The highly anticipated 65th annual Junior Symphony Ball was sold out weeks before the event. 2,600 high school students from 35 schools attended the fundraiser on Saturday, February 4 at Gilley’s. With 600 Steering Committee members and 2000 individual students, it was the largest event to date.
The total dollars were tallied, and a tremendous sum has been raised by the students. On behalf of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra League, a gigantic, oversized check in the amount of $415,000 was presented to Kim Noltemy, Ross Perot President and CEO of the Dallas Symphony Association.
“The co-chairs did an outstanding job to ensure the success of this year's event,” said Courtney Plumlee, proud mom of co-chair Alexa Plumlee. “Most importantly, they helped educate their peers that JSB is "A Purpose with A Party." The proceeds have a significant role providing arts education programs and instruments to many local students in our community.”
The JSB’s “Purpose with a Party” was a student-led fundraiser which brought together high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors to celebrate an evening filled with live music featuring Drake Milligan and DJ Souljah, dancing, professionally staffed gaming tables, raffles, prizes and refreshments – and a mechanical bull.
The 2023 co-chairs who worked tirelessly planning and organizing the party were Will Searcy, Episcopal School of Dallas; Mary Ellen Schoellkopf, Highland Park High School, Sydney Hoyl, Hockaday, Dylan Gibbons, Jesuit, Alexa Plumlee Parish Episcopal, Bowden Slates, St. Mark’s of Texas; and Alexandra Paredes, Ursuline Academy.
Proud parents are Kristi and Ron Hoyl, Courtney and Mike Plumlee, Amanda and Thomas Paredes, Ginny and Conner Searcy, Karen and Allen Schoellkopf, Karen and Christopher Gibbons, and Paige and John Slates.
Participating high schools include Alcuin School, Bishop Lynch, Booker T. Washington, Cambridge, Cistercian, Episcopal School of Dallas, Greenhill, Highland Park, Hillcrest, Hockaday, Jesuit, John Paul II, Lake Highlands , Parish Episcopal, Shelton, St. Mark’s of Texas, Ursuline Academy, Woodrow Wilson, Lakehill Preparatory School, Bishop Dunne, Convenant, Prestonwood, and Trinity Christian Academy.
Event sponsors were Trive Capital, Stonelake Capital, Platinum Homes by Mark Molthan, Sewell, Ben E. Keith Company, Hilltop Holdings, Highland Park Village, Gilley’s Dallas, Luke’s Fastbreaks, Mister Tuxedo and Haynsworth Classic American Portraiture.
The JSB is the Dallas Symphony Orchestra League’s longest running fundraiser. It was founded with the concept of “student-led, parent-guided” leadership. While JSB has evolved in scope and participation size, it has always been a high school student fundraising event for the DSO hosted by area 10th-12th grade high school students and their parents. JSB has grown over the decades from just a handful of participating schools to over 35 this year.
Photo by Courtney Plumlee