Thank you for joining us at the Beacon of Hope Community Luncheon!
From the welcome reception to Steve Burns’ message, the luncheon showed that hope grows when a community unites.
If the program inspired you and you would like to further support our work, there’s still time to make a gift.
Thank you for being part of this mission. Together, we can continue creating lasting change and inspiring hope for young people and families across North Texas.
Join Us for an Inspiring Conversation About Hope and the Power of Asking for Help with Steve Burns
Steve Burns is best known as the original host of Nickelodeon’s “Blue’s Clues,” where he spent seven surreal years solving mysteries with a cartoon dog and a talking mailbox. Then he disappeared. On purpose.
Since then, Steve has released indie rock albums, toured with The Flaming Lips, wrote the theme song for “Young Sheldon,” served as a host and storyteller for NPR’s “The Moth,” and currently hosts the podcast “Alive with Steve Burns.” In 2021, he went massively viral by quietly breaking the internet with a heartfelt message to a generation of now-grown-up viewers, returning in character as the host of “Blue’s Clues,” to reassure them that he had never forgotten them after leaving to go to college.
As a speaker, Burns refines and re-examines the message of empowerment and exceptionalism he once delivered to children, carrying the thoughtful, care-driven conversation he began in their childhoods into adulthood, as they navigate the demands, pressures, and realities of grown-up life.
Elizabeth Carlock Phillips is the founder of No More Victims, a national advocacy organization that passes child protection laws. She has served as executive director of the Phillips Foundation since 2013 and is currently the board chair of The Dallas Foundation, as well as a supporter of many community organizations.
In the last year, Elizabeth helped lead the passage of Trey’s Law in Texas and Missouri, prohibiting the misuse of NDAs against sexual abuse survivors in memory of her late brother, Trey Carlock, who died by suicide in 2019. Trey’s Law has since been filed in six additional states and jurisdictions. She is also a leading advocate for statute of limitations reform, working to provide child sexual abuse and trafficking survivors access to the courts to protect children from hidden predators.
No More Victims also led the Campaign for Camp Safety alongside the parents who lost their daughters in the 2025 Camp Mystic floods, resulting in the Heaven’s 27 Camp Safety Act and Youth CAMPER Act passing into law in Texas last September – and now with similar bills progressing in Alabama and Missouri this session.
A certified crime victim advocate, Elizabeth works directly with survivors of child sexual abuse, trafficking, and institutional negligence in their pursuit of healing and justice. She and her husband, Kevin, enjoy life with their three children in Texas and North Carolina.
The Vanita Halliburton Beacon Award is presented annually at the Beacon of Hope Community Luncheon to honor an individual or organization whose leadership, advocacy, or service has made a meaningful impact in advancing mental health awareness and suicide prevention. While many honorees draw from personal experience, the award also recognizes those who have used their work, voice, or platform to bring hope to others.
Shelley and Jeff Becker • Lisa and Dave Dickson
Barbra and Bud Applebaum • The Bolding Family • Rachel and Luke Branyan
Founding Luncheon Chair
Raffle Chair
Host Committee
Judy Barton • Shelley and Jeff Becker • Polly and Mike Campbell
Suzan Bruce • Ben Campbell • Sandra Dickter • Talia Dickter • Risa Douglas
About Beacon of Hope
Beacon of Hope is the signature luncheon in the Dallas-Fort Worth area supporting children, teen, and young adult mental health and suicide prevention. Each year, this event features compelling speakers, a delicious lunch, and a raffle. Former luncheon speakers include Dak Prescott and Solomon Thomas, Drew Robinson, Patrick Kennedy, Glennon Doyle, Zak Williams, Nora McInerny Purmort, Delaney Ruston, JJ Virgin, Elizabeth McIngvale-Cegelski and Jim McIngvale, Kevin Hines, Suzy Favor Hamilton, Amanda Beard, Bev Cobain, Eric Hipple, and Terry Wise.
