Dress the Child sells out; raises $29K

With money generated at a sold-out 2025 dinner and other funding, Dress the Child volunteers will join as more than 500 needy children on shopping expeditions at Las Cruces merchants later this year.

The 34th annual charity gala dinner, held Sept. 18 at New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum, had more than 250 people in attendance, including Doña Ana County district attorney Fernando Macias, county clerk Amanda Lopez Askin, former Las Cruces mayor and current gubernatorial candidate Ken Miyagishima, NMSU president Valerio Ferme and interim athletic director Amber Burdge, NMSU head football coach Tony Sanchez and some of his players, New Mexico Press Association executive director Belinda Mills, and 2025 Southern New Mexico State Fair and Rodeo queen Bianca Rojas and members of her court.

“This year’s fundraising dinner was truly a phenomenal event, raising more than $29,000 of critical funding that will enable the organization to take hundreds of underprivileged children shopping this year,” Dress the Child director Doug Boberg said. “We are so grateful to our wonderful chefs, sponsors, attendees, organizers and donors that make this annual dinner possible.”

Dinner sponsors were MountainView Regional Medical Center (platinum level), Citizens Bank of Las Cruces (gold level) and WestStar (silver level). American Linen & Uniform Supply provided table linens, some of the food for the dinner was donated by Ben E. Keith Foods, media sponsors were the Las Cruces Bulletin and Adams Radio Group, and design and printing of the dinner menu and other Dress the Child documents were provided by Del Valle Design and Printing, Wilson Binkley Advertising and Fetching Designs!

With a theme of “Southern Charm,” this year’s participating chefs (and their dishes) were D.H. LesCombes Winery & Bistro general manager Ken Chavez (amuse-bouche: southern pimento cheese crostini), Las Cruces Convention Center executive chef Armando Murillo (appetizer: shrimp and grits shooter), Hacienda de Mesilla executive chef Cecilia Castro and general manager Chris Hutchinson (soup: chicken gumbo), Dickerson’s Catering (and event host) chef Erik Kuntz (salad: southern heirloom tomato salad), Doña Ana Community College senior culinary arts instructor Tom Drake (fish course: blackened catfish with collard green pesto), Sysco New Mexico chef/protein specialist Armando Pomales (entrée: bourbon braised short ribs with sweet potato puree) and DACC cake and patisserie instructor Jenni Kosnick-Hart (dessert: bananas foster mousse). Bread service was provided by Proofed Bread Company owner Jeremiah Richardson.

KVIA-TV “Good Morning El Paso” co-host Hilary Floren was again the master of ceremonies, Dickerson’s Catering owner Marci Dickerson served as event manager, Lyndsay Martin and April and Rob Hernandez were auction coordinators and Jan and Giuseppe Portillo, Jamie and Jake Painter and Anne Clark were in charge of table decorations.

Live music was provided by Mountain Standard Time, featuring Joe Seltzer (drums), Roman Chip (saxophone), Arnold Schnitzer (bass) and Miguel Torres (piano).

Students from Centennial High School’s Family, Career and Community Leaders program were the evening’s servers.

“I’ve never gotten the privilege to work with a finer group,” said Dickerson, who supervised the dinner service.

This year’s silent auction items all received enthusiastic bids and raised about $3,000 for Dress the Child. Auction items were a pit barrel cooker and seasoning rubs, a one-hour Mariachi performance and two music lessons; a visit from Doña Ana Santa, including a gift basket prepared by Kathy Mitchell; lunch or dinner and golf for four at Red Hawk Golf Course, plus a sleeve of Titleist Pro VT golf balls; a one-night stay at Holiday Inn Express Las Cruces with dinner from Roadrunner Pizza, dessert from Caliche’s and Allen Theatre movie passes;  a wine adventure at D.H. Lescombes Winery & Bistro family vineyards, including lunch, dinner and wine service; stunning photographs of the Organ Mountains and White Sands National Park made into aluminum prints by Mike Groves, along with a Texas Roadhouse gift certificate; a two-night stay in a restored 1850s adobe suite in downtown Las Cruces, courtesy of Eric and Tamera Ahner, including a bottle of D.H. Lescombes’ Malvasia Riesling wine; dinner at Lorenzo’s Restaurant, including dessert from Nothing Bundt Cakes and wine from D.H. Lescombes; and 15,000 Marriott Bonvoy points toward your next stay at any Marriott hotel or resort, courtesy of Courtyard by Marriott at NMSU, plus one bundlet each month for a year from Nothing Bundt Cakes.

To donate and for more information, call Doug Boberg at 575-644-9469.