Rob Giardinelli
Folds of Honor Gala Honors Veterans, Raises Over $3 Million
By Rob Giardinelli Photography by Thomas Garza, Lisa Means, and Rob Wythe
THE SCENE: Veteran’s Day at AT&T Stadium in Dallas setting for an epic and emotional night of fundraising that those fortunate enough to be a part of will not soon forget. Over 1,700 of North Texas’ community, social, and philanthropic leaders turned out for the annual Folds of Honor Gala. Presented by Ryan, the night was comprised of touching tributes and moving performances in honor of those who have sacrificed for our country.
THE VIBE: The black-tie crowd began the evening with a VIP reception in the Dallas Cowboys locker room where upon arrival, guests posed for photos with various Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders to commemorate the evening. Once inside the stadium partygoers mingled while perusing an impressive array of silent auction items. Upon conclusion of the VIP reception, attendees walked through a specially constructed monument honoring fallen heroes before heading to AT&T field for the main program.
The field was transformed into a space of patriotic elegance with tables draped in red, white, and blue. The program began with a rendition of the National Anthem by Kia Dawn of Party Machine as well as the Folds of Honor anthem by acclaimed country music artists James Colton. As guests dined on their multi-course meals, Master of Ceremonies and NBC 5 Anchor Meredith Land kept the evening moving at a brisk pace that also allowed patrons the space to acknowledge emotional moments such as the empty POW/MIA table in honor of the fallen service members.
Next came words from organization leaders and military family members who have benefitted from Folds of Honor scholarships. Guests were also treated to from Folds of Honor Founder Lieutenant Colonel Dan Rooney, who revealed the emotional story that inspired him to start the organization. The program concluded with a Give from the Heart appeal which raised an inspiring $1.2 million dollars. The fun then continued with an after-party where revelers danced the night away to the tunes of Party Machine.
THE NON-PROFIT: The event, where Holly and Jim Trester served as honorary chairs, raised nearly $3.2 million for Folds of Honor. Proceeds from the evening will go toward scholarships to the spouses and children of fallen and disabled military members. Since its founding in 2007, the organization has awarded over 51,000 scholarships totaling over $240 million. In 2023, Folds of Honor provided 1,131 scholarships totaling over $5.1 million to Texas residents. Learn more about the Folds of Honors North Texas chapter at NorthTexas.FoldsOfHonor.org.
