Chaired by Kristen Kocis and Rosie Shahkarami, the event began as partygoers filled the room and enjoyed wine, champagne and hors d’oeuvres while discovering who was working on which committee and exchanging stories about past Mad Hatter’s events and speculating on the theme of the 2026 event.
When the time came for the big reveals, Reagan and Sheridan first thanked Kristen and Rosie for chairing this evening’s event and sponsors Vestals Catering, The T Shop Lakewood for the florals, Susie Kwiatkowski, Susie HK Fine Art for the original artwork and Beth Dunham, Dunham Designs for the logo design. As a big surprise, they revealed that Jan Strimple will be returning to produce the fashion show, as she has done for the past many years.
Then came the big reveal! The theme is The Art of the Garden.
The chairs then had a final surprise to reveal, Anne Stodghill, a former Mad Hatter’s Tea co-chair and longtime Women’s Council supporter, was announced as honorary chair. Paige Elliott is president of the Women’s Council.
The 38th Annual Mad Hatter’s Tea happens on Friday, April 24, 2026 at the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden.
Secure your reservations and learn more about the Women’s Council of the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden, membership benefits, trips, parties in private homes, garden tours and more at www.wcdabg.org
Prom Closet Shopping Dates:
February 24-28 and March 2-7
Approximate Shopping Day Shift Times:
Weekday Shift 1 2:00 – 5:30 p.m.
Weekday Shift 2 5:00 – 8:30 p.m. (Fridays end at 7:00 p.m.)
Saturdays 8:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
You may volunteer for multiple shifts in a day and multiple days.
There is a required orientation at the beginning of each shift.
Sign Up to Volunteer
Prom Closet relies on volunteers for various roles of all levels of physical capability, including check-in desk and check-out desk, personal shoppers, dressing room assistants, and set-up and tear-down crew members. Volunteers for shopping days must be 18 years or older and out of high school. All adult volunteers must complete a background check. Upon registration, you will receive an email within 24-48 hours asking you to complete the background check.
Steve Burns, best known as the original host of Nickelodeon’s “Blue’s Clues,” will be the featured speaker at Grant Halliburton Foundation’s 17th Annual Beacon of Hope Community Luncheon on Friday, March 13, 2026, at the Omni Dallas Hotel (555 S. Lamar St., Dallas). Burns will present “The Cost of Showing Up Happy: Burnout and the Wisdom of Asking for Help.”
The luncheon is the first fundraising event of Grant Halliburton Foundation’s 20th anniversary year.
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| Steve Burns |
As the implacably happy, beloved host of “Blue’s Clues,” Steve Burns was the guy who sang, danced and cheerfully bolstered children’s self-esteem. What most don’t know is that he was doing so with undiagnosed severe clinical depression. He will talk about the following:
· What is the cost of forcing joy?
· How can one maintain peak-level achievement and be completely burned out at the same time?
· And once it’s all over, how do you re-engage with your own life when the tank is completely empty?
Burns will share lessons from his own struggles as “the happiest depressed person in North America” and how he has learned to apply the messages he shared with an entire generation.
The Beacon of Hope Community Luncheon supports Grant Halliburton Foundation’s work to provide education, resources and support for children, teen and young adult mental health. Event sponsorships and underwriting range from $600 to $25,000. Individual tickets go on sale in February for $250. To learn more and to purchase a sponsorship or underwriting opportunity, visit GrantHalliburton.org/boh.
Amy and Michael Roseman and Meredith and David Camp are the 2026 Beacon of Hope Community Luncheon co-chairs. The founding luncheon chair is Barb Farmer.
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| Amy and Michael Roseman, Co-Chairs |
Kevin Hall, president of Grant Halliburton Foundation, said, “Steve helped shape how generations of children learned about curiosity, kindness, and problem-solving. We’re honored to hear his honest story and how those same values continue to guide his approach to mental health today.”
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| Meredith and David Camp |
Since 2006, the Foundation has provided mental health education, training and support to nearly 350,000 students, educators, parents and professionals, thanks to funds raised from the Beacon of Hope Luncheon.
Suicide is the second-leading cause of death among Texas youth ages 10-24 (CDC). The Beacon of Hope Community Luncheon aims to bring focus to the vital work needed to educate the North Texas community on adolescent mental health and suicide prevention. Through its work in North Texas schools and communities, Grant Halliburton Foundation aims to change this reality as it works to promote awareness and understanding of teen and young adult mental health and to prevent suicide.
About Steve Burns
Steve Burns is best known as the original host of Nickelodeon’s “Blue’s Clues,” where he spent seven surreal years solving mysteries with a cartoon dog and a talking mailbox. Then he disappeared. On purpose.
Since then, Steve has released indie rock albums, toured with The Flaming Lips, wrote the theme song for “Young Sheldon,” been a host and storyteller for The Moth and currently hosts the new podcast “Alive with Steve Burns.” In 2021 and 2024, he went massively viral by quietly breaking the internet with a heartfelt message to a generation of now-grown-up viewers.
