Scroll through the gallery to view photos from this event. Photos c/o Rob Wythe
Over the past 10 years, I have attended hundreds of charity events, fashion shows and parties, so it's not surprising that for the past few months, I have been experiencing event fatigue. I've decided that to keep blogging fun for me, I need to stretch myself, explore new avenues and step outside of my self-created box and that means more of a focus on people and projects that are meaningful and are striving to change the world for the better. So, when Mercury One's executive director Suzanne Bock Grishman approached me about getting involved with their annual gala this Fall, I jumped at the chance to learn more about their organization. Mercury One is a Humanitarian Aid and Education organization focused on restoring the human spirit. Their initiatives include "providing programs to individuals to advance the skills, knowledge and attitudes necessary for communities to help themselves as well as assisting our nation’s veterans, providing aid to those in crisis, and rebuilding and restoring the lives of Christians and other persecuted religious minorities in the Middle East." Sounds good, but what does that really mean? On Tuesday, May 16, I joined over 100 business and community leaders at Glenn Beck’s Mercury Studios to learn more about the organization and hear announcements for the 2018 M1Ball benefiting Mercury One, the nonprofit organization founded by Beck and his wife, Tania.
Mercury One’s executive director Suzanne Bock Grishman kicked off the evening's program by welcoming the crowd and gave some background about Mercury One, a 501(c)(3) charity founded in 2011. The organization’s focus is in three different areas: Humanitarian Aid, including disaster relief, help for veterans, support in the fight against human trafficking; Education Initiatives and The Nazarene Fund, which are depicted in tall posters placed around the studio. She explained the initiatives and programs the foundation supports, including most recently sponsoring the Dallas Film Society’s High School Roundtables in the 2017 and 2018 academic year, their High School Day and Stand to Honor in Dallas honoring veterans.
 |
| 2018 M1Ball Chairs D’Andra Simmons Lock and Jeremy Lock |
Beck shared a story about one of the huge photographs displayed at Mercury Studios, depicting a bombed-out church sanctuary in Batnaya, which had become Isis headquarters and through help from Mercury One’s The Nazarene Fund, citizens were given job training, clothing and are helping rebuild their church. Beck then announced that this year’s M1Ball Chairs, will be D’Andra Simmons Lock and her husband, Jeremy Lock, who had toured that site in Iraq last fall. Jeremy remarked emotionally that not since his retirement from the Air Force in 2013 has he felt the sense of purpose and camaraderie than with this organization, which they have seen save lives, and that he and D’Andra are truly honored to be on board. They then announced honorary chairs Francie Moody-Dahlberg and her husband, Kevin Dahlberg and Dee Simmons as underwriting chair. Suzanne reminded everyone to purchase their raffle ticket to enter to win a Mercedes-Benz 2018 CLA250. Tickets are $100 each and a limited number will be sold. The winner will be drawn at the M1Ball. Winner does not have to be present to win. She thanked raffle partner Mercedes-Benz of Plano and leading sponsors D’Andra Simmons Lock and Jeremy Lock, Bank of America and Merrill Lynch for their support and everyone there for taking part in supporting Mercury One.
Slated for Saturday, November 17 at Mercury Studios Stage 19, the M1Ball benefits Mercury One, and will feature a VIP reception for underwriters at certain levels, cocktail reception, a savory three-course seated dinner, live and silent auctions of priceless experiences and one-of-a-kind treats, followed by entertainment everyone will enjoy. Individual Tickets are $350 and a Patron Ticket is $750. Host Committee is $1,500 for two tickets. Sponsorship opportunities are $5,000-$100,000. Find out more at mercuryone.org/m1ball or contact Patrizia Pelfrey, ppelfrey@mercuryone.org or call 972-499-4747. To learn more about Mercury One, click HERE.
