Black Tie Co-Chairs Dustin Vyers and Regina Lyn Pierce announced a record-breaking total of $1.73 million
Black Tie ended a record-breaking year with its Wrap Party on Dec. 14 at Gilley’s Southside Music Hall, during which Co-chairs Regina Lyn Pierce and Dustin Vyers announced that the organization had raised an unprecedented total of $1.73 million for its 19 beneficiaries in 2023 and that, for the first time in its history, Black Tie would be dividing more than $1 million to local beneficiaries.
Local beneficiaries this year and the amount they received from Black Tie were: AIDS Services of Dallas ($55,292.27); Big Brothers Big Sisters Lone Star ($66,730.52) Black Trans Advocacy Coalition ($62,536.02); Cathedral of Hope UCC ($52,386.02); Coalition for Aging LGBT ($54,102.52) Dallas Hope Charities ($52,337.77); Equality Texas Foundation ,($55,5176.27) Help Center for LGBT Health & Wellness ($73,443.52) Legacy Cares ($51,732.02) Northaven United Methodist Church ($85,020.27); Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas ($80,883.27); Pride Frisco ($28,258.64); Resource Center ($67,214.77); Synergy Wesley Foundation ($51,923.27); Texas Health Action ($25,280.51); The Women’s Chorus of Dallas ($54,483.02); Turtle Creek Chorale ($61,886.02), and Uptown Players, Inc. ($64,722.27).
The Human Rights Campaign Foundation, Black Tie’s national beneficiary each year, received $686,250 this year.
The Black Tie co-chairs and board members kicked off this year’s events with the new Dessert B4 Dinner reception May 4 in The Rose Room, inside S4. It was at this event that Black Tie leaders announced the theme for 2023’s dinner as “Mirrorball [which] speaks to our unique qualities and strengths and how the best parts of us combine to reflect light and beauty into the world,” Vyers said.
Officials also announced at the event that Emmy-nominated producer, author and historian Dr. Eric Cervini would receive the 2023 Equality Award.
Longtime local activist Portia Cantrell, a retired nurse and co-creator of the Silver Pride Network, received the 2023 Kuchling Humanitarian Award at this year’s dinner. Actress Cynthia Nixon attended the dinner to accept the Media Award in recognition of her work increasing awareness of LGBTQ issues in the media in a positive way.
Jesse James Keitel received The Visibility Award for having championed diversity, acceptance and empowerment as a transgender actor, writer and artist.
Singer VINCENT provided entertainment at the dinner.
This year’s presenting sponsor for Black Tie was PNC Bank. Platinum sponsor was American Airlines, and Park Place Motorcars Dallas, Morgan Cox & Derrall Hill, iHeart Radio, Sheraton Dallas Hotel and Tim and Lita Welch were Diamond level sponsors.
The 2024 Black Tie Dinner is set for Nov. 16 at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel.
— Tammye Nash
