A tornado watch for North Texas had just been issued on Friday, November 30, as the evening drive-home traffic slogged along. But over at the Anatole, like Christmas elves, workers were putting the finishing touches on the 2018 Crystal Charity Ball in the Chantilly Ballroom.
Upstairs 2018 CCB Chair Claire Emanuelson was in the Margaret Thatcher Suite surrounded by her committee and friends like Beth Thoele, Elizabeth Gambrell, Kristina Whitcomb, Cara French, Suzy Gekiere, Susan Farris, Stacey Walker, Susan Glassmoyer, Anne McPherson, Mary Parker, Libby Hegi, Linda Secrest, Marie Dean, Leslie Diers, Peggy Meyer, Susan McSherry, Ola Fojtasek, Knoxie Edmonson, Candace Winslow, Lisa Cooley, Lauryn Gayle White, Tiffany Divis, Kevin Kadesky, Shelby Wagner, former CCB chairs (Debbie Oates, Connie O’Neill, Aileen Pratt, Robyn Conlon, Pam Perella and Christie Carter) and future chairs (Pat McEvoy and Tucker Enthoven) to celebrate her year-long run to provide $6,501,105 for Dallas-area children’s nonprofits.
Like kids sneaking in after curfew, James Emanuelson and Hillis Emanuelson along with wife Lindsay Emanuelson arrived midway into the festivities. They were sorta surprised at the scene. Instead of finding ladies in stilettos and uber false lashes, the trio found a room full of women wearing ponytails, jeans and very little makeup, with a smattering of men sipping champagne.
On a couch was the boys’ dad, Dwight Emanuelson, looking right at home in his role as 2018 CCB First Husband.
Across the room, Claire was still checking on details on the night to come, but she dropped everything at the sight of her kids.
She had earlier in the evening expressed the same look when her dad, Dick Stephens, arrived. Immediately he was surrounded by the likes of Piper Wyatt, Pat McEvoy, Muffin Lemak and Shelle Sills.
For Claire, the 2018 CCB’s “A Celebration in Nouvelle-Orléans.” was a celebration of her New Orleans roots and her mother, who, along with her sisters, had died from cancer. Knowing how personal the year’s effort had been for Claire, Underwriting Chair Angie Kadesky teared up leading the group in toasting Claire.
Snapshots: Mary Clare Finney’s Armstrong project is a done deal. She’s already tackling her next undertaking — the refreshing of her Volk Estate home… In keeping with “A Celebration in Nouvelle-Orléans” theme, event Producer Tom Addis wore a Mardi Gras style jacket courtesy of Susan Palma … Marybeth Conlon was in a lipstick-print blouse with Kara Axley in a heart-print sweater.