Global Superstar Dolly Parton to Perform Halftime Show Live at Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving Day Game

Global icon, singer-songwriter, actor, New York Times best-selling author, businesswoman, philanthropist, and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Dolly Parton will perform live at AT&T Stadium for The Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Kickoff Halftime Show during the Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving Day game against the Washington Commanders, airing on CBS. The Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving Day game has become the most-watched regular season game of the year, drawing 42 million viewers last year.

The Thanksgiving Day game marks the official start of one of the largest and longest-running annual fundraisers of its kind. A Cowboys tradition for 27 years, the halftime show puts a national spotlight on the need of millions during the holiday season, issuing a rallying cry to donate to The Salvation Army’s iconic Red Kettle Campaign, which began in 1891.

“Wow! What an honor to get to kick off The Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Campaign with the halftime show during the Dallas Cowboys game this Thanksgiving,” said Parton. “Those Red Kettles have long been a symbol of hope for our friends and neighbors who are facing hard times. My goal is to encourage everyone who can to donate and support their neighbors in need. Every small act of generosity helps, and together, we can all love our neighbors this holiday season and beyond.”

“Dolly’s contagious energy and positive spirit are just what we need to support The Salvation Army’s enormous effort to make this holiday bright for millions of individuals and families in need,” said Charlotte Jones, executive vice president and chief brand officer for the Dallas Cowboys and former national advisory board chairperson for The Salvation Army. “Dolly’s music has a way of inspiring hope, and we’re thrilled to have her on our national stage to spotlight the campaign this year.”

The following options are available for those wishing to support their neighbors in need:

• Donate with cash, coins, and checks, or digitally with Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, and Venmo, at any Red Kettle across the country.
• Provide Christmas gifts to children of local families in need through The Salvation Army Angel Tree. You can also contact your local Salvation Army about volunteering to distribute donated Angle Tree gifts.
• Contact your local Salvation Army to sign up to volunteer at a Red Kettle.
• Ask Amazon’s Alexa to donate by saying, “Alexa, donate to The Salvation Army,” and then specifying the amount.
• Sign up for a sustaining gift of $25 a month at give.SalvationArmyUSA.org
• Give any amount by texting “KETTLES” to 51555.
• Donate cryptocurrency such as Bitcoin or Ethereum.

Every donation stays in the community to provide help and hope for those in need. To give help or get help, please visit www.SalvationArmyUSA.org.

Halftime Performance Announcement for Cowboys Thanksgiving Day Game

Academy of Country Music's Male Vocalist of the Year Thomas Rhett will perform LIVE at AT&T Stadium during the nationally televised halftime of the Dallas Cowboys game against the Los Angeles Chargers on Thanksgiving Day, kicking off The Salvation Army's annual Red Kettle Campaign. Donations to the iconic campaign help provide shelter and meals for the homeless and hungry, and Christmas toys for millions of children, in addition to numerous other social service programs The Salvation Army provides year-round.

“Watching the Cowboys game is such a tradition on Thanksgiving Day,” said Thomas Rhett. “It's all about being together with family and friends, but this year is going to be a little different for us. I'm pumped that we get to pack up the whole family to go to Dallas for the halftime show...it's going to be blast and helping do it for a good cause makes it even better.”

“Thomas Rhett is not only a chart-topping country artist, but also a musician whose commitment and passion for philanthropy makes him a great fit to join the Fight for Good and kickoff the Red Kettle Campaign,” said Charlotte Jones Anderson, executive vice president and chief brand officer for the Cowboys and former national advisory chairperson for The Salvation Army.

The Red Kettle Campaign, which begins on Thanksgiving Day and runs through Christmas Eve, is the largest and longest-running fundraiser of its kind. It raised $147.3 million during the 2016 campaign alone and has raised nearly $2.2 billion since the Cowboys Thanksgiving Day partnership began in 1997.

