BENEFICIARY IN CHIEF | Black Tie Dinner Co-Chairs Chris Kouvelis and Mitzi Lemons present a check and a commemorative plate to Human Rights Campaign Foundation President Chad Griffin during a distribution celebration on Thursday, Dec. 13, at the Dallas Contemporary. To view more photos from the event, go to DallasVoice.com/Category/Photos. (David Taffet/Dallas Voice)
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From Staff Reports
Nineteen beneficiaries shared in a $1.05 million distribution from the 31st Annual Black Tie Dinner, and Turtle Creek Solutions was announced as the new Presenting Sponsor for the annual fundraiser, during a celebration on Thursday night, Dec. 13 at The Dallas Contemporary.
Checks were presented by Black Tie Dinner board members to community leaders of 18 North Texas GLBT-supportive beneficiaries and Black Tie’s national beneficiary, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation.
“I want to personally thank everyone for their time, their enthusiasm and, most of all, their unwavering commitment to moving our community forward,” said Black Tie Dinner Co-Chair Chris Kouvelis. “The distributed funds were a result of generous corporate and individual sponsors, table captains and their guests, and through the purchase of live luxury and silent auction items, raffle tickets and general ticket sales.”
Black Tie Dinner Co-Chair Mitzi Lemons saluted the sponsors, table captains, dinner guests and volunteers who proved their commitment to the beneficiaries and the North Texas community. “It’s a thrill and a privilege for Black Tie Dinner to be able to distribute these funds,” Lemons said. “The common thread that runs through all of these wonderful beneficiaries is that they each truly represent our 2012 theme: ‘Affair of the Heart.’ Each of our beneficiaries puts their heart into the services they provide each and every day, and it’s all for the benefit of our community.”
Turtle Creek Solutions, led by co-owners Duane Ransdell and Greg Cave, will be the Presenting Sponsor for the 2013 Black Tie Dinner, the co-chairs announced Thursday evening.
“This has been a lifelong dream for both of us,” Ransdell said. “We are extraordinarily proud to be part of this event in such a rewarding capacity.”
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BTD beneficiary amounts
The 2012 Black Tie Dinner distributed the following funds to this year’s beneficiaries:
• AIDS Arms $52,951
• AIDS Interfaith Network $21,505
• AIDS Outreach Center $21,024
• AIDS Services of Dallas $25,083
• Celebration Community Church $33,342
• Congregation Beth El Binah $22,601
• Equality Texas Foundation $33,304
• Health Services of North Texas $18,951
• Home for the Holidays $19,011
• Lambda Legal: $41,979
• Legacy Counseling Center $22,387
• Legal Hospice of Texas $26,857
• Northaven UMC $29,920
• Resource Center Dallas $75,438
• Samaritan House $19,025
• Turtle Creek Chorale $22,405
• White Rock Friends $19,870
• Women’s Chorus of Dallas $19,347
• HRC Foundation $525,000
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition December 14, 2012.