Tex-Mex Fiesta Honoring Gene Jones

 

The Family Place Final Trailblazer Awards Luncheon: Closing the Chapter. Opening the Doors.

 

With just weeks to go, seating is almost sold out for the Texas Trailblazer Awards Luncheon on October 10 at the Fairmont Dallas. This will be the final chapter of a nearly 30-year legacy.

Keynote Speaker: Icon and advocate Christie Brinkley

Mission Moment: Survivor and activist Sabrina Greenlee

Trailblazer Award Recipient: Distinguished community leader Effie Dennison

Paige Flink Award Recipient: Jan Langbein, Genesis CEO

Event Chairs: Kristen Cobb, Katie Samler & Ellis Thomas

Honorary Chairs: Kyle & Katy Miller

This extraordinary afternoon will mark the close of an era, uniting community leaders and changemakers one last time.

Tables are nearly sold out, and individual tickets are limited.  Secure your place today.

Trailblazer Awards Luncheon | The Family Place

Tartan & Twinkle Pop-Up

 

Kaleidoscope Park Farm to Table Dinner

PURCHASE TICKETS HERE: $125 EACH

WHEN:

Thursday, October 23

6 PM – 8 PM

WHERE:

Kaleidoscope Park’s Performance Lawn

WHAT:

Join us for a five-course farm-to-table dinner, presented in partnership by the Kaleidoscope Park Foundation and the Frisco Rotary Farmers Market. All proceeds from the event will benefit these organizations.

Tickets includes a five-course meal thoughtfully prepared using fresh, seasonal ingredients sourced directly from local market vendors. View the menu below.

Please note: This event is for ages 21 and older.

2025 FARM TO TABLE DINNER MENU

Cold Pressed Juice Cocktails – Famland Juice

HALL Wines

Shish Kabobs – Filet meat, onions, peppers, mushrooms

K Bar K, Mushroom Street, Ascend Garden

Mini bagel with Pimento Cheese 

Ernest Living Bakery, Ascend Garden

Craft Sausage on a stick

Ebarb Craft Sausage

Lumpia (Filipino egg rolls) with sweet chili dipping sauce

Ascend Garden

Second Course

Ginger Chicken Sotanghon (Glass Noodle) Soup

Ascend Garden

Spicy Crackers

Sassy Lorraine

Paired wine – HALL Park

Third Course

Beef Shoulder Clod or Filipino Chicken Inasal (annatto lemongrass smoked chicken)

K Bar K Meat, Shoulder Clod prepared by Andria at Harvest, Chicken Inasal prepared by Ascend Garden

Java Rice with Crunch Garlic

Ascend Gardens

Atchara – Pickled Papaya, Carrots, Bell Pepper, Onions

Ascend Garden

Zucchini pie

Cindy Johnson, Ascend Garden

Paired wine – HALL Park

Fourth Course

Strawberry-Lemonade Italian Ice – Oopsie Scoopsie

Fifth Course

Sweets Basket

Running Brook Bakery, Sassy Lorraine, Queenie’s Dough-Lites, Totally Nutz, Betty’s Perfect Pastries, Swirled Star Delights

Paired wine – HALL Park

Reserve your seat here: https://kaleidoscopepark.org/event/farm-to-table-dinner/

Deborah Roberts and Jen Hatmaker Shared Advice at “Leading the Lone Star State: Texas Women in Public Service Summit”

 Award-winning journalist and ABC 20/20 co-anchor Deborah Roberts and Jen Hatmaker, New York Times best-selling author, podcaster speaker and advocate, were the featured speakers for "Leading the Lone Star State: Texas Women in Public Service Summit" on Sept. 19 at the Denton Convention Center. Hosted by the Jane Nelson Institute for Women’s Leadership at Texas Woman’s University (JNIWL), the summit was a one-day conference uniting women in the fields of public administration, elected office, and government—as well as women who aspire to public roles—through informative sessions, inspirational speakers and networking opportunities. 

Sara Madsen Miller, Deborah Roberts

Photo credit: Leo Gonzalez/TWU

The opening welcome included remarks by Jane Nelson, former Texas Secretary of State; Denton Mayor Gerard Hudspeth; and Texas Woman’s University Chancellor and President Carine M. Feyten, Ph.D. Led by leaders in their fields, the breakout sessions featured panels on advocacy, strategic partnerships, politics, executive presence and leadership. 

Key TWU leaders

 

Maureen Zappala, speaker, author and High Altitude Strategies founder, was the opening session speaker discussing imposter syndrome. 

