Tables set with crab & shrimp salad, basil mint panna cotta, with mango pearls, chocolate & raspberry “Seashell” whipped vanilla bean crème fraîche, and fresh raspberries.
Source:Nearly 1,400 guests attended the 71st Annual Jewel Charity Ball on Saturday, March 7, benefiting Cook Children’s Hospital in Fort Worth. Attendees stepped into a World of Wonder themed party-scape, just beyond Jeweler Margot McKinney’s iconic green door. The evening included shopping, dancing, and caviar bumps with celebrity Chef Wolfgang Puck himself.
Fort Worth has a lot of jewels in its crown, but Cook Children’s Medical Center is one of our top-tier institutions. Jewel Charity Ball honors the Angel Donors whose generosity supports the organization’s mission to serve patients, regardless of financial need. The Ball is one of the city’s most anticipated black-tie events. Jewel Charity raises funds throughout the year at many events ― culminating in the party of the year.
Held at the Amon G. Carter Jr. Exhibits Hall within Fort Worth’s Will Rogers Memorial Center, World of Wonder transformed into a grand ballroom. This year, it was bathed in green, the signature color of the event. Jeweler Margot McKinney was named Jewel Charity’s Official Jeweler for the 2025-2026 season. Upon arrival, guests were greeted by Margot McKinney’s iconic green door, set among boxwoods and florals reminiscent of a dreamy night garden.
In the center of the cocktail space, guests were welcomed “into an expansive yet intimate showroom featuring her finest jewels. True to Jewel Charity tradition, the pieces were modeled by Fort Worth debutantes and the event’s four co-chairs, Regan Haggerty, Susan Medina, Kelley Roberts, and Heather Senter,” they say.
Margot McKinney is famed for her jewelry designs in sparkling opals, pearls, and rare gems like lilac amethyst and pink tourmalines.
“Jewel Charity’s World of Wonder far exceeded my wildest expectations,” says Lezlie Monteleone, 2025-2026 Jewel Charity President. “Thank you to Margot McKinney for generously serving as our Official Jeweler and inspiration for our 71st annual Ball.”
After cocktails, guests were welcomed inside the ballroom. “Elements of surprise and delight continued with entertainers, including “living” chandeliers and florals, along with aerialists performing from chandeliers suspended above the cocktail bars.”
Then, the focus shifted to another celebrity ― Wolfgang Puck himself.
One week before hosting his annual Oscars after-party at The Governors Ball in Hollywood, Chef Wolfgang Puck made a star turn at Fort Worth’s premier charity event. The famous celebrity chef “stepped behind the bar to prepare caviar bumps alongside a line of eager guests,” according to a release. “Jewel Charity Ball attendees also enjoyed the Wolfgang Puck Caviar Experience at two stations in the cocktail area.”
“We were thrilled to welcome Chef Wolfgang Puck to Fort Worth for the Jewel Charity Ball,” Monteleone says. “It was a true honor to share our celebration with the namesake of one of our most valued partners.”
His Wolfgang Puck Catering wows Fort Worth locals regularly at Café Modern under the direction of Chef Jett Mora. Last summer, Mora hosted a dramatic collaborative dinner inside The Modern Art Museum’s main hall.
After dinner, guests danced the night away to a high-powered performance by Sound House, GirlPower, and DJ Rhome. The entertainment was presented by New York-based Élan Artists.
The Jewel Charity Ball was a dazzling evening of cocktails, dancing, and immersive entertainment all for a good cause.
