On April 3 at Robin and Michael Lewis’ magnificent estate in Highland Park, the Dallas Alumnae of Pi Beta Phi held a garden party to celebrate the donors to the Rory Meyers Children’s Adventure Garden at the Dallas Arboretum. The six-figure gift completed the group’s pledge to the Children’s Garden a year early.
When the sorority sisters and their husbands entered, they were greeted by a quartet playing classical music. Throughout the home and on the verandas overlooking Exall Creek, the guests visited and sampled the scrumptious buffet of tenderloin, rolls, shrimp, crudités, bite size desserts of brownies and sweets, toasting the success of the fundraising.
Taking place the same night was another celebration in New York City: Southern Methodist University’s basketball team was playing in the National Invitational Tournament Championship game. Many of the Pi Phis and their spouses attended SMU, so Event Chairs Carol Dalton and Melissa Utley made sure that televisions downstairs and upstairs were tuned into the game.
“We are so appreciative to Robin and Michael for opening up their lovely home to thank our donors and allowing us to celebrate our significant donation to the Dallas Arboretum,” said Event Co-Chair Carol Dalton. “We had such a generous outpouring for a Garden that is already receiving rave reviews locally and nationally.”
Event Co-Chair Melissa Utley added, “Pi Phis have a long record of supporting charities that improve the lives of children through education. As such, our support of the Rory Meyer’s Children’s Adventure Garden was a perfect match. The garden is already a tremendous place for children and adults to learn about science and nature through plenty of hands-on activities.”
Officially debuted by the Dallas Arboretum in September 2013, the Rory Meyers Children’s Adventure Garden is a sprawling 8-acre interactive garden designed specifically to address state and national science standards in life and earth sciences for preschool to middle school students. Built to encourage youth interest in science and nature, the garden’s interactive exhibits, cutting-edge technology and indoor/outdoor learning labs have earned rave reviews from parents and leading educational experts.
Special thanks to the donors:
Archangel: The Robert & Nancy Dedman Foundation Fund
Platinum Angel: A Friend, Anne & Libba Massey
Golden Angel: Liz Martin Armstrong, Sandra Estess, Susie & T. Hardie, Robin & Michael Lewis, Ann Phy.
Silver Angel: A Friend, Becky Abbott, Charlotte Layl Ball in memory of Harriet Deison, Nancy Rogers Casteel, Loring Cook Foundation, Beverly B. Dale, Carol Cook Dalton, Pris Lewis Darling & Landen Darling Schneider in honor of Priscilla Scott Lewis, Becky Frey, Tricia M. George, Judy & Jim Gibbs, Cheryl Wright Henry, Mary Joy & Richard Hinton, Sally Hoglund, Kim Jordan, Mrs. John R. Lancaster III in honor of Delaney Rolfe, Elizabeth & Steve Modory, JoAnne & Eddy Moore, Eileen & Paige Nash, Dana Sloan Perlman in honor of Nancy Rogers Casteel, Barbara Nolley Pinkston, LuAnn Browning Redman & Vanessa Ann Redman, Nancy & George Seay, Karen & David Shuttee, Dottie Thompson, Lucina & Kyle Thompson, Melissa Woodard Utley, Sally Sewell Wightman in honor of Barbara Berry Sewell.
Guardian Angel: A friend, Abbey Bates, Martha Lou Beaird, Kathy Potts Boyett, Anne & Balon Bradley, Judy Canon, Clare Chaney in honor of Ruth Altshuler for Chairing the JFK 50th Commemoration, Beth & Gary Clark, Mimi Campbell Cole, Celia Whitfield Crank, Mollie Allen Crow, Sally Cullum, Mrs. Mike Doramus, Mrs. T. Mark Edwards, Bess Enloe, Lynn & John Foster, Elizabeth Fronterhouse, Nancy Hill Gottsacker, Prissy & Warren Gravely in honor of Margaret McDermott, Elaine McKay Harman, Nancy Houseman Harralson, Peggy Hill, Sandra & Chris Hipps, Cecilie Cox Holman, Kathy McIlyar Kelley, Laura Kellogg, Karen & Donald Key, Blair Knouse, Susan & Roy Kull, Betty Martin, Becky & Steve Meyer, Jamie McComiskey Moore, Margaret Ann & Jimmy Purse, Barbara Perry Ralston, Elizabeth Robinson, Mallory & Michael Rogers in honor of Sally Wightman, Jane & Art Scharlach, Martha Painter Sheeder, Joyce R. Shoop, Jill & Bob Smith, Carol Ellison Stollenwerck, Ann Lehman Swope, Carolyn & Peyton Townsend, Mimi Bergerac Vanderstraaten, Nancy Jones West, Patricia Bland Wicker, Nancy Nollner Withrow, Linda & Brooks Yates.