Deborah Roberts: 

The keynote conversation with Roberts was moderated by Sara Madsen Miller, a JNIWL advisory board member and COO and co-owner of 1820 Productions, an award-winning Dallas-based video production company. 

 

Roberts, one of seven daughters, shared the following advice with the audience: 

· “Believe in your purpose.”

· “Nothing will work unless you do.” (Maya Angelou)

· Barbara Walters gave Roberts this advice: “Sometimes you have to outlast your detractors.”

· When Roberts failed at her first live shot, her boss sent her back out to do another live shot that evening. She remarked, “Failure can be a powerful teacher if you’re willing to stay in the game.”

· “Be self-assured. Know your story. Don’t doubt who you are.” 

Jen Hatmaker: 

Hatmaker, whose new Awake: A Memoir, just published, shared her advice and perspective:

 

· “I’m grateful for the way you serve the state and the community. Give me a room full of women in leadership all the live long day.”

· “No matter how bad it is, you have to invite people into your story—the ones who love you. It’s far more courageous to ask people for help.”

 

Another highlight of the day included Shannon Mantaro, Texas Woman’s University’s executive director and chief officer of the JNIWL, presenting the JNIWL Distinguished Public Service Award to The Honorable Myra Crownover, a retired Texas House of Representatives member (2000-2016) who formerly represented District 64, which includes Denton County. 

The Great Create 2025

2025 Co-Chairs

Melissa and Drew Ireland 

invite you to

The Great Create 

Sunday, October 26

1:30 – 4 p.m. 

Nasher Sculpture Center 

VIP Early Admission at 12:30 p.m. 

Complimentary Valet Parking available 

Purchase tickets: Nasher | Specific Funds

Spirit Halloween 10 for 10 Campaign

This year, support the patients at Children's while outfitting your little monsters. Shop at any of the Spirit Halloween locations in the Dallas area between now and Oct. 31 with this coupon, and you'll receive 10% off of your entire purchase – and an additional 10% of the sale will benefit Children’s Health! 

The Spirit Halloween campaign has raised more than $1 million for Children's Health over the last ten years. Help bring the total to one million more!

Download the coupon here (pdf) and click here for a list of store locations.

Texas Women’s Foundation Awards More Than $820,000 to support women and families across North Texas

Through its annual Community Grants Cycle, Texas Women’s Foundation (TXWF) has distributed $822,160 to 23 nonprofits improving the lives of more than 20,000 women, girls and families in North Texas. Among the grants, TXWF Board Alumnae awarded the Virginia B. Whitehill Board Alumnae Grant to Bonton Farms in the amount of $40,000; and TXWF’s Nineteen network provided a grant of $40,000 to Nexus Family Recovery Center.

TXWF Grantees

Grant recipients were recognized at a special reception on September 26 at Texas Women’s Foundation, which is celebrating its 40^th anniversary this year. This reception kicked off a year-long tribute honoring the rich history of TXWF’s founders and the four decades of impact the organization has made on the lives of women and girls across the state.

Karen Hughes White, Texas Women’s Foundation president and CEO, said, “These incredible nonprofit organizations are transforming public education, providing critical healthcare access and helping fill the increasing gap in basic needs such as food and housing. We are so thankful to our donors and philanthropic partners who make this support possible, allowing TXWF to remove barriers to women’s economic security, stability and success as we work to build a strong and vibrant Texas for all. 

Collin County: 

Texas Muslim Women’s Foundation Inc. – Economic Security 

The Samaritan Inn – Childcare

Dallas County:

Abide Women’s Health Services – Maternal Health 

After8toeducate – Maternal Health 

Bonton Farms – Economic Security

Brother Bill’s Helping Hand  – Workforce

Buckner Children and Family Services, Inc. – Workforce 

Dallas Leadership Foundation – Leadership 

Gateway of Grace – Economic Security 

Interfaith Family Services – Housing 

Junior Players  – Leadership Development 

LBU Community Clinic – Maternal Health 

Methodist Health System Foundation – Workforce 

Nexus Family Recovery Center – Women’s Health 

Poetic – Economic Security

Texas Woman’s University Foundation – Women’s Health  

Viola’s House – Housing 

Vogel Alcove – Child Care 

Young Women’s Preparatory Network – Balch Springs – Education

Denton County: 

Children’s Advocacy Center for North Texas Inc.  – Mental Health 

HSNT/Health Services of North Texas – Women’s Health

Ellis County:

The Heights Ellis County Family Resources Inc. – Mental Health

Tarrant County: 

Camp Fire First Texas – Workforce 

To learn more about Texas Women’s Foundation’s grants and for a complete grantee list, visit txwf.org/grants.