Darrell K. Royal Alzheimers Foundation’s 4th and Goal Gala Raises Breaks Fundraising Record.
By Rob Giardinelli – Photography by Ben Porter
THE SETTING: The Moody Theatre at ACL Live in Austin was recently the setting for the annual 4th and Goal gala. Several hundred of Texas’ most notable philanthropists and sociables were treated to an special evening that combines sport, music and philanthropy like no other in the state and the result was a magical evening those on hand will not soon forget.
THE STYLE: The fun began in the foyer of the ACL Theatre with a cocktail hour where partygoers were able to mingle, socialize and sip spirits while perusing an impressive array of sporty silent auction items that included among other things a private tour of Jay Leno’s one-of-a-kind car collection.
The festivities then moved inside for the main program. Against the backdrop of replay highlights commemorating the silver anniversary of the legendary 1969 game where Texas defeated Arkansas 15-14 en route to their 1969 NCAA championship, guests dined on a multi-course meal that was capped off with individual chocolate cakes in the shape of Texas. The evening continued with an impressive live auction that included a BMW X7, which fetched $127,000 and a bucket list experience with Andrea Bocelli in Italy that scored $195,000. The night was capped off in style by a performance from The Doobie Brothers, who brought the crowd to their feet, as they sang along to new songs and legendary tunes by the iconic band.
THE PURPOSE: The evening raised over $1.6 million for the Darrell K. Royal Research Fund for Alzheimer’s Disease. The mission of the DKR Fund is to provide excellence in research and care for Texas to attempt to cure Alzheimer’s in our lifetimes.