“We are thankful for our partnership with the Dallas Cowboys, whose organization has continually provided us with incredible awareness during our most critical fundraising season,” said Lt. Col. Ron Busroe, national community relations and development secretary for The Salvation Army. “We celebrate their ongoing support, and what is sure to be a memorable kickoff performance.”

As the first country artist to top the all-genre Billboard 200 Album's chart this year, Thomas Rhett's star has continued to rise since the release of his debut album “It Goes Like This.” Currently the Academy of Country Music's Male Vocalist of the Year, his albums have also garnered GRAMMY, CMA, CMT, and iHeartRadio Music award nominations, including major wins for his love song “Die a Happy Man.” Thomas Rhett recently released his third album LIFE CHANGES and announced he will be bringing his signature swagger to his LIFE CHANGES TOUR 2018.

To watch Thomas Rhett reveal himself as the halftime performer, click here.

In addition to donating to the traditional bell ringers that will be stationed at retail locations throughout the country, supporters can join The Salvation Army’s Fight for Good by starting their own #FightforGood fundraiser on RedKettleReason.org.

Join the Fight for Good
Joining the Fight for Good takes four easy steps:

1. Visit redkettlereason.org.
2. Click “Join the Fight” or scroll to the bottom of the page and join one of our notable citizen soldiers’ fundraisers.
3. Specify the community, fundraising goal, and designated cause to support, or simply make a general donation to The Salvation Army.
4. Encourage friends and family to donate and start their own fundraising pages.

Donations can also be made through the Army's text-to-give program. By texting the word “KETTLES” to 51555, donors can send any amount to the Red Kettle Campaign.

Dirk Nowitzki Pro Celebrity Tennis Classic - Recap & Photos

Taking to the tennis court for a second year, Dallas’ beloved Dirk Nowitzki called upon his celebrity buddies to join him for the Dirk Nowitzki Pro Celebrity Tennis Classic, presented by Morgan Stanley, on Sept. 16, 2017, at the SMU Tennis Center. Held just weeks after Hurricane Harvey’s devastation, Dirk quickly decided to donate all proceeds to families and children affected by the disaster – and Mark Cuban stepped up to match the impressive proceeds of $960,000, helping to raise a total of $1.92 million!

 

Dirk Nowitzki

Participating in the weekend celebration were Dallas homeboy and multi-talented actor/producer/screenwriter Owen Wilson. Also playing were International Tennis Hall of Fame inductee Andy Roddick (a Dirk fan and well-rounded athlete who recently won MVP at Dirk’s Celebrity Baseball event in June), former Dallas Stars legend and Hall of Famer Mike Modano, Mavs NBA champion J.J. Berea, and current and past tennis pros Tommy Haas, Michael Russell, Benjamin Becker, Mark Knowles and Donald Young.

Owen Wilson

 

The weekend kicked off with Dirk and wife Jessica hosting an invitation-only seated dinner party Friday night for players and major donors at The Joule Hotel. Tiffany Cuban, Charlotte Jones Anderson and Nancy Rogers showed their support, joining other guests that included Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle, GM Donnie Nelson, assistant coach Jamahl Moseley, and current and former Mavs players Devin Harris, Harrison Barnes, Dwight Powell and Brian Cardinal. And the two newest additions to the Mavericks team, German Maxi Kleber and first-round draft pick Dennis Smith Jr., also attended.

Dirk and Jessica Nowitzki

The evening closed with the folk-rock-soul mix of singer-songwriter Amos Lee, but not before a raucous auction netted big returns! Items included a “swing for the fences” Texas Rangers package featuring  batting practice for four, a meet-and-greet with All-Star Elvis Andrus and 2015 American League Manager of the Year, Jeff Banister; a Dallas Stars meet-up with star Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin plus tours of the broadcast booth and beer with Stars broadcasters Daryl “Razor” Reaugh and Craig Ludwig; and an NBA decades package that included signed basketballs from Dirk and Los Angeles Laker Champion Kobe Bryant plus courtside seats and a chance to be coach for the day shadowing Coach Carlisle.

