History Made As Eberly Goes Virtual
For the first time in its 12-year history, the AHCA’s Angelina Eberly Luncheon was held virtually on Feb. 5, bringing together nearly 300 patrons and raising nearly $14,000 for AHCA and its support of the Austin History Center. Among the attendees are 44 who are now new members of the AHCA!
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic forced Eberly chair Rita Kreisle and her committee to forgo the usual luncheon gathering and instead produce a one-hour virtual event, complete with appearances by Shannon Sedwick of Esther’s Follies and Ray Benson of Asleep at the Wheel. Former TV news anchor Ron Oliveira served as host for the event.
Those who attended were treated to a performance of All Aboard! The Train Comes to Austin, written by Austin playwright Paullette MacDougal and directed by Austin Playhouse Artistic Director Lara Toner Haddock. The performance was a historically grounded glimpse of events that shaped Austin in the years following the Civil War, most notably the arrival of the town’s first rail service.
Plans are already underway for the 2022 Eberly Luncheon, which will feature the next segment of Our Austin Story, to be set in Austin in the timeframe of 1885 to 1900.
See the video of the 2021 Angelina Eberly Luncheon presentation, plus a list of our generous sponsors, on the AHCA website.
Comments about the 2021 Angelina Eberly Luncheon
Fantastic production. Thanks for all the hard work. I loved watching the $$$ scroll on the screen.
– Ann Dolce, Eberly Sponsor and AHCA Life Member
Thanks for a fun hour. The entire video was very well done, from the music to the storyline and choice of photos. I learned a lot, as always.
– Bob McBee, AHCA Member
It was a wonderful program. Please send my congratulations to all involved. It was so well done.
– Meta Butler Hunt, AHCA Life Member
A very enjoyable and informative show—well done, one and all. The mix of old photos and the actors worked very well, as did the script.
– Simon Benfield, AHCA Member
Congratulations! Exceptional event. Brought tears to my eyes. Proud to be a Life Member!
- Dee Garcia, AHCA Life Member
We want to thank you for the invitation to the Austin History Center event. It was so much fun and really interesting; we both learned a lot. And we loved the music! We appreciate participating in a great cause like this....
- Holly and John Scofield, New AHCA Members