Dear Friends,This spring has been an especially trying time for our neighbors in Texas and Oklahoma. With the horrific explosion in West and the devastating tornadoes in Granbury, Cleburne, and towns in Oklahoma, many homes have been razed leaving people without a roof over their head.
The Salvation Army has responded quickly to all these disasters. Our mobile disaster kitchens were deployed to meet the immediate needs of victims and first responders. Salvation Army workers also provided emotional and spiritual support to help people with the difficult process of dealing with what happened to them.
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| With the Dallas Cowboys, Albertsons, and CBS-11 we held telethons to raise funds for our relief efforts in West, North Texas, and Oklahoma. |
Through
it all, we weren’t alone. With the help of the Dallas Cowboys, CBS-11, and
Albertsons, we held three TV telethons for our relief efforts, raising nearly
$95,000. We also received support from Verizon, Mary Kay, 94.9 KLTY and others towards our relief efforts in West.
Our disaster services continue to help meet the needs of those affected. These services would not be possible without the strong support from North
Texans like you. Thank you so very much!
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| Stan Richards of The Richards Group addressing guests at the Executive Leadership Breakfast. |
We held our second annual Executive Leadership Breakfast at the Crescent Hotel in Dallas. Attended by some of DFW's leading business leaders, the breakfast featured Stan Richards, founder and President of The Richards Group, as keynote speaker. Stan spoke about The Salvation Army's brand and how that brand is communicated to the public.
We
also announced plans to celebrate 125 years of Salvation Army operations in
Dallas-Fort Worth during 2014. Charlotte Jones Anderson, Executive Vice
President and Chief Brand Officer for the Dallas Cowboys, will chair this year-long
event. Gene and Jerry Jones will serve as honorary chairs.
We
will also hold an Executive Leadership Breakfast in Tarrant County this fall.
The breakfast will be an opportunity to give Fort Worth business executives a
clearer picture of how their companies can engage with The Salvation Army to
make a difference in the community.
RELIANT HOME RUN DERBY
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| Jason Hatcher (winner of the home run derby), Captain Michele and Major Ward Matthews, and Manny Rodriguez of Reliant Energy. |
Reliant Energy hosted a Home Run Derby at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington with Dallas Cowboys players slugging away to raise funds for The Salvation Army.
With each home run worth $1,000 (and each final pitch worth $2,000), Dallas Cowboys players raised $43,000! The winning slugger was Jason Hatcher. Also swinging bats were Miles Austin, Jason Witten, Demarco Murray, and head coach Jason Garrett.
ORGANIZATIONS VOLUNTEERING IN THE METROPLEX
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| BNSF employees volunteering at our homeless shelter in Fort Worth. |
In
Garland, Reliant Energy employees sorted food from the National Association of Letter Carriers'
“Stamp Out Hunger” food drive at our local community center. Their
diligent efforts benefited the center’s food pantry.
Dr. Pepper-Snapple Group employees were all smiles as they painted various rooms geared towards children served at our community center in Plano, providing a safe, clean—and colorful— environment for children in the community.
WOMEN’S AUXILIARY FASHION SHOW
The
Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary of Dallas held a wonderful fashion show and
luncheon at Brook Hollow Golf Club on May 6.
Kicking off with the Chic Boutique—where guests purchased designer items at great prices—the show featured a runway-style fashion show produced by Jan Strimple Productions. Gloria Campos of WFAA Channel 8 emceed this year’s event.
Proceeds
from the fashion show benefit Salvation Army programs across the Metroplex. Kicking off with the Chic Boutique—where guests purchased designer items at great prices—the show featured a runway-style fashion show produced by Jan Strimple Productions. Gloria Campos of WFAA Channel 8 emceed this year’s event.
The Women’s Auxiliary is currently selling two quality dresses from the fashion show for a discount price. Click here to learn more.
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| Former Air Force pilot Scott O'Grady giving the keynote address at our Annual Luncheon in Denton. |
Serving
as the luncheon’s keynote speaker, former Air Force pilot Scott O’Grady
described how he survived being shot down over Bosnia and being in enemy
territory for six days.
ECHELON 30M GALA WEEKEND
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| Designer Kelly Wearslter (left) being interviewed by Kimberly Schlegel Whitman during the Echelon 30M Gala at the Joule Hotel. |
Echelon,
The Salvation Army’s young professional’s group,
celebrated
the work of The Salvation Army through its first-ever 30M Gala Weekend.
The weekend-long event began with a luncheon at the Joule Hotel in Dallas. Guests watched a live on-stage interview with designer Kelly Wearslter by lifestyle expert Kimberly Schlegel Whitman. The celebration continued the following night with a dinner and dance at the Dallas Country Club.
The weekend-long event began with a luncheon at the Joule Hotel in Dallas. Guests watched a live on-stage interview with designer Kelly Wearslter by lifestyle expert Kimberly Schlegel Whitman. The celebration continued the following night with a dinner and dance at the Dallas Country Club.
CONNECT WITH US!
A lot has happened and we have more on the way. Connect with us on our Facebook and Twitter pages for the latest updates on events, disaster response, and more.
Warm regards,
Captain Michele and Major Ward Matthews
DFW Command Leadership
