Held Monday, March 22, this year’s Symphony of Chefs by Design was the ultimate chef-driven culinary dinner experience created with guests in mind. The evening included all of the unique elements guests have enjoyed over the years and provided three thoughtful celebration options for the 2021 experience. Instead of the usual in-person dining event supporters have become accustomed to, table sponsors were able to design an experience that they and their guests were comfortable with and create their own one-of-a-kind dining experience. Options included the choice to dine in the private dining room of a restaurant, host a chef-prepared experience at their home, or enjoy an interactive virtual chef cooking class and dinner. 

 Executive Chef & Proprietor Janice Provost of Parigi, hosted Adam and Aimee Hall and the guests of Alliant Insurance Services in her private Parisian speakeasy event space. Jaime and Greg Lyons chose to entertain their guests in the private dining room of Nick & Sam’s Park Cities with an incredible menu prepared by Executive Chef Juan “Pancho” Jasso. Antoinette and Barry Davis opened their Preston Hollow estate to friends who enjoyed a meal prepared by Executive Chef Luke Rogers of Cathedral Italian Bistro, opening Summer 2021. Urban Rio’s private rooftop event space in Plano was the scene for Bonnie and Nathan Shea and the Urban Energy Funds family to fête guests with a special menu prepared by Executive Chef Brandon Moore of Ocean Prime. Cristi and Kevin Ryan’s home offered guests an informal indoor/outdoor setting to enjoy a menu prepared by Nick & Sam’s Steakhouse Executive Chef Jon Kleifgen. Blaine Staniford, Executive Chef of Grace and Little Red Wasp Restaurants showcased his culinary talents in the Highland Park home of Kaari & Jim Wicklund, while across town, Diana Zamora of Harvest Project Food Rescue entertained guests of sponsor, Edge Natural Resources at the Second Floor at The Exchange in the new AT&T Discovery District. Each chef paired their dishes with wines from LangeTwins Family Winery and Vineyards.

Funds raised from this event will support KidLinks efforts to provide Healing, Hope and Happiness for the special needs of children through music and media. For more information, visit www.kidlinks.org. This event was made possible in part by Urban Energy Funds, Cristi and Kevin Ryan, Georgia & Marc Lyons, Moss Adams LP, Alliant Insurance Services, Inc., Edge Natural Resources LLC, Kaari & Jim Wicklund, Texas Capital Bank, Ann and J.W. Brown, and J.P. Morgan Private Bank.

On Wednesday, September 16,  K&L Gates presented an in-person program with former LPGA golfer, Laura Baugh, benefiting Recovery Resource Council.  Approximately 75 enthusiastic supporters gathered at the Hyatt Regency to hear Baugh share her experiences as a young mother touring with the LPGA, her struggles with fame and alcoholism, and her recovery journey to today’s 23-years of sobriety. This was one of the very first in-person events to be held since the pandemic shut down the social scene last March. From temperature taking to hand sanitizing stations, every precaution was taken to ensure the safety of guests and theater-style seating was utilized to allow attendees to socially distance.

“September is National Recovery Month, so moving forward with this event was important for us to be visibly advocating for recovery,” said Eric Niedermayer, CEO, Recovery Resource Council. “COVID-19 is not going to hold Recovery Resource Council back from raising funds, openly attacking the stigma of substance mis-use and celebrating recovery stories like Laura Baugh’s that emphasize that recovery is possible and sustainable - one day at a time.”

Event Chairs Tilda and Ty Beasley welcomed attendees and shared these reasons for their leadership of this event saying, “We are passionate about providing hope through the services provided by the Recovery Resource Council in general. However, the COVID-19 situation fueled our passion even more because it’s created a sense of loneliness and despair, which are the enemies of the hope and support people need when battling addiction. We wanted to join the team at RRC and our generous sponsors to keep the hope and support flowing for people in need.”

Michael Molthan, host of M2 the Rock, was the program’s emcee. Robin Bagwell and Lauren Gillette were given the task of making the plea for donations. Robin made the room erupt with laughter when she quipped, “I know you’ve got money because no one is traveling or going to concerts, so don’t tell me you can’t give!”

And it’s not too late to support the work of RRC! Virtual tickets are now available for post-show viewing for a $100 and can be purchased at https://recoverycouncil.org. Funds are needed as the region sees an uptick in child abuse and domestic violence, and alcohol sales increase. The money raised through sponsorships, ticket sales and the silent auction at The Power of Prevention event supports a portion of The Council's operating budget. Funds raised will free up program dollars to provide more direct services including screenings, assessments, and outpatient services for addiction and substance use disorder, counseling for veterans and their families, and prevention education for at-risk children and youth.

