Hearts of Texas Luncheon

Established in 2007, the Hearts of Texas Luncheon is VolunteerNow's® signature event. It showcases the importance of volunteerism in the community by recognizing outstanding leaders in North Texas.

These inspirational volunteers have dedicated themselves to the community through the donation of their time, talent, and resources.

Join us on April 24, 2025 to honor Roland Parrish

VolunteerNow will host its 18th annual Hearts of Texas Luncheon on April 24, 2025, at the Arts District Mansion.

We are excited to announce that Roland Parrish will be the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award. Please contact Jamila Thomas, jthomas@volnow.org for sponsorship inquiries.

Roland Parrish was born in Hammond, Indiana, attended Purdue University on academic and athletic scholarships, and has gone on to become a very successful entrepreneur and philanthropist. He is the CEO and owner of Parrish Restaurants, LTD, owning 25 McDonald’s in the Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas area. He is also the 2nd largest African American owned McDonald’s Franchisee in the country. Parrish is frequently featured in Black Enterprise Magazine and stays on their list of top 100 black-owned businesses in the country (currently number 52). The Dallas Morning News honored Parrish as the 95th recipient of the Linz Award, one of the oldest and most prestigious civic honors a Dallas/DFW Resident can receive He has won numerous awards and has been recognized for countless honors but the accolades are not just because of his entrepreneurship. Many are because of his philanthropic efforts in his community, around the country and around the globe! Parrish is passionate about helping children and to instill in them the importance of higher education. His goal is for young people to capitalize on all opportunities presented to them, and where the opportunities are few, he wants to create more for them.

VolunteerNow will also recognize and honor For Oak Cliff with the Ruth Collins Sharp Altshuler Award for excellent stewardship of volunteers. For Oak Cliff is a culturally relevant non-profit organization serving the South Oak Cliff community. For Oak Cliff's mission is to provide culturally responsive initiatives in South Oak Cliff to liberate the community from systemic oppression, create a culture of education, and increase social mobility and social capital. The aim to accomplish their mission by curating dual-gen, community-driven programming through four pillars: Education, Advocacy, Community Building, and Arts.

Plano ISD will be honored with the Tammy Richards Impact Award for its exceptional volunteer management, engaging 36,000 registered volunteers across 74 schools serving 47,000 students. This achievement, supported by the district's partnership with VOLY.org, exemplifies Plano ISD's commitment to creating a future-focused learning environment that educates, inspires and empowers students to realize their unique potential. Through strategic volunteer management, Plano ISD creates meaningful educational connections that enhance student experiences and demonstrate a community-wide dedication to academic excellence.

Our 2024 Event

VolunteerNow hosted its 17th annual Hearts of Texas Luncheon on April 18, 2024, at the Arts District Mansion.

The centerpiece of this event has long been the Lifetime Achievement Award, and this year’s honoree is Randy Bowman, businessman, nonprofit founder and philanthropist.

Bowman is known as an innovator in law and business, building successful careers in both, including 17 years as president of the successful transportation logistics company he co-founded.  He has served Dallas for decades,  including as chair of Parkland Foundation, Employee Retirement Fund of the City of Dallas and Impact Dallas Capital. But he is best known as the founder, CEO and driving force behind AT LAST! – The Urban Boarding Experience. Born into an impoverished family, Bowman possesses a unique understanding and respect for the challenges faced by such families, and an acute belief that stability and home life resources are fundamental to enabling children to learn.  His idea manifested in a weekday boarding experience for kids in poverty which he launched March 7, 2021– and today, AT LAST! ensures that elementary school-aged children from under-resourced families have the types of educational resources available to them during the home life portion of the school day that children living in more prosperous households have.

A highlight of the day will be a fireside chat led by Gordon Keith of The Ticket, where we will hear about Randy’s legacy and his devotion to his mother, Annie Lois Hunt Bowman, who inspired him to achieve and serve in transformative ways. From humble beginnings, to achieving education and business success, he is a model volunteer and example for all of us to give to others selflessly.

