Coronavirus pivot

5 new virtual fundraisers to add to Dallas-Fort Worth social diaries this fall

Josh Weathers will perform a virtual benefit concert for Union Gospel Mission.

Photo courtesy of Performing Arts Fort Worth

The coronavirus pandemic continues to prevent nonprofits from holding large luncheons, galas, and parties, but many are still finding creative ways to raise crucial funds.

While organizers of some big events, like Fort Worth's Jewel Charity Ball and Classically Cliburn Gala, are scratching their galas entirely from the 2020 and 2021 calendars (both are postponed until 2022), others, like the Dallas Symphony Orchestra League, are simply holding scaled-down versions of their events, with strict attendance limits for social distancing.

Many are still pivoting to virtual formats to fit in one last opportunity to raise money before the year ends.

Below are the latest Dallas-Fort Worth fundraisers that patrons can join using their favorite electronic device. More upcoming virtual benefits are listed here.

Virtually TITAS Gala, October 6
TITAS' annual performance gala, which normally takes place in person during a full season, will feature all seven U.S. dance companies from the Dallas dance group's 2020-21 season. They include New York's Ballet Hispanico, Aspen/Santa Fe Ballet, Alonzo King LINES Ballet out of San Francisco, and more. The event is free, and donations are accepted. Not only will the gala benefit TITAS, but it will also give the companies an opportunity to present their work to the public at a time when performances are not happening in person. The gala will start at 7 pm, and registration is required here. Once registered, patrons will receive an email with viewing instructions.

Epilepsy Foundation Texas Virtual Dinner Party, October 24
The local Epilepsy Foundation is partnering with Del Frisco's Grille to bring the restaurant home. Participants will pick up a "culinary kit" containing ingredients for a gourmet steak and salmon dinner, salad, side, and bottle of wine. Then, at 6:30 pm, Hell's Kitchen winner, chef Ariel Fox, will join in virtually for private meal preparation instruction. All proceeds benefit the foundation's seizure clinics, school first aid education, and summer camp programs — all of which are offered at no cost to communities. Tickets, $275, can be reserved through the website.

Heart (at Home) for the Homeless benefiting Union Gospel Mission of Tarrant County, November 10
The sixth annual Union Gospel Mission benefit will be presented for guests to enjoy at home. Favorite Fort Worth singer-songwriter Josh Weathers will be the featured entertainer at a virtual, hour-long concert experience that begins at 7 pm. Tickets, $100, can be purchased through the website, and sponsorships are still available. A virtual event admission link will be emailed before the concert, and one admission link will be good for an entire household. Union Gospel Mission provides love, hope, respect, and a new beginning for those experiencing homelessness in Tarrant County.

Lakewood Home Festival Virtual Auction Party, November 13
The 44th Annual Lakewood Home Tour has two parts, neither of them a "traditional" home tour. The weekend of events, November 13-15, starts with a free “Lakewood Live” virtual auction party. A Saturday Night Live-style presentation will include pre-recorded skits, special musical performances, and both live and silent auctions. Guests are encouraged to don their SNL-inspired costumes and party in place. (Party Packs, premium gift baskets filled with a DIY cocktail kit, merchandise, and more, are available for pre-purchase.)

Then, the home tour will proceed as a street-view only event on Saturday and Sunday from 10 am-5 pm. The official home tour guidebook is available online for $20 and is the only way to see interior photographs. So you drive up to a home, flip through the book to read about what's behind the doors, and drive on to the next one. All proceeds go to the Woodrow Wilson feeder pattern of schools; for more information, visit the website.

Circle Theatre Holiday Punch Online Fundraiser, December 5
The beloved Fort Worth theater's fundraiser is getting a new, virtual twist: "We will gather digitally to hear performances from our favorite local artists and celebrate the hope of theater coming back to our stage in 2021," they say. The free event, which takes place at 7 pm December 5, will continue Circle's tradition of showcasing original monologues commissioned by patrons and performed by seasoned local actors. It will also include a video featuring the faces of Circle Theatre, an online auction, live prize drawings and a wine pull via social media, and surprises from the Circle staff. To get started, you can have your favorite holiday memory or Circle anecdote turned into a monologue for $250. Purchase and find out more at their website.

