Dallas, Texas -- Supporters gathered on March 5 for the Patron Party kicking off the 2026 Dallas Gala benefiting Breakthrough T1D, celebrating an exciting milestone: 30 years of the Dallas Gala’s impact in the fight against type 1 diabetes. Hosted by the Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove Showroom, the evening also honored the company’s long-standing connection to the T1D community. In the 1930s, Sub-Zero founder Westye Bakke created one of the first reliable home refrigerators after his young son was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and needed a safe way to store insulin. That legacy continues today, with Sub-Zero supporting research and families affected by T1D.
Guests enjoyed live entertainment by Goga Music, delicious bites and cocktails, a wine tasting from Waters Edge, and a whiskey tasting from Garrison Brothers Distillery while connecting with fellow supporters and advocates dedicated to advancing research and hope for those living with T1D.
Throughout the evening, Breakthrough T1D Youth Ambassadors – students living with T1D who help amplify the organization’s mission through fundraising, volunteering, and advocacy – could be spotted in their signature bright blue shirts. In addition to selling tickets for a $5,000 sweepstakes prize, several ambassadors, who are student musicians at Highland Park High School, entertained the crowd with a lively musical medley.
The program featured remarks from Dallas Chapter Board President Deb Sloan, the Swartwout family – this year’s featured Fund A Cure Family – and 2026 Gala Honoree Dr. Perrin White.
Harper Swartwout shared part of her journey living with T1D, the hope that research breakthroughs offer the next generation, and the profound impact Dr. White, her endocrinologist, has had on her life and future aspirations.
“We are especially honored to serve alongside this year’s honoree, Dr. Perrin White,” said Harper Swartwout. “Dr. White has been alongside me ever since the clinical trial I was part of landed in Dallas. He is a great doctor and the reason I want to go into medicine one day.”
The Johnson Family – Stacey and Dave Johnson, Chelsea and Blake McMullen, Kendall and Michael Kelly, and Rylie Johnson – are serving as chairs of the 2026 Dallas Gala, making this year especially meaningful as the event celebrates three decades of impact and Chelsea’s own 30-year “diaversary.”
“Now is the time to do more – now is the time in our mission’s history,” continued Sloan. “This is the room that will change the course of this disease. If not us, then who? You know why you’re here. Let’s all make an impact.”
The Breakthrough T1D Dallas Gala will be held on April 11 at the Omni Dallas Hotel.
Visit https://www.breakthrought1d.org/dallasfortworth/
for more information and to support the event.
About Breakthrough T1D
Founded in 1970 as the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation (JDF) and renamed the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) in 2001, the organization rebranded in 2024 as Breakthrough T1D to reflect a bold commitment to improving the lives of both children and adults living with type 1 diabetes. As the leading global organization driving T1D research, advocacy and community engagement, Breakthrough T1D accelerates progress toward cures and better treatments while making everyday life easier for everyone affected.
The North Texas and Oklahoma Territory comprises the Dallas, Fort Worth and Oklahoma Chapters that host major fundraising events across the region, including the annual luncheon in Dallas, galas in Dallas, Fort Worth, Tulsa, and Oklahoma City as well as local walks in The Colony, Durant, Tulsa, Fort Worth, and Oklahoma City.
Visit breakthrought1d.org/northtexasoklahoma, email northtexasoklahoma@BreakthroughT1D.org, or call 214-373-9808.
