A Legendary Kickoff: Legendary Coach Gene Stallings, Bryan Houston, Dr. David Dykes to Lead “An Evening to Support Excellence”
Legendary Football Coach Gene Stallings will be the keynote speaker at a benefit dinner for the Lindale
ISD Education Foundation on Thursday, September 12, 2013, A Legendary Kickoff: An Evening to
Support Excellence. The evening will begin at 6:30p.m. at Villa Di Felicita located at 7891 Highway 110
North in Tyler.
Bryan Houston will serve as Master of Ceremonies for the evening, led by Pastor David O. Dykes (Green
Acres Baptist Church) in prayer. DJ Kenny Smith will provide music entertainment, while Auctioneer
Tex Willis will conduct the live auction. Villa di Felicita chefs will prepare a gourmet evening meal,
served in the beautiful and unique setting of this venue.
Individual tickets for the evening are $100. All-Star VIP table purchases are available for $700 and
include six tickets for dinner and access to a pre-dinner meet and greet and photo with Coach Stallings.
Tickets are limited and a few remain to be sold. The event will include special guest Stallings, dinner,
live auction and a dance. Table and ticket purchases can be made online at www.LindaleFoundation.org
or by contacting LISD Education Foundation Director Holly Rand at (903) 780-7969.
Live auction items, which can be bid on before the event, include: a Nolan Ryan Autographed Baseball
and Texas Rangers Fan Package, A Home Visit from Santa Claus, the opportunity to be “Lindale ISD
Superintendent for A Day”, a collection of gift cards sold as “Christmas in A Box”, a district-wide All
Sports Pass, and an original design pearl necklace. Donations continue to be collected for the live
auction.
Event sponsors include Villa di Felicita, Adams Engineering, Caudle-Rutledge Funeral Home,
BankTexas, State Farm Insurance-RJ Collins Agent, Lindale Floral Shop, Evans Air Conditioning, Major
General James K. “Red” Brown, BSCENE Magazine, I-20 Team Real Estate, Lasting Impressions by
Viki, Longhorn Ford/Lonestar Dodge, ProPrinting & Graphics.
Stallings is a graduate of Paris High School and was a member of the esteemed “Junction Boys” under
head coach Paul “Bear” Bryant at Texas A&M University. During his career he served as an assistant
coach at the University of Alabama, winning the national championship in 1964. He later returned to
Texas A&M where he was head coach and led the Aggies to the Southwest Conference championship.
Stallings was a member of Tom Landry’s coaching staff with the Dallas Cowboys and won Super Bowl
XII. He later went on to coach the St. Louis Cardinals before the team relocated to Phoenix. Stallings
returned to the University of Alabama as head coach in 1990, a position he held until 1997.