinez, Norma Jean Schaltenbrand, Equest Board Chair Andy Steingasser and Equest CEO Lili Kellogg, Event Chair Carolyn Anderson just sent word that the net amount for the Equest fundraiser was $80,000.
But wait! There’s more. In addition to the $80,000, HHSC provided a matching grant bringing the total haul for Boots and Salutes to a whopping $160,000 to benefit Equest’s Hooves for Heroes program. More than 600 veterans and military family members have been served at no cost since the program’s founding in 2012.
Thank-you notes are on their way to sponsors Bert Headden and Cindy Thomas, CrossFirst Bank, Hopkins Commercial Real Estate, Northrop Grumman, Mizzen + Main, Luther King Capital Management, Pendery’s, SettlePou and USAA.
Looks like the Equest folks proved that fundraising still sizzles in North Texas summers.
* Photo credit: Rita Wortham Photography