Dallas' Black Tie Dinner Distributes $1.142 Million

Dallas, TX - Eighteen beneficiaries will share a $1.142 million distribution from the 30th Black Tie Dinner. The distributions were announced during a celebration at the Dallas Museum of Art on December 15.

Checks were presented by the Black Tie Dinner board members to community leaders of 17 North Texas GLBT-supportive beneficiaries and the Black Tie national beneficiary, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. The distribution funds were a result of generous corporate and individual sponsors, table captains and their guests, and through the purchase of live luxury and silent auction items, raffle tickets and general ticket sales.

In addition to the distribution of funds, it was announced that Mitzi Lemons is the incoming Co-Chair of the 2012 Black Tie Dinner and Margaret Byrne Duncan has joined the organization as the new Development Director.

Black Tie Dinner is the largest formal seated dinner of its kind in the country in terms of both attendance and charitable contributions. This year, almost 3,000 guests enjoyed an evening of education, empowerment and entertainment featuring master of ceremonies, comedienne Caroline Rhea and a keynote address by Academy Award winning actress, Marlee Matlin.

Several awards were presented throughout the evening including the Media Award received byJesse Tyler Ferguson; Elizabeth Birch Equality Award recipient Eric Alva; Kuchling Humanitarian Award recipient Chet Flake and the late Bud Knight. Popular singer Taylor Dane provided entertainment for the annual fund-raiser. The 2011 Dinner theme was 'SHINE'.

Nan Faith Arnold, Black Tie Dinner Co-Chair, saluted the sponsors, table captains, dinner guests and volunteers who have 'SHINED' with Black Tie for 30 years and proved their commitment to the beneficiaries and the North Texas community. "What a privilege to be part of such a wonderful organization that has tremendous community support and to be part of such a magical night!"

Chris Kouvelis, Co-Chair, said, "It's a thrill and an honor for Black Tie Dinner to be able to distribute these funds. It is with distribution that the reason for all the hard work done by this wonderful Board is realized - it was where this Board SHINES with its beneficiaries.."

The 2011 Black Tie Dinner distributed the following funds to this year's
beneficiaries:
AIDS Arms $52,038.00
AIDS Interfaith Network $28,624.00
AIDS Outreach Center $25,034.00
AIDS Services of Dallas $37,348.00
Celebration Community Church $41,531.00
Congregation Beth El Binah $27,081.00
Equality Texas Foundation $26,455.00
Health Services of North Texas $26,471.00
Lambda Legal Defense $35,471.00
Legacy Counseling Center $27,530.00
Legal Hospice of Texas $29,690.00
Northaven United Methodist Church $34,736.00
Resource Center Dallas $63,868.00
Turtle Creek Chorale $37,364.00
White Rock Friends $21,586.00
Women's Chorus of Dallas $22,869.00
Youth First Texas $33,304.00
Human Rights Campaign Foundation $571,000.00

The Black Tie Dinner Board of Directors is already working on the 31st dinner, scheduled for Saturday, November 3, 2012, at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel. The 2012 beneficiary application will be available online in February at www.blacktie.org

Black Tie Dinner Inc. is a nonprofit organization that raises funds for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender supportive organizations through a premier event of empowerment, education and entertainment in partnership with the community.

The event has headlined local and national celebrities and leaders such as Tammy Baldwin, Maya Angelou, Alan Cumming, Geena Davis, Goldie Hawn, Gov. Ann Richards, Sharon Stone, Lily Tomlin, Martin Sheen, Kenneth Cole, Brian Graden and Logo Networks, and Bishop V. Gene Robinson. Black Tie Dinner began in Dallas in 1982 to help support the Human Rights Campaign with 140 guests in attendance at the first dinner, which raised $6,000. To date, Black Tie Dinner has distributed over $16 million.