Each fall KidneyTexas, Inc. hosts its Luncheon & Fashion Show in an effort to raise money for designated beneficiaries and awareness for a disease that affects millions of people each year. The success of this event depends heavily upon the contributions and dedication of our Dallas business and community leaders. Your support is crucial to the success of our mission.
The luncheon and fashion show will begin with a champagne reception followed by a program and runway fashion show produced by Jan Strimple Productions with fashions from TOOTSIES, Nardos, Betty Reiter and St. John, which is always a fabulous event including fun surprises. There will be an auction, raffle and award presentations. It is all topped off with a delicious luncheon.
Beneficiaries:
All of the funds raised stay in North Texas and benefit Baylor Scott & White Health Foundation, Children’s Medical Center Foundation, Methodist Health System Foundation, National Kidney Foundation/Camp Reynal, SouthwestTransplant Alliance, Texas Health Resources Foundation.
ABOUT LAURYN GAYLE WHITE
Lauryn Gayle Longwell was born in McAllen, Texas and grew up in Edinburg, Texas. Her parents were Merlin and Bernie Longwell.
After graduation from Edinburg High School, Lauryn Gayle graduated from the University of Texas-Pan American with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in 1969. While attending college, Lauryn Gayle met Tom W. White, and they married in March of 1968.
Tom and Lauryn Gayle have three sons, three daughters-in-law and five grandchildren. Brad and Lee White, with their children Sebastian and Vivian, reside in Greenwich, Connecticut. Parker and Joanna White, with their daughter, Sofia, reside in Dallas, Texas. Allen and Christina White, with their children, Alexander, Caroline, also reside in Dallas, Texas.
Lauryn Gayle was appointed by Governor Mark White to the Board of Regents of Pan American University and served on the board from 1983 to 1989. She was the Chair of the Board in 1988 and worked on the merger with the University of Texas that was finalized in 1989. She was the Chair of the Development Committee for several years and raised funds from foundations, major companies and endowments. In 2016, Lauryn Gayle was formally recognized as a Distinguished Alumni for her service to the university both past and present.
In 1988, Lauryn Gayle met with Clarence Thomas, the former Chairman of the EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission), who awarded the University of Texas-Pan American $100,000. He is now an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. At that time, Pan American University was the fastest growing university with the highest percentage of Hispanics.
Lauryn Gayle has served many organizations over the years. She and Tom have funded scholarships in support of higher education to University of Texas – Rio Grande Valley, University of Texas – McCombs School of Business and St. Mark’s School of Texas. Her commitment to helping others has spanned educational and individual charity organization needs for more than 35 years.
Mission Statement:
The purpose of KidneyTexas, Inc. is to provide funding to improve the methods of treatment, the search for a cure and prevention of kidney disease and other kindred or contributory diseases; and to develop more adequate provision for the care of persons suffering from such diseases.
Statistics:
Debilitating kidney diseases impacts approximately 35.5 million people in the United States today. Groups at high risk include African Americans, Hispanics, senior citizens and people with diabetes. In Texas as of 2023, there are over 50,000 people on dialysis and 8,294 people on a transplant list. There were 2,394 kidney transplants in Texas in 2022.
History:
Since 1999, the dedicated volunteers of KidneyTexas, Inc. have worked in tandem with our generous underwriters to raise over $4.6 million for local efforts to improve the ability to diagnose and manage kidney disease.
