The Event
On October 5, 2001, the Gay and Lesbian Fund for Dallas joined an impressive list of sponsors including AT&T, the Dallas Morning News, the Baylor Foundation and Verizon in underwriting a gala luncheon to celebrate the Dallas Public Library's 100th anniversary. Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk hosted the event and First Lady Laura Bush sent a personal greeting and congratulations via videotape. Although Mrs. Bush had planned to appear personally at the event, the recent tragedy of September 11 prevented her from doing so. The luncheon event was held in one of Dallas's premier convention center hotels and was free to all Dallas Public Library employees. The Gay and Lesbian Fund for Dallas's sponsorship also helped underwrite the costs for a special documentary about the history of the Dallas Public Library entitled The Dallas Public Library: Celebrating a Century of Service, which has been distributed to other municipal library systems throughout the U.S.