Mercedes Owens, Dwight Powell

Also, a photo of Dirk's 30K point shot signed by Dirk, Devin Harris (he passed the ball to Dirk), Mark Cuban and Rick Carlisle was a major hit. So caught up in the moment, Rick Carlisle generously let them auction off his own framed photo as well.



Laurence Glasscock, Lara Beth Seager, Jonathon Beck, Ashley Gambino

The showstopper finale garnering the biggest bids was the once-in-a-lifetime POWER DINNER for up to eight lucky people who will dine next spring at The Star’s private Cowboys Club – with Dirk; Dallas Cowboys famed quarterback and CBS football analyst, Tony Romo; Dallas Cowboys All-Pro tight end and multiple team record holder, Jason Witten; Mike Modano; Ivan Pudge Rodriguez, who was recently inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame; and Mavs player Harrison Barnes.



Owen Wilson, Donnie Nelson, Christine Nelson, Thomas Pletzinger, Tobias Tempel

The gorgeous laser-lit design was the brainstorm of creative genius Lara Beth Seager, who not only created the Heroes Celebrity Baseball game concept and its evolution over the past decade but also devised the wildly successful party following Jerry Jones’ Pro Football Hall of Fame induction. Her other achievements include several Super Bowl bashes for Vanity Fair, Bud Light ,Facebook, Pepsi, the NFL, and events for Google, Spotify, Under Armour and EA Sports.

Lesley Berry, Devin Harris

After just a few hours of sleep, Dirk and friends headed to the SMU courts where a sold-out crowd watched as Dirk, Roddick, Owen, tennis pros and amateurs battle each other for four hours in the 95-degree Texas heat. Winning the championship were American tennis pro Donald Young and amateur Justin Whitman (Kimberly Schlegal Whitman was on hand to cheer) who defeated Dallas Maverick point guard J.J. Barea and amateur Jim McKinney.

Kimberly Schlegel Whitman, Charlotte Jones Anderson

In addition to presenting sponsor Morgan Stanley, other sponsors include Nancy C. Rogers and Richard R. Rogers/Mary Kay Inc, The Dallas Mavericks, Headington Companies, Bullion Restaurant, Which Wich, Lombardi Family Concepts and Sewell Automotive. CBS Radio is the media partner. Also, on Sept. 16, BEDGEAR donated 100 percent of its online sales on bedgear.com to the Dirk Nowitzki Foundation Hurricane Harvey relief efforts and $200,000 worth of performance bedding products to The Dallas Mavericks relief efforts.

Jamahl Mosley, Amos Lee, Dirk Nowitzki, Scott Tomlin, Rick Carlisle

 

To learn more about Dirk’s foundation, go to dnfoundation.org.

BIG Reveal for Unite Forever Gala - United Way Dallas 90th Anniversary

 

Did you hear about last night's HUGE announcement?

 

Charlotte Jones Anderson and husband Sky Anderson hosted a private event at their home where local United Way President Jennifer Sampeson, along with Charlotte Jones Anderson and Troy Aikman, unveiled the entertainment for next year's United Way Dallas 90th Anniversary Gala.  Charlotte and Troy are Co-Chairs of the milestone gala, and what other place to host this #UniteDallas gala than AT&T Stadium, Home of the Dallas Cowboys?

 

Reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year, four-time reigning CMA Male Vocalist of the Year, and multiple Grammy nominee Blake Shelton, and winner of 17 Billboard Music Awards, nine ASCAP awards, eight Soul Train Music Awards and eight Grammy Awards Usher, will co-headline the gala concert presented by PepsiCo.

 

The Unite Forever Gala, presented by Kimberly-Clark Corporation, will rock AT&T Stadium on Friday, February 6, 2015. Gala packages will be available online by early December.

