Next week, Klyde Warren Park will host its 12th annual Party in the Park event. So, it’s only fitting that the event be chaired by the family of No. 12 himself, legendary Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach, and his wife, Marianne.
Presented this year on Oct. 10 by Republic National Distributing Co., the event is the primary fundraiser that supports maintenance and programming in the park. Last year, nearly 1,000 attendees helped raise about $1 million.
“It’s our one big fundraiser,” says Kit Sawers, president and CEO of Klyde Warren Park. “Everything in the park throughout the year is free. So, this event really helps support programming. We hope to surpass $1 million this year, which will be bout 15 percent of our budget for the year. It’s a critical fundraiser.”
The honorary chair for Party in the Park 2024 is philanthropist Lyda Hill. Event chairs are the Staubachs’ adult children: Jennifer and John Gates, Michelle and John Grimes, Amy and Jamie Mentgen, Stephanie and Todd Phillips, and Jenny and Jeff Staubach.
Opened in October 2012, Klyde Warren Park quickly became an icon in Dallas and a transformative green space that connects Uptown with downtown and the Arts District. It has had a profound impact on walkability and has been an economic boon for the city.
This year’s celebration will include HALL wine, décor by Todd Events, dinner catered and underwritten by SMU, and performances by by Elvis Presley tribute artist Kraig Parker (presented by the Schlegel family) and country tribute band Straight Tequila Night (presented by Shelia and Jody Grant).
Greater Good recently sat down with Sawers and Jennifer and John Gates to learn more. Here’s a recap of our conversation:
GREATER GOOD: Why did your family decide to become involved?
JENNIFER GATES: “We’ve attended this event for several years and recognize what a gem the park is for the city of Dallas. My siblings and our families do a lot together, socially, but we have not done anything philanthropically like this for a while. Between the five siblings, we have 15 grandchildren. We all love to take our grandkids to the park. We understand the great value of this park and the way it is representative of bringing us all together. So, when Kit approached us about chairing the 12th year, I asked my siblings, and they were all excited about it.”
GREATER GOOD: John, as CEO of one of the world’s largest real estate firms, you can certainly speak to the impact of the park, economic and otherwise.
JOHN GATES: “It’s well beyond meaningful in what it has done for the value of commercial property that surrounds it. But I think we underestimated the importance and the value of amenities at the street level in an urban environment. We had things going on in Uptown—Robert Shaw was a visionary and pioneer there—but we weren’t focused on parks and green space. And look at what’s happening now. The real catalyst was Klyde Warren Park. It has been a fabulous success on many levels, and every single one of those commercial real estate assets are worth much more. It has been a spectacular, keystone success for Dallas.”
KIT SAWERS: “To support what John said, the value of Dallas Arts District Public Improvement District, the area surrounding Klyde Warren Park, has increased by $5.2 billion since the park opened, from $2.5 billion to $7.7 billion. That’s tax revenue that goes to DISD, Dallas College, Dallas County, and Parkland Hospital.”
JENNIFER GATES: “This event is so important because of the private fundraising. It really lessens the public burden on maintenance. It’s an incredible asset, and it doesn’t drain our parks department. This event and the rest of the good work Kit does all year long to raise money, keeps all the programming free.”
GREATER GOOD: Is there an update on the next phase of expansion?
SAWERS: “Yes. We’re working on the completion of the park, which the public has been hearing about for quite a while. We’re very close to being able to go back out to bid again. We did so right after the pandemic, but costs have gone up. We’re hoping to go back out in the first or second quarter of next year and get some bids that work within our budget and hopefully have the expansion starting by the end of next year. It will take about 18 months to build the new decks and another 18 months to build what’s on top of the decks, which the park would raise money for privately.”
GREATER GOOD: The park seems to be representative of what’s possible in Dallas.
JENNIFER GATES: “There are two things you can say about Dallas—it’s a can-do place where people believe in possibilities, and the citizens of Dallas, including businesses here, are very engaged in giving back. People know that a rising tide lifts all boats and makes a better community. There’s a very high level of engagement. Kit’s job is not easy, but it’s easier here than it would be in a lot of other U.S. cities. We’re fortunate to have the collective community lean in and be aligned around things like this.”
SAWERS: “And that certainly includes the Staubach family. The reason I approached Jennifer is because she’s in the park a lot—not only as a park patron and grandmother, but also as a former Dallas City Council member. She understands this park.”
JENNIFER GATES: “And the margaritas at Mi Cocina are a big draw, too.”
SAWERS: “It’s important to have things to cool you off in the summer. … One of the fun things we have done for the past few years is have families as chairs. It really speaks to the generational impact Jennifer mentioned earlier and the impact it will have for years to come.”
JENNIFER GATES: “My siblings and I and our families are all active in Dallas and different organizations and nonprofits, but this was one we could all unite around because of the sheer importance of the park. It’s pretty amazing that all five of us left the nest but all came back to Dallas and are raising our kids here, which I know my parents love. Dallas is important to us, and we are all committed to doing what we can to help make it a great city, a successful city, each in our own ways.”
SAWERS: “To add to the comments about pulling people together and the can-do spirit of Dallas. That’s one of the reasons Lyda Hill is such a perfect honorary chair. She is, of course, focused on work that brings people together to make the city better, and Klyde Warren Park physically exemplifies that. She has been incredibly supportive personally and foundational of the park; she was an early adopter and believer.
JENNIFER GATES: “It’s not about the money to her; it’s always about the connections, and no one does that better than Lyda. She loves to connect people, and it makes her giving go just a little bit further.
Party in the Park will run from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 10, at Klyde Warren Park. More details here.
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