TYLER, Texas —
The 32nd annual Tyler Cattle Barons' Gala, the largest local fundraiser for the American Cancer Society in the Rose City, is getting ready to kick off on Saturday, June 29.
The theme for this year's event, which takes place at the Texas Rose Horse Park located at 14078 Highway 110, is "Triple Crown on Track for a Cure."
This year's headline act is country music superstar Mark Chesnutt, who is known for his hits such as:
- "Goin' Through the Big D"
- "I Just Wanted You To Know"
- It's a Little Too Late"
- "Almost Goodbye"
- "Blame It On Texas"
The opening and closing act will be Satellite, a modern party band out of Dallas, who perform everything from 70s classics to current Top 40 hits (get ready to dance the night away to hits from artists such as Wild Cherry and Bruno Mars).
Raffles will also be held for a 2019 GMC Sierra SLT Crew Cab Cattle Barons' Edition courtesy of Hall Buick GMC with an MSRP of $51,880 and a Rolex Datejust 36 valued at $7,850 from Susan Robinson. Tickets for the truck at $100 each and tickets for the Rolex are $20 each or six for $100.
Auctions will also be held for items and experiences such as:
- Custom smoker trailer - East Texas Smoker Company
- Alaskan fishing vacation - Anchorage Wine & Food Festival Committee
- Napa Valley wine tours - Small Lot Wine Tours and Italics Winegrowers
- 2019 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo - Cavender's and Wrangler
- Limited Edition Patchwork Onward Club Car Utility Vehicle - Ingersoll Rand, Judd Long and Tyler Golf Cars
All donations will go toward the American Cancer Society which will be used to provide resources for East Texas cancer patients.
“We raise funds that go toward research, toward helping patients locally with transportation getting wigs and for education purposes,” Cattle Barons' Gala co-chair Jayme Fitzpatrck said.
Fitzpatrick, Kelli Armstrong and Maggie Wright, also known as the "Fitzpatrick Sisters" will serve as the chairs for the event.
“We were asked [to be the Gala chairs] about March, and we kind of gave it some good thought and talked ourselves into taking on a big challenge, because we thought it would be for a good cause,” Armstrong said. “We've had family members pass away because of cancer."
“We have been out asking for sponsorships and the Tyler community has been very generous,” Fitzpatrick said.
Thanks to a giving community, they've already surpassed the goal of what they wanted to raise for sponsorships.
Last year's Gala raised nearly $500,000 for the American Cancer Society.
The first Tyler Cattle Barons’ Gala was held in 1988. While much was known about this disease, much more was not.
To date, more than $15 million dollars has been raised, locally, to support both local and national cancer support services including cancer research.
General admission tickets at $200 each. You can also get two Signs of Hope PATRON tickets for $500.
The event kicks off at 7 p.m. and ends just after midnight.