Black Tie Dinner Co-chairs Brad Pritchett, left, and Terry Loftis unveiled the dinner’s “40th” logo on Thursday
Black Tie co-chairs announce beneficiaries, unveil logos
From Staff Reports
Black Tie Dinner announced its 17 beneficiaries and revealed the 40th anniversary logo for 2021 during the digital kickoff Thursday, April 29. Black Tie Dinner is the largest event of its kind in the U.S., and this year’s event is set for Nov. 13.
BTD’s Senior Co-Chair Brad Pritchett the nonprofits chosen as beneficiaries said this year are a “diverse, well-rounded group of incredibly hard-working organizations that make a massive, positive impact in our local LGBTQ community.”
He added, “Selecting our beneficiaries is one of the most important and toughest decisions our board makes every year, but it is also the most rewarding because of the amazing work these organizations are doing to serve North Texas.”
Local beneficiaries returning for 2021 are AIDS Services of Dallas, Big Brother Big Sisters Lone Star, Cathedral of Hope United Church of Christ, Celebration Community Church, Coalition of Aging LGBT, Equality Texas Foundation, Health Education Learning Project, Lambda Legal Defense & Education Fund, Legacy Counseling Center, Northaven United Methodist Church, Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas, Promise House, Resource Center, Turtle Creek Chorale and Uptown Players.
Black Tie Dinner Co-chairs Brad Pritchett, left, and Terry Loftis visited several Oak Lawn landmarks during the 2021 digital kick-off event.
New to the beneficiaries list this year is Dallas Hope Charities. And Black Tie Dinner’s returning national beneficiary is the Human Rights Campaign Foundation.
Black Tie Dinner unveiled its 40th anniversary logo during the kickoff event Thursday, and dinner officials launched the return of The Black Tie Ambassador Program, its digital peer-to-peer fundraising campaign.
“Due to the success of last year’s Ambassador Program, we decided to extend this year-round giving campaign throughout our 2021 fundraising year,” Junior Co-chair Terry Loftis said. “We are extremely grateful for the support of our Black Tie Dinner friends and allies, and this will give us the opportunity to connect with even more community members in 2021 to fundraise for our beneficiaries as we celebrate our historic 40th Dinner.”
The Ambassador Program played a key role in the organization’s success in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the traditional sit-down dinner and program, and organizers had to find a new direction and plan of action.
Thursday’s digital kickoff also featured a diverse mix of segments highlighting the organization’s mission to educate, empower and entertain, including a historic look back at Black Tie Dinner’s first 39 years and spotlighting several historic Oak Lawn landmarks.
“After 39 years and nearly $26 million dollars raised, it was important for us to reflect on our rich and colorful past while shining a light on cultural landmarks such as the Trans Mural, Legacy of Love monument and recent beautification projects on Cedar Springs,” Pritchett said.
The two co-chairs said their board expects demand for tickets to this year’s event in November to be high, and they encouraged individuals and companies to sign up to become a sponsor as quickly as possible. In addition to presenting sponsor BBVA, Park Place Motorcars is also back, providing the 2021 Mercedes-Benz that will be given away by raffle.
For more info on how to become a sponsor, buy your raffle ticket, donate an auction and more, visit BlackTie.org.
