‘Dallas’ cast to ring in New Year’s in Naples
For the first time ever, 12 “Dallas” cast members will gather to host a two-day fundraising celebration in Naples to benefit the J. Timothy Hogan Foundation, a local non-profit that works to help children suffering from depression and prevent suicide.
The two-day event, titled “The Ewings of Dallas New Year’s Eve Safari Gala,” will kick off on Wednesday, Dec. 30 with a private cocktail reception for sponsors and VIPs at the Naples Hilton Towers.
On New Year’s Eve at the Naples Grande Beach Resort, 120 guests will attend an afternoon High Tea Reception on Thursday, Dec. 31, followed by the culminating main gala open to 900 guests which will feature a lavish Safari dinner, spectacular fireworks, a Q&A session with cast members and dancing.
Confirmed cast attendees to date are Larry Hagman, Steve Kanaly, Ken Kerchavel, Jack Scalia, Jared Martin, Christopher Atkins, Charlene Tilton, Susan Howard, Sheree J. Wilson, Deborah Shelton, Joan Van Ark and Audrey Landers. Guests at the various events will have plenty of one-on-one interaction with all the cast members and their families.
Tilton, who played Lucy Ewing on the popular TV show, is spokesperson for the J. Timothy Hogan Foundation. “I’m thrilled that my ‘Dallas’ family is joining me to support such a great cause that’s dear to me,” said Tilton. “With the money raised through this event, the non-profit will be able to build a new clinic to help even more local, at-risk children.”
Martin, who played Dusty Farlow, will bring three students from Big Picture Alliance, Inc., a non-profit in Philadelphia he co-founded that teaches inner-city kids film and production skills. The kids will cover the event, as part of the program, with hopes of producing a documentary.
Also, before the gala, visitors to the J. Timothy Hogan Foundation’s Web site can bid for a special deep-sea adventure with Kanaly (Ray Krebbs), titled “Fishing Safari with Captain Ray.” The five highest bidders on www.jthogan.org will win seats aboard the Dec. 29 excursion. Atkins (Peter Richards) has challenged Steve to take out an additional boat of five top bidders.
Visit www.jthogan.org to view event details, buy tickets and make hotel reservations at special discounted rates at Naples Hilton Towers and Naples Grande Beach Resort. For more information about the J. Timothy Hogan Foundation, e-mail President Don McHugh at don.mchugh@jthogan.com or Director Jeanne Jackson at jeanne.jackson@jthogan.com.
The J. Timothy Hogan Foundation, Inc. is a volunteer 501(c)(3) that focuses exclusively on providing treatment options for children of working families with mental health issues, whose families lack resources to pay for care and do not qualify for other assistance programs. The mission is to reduce, if not prevent, teenage suicide – the third leading cause of death in Florida and the US.