Junior League of Fort Worth’s Community Projects Support

THE JUNIOR LEAGUE OF FORT WORTH PRESENTS THE 2024 GRAND ENTRY GALA

Grab your dancing boots and put on your hats – it’s time to celebrate the kickoff of the 2024 Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo! Join the Junior League of Fort Worth (JLFW) “on the dirt” at Will Rogers Memorial Coliseum on Saturday, January 6 for its annual Grand Entry Gala.

Fort Worth, TX – Celebrate Fort Worth’s western heritage with an evening of fun and fundraising featuring a silent auction, dinner, dancing, and live music! Grand Entry Gala is excited to present six legendary artists for an evening that you won’t forget. Ray Benson, Roger Creager, Radney Foster, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Jack Ingram, and Gary P. Nunn will be rocking Will Rogers with a non-stop list of hits.

“The Junior League of Fort Worth is excited to celebrate the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo with our 11th annual Grand Entry Gala. There is no better way to kick off rodeo season, and this year will be one to remember with six artists headlining at Will Rogers Memorial Coliseum. We hope you’ll join us for this festive evening of community, tradition, and music!” said Robin Greenhaw, JLFW President.

This year, the JLFW will recognize Betsy Price, former mayor of Fort Worth, as the Honorary Chair of Grand Entry Gala. Mrs. Price, a Sustaining Member of the JLFW, has dedicated much of her life to serving the Fort Worth community and has served on numerous boards, commissions, and professional organizations. She began her career as a public servant in 2001 as the Tarrant County Tax Assessor-Collector, and then served as the 44th mayor of Fort Worth from 2011 to 2021.

Since its inception, Grand Entry Gala has raised more than $2 million, which has enabled JLFW to invest directly into the community. In 2023-2024, JLFW will provide over $175,000 in grants and sponsorships to the Fort Worth community.

For more information or to purchase a table or sponsorship, visit www.GrandEntryGala.com or contact the Junior League of Fort Worth at 817.332.7500.

About the Junior League of Fort Worth

The Junior League of Fort Worth, Inc. is an organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women, and improving communities through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Its purpose is exclusively educational and charitable.

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This fall, 23 agencies were chosen to receive help from Junior League of Fort Worth volunteers. Volunteers assembled books for low-income readers at Literacy United, spruced up the garden at McFarland house for Historic Fort Worth, gave the Lighthouse for the Blind facility a fresh coat of paint, and so much more!

2021 Fall Day of Giving Agencies supported include:

• Children’s Charities of Fort Worth
• Jo Kelly School
• Victory Therapy Center
• Project 4031
• Volunteers of America Texas
• Breakthrough Fort Worth
• Cornerstone Assistance Network
• Lighthouse for the Blind
• Community Store House
• A Wish with Wings
• Ballet Frontier of Texas
• Presbyterian Night Shelter
• Tarrant County Homeless Coalition
• Alliance Child and Family Solutions
• The Ladder Alliance
• 6 Stones Mission Network
• Homes for Children Corporation
• Historic Fort Worth Inc.
• Trinity Collaborative Inc.
• Literacy United
• M.H.M.R Foundation
• Crowley House of Hope
• ACH Child and Family Services

The Junior League of Fort Worth’s Spring Day of Giving is scheduled for April 2, 2022. Agencies interested in participating are asked to submit their applications by February 11, 2022. Click here for information on how to submit a Spring Day of Giving application.

The 2021-22 All aBoard cohort will also be participating in the BoardBuild training program. BoardBuild is a nonprofit organization that trains emerging leaders to serve on nonprofit boards. BoardBuild also helps match nonprofit organizations with board candidates.

As part of the program, members heard from community leaders from the Junior League of Fort Worth, the city of Fort Worth and the local community. This year’s members will be given the opportunity to learn from Christina Brooks, Chief Equity Officer and Director of Diversity and Inclusion for the City of Fort Worth., Leah King, CEO of the United Way of Tarrant County, and JLFW sustainers Judie Greenman and Janie Harper.

The speakers also touched on the importance of volunteerism in Fort Worth.

“Our community deserves to benefit from everyone who’s willing to engage” said Leah King.

The 2021-22 All aBoard class, led by co-chairs Lauren Team and Corrine Quast, includes:

• Amy Akanni⁠
• Anna Chianese⁠
• Ashley Hansen⁠
• Holly Hinsey⁠
• Jacqueline Piland⁠
• Jordan Stimpson⁠
• Laura Kirspel⁠
• Laurimay Johnson⁠
• Leslie Wittenbraker Cox⁠
• Lynn Winter⁠
• Lynnette Kile⁠
• Savanna Holmen⁠
• Sierra Lykins⁠
• Tara Reed⁠
• Taylor Woods
• Vivian Bailey⁠

Click here to view the full press release.