VolunteerNow also recognized and honored Community Partners of Dallas (CPD) with the Ruth Collins Sharp Altshuler Award for excellent stewardship of volunteers. CPD’s mission is to provide what abused children urgently need today to thrive tomorrow. Annually they serve 20,000 children in child protective services. They accomplish their mission through several programs, the largest one being the Rainbow Room. The Rainbow Room is an emergency resources center providing critically needed items for children with open Dallas County Child Protective Services cases. This program served 14,433 children last year, and over 238,000 children have been served since the inception of the program in 1993. Throughout its history, the Rainbow Room has received significant support from volunteers. Last year Community Partners had 1,810 volunteers contribute 7,248 hours towards fulfilling their mission.

Lewisville ISD received the Tammy Richards Impact Award for driving phenomenal impact through their partnership with VOLY.org. This VOLY partner beautifully executes its vision of a district where all students are confident, equipped with knowledge and skills to thrive and adapt for their future. Lewisville ISD mobilizes over 53,000 volunteers annually in support of their 64 schools and 49,000 students.

The event is held in April during National Volunteer Month to highlight the the power of volunteerism to create the change we want to see in the world. We are grateful to have Lyda Hill as our Presenting Legacy Sponsor and to name the late Annie Lois Hunt Bowman as this year's Honorary Chair.

Our 2023 Event

VolunteerNow hosted its 16th annual Hearts of Texas Luncheon on Thursday, April 20, 2023, at the Arts District Mansion.

We honored volunteer extraordinaire Lynn McBee with the VolunteerNow Lifetime Achievement Award.

McBee is one of the most transformational volunteer leaders in Dallas. In the last three decades, she has invested over 45,000 hours of service in more than 30 nonprofits and currently serves as CEO of Young Women’s Preparatory Network. McBee’s legacy demonstrates the power of volunteerism to take on systems-level issues like improving education, protecting children, fighting domestic violence, and closing opportunity gaps for underserved undergraduates. 

The Ruth Collins Sharp Altshuler Award for exceptional volunteer stewardship was awarded to Dallas CASA. Annually, Dallas CASA connects over 1500 volunteers with the 3000+ children living in protective care across our community. VolunteerNow is proud to support Dallas CASA’s mission to protect children, restore childhoods, and help child victims of abuse and neglect achieve their full potential.

The Tammy Richards VOLY.org Impact Award was given to Dallas Independent School District. Dallas ISD is the second largest school district in the state, serving approximately 141,000 students in 240 schools. Its volunteers have logged over 1.3 million hours of service since our partnership began in 2017. Considered one of the fastest-improving urban school districts in the nation, DISD is outstanding in its mission of educating all students for success.

Christian Rodriguez, Schwab Managing Director - Central Division Market Executive, provided keynote remarks and shared his story of rising above his early life challenges to use his experiences to succeed both in his personal and professional life.  From his early childhood in the Dominican Republic to football success as an outside linebacker for Texas A&M University and the Indianapolis Colts, and now a meteoric career in banking and investment management, Christian is an inspiring servant leader at Schwab and in the North Texas community.

Our 2022 Event

VolunteerNow hosted its 15th annual Hearts of Texas Luncheon on Thursday, April 28, 2022, at the Omni Hotel Dallas.

We celebrated 50 years of transforming lives through volunteers and honored five extraordinary organizations that have supported our mission for many years with the VolunteerNow Lifetime Achievement Award: Lyda Hill Philanthropies, Hillcrest Foundation, Meadows Foundation, JCPenney, Texas Instruments

The Ruth Collins Sharp Altshuler Award for exceptional use of volunteers will be awarded to Equest, the first therapeutic horsemanship center in Texas. 

Uplift Education received the first ever Tammy Richards Impact Award. Uplift Education has leveraged Voly.org to enormous effect, mobilizing over 11,000 volunteers to serve at their school campus

The Hoglund Family were the event’s honorary chairs. Charles Knight and Bill Braxton were the event co-chairs.

