Curated Texan
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Every spring for more than 40 years, the St. David’s Foundation Toast of the Town has celebrated the best of Central Texas, hosting a lineup of incredible and unforgettable events. It is one of those rare experiences where old Austin and new Austin meet: a tradition over four decades that spotlights the newest venues and the hottest restaurants and chefs, but also opens the doors to intimate encounters with Austin legends.
Created in 1984, the concept of the Toast of the Town event series has remained the same: offer one-of-a-kind opportunities that are elevated, selective, and, of course, fun, all for the express purpose of raising philanthropic dollars for Central Texas. This year’s theme is “Rooted in Community, Blooming into the Future”, which underscores the unique crossover of past and present, new and old, traditional and modern, while also highlighting the impact the proceeds have on the future of the community.
Toast of the Town 2025 is offering 20 distinctive events, featuring dinners with world-class authors, premium wine and bourbon tastings, meet and greets with sports legends, and even opportunities to Toast at Home (a newer tradition that was born in 2020) with custom dinners from award-winning restaurants delivered straight to your home. And it’s all for an incredibly important cause: St. David’s Foundation’s Neal Kocurek Scholarship Program. The proceeds from the event’s sponsorships and tickets, which are doubled through a match from the Foundation’s Community Fund, benefit the scholarship program.
A Life-changing Program for 20 Years
This year is incredibly special as the foundation celebrates the Neal Kocurek Scholarship’s 20th anniversary. Since its inception, this program has become the largest healthcare scholarship program in Texas. Providing merit and need-based scholarships to Central Texas high school seniors pursuing health-related degrees at Texas colleges and universities, the St. David’s Foundation’s Neal Kocurek Scholarship Program has provided life-changing support to more than 800 future healthcare professionals.
The program is designed to ensure students are positioned for long-term success. Scholars not only receive funds to help pay tuition, but the program also provides each scholar with mentorship and emotional support. Matching each student with a healthcare professional gives them invaluable guidance from someone who can help them navigate the challenges and opportunities that come with pursuing a degree in healthcare. As many of the St. David’s Foundation Neal Kocurek Scholarship recipients are the first in their families to attend college, professional support is a cornerstone to help ensure their success.
The scholarship program isn’t just making a difference in the lives of these students, but it is truly an investment in the future health of Central Texas. It is critical that the community has dedicated physicians, nurses, dentists, lab technicians, and other healthcare heroes and the need has never been greater. These Scholarships ensure Central Texas has the skilled, passionate workforce necessary to keep the Central Texas community healthy for years to come.
2025 Toast of the Town
To celebrate two decades of this impactful program, the 2025 co-chairs, Felicia Hester and Araminta Sellers, curated an extraordinary series of 20 events for this May. Some of these events include:
An evening with New York Times bestselling author Bryan Burrough, who just released his latest work, The Gunfighters. Guests will enjoy a delightful poolside buffet dinner while overlooking the Austin Skyline and hear directly from the author about his new book.
A musical salon at the gorgeous lakeside home of Kristi and Blake Stanford. It will be an intimate evening of music, fine dining, and community with the Juilliard String Quartet and ATX Chamber Music and Jazz Co-Artistic Director and pianist Anna Petrova.
An intimate two-hour sommelier-led Burgundy tasting featuring rare and premium wines unavailable commercially in the United States. With each sip, a professional sommelier will serve as the guest’s tasting guide, accentuating the flavor profile of each glass with delicious paired hors d’oeuvres.
An unforgettable Austin evening with award-winning bourbons from Milam & Greene Whiskey and GRAMMY Award ® winner Ray Benson. Guests will enjoy craft cocktails, a special menu from Hoover’s Cooking, and an intimate acoustic set. Hear lively stories from two local legends (Benson and Marsha Milam) in this one-of-a-kind celebration.
This is just a taste of what the 2025 events have to offer. Visit toastaustin.org to learn about this year’s events.
In 2024, the Toast of the Town series brought together 600 guests for 20 unforgettable events, raising $2.1 million.