Event sponsors included K&L Gates, Ronald Clinkscale, Betty and Eric Spomer, KPMG, The Right Step DFW, FBFK, Hartline Barger LLP, Tilda and Ty Beasley, Vicki and Eric Niedermayer, Nancy and Jack Zoog, Santé, ACS, Winstead, RSM, and UST.

For a limited time only, Truluck's is bringing the beach experience of a seafood boil to you. The Seaboard Social is a feast for your senses. Enjoy a crab and seafood boil stocked with shellfish, 3 kinds of crab, Andouille sausage, fingerling potatoes, corn, artichokes and plated alongside crisp coleslaw, tater salad, and Chef Brian’s noteworthy adult banana pudding. Truluck's is providing the ultimate poolside or inside setup by including butcher paper, crab zippers, festive bibs, serving utensils, and a disposable wire chafer rack with wick fuel to keep it all warm. This curbside special serves 4-6 guests for $225, available August 21-23 and August 28-30 at both the Uptown and Southlake locations and requires 24 hours’ notice to order. Pair these seafood varieties with one of Truluck’s Red, White and Rosé Selections for $20 such as Redemption, Dry Creek, Zinfandel, 2014, Abadia de San Campio, Albariño, Rías Baixas, Spain, 2018, and Miraval, Cotes de Provence, Rosé, France, 2019.

Masks. Yes, kids need to wear one. Kathy Fielder Boutique is offering great masks for kids in terms of fit, style, and color. Convincing kids to wear masks can be a challenge, so parents want to look for masks that are comfortable, adjustable, and most of all, appealing to kids thanks to bright colors and child-friendly patterns. According to the CDC, the only people exempt from mask-wearing are children under the age of 2 and those who cannot remove a mask themselves or have trouble breathing. Having a comfortable mask, in a breathable fabric, can help and having parent model good compliance can go a long way (hint, hint). Fielder's own 8-year old son, Harrison, served as a sounding board when selecting designs and styles for the store. Kathy understands firsthand the challenges parents face and hopes that the styles she and her son have chosen help make the transition back to school a little easier for families. 

Kids Camo Mask ($10)

Irving-based Shoebacca recently donated 400 pairs of shoes, 170 pairs of socks, 150 pairs of men’s underwear and 514 pieces of apparel totaling $50,000 in value to Dallas 24 Hour Club. PlainsCapital Bank Executive Vice President,  Joe Pitch, is a Board Member for The 24, recently assisted Shoebacca with some banking services. “They were appreciative of the work I had done and inquired if there was something they could do in return.  Knowing they had made donations to various charities in the past, I mentioned that Dallas 24 Hour Club could always use shoes and would be grateful for any inventory they could spare. The owners Marc and Robert Schlachter, along with son Ryan and his assistant Ellen, surprised us with this incredibly generous and thoughtful gift of shoes, socks and clothes.”

Shoebacca is a full-scale online retail footwear company dedicated to helping customers and their families lead active, healthy lifestyles. The company started from humble beginnings when two community-minded brothers named Marc and Robert Schlachter started selling used name-brand athletic shoes to underprivileged families at local neighborhood markets. Along with those early grass-roots efforts, they also shipped truckloads of shoes to areas all over the world, primarily to third-world countries where the need was greatest. 

“We understand the impact of a helping hand, but more importantly recognize the gift of a hand up. The 24 Hour Club gives refuge to those who are wanting to help themselves out of addiction and into recovery. No family is untouched from the strain addiction so we could not think of a better place to give to! We hope the best for everyone that enters the club and comes out better for it.” Marc, Robert, & Ryan Schlachter, Shoebacca.

Dallas 24 Hour Club was founded in 1969 by Lee Tillman to have a place open 24 hours per day for individuals suffering from alcoholism and drug addiction who were seeking help. Over the next 50 years, Dallas 24 Hour Club grew to offer housing, the first with 6 beds for homeless men only, to their current facility, which has 75 beds, services for both men and women, and hosts (37) 12-Step Recovery Meetings each week. They are available for the suffering alcoholic or drug addict 24 hours each day, 365 days each year, thus the name Dallas 24 Hour Club.

“With this extremely generous donation from Shoebacca, we have been able to hand each resident a brand new pair of shoes, socks and tops. Having a new clothing set is so meaningful and rewarding. We are so grateful to Shoebacca for making our residents feel so special.” said Colleen Quinn, Assistant Program Manager for the Dallas 24 Hour Club.

Dallas 24 Hour Club is located at 4636 Ross Ave, Dallas, TX 75204, 214-823-3200, www.dallas24hourclub.org