'Night of Light' honors nonprofits
10:51 AM on Nov 28, 2010
The Center for Nonprofit Management has announced the winners of its annual Awards of Excellence, which celebrate the contributions the nonprofit sector makes to the community.
The awards were presented at "A Night of Light," a dinner Nov. 19 at the Hilton Anatole. Proceeds benefit the Center for Nonprofit Management.
In addition to $5,000 unrestricted awards, the winners also received an etched crystal award from Tiffany & Co.
Corporate Social Responsibility Executive of the Year: Debbie Taylor, Citi.
Excellence in Social Innovation, budgets $1 million and over: CitySquare.
Excellence in Social Innovation, budgets under $1 million: Texas Loves Children Inc.
Excellence in Board Leadership: C. Robert Ploger, PLAN of North Texas.
Excellence in Communications: SafeHaven of Tarrant County.
Innovation in Nonprofit Leadership: David Timothy, a.k.a. the "Soup Man," SoupMobile Inc.
Excellence in Environmental Practices: Trinity River Audubon Center.
3 bidders win
One auction item really took off at the Museum of Nature & Science dinner Nov. 18 at the Frontiers of Flight Museum. The guests that night included three people who really wanted a Breitling watch and the opportunity to experience gut-wrenching conquest of the wild blue yonder. The $12,500 package offered by Dallas jeweler Richard Eiseman was a Breitling Emergency Mission timepiece that's water resistant down to 330 feet, along with an aerobatic flight in the Breitling stunt CAP 232 airplane piloted by nationally renowned air show ace David Martin.
Normally, even in spirited bidding, one person ends up carrying home the prize.
But when one, then two, then three bidders - Daniel Trinchillo, Frank Scardino and Davis Parr - pledged to match one another's $12,500 top bid, cool hand Eiseman immediately showed his generous support of the Museum of Nature & Science by underwriting all three bids, sending the trio home happy.
Though the total receipts produced by the fundraising evening are not yet available, it was evident that Nicole G. Small, CEO of the Museum of Nature & Science, was walking on air after seeing the turnout. The annual Dinner in the Wild is the museum's primary means of raising money for its education initiatives, including a scholarship program that opens the door for at-risk schoolchildren in North Texas to visit the museum.
(Dallas Morning News, November 28, 2010)
