In its ninth year, the family-friendly event will feature musical performances throughout the day, magic acts and interactive children’s activities like rock climbing, arts and crafts, inflatable slides, Zorb balls, cosmic golf, pickleball, a mechanical reindeer and more. In addition, a variety of superhero, Star Wars and Minnie Mouse characters will make appearances to take photographs with attendees.
“Day 1 DFW has become a beloved New Year’s Day tradition for families, and the Irving Convention Center offers a central location for the entire North Texas community to come together for an entertaining and safe way to ring in the new year,” said Vogel President and CEO Karen Hughes. “Day 1 DFW also serves as an important fundraiser that helps us continue our mission at our main Dallas campus as we serve nearly 200 homeless children and their families in overcoming the lasting and traumatic effects of homelessness and poverty. We greatly appreciate the support of all our event sponsors and attendees.”
All proceeds from Day 1 DFW benefit Vogel’s mission, and since its founding 36 years ago, Vogel has helped more than 17,000 homeless children and families by providing specialized early childhood and school-age programs, family services and social support. In addition to its main campus, which continues to serve nearly 200 homeless children and their families daily in central Dallas, Vogel recently announced its expansion with two new specialized facilities. These include an early childhood center and afterschool learning center serving an additional 100 homeless children annually at the newly renovated Family Gateway North emergency shelter in far North Dallas and construction of a new 15,000-square-foot childcare facility at The Shops at RedBird in southern Dallas County that will provide quality, affordable care for approximately 150 additional children of employees at The Shops at RedBird and the southern Dallas community. Through its existing main site and the expansion sites, Vogel will now be able to serve close to 450 children.
“Creating a fun and safe environment for children to play while serving a meaningful cause that impacts all parts of our region is vital,” Irving Mayor Rick Stopfer said. “Day 1 DFW has become a staple for families in the metroplex on New Year’s Day, and Irving is proud to serve as the host city and welcome visitors from throughout North Texas to our community. We look forward to our continued partnership with Vogel and Day 1 DFW for many years to come.”
Day 1 DFW is supported by presenting sponsor Celanese Foundation and other key sponsors, including Oncor Electric Delivery, Copart, Inc. and Kimberly-Clark Corporation.
“The Celanese Foundation is honored to once again support Day 1 DFW here in Irving as part of our broader partnership with Vogel.” Celanese Foundation president Brian Bianco said. “This event makes such a difference for not only our neighbors here in Irving, but all of DFW, and will help us continue to drive meaningful and sustained change right here at home.”
Day 1 DFW is open to the public. Admission for Children ages 17 and younger is free, while tickets for attendees 18 and older are $10. To purchase tickets or find more information about the event, visit www.day1dfw.com.
About Vogel
Since 1987, Vogel has provided a broad array of therapeutic services to help young children and their families prevent and overcome the lasting and traumatic effects of homelessness and poverty. Our skilled teachers specialize in trauma-informed care, and our behavioral and developmental specialists assess each child’s intellectual, social and behavioral needs. We are also fortunate to have an expert team of event planning, fundraising, marketing and data management professionals. Our business practices are transparent, and our services for homeless children are transformative. For more information about Vogel, visit www.vogelalcove.org.
