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Lydia Haggar Novakov Scores a Touchdown at Cowboys Stadium for St. Jude’s

Fun fundraiser Lydia Haggar Novakov has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for numerous organizations and causes by puting on galas, balls, parties, etc. everywhere in Dallas. Last night she and 750+ took their first “test drive” at Cowboys Stadium for the St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital’s “Evening Under the Stars Party.” Boy, did they love the drive!

If they’d done nothing but show up and eat, that would have been enough. The “Taste of the NFL Menu” was a killer that the stadium’s Executive Chef Eduardo Alvarez and his 100+ staff had prepared. How about the Atlanta’s Southern Comfort Food of classic green bean casserole, southern fried chicken, and buttermilk biscuits with honey butter?

(Side note for popcorn lovers: In discussing the evening’s menu with the stadium’s Christina Mantzuranis, it was learned that some folks had complained during the early Cowboy games that popcorn was hard to find. That’s all been rectified. Popcorn will now be everywhere.)  

But Lydia was not going to stop at just setting up a tasty restaurant for her guests. Not our Lydia. She arranged for a silent auction with not just amazing goodies, but a high-tech silent auction. No paper bid papers. That’s so yesterday. Nope. The folks had touch-screen bidding. You almost wanted to bid on things just to play with the touch screen. Talk about the ultimate video game.

And speaking of video, Margo and Jim Keyes (pictured) were checking out the silent auction. When asked how many years, they’d been hitched, Jim quickly answered, “20.” With a slight raised eyebrow, Margo gently corrected the head of Blockbuster: “24.” Caught in his error and with a little advice from the sidelines, Jim came back with, “It just seems like 20.”

Another very married couple were Lydia’s parents Isabell and Joe Haggar who have been married way beyond 20, 30, or 40 years. They arrived for their first visit to the stadium with Katherine Bull and were rather amazed at the whole set up. Isabell pointed out that the entire rim of the stadium had St. Jude’s in lights. She then giggled and said that Lydia had advised her that if she needed help with the silent auction’s touch screen, Lydia would show her the in’s and out’s.

Lydia dotter, Isabell Novakov, was just back from NYC, where she’s been working with PlainsCapital on its IPO plans. Isabell looked mighty relieved, and admitted that it was a bit like putting a master’s thesis together.

MIA were Marianne and Roger Staubach. It seems that Lydia gave the Staubachs permission to not attend because SMU was playing Roger’s old alma mater, Navy. And you know a fellow’s got to do what a fellow’s got to do. Maybe that’s why Navy beat the Mustangs.

Big news of the evening was word that former baseball pro/car impresario Bob Baillargeon and Colleen Parro (pictured) will be getting married on March 27. To fit the evening’s cowboy theme, Colleen was sporting a marvelous turquoise necklace and a terrific diamond engagement ring, both gifts from Bob. The only thing that outshone the jewelry were the smiles on their faces.

Newly engaged Brazilian Claudia Christmann Ferreiro was stopping traffic with her fiancée Mark E. Doom (he was working the touch screen with a vengeance) and friends, fellow Brazilian Carla Eboli and Eric Buether. It wasn’t Claudia’s engagement ring (it’s due any day. . . .right Mark?) that brought everything to a halt. Rather it was her lavender stockings (pictured). Yes, we know our sisters over at ShopTalk are the experts on threads, but these stockings held their own even with the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders (pictured) nearby. Seems Claudia picked them up in Paris recently with Mark’s full approval and they have become attention-getters on both sides of the pond. Who says stocking are passé?

Ah, but the party continued with all these glittery, happily married and to-be-married types, Gina Miller handling the MC duties, a killer live auction, the C&W sounds of Phil Vassar and the drawing of the St. Jude’s Giveaway (Dallas Cowboys Suite).

But, as you suspect, none of this would have happened if it hadn’t been for sponsors like:    

Presenting Sponsors: Mass Mutual, Allegiant Wealth Management, Spectrum Financial Group, Stevens Financial Group, and Wealth Management Partners

Title Sponsors: Chili’s Grill & Bar, and Diane and Mike Gruber

Printing Sponsor: Jani-King

Platinum Sponsors: American Airlines, Crump Insurance Services Inc., Ed Haggar Family Foundation, J.M Haggar Jr. Family Foundation, Jayne and Joe Haggar, Kenny Can Foundation, North Texas Bicycle Rally, and USI Southwest

Silver Sponsors: Bob Baillargeon, Rick Cardenas, ExxonMobil, Folsom Properties, greenlight, Judy and W.R. Howell, Sharon and David Saller, Joellyn and Dan Smith, and Western Extrusions Corporations 

Angels’ Wing Sponsors: The Eugene McDermott Foundation, Pioneer Natural Resources, Lee Ann and Alan White/PlainsCapital Corporation, Marianne and Roger Staubach, and Mary and Mike Terry

Heart Song Sponsors: Central Dynamic Manufacturing Inc., Chubb & Son, Gemmy Industries, Glazers Wholesale Distributors, The Kroger Company, John Gourley, Don Finn, Bob Carlin, John Wilson, Susanne and Taber Meyers, Bonnie and John Strauss, and The Tyler Foundation

Child’s Dream Sponsors: Sherice and Tim Brown, Carrington Coleman Sloman & Blumenthal LLP, Elder Family Foundation Greenberg Traurig, Tolleson Wealth Management, and Christen and Derek Wilson

Healing Hope Sponsors: Ackels & Ackels LLP, BNY Mellon, Alexandra and Colin Carter, Lor Ann and Mike Corboy, Renee and Will Jarrett, Johnson Financial Group, Martha and Doug Morris, Martha and Chuck Ribelin, and Sue Wallace

In-Kind Sponsors: Barefoot Cellars of Modesto, California