To celebrate this announcement, United Way of Metropolitan Dallas will be giving away a limited number of free seats to the celebration through social media. You can be entered to win by following or liking United Way of Metropolitan Dallas on social media AND sharing the news with friends. The contest will run now through Tuesday, October 29 at 11:59 PM. Winners will be chosen and announced by October 31, 2014.

http://my.unitedwaydallas.org/page/s/Unite-Forever-Gala-2015

The Salvation Army Echelon 30M Gala

The Salvation Army Echelon 30M Gala

Saturday, May 10, 2014

Dinner 6:30 p.m.
Gala 9 p.m.
The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas

 

Chairs: Shelby and Travis Goff, Meredith and Griffin Perry
Honorary Chairs: Laura Bush, Jenna Bush Hager and Barbara Bush, Gene Jones and Charlotte Jones Anderson

 

To purchase your tickets to the Gala, click HERE

 

Echelon's 30M Gala celebrates the vast work of The Salvation Army, which serves 30 million people in the United States annually. The multi-generational event is an opportunity to bring together a diverse group of The Salvation Army's supporters and a chance to raise awareness about The Salvation Army's mission of Doing The Most Good.

Fuel Up to Play 60 and Healthy Zone School Recognition Program® Launch Three-Year Pilot

On Tuesday, February 25, 2014, at AT&T Stadium, an unprecedented collaboration was announced between the nation’s leading organizations in youth health and wellness that could turn the tides in the fight against childhood obesity across the country, starting in Arlington ISD. The United Way of Metropolitan Dallas and Cooper Institute® Healthy Zone School Recognition Program® is expanding through a collaborative partnership with the Dallas Cowboys, the National Football League, GENYOUth, Dairy MAX, and their Fuel Up to Play 60 physical activity and nutrition program. The result of this collaboration is a rigorous two-fold platform honoring schools for their healthy practices and assisting schools in pursuit of the same.

A strong community, including business leaders, food and beverage companies, health professionals, community organizers, teachers and students, were on hand to acknowledge their support of the effort to take place in Arlington schools. Dallas Cowboys ownership, players, cheerleaders and mascot Rowdy; corporate donors to the projects; city and school district officials, including Arlington mayor Dr. Robert Cluck and Arlington ISD superintendent Dr. Marcelo Cavazos, and representatives from all participating organizations were amongst those in attendance for the announcement.

 

“We are incredibly honored to be a part of what we believe will be a great success story in way of improving childhood health in Arlington and across the country,” said Cowboys executive vice president and chief brand officer Charlotte Jones Anderson. “The vast tools and resources available through Fuel Up to Play 60 paired with the Healthy Zone Schools’ competitive recognition program is a formula we think can create positive, healthy environments for schools everywhere for the long term.”

The collaborative program begins with Arlington ISD schools joining the more than 73,000 schools that already participate in FUTP60 nationwide. FUTP60, the flagship program of GENYOUth, empowers students, teachers and community leaders to bring about healthy changes in their schools. Schools may join FUTP60 for free and receive a toolkit consisting of healthy “plays” for better nutrition and physical activity, and in implementing those plays, become eligible for grants of up to $4,000 annually.

The Sweetheart Ball

The Sweetheart Ball is a highlight of the Spring Fundraising season and every year, the party is more beautiful than the year before.  This year's Ball Chair, Charlotte Jones Anderson, did not disappoint!  We all know that she is skilled in producing amazing football halftime shows and grand events for tens of thousands of people, but she was able to create the same magic at this intimate gala as well!  From the decor to the divine dresses, this year's Ball was full of glamour, glitz and, of course, most importantly, wonderful fundraising. Over the last 30 years, the ball has raised over $17 million dollars for cardiology research at UT Southwestern Medical Center. 

