Jewel Charity Ball Photographer | Board Portraits by Gittings

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Lezlie Monteleone, President, Board of Directors, Jewel Charity | Portrait by Gittings

Behind the Portrait: Gittings at the 2026 Jewel Charity Ball

There are evenings in Fort Worth that remind you why this community is something special. Held March 7 at Will Rogers Memorial Center’s Amon G. Carter Exhibits Hall, the evening transformed Fort Worth’s most beloved black-tie gala into a World of Wonder inspired by Australian jeweler Margot McKinney, catered by Wolfgang Puck, and attended by 1,400 guests dressed for the occasion.

On April 1st, Lezlie Monteleone presented $2,706,000 to Cook Children’s Medical Center at this month’s Annual Gift Celebration, bringing Jewel Charity’s lifetime impact to more than $88 million. That is what the Gala is really about.

Behind that number are the people who made it possible.

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Jewel Charity Board of Directors | Portraits by Gittings, Fort Worth

Each year, Gittings provides portraits of the Jewel Charity Board of Directors and committee members that appear in the Jewel book representing the organization’s leadership throughout the season. It’s work we take seriously, because these aren’t just headshots, but a visual record of the people who give their time, their expertise, and their commitment to a mission that has raised more than $88 million for Cook Children’s Medical Center since 1953.

The Nonprofit Board and Volunteer Leadership Behind the Ball

Lezlie Monteleone, President of the Jewel Charity Board of Directors, led this year’s effort alongside ball co-chairs Regan Haggerty, Susan Medina, Kelley Roberts, and Heather Senter. Behind them, an entire committee of volunteers worked months in advance to ensure the evening came together exactly as envisioned. That’s the part that doesn’t usually get photographed – the planning, coordination, and one million tiny decisions that turn a theme into an experience for over a thousand guests.

When we photograph board members and committee leadership before an event like this, we’re aware of what those portraits are really capturing – the months of preparation behind a single Saturday night. Portraits like these require presence and trust, and we’re proud of what we made together this year.

Jewel Charity Committee Members | Portrait by Gittings, Fort Worth

Fort Worth Families in The Jewel Book

Gittings’ contribution to Jewel Charity goes beyond the board and committee sessions. Each year, we donate our time and resources to photograph participating families whose portraits will appear in the Jewel book at no cost to them. Families purchasing a page in the Jewel book is a way of being part of something that ultimately serves the children and families at Cook Children’s Medical Center.

What The Jewel Charity Ball Means for Fort Worth

Fort Worth has no shortage of galas, but Jewel Charity Ball definitely stands out. The organization was co-founded in 1953 by Nenetta Burton Carter and Billie Bransford Clark with one goal: make sure no child in this community goes without medical care because their family can’t afford it.

That goal has never changed. Every Angel donor celebrated at the ball, every raffle ticket sold, every silent auction bid flows directly to Cook Children’s Medical Center. It started in 1954 with $9,000 raised at the very first ball. This season alone, that same spirit of generosity added up to $2,706,000 — and a lifetime total that now exceeds $88 million for the children and families Cook Children’s serves.

This year, for the first time, the ball’s support extended specifically to Cook Children’s Endocrinology Department alongside its broader patient care mission. The Endocrinology Department supports virtually every specialty within the hospital by providing oversight of patients’ endocrine systems before, during, and following treatment, effectively touching patients across almost every department. This is undoubtedly a reflection of the intentionality that has defined this organization for over seven decades.

The 71st Annual Jewel Charity Ball, March 7, 2026 | Will Rogers Memorial Center, Fort Worth

Attending in person made the night so impactful for us. We loved to see so many familiar faces. Fort Worth’s philanthropic community has a way of showing up for each other, and it was on full display that evening.

It also didn’t hurt that Wolfgang Puck was behind the food. The caviar experience during cocktail hour was something else entirely. The kind of detail that reminds you how much thought and care goes into every part of a Jewel Charity evening.

Fort Worth Portrait Photography: Part of Something Bigger

The portraits we made of Lezlie, the board, and the families in the Jewel book are part of the same story the ball tells every year – the same organization with the same vital mission. The same people who show up, year after year, to make sure Cook Children’s has what it needs to care for every child who walks through its doors, regardless of what their family can pay.

It was an honor to be part of the 71st Jewel Charity Ball and see so many familiar faces. Congratulations to Lezlie Monteleone, the co-chairs, the board, and every committee member who made this evening what it was.

Gittings photographs nonprofit boards, executive teams, and event leadership throughout Fort Worth and the Dallas area. To inquire about portrait sessions for your organization, contact our studio.