SPCA of Texas’ Fur Ball 2017, “Reigning Cats and Dogs,” a Tail Wagging Success!
An evening of dinner, dancing and fabulous live and silent auctions
Saturday, September 30, 2017
6:30 p.m. – Midnight
Omni Dallas Hotel
The SPCA of Texas' Fur Ball 2017, “Reigning Cats and Dogs,” was held on Saturday, September 30 from 6:30 p.m. to midnight at the Omni Dallas hotel. The regally elegant, black-tie evening included dinner, dancing and live and silent auctions for over 900 guests. Chair Cindy Lindsley announced that thanks to the generosity of sponsors, patrons and guests, Fur Ball 2017 raised more than $500,000 to help the SPCA of Texas serve 75,000 animals and their people in 2017 and beyond.
Guests were greeted with passed bubbly and savory hors d’oeuvres as they made their way up to the Omni’s Dallas Ballroom. During cocktail hour, elegantly clad ladies and gentlemen nibbled and sipped, snapped pics and perched on thrones as they cuddled a passel of adoptable SPCA of Texas puppies, all while a three-piece combo from Limelight jazzed it up. Competition was fierce at the 300+ item silent auction, which featured everything from sports memorabilia, fabulous spa packages, high-end jewelry, dining experiences (from the fun to the fine) and so much more.
Each beautifully appointed table was graced with gorgeous floral centerpieces complete with golden crowns thanks to Dr. Delphinium. The delightful dinner included a salad of butter lettuce and seasonal greens salad with spiced pecans, goat cheese, and pancetta served with a Sherry Vinaigrette along with entrees, either Beef ‘Wellington’ petite filet and slow roasted salmon with mushroom duxelle, puff pastry, Pomme Dauphinois, green bean bundle, baby carrot, roasted radish and acorn squash bordelaise or Herb Creamed Spinach Stuffed portabella mushroom with steamed rice, green bean bundle, roasted vegetables baby carrot, acorn squash and radish in red pepper sauce. The delicious dessert was a Black Forest cheese cake with chocolate and vanilla sauce with a gold-flecked cherry garnish.
Alanna Sarabia, emcee for the evening, arrived wearing her glittering Fiesta Queen crown. As past reigning Miss San Antonio and Fiesta Queen, her platform was the importance of responsible pet ownership as well as spaying and neutering pets to curb overpopulation for the health and safety of the community. Ms. Sarabia spoke about the importance of pets in all our lives, remembering that pets were furry siblings as she grew up and an important part of her life ever since. She thanked guests for their support and partnership to help the SPCA of Texas rescue, heal, and find homes for abandoned and abused animals.
SPCA of Texas President and CEO, James Bias, welcomed guests, staff and volunteers, thanked sponsors and shared with guests the important work the SPCA of Texas is able to perform thanks to the community’s support, such as saving animals on a cruelty case like the 100 dogs we seized from a puppy mill the previous Monday, providing spay or neuter services to tens of thousands of pets in Southern Dallas and all of North Texas, and, most recently, saying yes to caring for over 600 animals in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. Mr. Bias also thanked the SPCA of Texas’ board of directors for their guidance and spoke about how the SPCA of Texas’ staff, volunteers and partners are intently focused at all times on saving lives, making a difference and never resting until the organization makes our community a better place for people and their pets.
Mr. Bias and Katy Murray, SPCA of Texas Board Chair and Chief Financial Officer for A. H. Belo Corporation, presented the 2017 Spencer Humanitarian Award to the Dallas Morning News for their comprehensive, ongoing coverage of the loose dog problem and subsequent suffering of animals and people in Southern Dallas. James M. Moroney, Publisher of the Dallas Morning News and Chief Executive Officer of A.H. Belo, accepted the award, and was joined by several members of the editorial staff. The Spencer Humanitarian Award, named for warm-hearted entrepreneur and long-tenured, past SPCA of Texas Board member Mary Spencer, recognizes an individual, company or group whose extraordinary efforts have made a positive difference for animals. The Dallas Morning News has and continues to shine a light on the heartbreaking issue of suffering on the part of people and pets taking place in the most underserved area in Dallas. Their coverage in no small part contributed to the subsequent funding of the largest-scale spay/neuter, vaccination and microchipping effort in the nation to date by many of the most prominent charities in North Texas. Their voice, calling attention to animal issues, is loud, clear and unwavering, and the pets and people of North Texas are fortunate indeed for this.