A luncheon highlight included keynote speaker Wes Moore, New York Times best-selling author, entrepreneur, and United States Army combat veteran.

Our 2021 Event

On Tuesday, June 29, 2021, VolunteerNow honored the Hoglund Family with the VolunteerNow Lifetime Achievement Award. The Senior Source also received the Ruth Collins Sharp Altshuler Award for its outstanding volunteerism by an organization.

The spirit of volunteerism runs deep through three generations of Hoglunds. Sally and Forrest Hoglund founded the Dallas-based Hoglund Foundation more than 30 years ago. Since then, their daughters and grandchildren have joined the organization’s cause to give back. Today, the Hoglund Foundation has contributed more than $55 million to over 650 agencies supporting families and education.

The Senior Source has served the community since 1961, acting as a leading resource for aging services in Dallas. The nonprofit offers the elderly community help with job searches, money management, long-term residential care advocacy, volunteer opportunities, and counseling.

Liz Murray, a nationally-known inspirational speaker, and author, shared her triumphant journey from homelessness to Harvard University at the upcoming event.

Our 2019 Event

On Wednesday, April 24, 2019, Lydia Novakov received the VolunteerNow Lifetime Achievement Award. The Junior League of Dallas also received the inaugural Ruth Collins Sharp Altshuler Award for its outstanding use of volunteers to transform our community. The Hearts of Texas Honorary Chair was Connie O'Neill and Event Co-Chairs were Alicia Howell and Mike Stewart. Barbara Pierce Bush, daughter of former President and Mrs. George W. Bush, delivered inspiring keynote remarks about her experience co-founding Global Health Corps and mobilizing a community of young leaders to build the movement for health equity.

Dallas-native Lydia Novakov has devoted her life to improving her hometown. After earning a bachelor’s degree from Saint Mary’s College and a Master’s degree from the University of Notre Dame, Mrs. Novakov returned to Dallas to start her lifetime of notable philanthropy. She is a past president of the Junior League of Dallas, helped raise almost $1 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and serves as a Southwestern Medical Foundation trustee.

Mrs. Novakov has supported numerous nonprofit organizations in a variety of roles, including: on the board of directors for the Hoblitzelle Foundation and Ursuline Academy; as a past Crystal Charity Ball Chair; as Honorary Chair for the Genesis Women’s Shelter annual luncheon; as a member of the Finance Council for the Catholic Diocese of Dallas; and as an Honorary Lifetime Director for the Senior Source.

Mrs. Novakov has received Saint Mary’s College President’s Medal and Distinguished Alumnae Award, Senior Source’s Spirit of Generations Award, and Ursuline Academy’s Distinguished Alumnae Award.

Our 2018 Event

VolunteerNow honored former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach with the 2018 VolunteerNow Lifetime Achievement Award for his commitment to transforming North Texas through volunteerism. Mr. Staubach received the award at the 12th Annual Hearts of Texas Luncheon on Thursday, April 26, 2018 at the Belo Mansion. Honorary co-chairs were David and Carolyn Miller, both of whom have received this award in previous years. Event co-chairs were Cheryl Alston and Lisa Ragland.

VolunteerNow Lifetime Achievement Award Recipients

• Peggy Allison

• The Late Ruth Altshuler

• Charlotte Jones Anderson

• Laura Bush

• The Late Governor Bill and the Late Mrs. Rita Clements

• John Cuellar

• Linda Custard

• Melissa and Trevor Fetter

• Nancy Halbreich

• Lyda Hill

• Sheila B. Johnson

• Gene Jones

• Junior League of Fort Worth

• Joan Katz

• Lisa Kraus

• Dr. Bobby B. Lyle

• Janie McGarr

• Carolyn Miller

• David B. Miller

• The Late Phil Montgomery

• Erle Nye

• Connie O’Neill

• Rozanne Rosenthal

• Roger Staubach

• Texas Jewish Post

• Donna Arp Weitzman

• Todd Williams

Event Information

Date:  April 24, 2025 Time:  11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Venue: Arts District Mansion