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Here comes Santa Claus

Grapevine 'Santa House' takes St. Nick decor over the rooftop for charity

Photo courtesy of Louie Murillo

The Murillo family home has become the Grapevine Santa House.

If the Murillo family doesn't capture the top spot on Santa's nice list this year, there's no hope for the rest of us. They have filled their front yard in Grapevine with more than 1,000 lighted Santa decorations as a beacon of awareness for a local nonprofit.

They're calling it, simply, Grapevine Santa House.

The half-acre property is a "Where's Waldo?" maze of Santa statues, which visitors can walk among, snap photos with, and then, they hope, make a donation to Grace Grapevine's Christmas Cottage program. The charity's seasonal initiative provides new, unwrapped gifts to Tarrant County families facing financial hardship.

"I've always been a holiday guy, way over the top," says Louie Murillo, the dad and Santa House head honcho. Anyone who's seen the 20-foot Christmas trees perched atop the the two Chick-fil-A restaurants he owns near Dallas Love Field can attest.

"About a year ago, I bought some Santas on clearance and thought maybe we'd do something with them for a family Christmas card," he says.

Along came COVID-19, and his holiday passion intersected with a desire to help those who were struggling. During his quarantine free-time, he bought a few more Santas online. Then a few more. Then his idea for a Santa House really began to take shape.

"Once we dipped our toe in, we decided to go all out," he says of his family, including kids ages 12 and 14.

His search for Santas took him around Texas and beyond. Murillo even flew to Chicago and drove back a truck loaded with nine reindeer and a sleigh.

By July, one of the home's three attics was stuffed with Santas. Then a game room overflowed with them. By fall, a storage unit was filling up.

To be clear, these aren't just any Santa statues. They're "blow molds," a specific kind of hollow, plastic figure popular in the '50s, '60s, and '70s. They're rarely made now, and considered collectibles, costing anywhere from $30 to $140 apiece.

"How much I've spent is not a number we're gonna discuss nor share with my wife," Murillo says with a laugh. "It definitely got out of hand."

Then there was the matter of lighting it all up. An electrician helped wire the yard with an additional, 14-outlet breaker, and they're hoping a switch to LED lighting helps ease the electricity bill a little.

Some decorations are set up in vignettes, and Murillo's favorite piece isn't actually a Santa. It's a vintage church, an expensive piece he found in Chicago. The display also includes carolers and a nativity, and a sign urges people to tune to a radio station to hear the Christmas story from the Bible.

Murillo reached out to the Grace organization about a partnership at the perfect time. Their need would be higher than ever at a time at the holidays, when fewer gatherings meant fewer opportunities for donations to be collected. Typically, Christmas Cottage serves more than 2,500 individuals and families each holiday season. Families are given a hypothetical “budget” that allows the parents to “purchase” donated toys, home goods, and appliances in a secure, store-like setting.

The Murillos' goal is to raise $15,000 with Santa House, which will help 120 kids. By December 1, just a few days after turning the lights on, they were already at $9,000.

Rather than collecting contributions on site, they're encouraging guests to donate online via a GoFundMe page set up in conjunction with the Santa House.

Among the first visitors to the Santa House was a single mom whose child had been helped by Grace, Murillo says. Mom and daughter enjoyed the lights and then made a donation — they paid the kindness forward.

"It's cool to see real people being helped that are in need," Murillo says. "It's fun just to see kids' excitement. We've all been stuck indoors, not traveling, and this is something to do as a family."

The Santa House lights will go on every night from 5-10 pm through December 27. The home is on a cul-de-sac in the Western Oaks neighborhood, and visitors can park along the street.

The exact location is 3373 Spruce Lane, Grapevine. Follow the Grapevine Santa House Facebook page for updates.

The Murillo family home has become the Grapevine Santa House.

Photo courtesy of Louie Murillo

The Murillo family home has become the Grapevine Santa House.

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