Recognizing that we are living in an unsettling and unusual time, the Junior League of Fort Worth (JLFW) has made several decisions regarding the remainder of the 2019-2020 League year. When tragedy strikes, our members are typically able to rally together to serve and make an impact; in this situation, for the safety of our city and its people our members must stay apart and help each other in creative ways. It’s truly unprecedented.

In March, the Board of Directors met virtually a few times to assess our community’s health and our League’s operations, all the while monitoring news and requirements from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Tarrant County Public Health and the City of Fort Worth.

Volunteer Activities, Events & Programs

• All JLFW volunteering and community events through May 31, 2020, are cancelled.
• The JLFW is waiving all 2019-2020 placement, training and fundraiser/community collaboration requirements for Active and Provisional members through May 31, 2020. It is of utmost importance to us that no member feel anxiety about her League requirements during this difficult time.
• The May General Membership Meeting (GMM), Annual Meeting and Passing of the Gavel is cancelled. The April GMM was held virtually, with 350+ members.

Community Care and Support

• Diapers collected by our members from September until March have been dispersed into the hands of people that need them now. All JLFW-collected diapers are being distributed through the JLFW Diaper Bank via Tarrant Area Food Bank. The JLFW Diaper Bank Committee reports that an estimated 19,000 diapers have been provided to the community right now in a time of need.
• The Community Opportunities Fund (COF) is a resource available through the JLFW to offer aid to local nonprofits. These emergency need grants are intended to support agencies with un-budgeted or unplanned for expenses that arise. In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, the 2019-2020 Board of Directors voted to move portions of community budget that will not be spent in this League year to support the COF. These funds are being used to provide additional cleaning and sanitation supplies to homeless shelters, purchase and deliver food to children now unable to take advantage of school meals, help with expenses such as utilities and food for clients seeking refuge from abusers and more. More than $50,000 will be distributed.

 

Gratitude & Thankfulness

President Ashley Freer and the 2019-2020 Board of Directors would like to thank members for the support and love that they have continually shown for our community and our organization since COVID-19 began to impact Fort Worth and our surrounding area. We also recognize and thank those serving on the frontlines with your careers and businesses, and all adjusting to support loved ones, children, neighbors and friends.

If you have any questions about the JLFW and community efforts during this time, please contact President Ashley Freer and President-Elect Amber Robertson at president@juniorleaguefw.org.

Where: Dickies Arena

The 411: Celebrating timeless traditions in new spaces, the Junior League of Fort Worth’s 2020 Grand Entry Gala moved over to Dickies Arena this year. Guests enjoyed a silent auction, dinner, dancing and live entertainment by chart-topping country artist Darius Rucker. Rucker wowed the audience with hits from his country career as well as alternative tracks from his earlier years and popular covers.

Adding to the festive atmosphere was the excitement of the Junior League of Fort Worth’s 90^th anniversary. During this celebratory year, all of the stops were pulled out to make this the grandest Gala yet with concert-only seats added to allow even more patrons to join in on the fun. Guests sat in box seats around the red-dirt floor and snacked on light fare and beverages from the concessions stands while enjoying the show.

Funds raised at the Gala benefit the mission of the Junior League of Fort Worth: to promote voluntarism, to develop the potential in women and to improve the local community through the effective action of trained volunteers. In celebration of its 90^th year, Junior League of Fort Worth previously chose 11 special projects to receive both volunteers and funding in the amount of $490,000. Three special anniversary projects were chosen out of the 11, specifically benefiting Cook Children’s Health Foundation, Historic Fort Worth and the JPS Foundation.

Grand Entry Gala’s illustrious guest list featured Fort Worth notables such as Mayor Betsy Price, Sasha and Ed Bass, Jean and John Roach, Brad Barnes and Honorary Co-Chairs Marty Leonard and Madelon Leonard-Bradshaw. The Leonard sisters share a long history of service and philanthropy in the Fort Worth community, serving not only the Junior League of Fort Worth but also the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo. The event was helmed by Junior League of Fort Worth members, including Gala Co-Chairs Erica Pifer and Rachael Quisenberry, Fund Development Vice President Robin Greenhaw and 2019-2020 President Ashley Freer.