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BeatLeukemia Ball raises $144,000 for local research and patient aid
By David Alvey. Photos by Chris Hamilton.
Dec 18, 2005

As a principal in a public relations firm, I go to a lot of events. While most are pleasant enough, they’re also usually predictable. Most events start with a cocktail reception and silent auction… then a tasteless dinner with a bland presentation and several verbose speeches… followed by a live auction.

Finally, the evening winds up with a DJ or a band that attempts to compel a few couples to the dance floor. Now, I don’t mean any disrespect with my comments. After all, whatever works for your organization is what you should do. Maybe I’m just a bit jaded since I attend several dozen events each year. But, every once in a great while, I find one that really stands out.

The 2005 BeatLeukemia Ball was a blast!

I have to admit, I was skeptical. For starters, it was a black-tie affair. Now, mind you, my attire of choice is usually several knotches below casual. In fact, I have what I consider to be "dressy" sweats. But, since I agreed to serve as publicity co-chair on the Ball committee, wearing a tux for one evening was an acceptable sacrifice.

I was also skeptical of the band's claim: "The Fab Four – The Ultimate Tribute to The Beatles." Okay, to be fair, if you look up the word "cynic" in the dictionary, you’ll find a picture of me. But, I soon discovered that these guys don't just cover Beatles songs; they do three costume changes during the show to reflect the different periods of Beatles music. They bob their heads and flop their mops as only the original Fab Four did The Fab Four are: Ron McNeil as John Lennon; Ardy Sarraf as Paul McCartney; Michael Amador as George Harrison; and Rolo Sandoval as Ringo Starr. Sarraf even plays left-handed bass like McCartney. He also plays piano like Paul did on songs like “Let it Be” and “Hey, Jude.” You can check the Fab Four out, including audio and video clips, at www.thefabfour.com.

The BeatLeukemia Ball was held October 22nd in downtown Dallas at the Belo Mansion, which was built in the late 1890's by Colonel A.H. Belo, a civil war hero who moved from Galveston to found “The Dallas Morning News.” Despite its dark mahogany and oak paneling, the Belo Mansion is beautiful without being stuffy.

After the obligatory mingling and smiling and meeting and greeting (not my favorite part) during the reception, we were admitted to the Ballroom. Dinner was okay, but nothing to write home about. Immediately after dinner, Stephen Young, executive director of LeukemiaTexas, got up to say “a few words.”

Now, here’s an important discinction: he actually said only a few words! No boring a/v presentation. No teary appeal for donations. No awkward auction where only four people in the whole room are bidding for the same golf and weekend hotel getaways. After recognizing a few sponsors, and drawing the names of the raffle winners, Young sat down. The total ‘program’ wasn’t more than five or ten minutes long. Then, without further ado, an Ed Sullivan impersonator came out to introduce the Fab Four.

When the curtains parted, grown women screamed like little girls, and the evening launched into an almost surreal time warp. Dressed in black suits and ties as the Beatles were when they made their American debut on the “Ed Sullivan Show,” the Fab Four launched into a set of early Beatles songs such as “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” “She Loves You,” “Please, Please Me,” etc. The dance floor was packed from the first song thru the last dance.

Now, that’s saying a lot considering the crowd was mostly middle-aged men and women dressed in formal wear. Midway through the second set someone started a conga line that stretched out to about 100 people. At the end of the last set, a few Boomers even whipped out lighters and held them high for an encore! The Fab Four is as close as I’ll ever come to attending a “live” Beatles concert. These guys are phenomenal. They performed every song live with no taped music or backing tracks. They even performed “A Day in the Life” with its more complex orchestral effects on what looked like a vintage Moog synthesizer.

While The BeatLeukemia Ball is only in its third year, the event raised more than $144,000 for local leukemia research and patient aid. What impresses me most about LeukemiaTexas is that it’s a local organization helping local families. They provide assistance for expenses that insurance doesn’t cover, but that can really be difficult for a family that is already struggling with all the expenses of a major illness.

And, they fund local research projects at Baylor Health Care System and UT Southwestern Medical Center. More information is available at www.LeukemiaTexas.org. Major underwriters of The BeatLeukemia Ball included American Airlines, KLUV-98.7FM radio, The Loomis Agency, Texas Oncology, Baylor Health Care Center and Peter O’Donnell, Jr. LeukemiaTexas recently set October 21st for the 2006 BeatLeukemia Ball. And they’ve already booked the Fab Four. I’ve already written the date…in ink… on my 2006 calendar.

### David Alvey served on the 2005 Beatleukemia Ball committee, and is a principal in an area public relations firm. He can be reached at dlalvey@sbcglobal.net.

Chuck Brinkman, KLUV-FM and Stephen Young, LeukemiaTexas

2005 BeatLeukemia Ball co-chairs Dr. Robert & Stephanie Haley with Rebecca & Ron Gafford

Sonny & Gretchen Williams with Mary & Perry Barber

Sheila & Jerry Lennox, Eddie & Lisa Lennox, and Jeff & Stephanie McFadden

Dr. Jim & Linda Wilson with Bob & Myra Hull

Lesley Martinelli, Barbara Burke, Ruth Fitzgibbons, Kathy Berns, and Kay Storey

Kersten Rettig and Jane Gordon

April Box with John Chamberlain

Stephen & Carol Arnold

Dr. David & Renee Winters

Steve & Deborah Paulson with Lola & Ernie Sims

KLUV-98.7FM sponsors: Todd Hakala, Alicia Levitz, Chuck Brinkman, Debi Diaz, Jay Cresswell and Liz Balon

The Loomis Agency: Paul Loomis, Michael Tuggle, and Mark Sullivan

Ed Sullivan impersonator introduces the Fab Four

The Fab Four – The Ultimate Tribute to The Beatles

Dr. Joseph & Joanne Fay

Ruth Fitzgibbons, David & Carolyn Alvey, and Myra & Robert Hull in a conga line.

Encore!

Stephen Young, executive director of LeukemiaTexas, with the Fab Four and an Ed Sullivan impersonator.