Fighting hate

See with your heart: Austin shows True Colors at Anti-Defamation Leaguefundraiser

The theme of the evening was "See with your Heart"
Veronica Castelo
Felice Schimmel, Laren Polt
Veronica Castelo
Karen Gross, Austin community director of the Anti-Defamation League, addresseda packed house at Wanderlust LIVE
Veronica Castelo
Jerrod Kogut, Lilly Chau, David Ramos
Veronica Castelo
T-shirts were printed on site with the message: "We wish in the near future itwill be very very very hard to see any form of discrimination."
Veronica Castelo
Jared Lindauer (l), Kim Lindauer, Adam Greenspan
Veronica Castelo

It's easy to understand why the Anti-Defamation League in Austin is able to attract such a great crowd year after year to their annual True Colors fundraiser. Their mission, to fight hatred and discrimination of all forms, is one we can all rally around.

It doesn't hurt that ADL's True Colors fundraiser is known for being a party that's not only entertaining, but also creative. Each year the event is held at an unconventional spot and this year was no different. True Colors was the first nonprofit event hosted by Wanderlust LIVE, Austin's recently opened state-of-the-art yoga studio, music venue and mindful destination.

The ADL team turned the Wanderlust space into a fun house with non-stop food, drinks, live entertainment and plenty of opportunities to show support for the cause.

The theme of the evening, "Seeing with your Heart," was centered around creating a community that celebrates diversity. Throughout the night volunteers walked around with iPads encouraging people to sign a petition for marriage equality. Guests also took home t-shirts screen printed on-site with the message: "We wish in the near future it will be very very very hard to see any form of discrimination."

Karen Gross, Austin community director of ADL, managed to silence the crowd long enough to introduce Muna Hussaini, a Muslim woman who faced discrimination post 9-11 and said she often feared for her life and wished she had known about ADL. Members from Equality Texas and the Human Rights Campaign were also on hand to show their support.

While the short program reminded people how much work still needs to be done, the fundraiser as a whole was a true celebration of how far we've come.

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Time For A Swan Song

Austin's Madam Radar to play gala for unique musical nonprofit

Madam Radar/swansongs.org

Madam Radar is playing the 14th Annual Swan Songs Serenade on November 3.

A unique musical gala in Austin is gearing up for its 2024 run. The 14th Annual Swan Songs Serenade, which raises funds for bedside concerts by local artists, has now announced its ticketing and sponsorship options. This gives individuals ($200) and groups plenty of time to organize their contribution before ticket sales start on September 1.

The gala will be held on November 3, combining a seated dinner, live and silent auctions that are currently accepting donations, and a performance by local rock band Madam Radar, known for their gentle and soulful Americana rock sound. The band has been selling out shows, including a recent date at Antone's, and this gala is known for getting popular local artists on board.

Swan Songs, the nonprofit that organizes the event, takes a creative approach to end-of-life care. Similar organizations like Make A Wish are famous for their extraordinary ability to grant final wishes, but Swan Songs takes a much more local approach. When an Austinite is terminally ill or nearing the end of their life, they can request a concert by a local musician, either by name or by genre.

The latter is more common, but Guy Forsyth, Jimmy LaFave, Bob Schneider, Ray Benson, and Marcia Ball are among artists requested in the past, according to a press release. The nonprofit started in this spirit, when Austin musician and Swan Songs founder Christine Albert was asked to play for a fan. Swan Songs pays an honorarium to participating artists.

Now Swan Songs offers concerts for friends, family, and caregivers to enjoy as well, and two custom songwriting experiences. Both reflect the life of the recipient in song; One is prepared for them, and the other sets them up for a collaborative effort with songwriter Darden Smith.

The Swan Songs Serenade gala hopes to "bring conversations about death out of the shadows," according to the release, and the songwriting experiences also aim for feelings of closure.

The 2024 Swan Songs Serenade will be held at the Four Seasons Hotel Austin. The dinner caterer has not been announced. Tables for 10 can be purchased through sponsorships starting at $5,000. Smaller sponsorships that do not include seating at the event raise funds for musician honorariums of $150 each; These can be purchased at various levels from $3,000-15,000.

More information about the gala and Swan Songs is available at swansongs.org.

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Fighting hate

See with your heart: Austin shows True Colors at Anti-Defamation Leaguefundraiser

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