Ebby Halliday is a Dallas legend and the CEO of Ebby Halliday Realtors. (Photo Courtesy of Fighting Blindness)
Men in tuxedos and women dressed to the nines stood on the red carpet on Wednesday waiting until it was their turn to take a photo with one of Dallas’ leading businesswomen and philanthropists, Ebby Halliday.
More than 800 people joined Halliday at the Foundation Fighting Blindness (FFB) to honor her 100th birthday with a “Roast & Toast” at the Hilton Anatole.
“I don’t know of anyone who doesn’t love Ebby,” former Dallas Cowboy quarterback Roger Staubach said. “She’s using that love to have a big birthday party to benefit someone else.”
As the largest private funder of retinal degenerative disease research in the world, The Foundation Fighting Blindness raised approximately $700,000 through the event.
Halliday is one of more than 10 million Americans affected by the disease. She was inducted as the national trustee of FFB in 2010.
“This is a great partnership and Ebby is in the center of it,” Co-founder and chairman of Foundation Fighting Blindness Gordon Gund said. “Because of your [Halliday] incredible generosity, the world is a brighter place.”
Dressed in a black sweater covered in shimmering jewels, Halliday was escorted to her table by Staubach as the number “100” was displayed on two big screens at the front of the hotel’s ballroom.
As she walked to her table, a special performance from Ross Perot, Congressman Pete Sessions and Blockbuster CEO Jim Keyes, joined by other members of the Ebby Halliday Centennial All Male Review, sang, “Well hello Ebby…You’re looking swell Ebby!”
The evening, which was kicked off by a silent auction and reception, featured performances by some of Halliday’s favorite organizations, including the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, Dallas Ukulele Headquarters and The Happy Hill Farm Academy Choir.
Tony Orlando, an American singer and one of Halliday’s all time favorites, serenaded Halliday and the crowd as he sang “Candida.”
When Orlando began singing Halliday’s favorite song, “Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree,” she stood up, took Orlando’s hand and danced with him, occasionally singing along into the mic.
Though the crowd was entertained by the performances, it was also touched as various people close to Halliday took the stage to give her a toast.
“People have benefited not just from what she is, but who she is,” Sessions said.
Gund said, “She is truly an extraordinary woman. She has made an incredible impact on this community—an impact like no other.”
Mayor Tom Leppert sent the crowd into roars of laughter as he said, “I’ve honored a lot of people during my four years as mayor, but I saved the best for last. Ebby evokes the American dream, the American story. She represents what is good and great about our nation.”
Halliday was flattered by the success of her birthday bash as well as the amount of money raised for FFB.
“People are very kind and have really arranged some fabulous recognition of my 100th birthday,” she said.
The “Roast & Toast” event was co-chaired by Margot and Ross Perot, Madeleine and T. Boone Pickens, Ruth and Kenneth Atshuler, M.D., Nita and The Honorable Pete Sessions, Llura and Gordon Gund, Roger Horchow, Laura and The Honorable Tom Leppert, Gene and Jerry Jones and Marinna and Roger Staubach.
