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Wednesday’s Child Was Full Of Ho-Ho-Ho Sunday at Del Frisco’s

Del Frisco’s is just as well known for its big-stake steaks, celebrity clientèle, and million dollar look , as its proprietress Dee Lincoln is known for her laugh. Let’s face it. Del Frisco’s is a place where big deals are celebrated by big wheels.

This past Sunday, Dee (pictured right with Janelle Friedman and Richard Nunez), her staff, the good folks at the Friedman & Feiger Foundation, and other business types turned the place on Spring Valley into a kid’s fun palace for 200 children from the Wednesday’s Child program, who are presently in shelters waiting for foster homes. MIA were the rooms full of tables, chairs, and posh place settings. Instead, 26 stations were set up throughout the steakhouse that forced the kids to open their eyes to new levels of wide-eyed. Want a for instance?

How about: Be A CEO Station (teenagers designed personal business cards); Build Your Own Teddy Bear Station; Make a Stocking; Make an Angel Ornament; Coloring Books and Crayons, Decorate a Cookie; Face Painting; Tattoos; Make Your Own Dance Video; Pick a Toy; Get An Autograph where author Steve Richardson signed books, actor Burton Gilliam (Saddles, Honeymoon in Vegas, Paper Moon, and others) signed movie photographs, and football players like Everson Walls, Timmy Newsome (pictured), Michael Kiselak, Alfred Anderson, and Dudley Williams signed footballs; Artist Station (Richard Nunez painted portraits); and stations set up to select everything from backpacks to coats to socks to caps to gloves to pajamas to bling to school supplies?

And besides the clothes and toys, each child received gift cards thanks to the generosity of everyday folks. For instance, Eugene Jabbour (pictured) and Melanie Monzon provided each child with a Walmart gift card adding up to a keen 4-figure total. When asked why they had done it, Eugene smiled and quickly asked back, “Why not?”

And naturally there was food, more food, and even more food. But then what else would you expect when you have Del Frisco’s partnering up with Campisi’s and Big Al’s Smokehouse? Just imagine cupcakes being served on silver platters, macaroni and cheese, hamburgers, barbecue, pizza, dippin dots, fruit cups, and sub sandwiches! Thank to their collaboration, Del Frisco’s made Willy Wonka’s place look like Old Mother Hubbard’s cupboard.

One of the all time favorites was Cupcake Chocolate Fountain Smores Station. Just twirling the marshmallows in the chocolate fountain had both pre-teens and teenagers giving major thumbs up. A new sugar high was definitely set!

But this day was not just for little kids. There about 300 mighty big kids in attendance to help the Del Frisco’s and Friedman & Feiger crews in orchestrating the event. Event MC Scott Murray (pictured) was huddling over in a corner with Timmy Newsome. . . Janelle Friedman was never in one room long enough to take credit for being one of the event’s masterminds. . .  Pat Peterson, warm-up singer for John Mellencamp, somehow managed to please both kids and adults with her arrangements. . . . Wednesday’s Child’s Pat Lockerd (pictured) looked a bit overwhelmed with happiness to see 200 smiles politely but excitedly exploring the world-known restaurant.

Yup, there are 200 kids who will not have homes this Christmas, but Del Frisco’s was theirs Sunday because of the following people and organizations: Janelle and Larry Friedman, Friedman & Feiger Law Firm, NexBank, Saville Dodgen, Fantasia Inc., Koons Real Estate Law, America’s Auto Auction, Competitive Cameras, Campisi’s, Eugene Jabbour & Melanie Monzon, Laurie and Todd Platt, Dee Lincoln/Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steak House, Carli Weidberg, Rochelle and Victor Horadim, Richard Nunez, Peggy Amdur, Big Al’s Smokehouse, Murray Media, Greenwood Office Outfitters, Elite Document Technology, Unique Wedding Designs, Cindy’s Temp Tats, Stitches In Bloom, Shag Carpet, Write Selection, MDVC Creative, Frosted Art, David Gohar, Pat Peterson, Visual Image Photography, Football Writers Association of America, Steve Richardson, and, of course, the man of the season — Old Saint Nick (pictured, as if you didn’t know!).