Texas Monthly editor Jake Silverstein joked from the dais: You know a gala is good when Michael Barnes skips his next scheduled social event. He got it right. The people, the food, the program, everything piled up to keep me seated during the Austin Community Foundation’s 35th Anniversary and Celebration of Giving at the Four Seasons Hotel.
Dipti Dahal and Amit Pandey
This admirable group, which oversees funding for everything from tiny nonprofits to the Labor Day wildfire relief funds, never ceases to amaze me. The depth and breadth of knowledge about Austin on the staff is vast and precious to me. Its backers run the gamut of Austin’ generous classes.
Priscilla and John-Michael Cortez
The lasting gift, however, of its annual gala is the reporting on awards winners. I always learn something. This year the Big 5 were Health Alliance for Austin Musicians, capital management sage Craig Hester, Saheli for Asian Families founder Mamata Misra, KUT leader Stewart Vanderwilt and the Effie and Wofford Cain Foundation, whose Texas family constituents now includes the Deniuses and McGills.
Charmaine Denius McGill and Frank Denius
I sat in between Nancy Scanlan and JoLynn Free, which captained the event. Heaven.