Debra Burns, Senior Vice President for Development, wrapped up by thanking guests, and announcing a surprise $1 million gift from Russell E. Dealey. The SPCA of Texas is grateful for Mr. Dealey’s tremendous gift, and has re-named its Animal Rescue Center in Dallas the Russell E. Dealey Animal Rescue Center.
Guests then bid often and bid high on the evening’s nine fabulously over-the-top live auction items and “Pony Up for Paws” raise the paddle feature. High-rolling patrons won delicious dining experiences, glamorous getaways to Telluride and New York City, a decadent “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” spa and shopping package and more. The top three live auction items of the evening were all once-in-a-lifetime experiences. One of these was a two day, two night package for four to the world-renowned animal sanctuary, the Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch in Murchison, Texas, complete with personalized tours and more. Others were a getaway to Mountain Lodge in Telluride, Colorado and a fabulous Thanksgiving Day in New York, New York.
Fur Ball 2017 then brought the high-voltage fun with headline entertainment by Dallas’ ultimate party band, Limelight. Guests rushed the dance floor and partied until after Midnight.
Fur Ball 2017 was a tail-wagging success thanks to chair Cindy Lindsley; auction chair Sandra Fite; auction co-chair Cameron Gummer; co-chairs Laura Floyd, Allie Jarvie and Jennifer Lindsley; and event emcee Alanna Sarabia. The evening’s production was provided by Nomad Productions. Photographer for the evening was Bret Redman.
The SPCA of Texas sincerely thanks special partners, including Diamond sponsor: Russell E. Dealey; Sapphire sponsors: Barefoot Wine and Bubbly, Lydia and Bill Addy, Colin and Sandra Fite, Marsha Pendleton-Gray and Dr. Richard Gray, H/3 Foundation, Northern Trust, Trevor and Jan Rees-Jones and Sewell Automotive; Ruby sponsors: Dr Delphinium and Rebecca Farris; Emerald sponsors: Carla J. Brandt, Linda and Ozzie Chapa, Dr. Loren Glasser and Jill Bee, Guaranty Bank and Trust, Holly and Philip Huffines, Ty and Nancy Merelli, Milagro Tequila, Thompson & Knight Foundation, Come from Away – A New Musical and Webb Family Foundation; Corporate Royal Gem sponsors: AG&E Structural Engenuity, Alliance Insurance, Cityvet, Hill's Pet Nutrition, Hollywood Feed, Merck Animal Health, Heineken, OrangeTheory Fitness, Origin Bank, PBK, RKD Group, Swiss Avenue Women’s Guild, Tejas Ranch & Game Fence, VCA Animal Hospitals, Vinson and Elkins LLP and Whole Foods Market; Media Sponsors: Modern Luxury Magazine and Slingshot.
Guests included Jan and Trevor Rees-Jones, Trevor and Jenny Rees-Jones, David and Margaret Rees-Jones, Russell E. Dealey and the extended Dealey family, James and Barbara Moroney, Sally Anne Hudnall, Stacey and Don Kivowitz, Lynn McBee, Lawrence and Katy Bock, Gwen and Leldon Echols, Gigi Potter Salley, Phillip and Holly Huffines, Beth and Steve Jarvie, Peter and Lynn Dauterman, Meredith Perot, Peter Addie, Kirsten Burns, Dr. Loren Glasser and Jill Bee, Linda and Ozzie Chapa, Betsy Orton and Sharon Fancher, Dr. and Mrs. Richard Gray, Katy Murray, Judy Davis, Gus Hinojosa, Teresa and Chic Henderson, Steve Atkinson and Ted Kincaid, Kelly Thompson, Dr. Rocky McKelvey, David and Carolyn Kubes, Pam Ragon, Danny Tobey and Bill Driscoll.
Fur Ball is DFW’s salute to the bond between people and their pets and a celebration of the SPCA of Texas’ important mission to provide every animal exceptional care and a loving home. All money raised through Fur Ball 2017 will go directly to the SPCA of Texas to help rescue, heal and find homes for thousands of animals.
Next year’s event is already in the works. Fur Ball 2018 will be held at the Hyatt Regency on Saturday, September 22, 2018, which is the SPCA of Texas’ 80th anniversary of receiving its charter.