Kevin Hall, Courtney Hubbard, Kevin Berthia, Kevin Briggs, Natalie Hatchett. Photography courtesy of Simon Luna.
The Grant Halliburton Foundation’s annual Beacon of Hope Community Luncheon set a fundraising record, raising over $350,000.
Nearly 700 attendees gathered at the Omni Hotel on April 19 for the 15th annual luncheon to raise funds for Grant Halliburton Foundation, a nonprofit promoting mental health awareness among families and youth.
The event featured mental wellness activities, music by DJ Lucy Wrubel, raffle packages, Beacon Brews Coffee House and opportunities for guests to write on the Hope Wall. Entertainment included performances by the L.D Bell High School Bell Tones and Decibelles singing “You Will Be Found” from the Broadway musical, “Dear Evan Hansen.”
“We envision a world where suicide is no longer a leading cause of death for young people and where everyone affected by mental illness has the support and resources they need,” the organization’s president and Preston Hollow resident, Kevin Hall, said.
Jenny Anchondo, host and producer of CW33’s “Inside DFW,” introduced this year’s Beacon Award honoree, Eric Nadel, Voice of the Texas Rangers, who shared his struggles with depression and mental health issues during last year’s baseball season that led him to take a break. Nadel returned just in time to commentate the Rangers winning the World Series.
The luncheon’s co-chairs, Natalie Hatchett and Courtney Hubbard, shared their close friendship spanning three decades. Hatchett shared the story of her son, Preston, who died by suicide at the age of 20 in 2021.
Featured speakers of the event included Kevin Berthia, suicide prevention advocate and suicide attempt survivor, and Kevin Briggs, California Highway Patrolman and author of “Guardian of the Golden Gate: Protecting the Line Between Hope and Despair.” The two met in 2005 on the Golden Gate Bridge when Berthia was contemplating suicide, and Briggs successfully talked him out of it. Their experience was documented in the film, “92 Minutes.
Funds from the Beacon of Hope Luncheon support the foundation’s efforts to provide mental health training and support to nearly 325,000 students, educators, parents, and professionals since its inception in 2006.
