JDRF Parties Across Texas! Virtual Statewide Bash Raises $3.4 Mil

Daniel Ortiz
JDRF Parties Across Texas! Virtual Statewide Bash Raises $3.4 Mil

Carter and Meredith Crow

WHILE SEVERAL ORGANIZATIONS have moved forward with in-person events this spring, JDRF decided to host one final virtual blow-out bash! The "OneParty" event united supporters from Austin, San Antonio and Houston for a livestream program and also celebrated the newly formed JDRF Southern Texas Chapter.

In lieu of purchasing traditional tables and tickets, patrons in each city could opt to host smaller-scale in-home celebrations — but still with the flourish and flair of the organization's annual black-tie event. Indoor and outdoor affairs across Texas featured beautiful tablescapes and full waitstaffs with artisanal cheeses, boneless beef short ribs and wine galore, courtesy of Houston-based A Fare Extraordinaire.

The evening included inspirational testimonies from homegrown heroes who have Type 1 Diabetes, such as April Blackwell, who flies the International Space Station. Kenny Loggins closed out the program, performing hits spanning his decades-long career.

But the most notable part of the evening was the exciting live auction, featuring prizes like covetable getaways to Cabo or Telluride, and the Fund a Cure portion of the gala, during which guests could make direct donations to T1D research. The Robshaw family from Austin donated a whopping $600,000 to the cause!

In all, the evening raised $3.4 million (and counting!), and while Texans undoubtedly can't wait for next year's in-person gala, there's no denying that the OneParty event was an unparalleled success.

Behind the scenes of a virtual gala: Emcee, Drew Dougherty and Seth Hale of the Cowboy Auctioneer Group

Clay Bretches hosted friends at his Memorial home

Grace and Clay Carrell

Jeannette and Brian Meucki

Judith and Lance Perdue

Laurel and Mark Midani

Marshall, Suzette and Ethan Lang

Seth Hale of The Cowboy Auctioneer Group

Travis and Freyja Lauritsen

Parties

A detail of one of Conley's new metal sculptures

IT’S BEEN A while (2017 to be exact) since we featured Houston metal sculptor Tara Conley in our inaugural A Day in the Life of the Arts photo essay. That image of Conley in her Montrose studio, dressed in jeans, a long-sleeve flannel shirt, and a welders mask, holding a blow torch and staring down the camera while crouched behind one of her elegant steel sculptures, certainly conveyed the “work” that goes into being a “working artist.”

Keep Reading Show less
Art + Entertainment

ANNUALLY ONE OF the city's largest and most successful fundraising fetes, this year's Cattle Baron's Ball surpassed expectations, raising $1.6 million for the American Cancer Society.

Keep Reading Show less
Parties