A few photos from the patron party:

Shy and Charlotte Anderson, Ball Chair, with Gayle and Paul Stoffel, Hosts of the Patron Party

Nancy and Jeremy Halbreich with Gene Jones

And some highlights of the Ball:

Kelli and Gerald Ford

Lana and Barry Andrews

Ross and Margot Perot

Jason and Michelle Whitten, Jerry and Gene Jones, Charlotte and Shy Anderson

Kenny and Lisa Troutt

Harold and Annette Simmons

Myrna and Robert Schlegel

Charlotte Jones Anderson To Lead NCAA Final Four Events in 2014

What an exciting couple of months it has been for our dear friend Charlotte Jones Anderson. Last month, we reported that Charlotte was appointed as Chairwoman of the Board for the NFL Foundation. Anderson also serves as Chair of The Salvation Army's National Advisory Board.

It was announced yesterday that Charlotte Jones Anderson has another new title. She has been elected Chair of the North Texas Local Organizing Committee (LOC), the group responsible for hosting the 2014 NCAA Men’s Final Four Championship at Cowboys Stadium from April 6-8, 2014. 

"Charlotte is a natural to lead this effort," said Rick Baker, President & CEO of the AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic. "Five years ago she led the bid process to bring this event to Cowboys Stadium."

In addition to the tournament, the NCAA will host an event similar to the NFL Experience, providing interactive areas for children, live concerts and other entertainment.

The LOC’s Board of Directors includes Anderson; Baker; George Bayoud, President of Bayoud & Company, Inc.; Rolando Blackman, former Dallas Mavericks great; Bob Bowlsby, Commissioner of the Big 12 Conference; Jay Burress, President/CEO of the Arlington Convention and Visitors Bureau; Hinojosa; Philip Jones, CEO of the Dallas Convention and Visitors Bureau; Nancy Lieberman, member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame; Gina Puente, CEO and Co-Founder of Puente Enterprises, Inc.; Terdema Ussery, President and CEO of the Dallas Mavericks; John Stankey, Senior Vice President, AT&T; Kathy Saunders, VP and General Manager of KDFW FOX 4; Alan White, Chairman and CEO of PlainsCapital Bank; Frank Windegger, former TCU Athletic Director.

Prior to the 2014 Final Four, Cowboys Stadium will also host the 2013 NCAA Men’s Basketball South Regional during the “Sweet 16” on March 29 and the “Elite 8” on March 31. Tickets to the regional matchups are now on sale through Ticketmaster online at ticketmaster.com or by calling (800) 745-3000. For more information on Cowboys Stadium and the NCAA tournament visit www.stadium.dallascowboys.com

Charlotte Jones Anderson to Lead NFL Foundation

Youth football, health and safety, and community will be the focus areas of the newly created National Football League Foundation. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced the formation of the new organization last week at an NFL meeting here in Dallas.

Commissioner Goodell appointed Charlotte Jones Anderson as chairwoman of the board. She is the first woman to serve in this capacity for an NFL charitable institution and the first woman to represent club ownership as leader of a major professional sports league foundation.





The announcement follows the restructuring of the NFL’s previous charitable arms -- NFL Charities and the NFL Youth Football Fund. As a result of this change, the NFL will be able to devote more resources to its goal of making a difference in the lives of those touched by football – from players at all levels of the game to the broader community.

The foundation will award more than $23 million in grants in 2013 to support youth and high school football programs, health and safety efforts, as well as community health initiatives, including NFL PLAY 60.

Anderson is executive vice president, vice president of brand management and president of the charity foundation for the Dallas Cowboys. She is a graduate of Stanford University. Anderson and her husband live in Dallas with their daughter and two sons.

“As a part of the Cowboys’ organization and a mother of two boys who play football, I understand the powerful ability of the game and the NFL to create positive change in individuals and entire communities,” said Anderson. “I’m honored to be a part of a foundation that will focus on improving the lives of all who are touched by the game of football – from the players to the communities where our fans live.”

The National Football League Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of those touched by the game of football – from players at all levels to communities across the country. The NFL Foundation represents the 32 NFL clubs and supports the health and safety of athletes, youth football, and the communities which support our game.