Oscar Winner Troy Kotsur at the 2022 GAFD Holiday Gala

The Greater Austin Foundation for the Deaf (GAFD) presented a memorable holiday gala at the Onion Creek Club on December 15, 2022. The fundraising event took over the entire second-floor banquet room with an adjoining dance floor, exhibit area, cash bar, and buffet hall. About 20 different local and national organizations and generous individuals sponsored all the available tables; it was a full house with a great view of the famous 27-hole historic golf course that covers 225 acres of primarily flat rolling hills.

Golf course co-founder, co-designer, and pro golfer Jimmy Demaret (1910-1983) had a snack inviting Hollywood movie stars to play a round or two at Onion Creek Club in the early days. He played with actor/comedian Bob Hope (1903-2003), actor/singer Charlie Pride (1935-2020), and Austin’s own Willie Nelson. Past golf pros Ben Crenshaw, “Chi Chi” Rodriguez, Sam Snead, Arnold Palmer, and Billy Casper teed off with Demaret, too.

Gala guest/sponsor Rosie Serna recalls riding with her two brothers to see Bob Hope and famous professional golfers when Onion Creek had a few houses in the late 1970s. That was the time when Air Force families started to populate the area. With no place to park, Rosie returned home. After some 45 years passed, she finally entered the club with ample parking, thanks to the GAFD holiday gala and another Hollywood celebrity and amateur golfer named Troy Kotsur.

A veteran deaf stage actor and movie star, Troy Kotsur was our guest speaker. The world already knows that Troy won the Best Supporting Award for the TV film “CODA” during the annual academy awards on March 27, 2022. The movie garnered two more Oscar awards as a major film and adapted screenplay. Having Troy Kotsur at the second annual holiday gala became a memorable event. He and his lovely wife Deanne Bray, an actress herself, talked and socialized with everyone who reached out to them and vice versa.

As the main inspirational speaker, Troy Kotsur showed us brief videos of his past performances on film, TV, and stage. His signing style, Hollywood stories, and amusing anecdotes made the gala an enlightening experience for the audience. Mark this gala as another highlight for the GAFD chronological charts on its website.

The co-emcees/co-chairs Paul Rutowski, current GAFD president, and Peggy Ann St. John, a popular Texas Deaf community leader, reminded us of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, who entertained people magically as team players. They kept the program moving smoothly by standing on a flight of stairs for our convenient sightline, maintaining our rapt attention with their charismatic personalities.

Interpreters for the hearing and deaf, conveniently stationed throughout the banquet area, enriched the optimal accessibility. Spicing up the holiday atmosphere through overhead videos showed signed, voiced, and captioned Christmas carols featuring talented Leila Hanaumi. According to Paul, the intent was to provide visual “elevator music” for everyone while eating before Troy spoke to our sold-out event.

Kathryn Caldcleugh dancing with Andrew Rutowski

The audience represented four generations, from Andrew Rutowski to Kathryn Caldcleugh, and both performed a happy dance as part of their tradition of starting first before a sea of smiling faces and eager dancers ready to show their moves, too. Like they say in New Orleans, “Laissez les bons temps rouler!” Let the good times roll!

In retrospect, the 2nd-holiday gala may be a hard act to follow. We had a Hollywood star as our featured speaker, all tables and seats sold out, everyone dressed exquisitely, local and national studio producers mingled, deaf and hearing celebrities socialized, and the atmosphere was electrifying without any partisan political issues on display. Maybe less elbow room that evening, but no one complained, and some even vowed to lose some body fat so they could navigate the narrow sea of chairs and smiling people who stood like unmovable totem poles.

Meanwhile, stay tuned for our 3rd gala in the spirit of enriching our lives culturally, creatively, and educationally. Indeed, that is our established mission as a nonprofit organization for the good of our Austin metro area. Written by Dr. Stephen C. Baldwin. Photos by Tyler Schmitt of Mills Studio