D’Andra Simmons Lock and Jeremy Lock Brought Internationally and Nationally Renowned Supporters and Partners Together for Mercury One’s M1Ball 2018
D’Andra Simmons Lock and
Jeremy Lock, Ball Chairs
Francie Moody-Dahlberg and Kevin Dahlberg, Honorary Chairs
Featured photo: Glenn Beck, Founder, Mercury One and Tania Beck; Honorary Chairs Kevin Dahlberg and Francie Moody-Dahlberg; M1Ball Chairs D’Andra Simmons Lock and Jeremy Lock.
M1Ball chairs D’Andra Simmons Lock and Jeremy Lock brought together internationally and nationally-renowned supporters and beneficiaries, along with local friends and leaders in the arts, social and business communities for the M1Ball.
Hosted by Mercury One founder Glenn Beck and his wife, Tania atthe exclusive Mercury Studios, the ball featured a VIP reception inside the working radio and TV studio at Stage 2 and the main event at Stage 19, named after Orson Welles’ Sound Stage at Universal.
Michael Grishman and Mercury One’s Executive Director, Suzanne Grishman 
Paul and Charla Vinyard
As guests entered the biggest TV and movie studio between New York and Hollywood in daily production, they were greeted with the bigger-than-life sized robots from the 2013 live-production and movie Man In The Moon and joined in the events in the studios where films such as RoboCop, JFK, Silkwood, Born on the 4th of July and Problem Child were all filmed as well as shows like Walker, Texas Ranger and Barney.
Dave Lopez, Rudy Atallah, Jim Petiote
Mercury One’s executive director Suzanne Bock Grishman welcomed the crowd and thanked honorary chairs Francie Moody-Dahlberg and her husband, Kevin Dahlberg, honorary chairs emeritus Gena and Chuck Norris, Gina and Ken Betts, and the Vinyard Family: Charla, Paul, Annalee, and Joel Vinyard and Tiffany and Derek Wheeless as well as Dee Simmons as underwriting chair.
Suzanne especially thanked ball chairs D’Andra and Jeremy, not only for their hard work and dedication in working every day chairing this fabulous event, but also Jeremy’s feet-on-the-ground involvement with Mercury One’s partners aiding the victims of Hurricane Florence. She shared how both D’Andra and Jeremy traveled with the organization to Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq bringing light to the darkness, speaking with, comforting and assisting the persecuted refugees supported by the organization. She said, “They were with us in the newly liberated towns of war ravaged Nineveh where Isis had just left a few weeks prior and IEDs and sleeper cells were still a real and present danger. They met with political and religious leaders and they were with us when we rescued and helped a former Isis captive, on the verge of suicide, get the care she needed.”
Jeffy Fisher, Joy Villa, Chris Cruz 
Tim Brennan, Tiffany Brennan
She gave some background about Mercury One, a 501(c)(3) charity founded in 2011. The organization’s focus is in three different areas: Humanitarian Aid, including disaster relief, help for veterans, support in the fight against human trafficking; Education Initiatives and The Nazarene Fund.
Carmen Hancock, Trammell Hancock 
Stephen Smith, Sara Gonzales
She explained the initiatives and programs the foundation supports, including most recently sponsoring the Dallas Film Society’s High School Roundtables in the 2017 and 2018 academic year, their High School Day and Stand to Honor in Dallas honoring veterans. Mercury One’s initiatives include providing programs to individuals to advance the skills, knowledge and attitudes necessary for communities to help themselves as well as assisting our nation’s veterans, providing aid to those in crisis, and rebuilding and restoring the lives of Christians and other persecuted religious minorities in the Middle East.
Natalie O’Hanna, Michael Holmes 
Jawad George, Rudy Atallah
Taking the stage, D’Andra and Jeremy gave a heartfelt and emotional retelling of their experiences in touring Iraq and the impact that has had on their lives, which was the strongest influence that led them to the commitment as ball chairs this year. Jeremy said that not since his retirement from the Air Force in 2013 has he felt the sense of purpose and camaraderie than with this organization, which they have seen save lives, and he and D’Andra are truly honored to chair the M1Ball.
Glenn shared some statistics, saying that Mercury One has helped rescue and relocate almost 15,000 refugees in 2018. He was proud of the “Rights and Responsibilities” temporary exhibition museum last spring and said to expect more in February 2019 – a total immersion experience called “12 Score & Three Years Ago,” addressing slavery and abolition in America and beyond, and how to become a modern abolitionist, to be held at Mercury Studios during Black History Month.
Michael Powell, Katie Powell 
After a spirited live auction of many one-of-a-kind items and experiences, the winner of the raffle prize was drawn: a 2018 Mercedes-Benz CLA250 I partnership with Mercedes-Benz of Plano.
Famed country performers Mark Collie and Darryl Worley played a wonderful acoustic set followed by the after-party and dancing to tunes spun by DJ Jennifer Miller.
Find out more at www.mercuryone.org
North Texas and other beneficiaries of Mercury One include:
Mercury One is a 501(c)(3) foundation based in Dallas, Texas. Mercury One is a Humanitarian Aid and Education organization focused on restoring the human spirit. Mercury One’s initiatives include providing programs to individuals to advance the skills, knowledge and attitudes necessary for communities to help themselves as well as assisting our nation’s veterans, providing aid to those in crisis, and rebuilding and restoring the lives of Christians and other persecuted religious minorities in the Middle East.
Mercury One’s The Nazarene Fund has directly assisted over 45,000 Christian and other persecuted religious minorities displaced by ISIS in the Middle East by evacuating them to safe havens and providing for their needs.
Initiatives include leading a funding effort to provide immediate and long-term relief for 2018 Hurricane Florence victims working with six core disaster relief partners, who in turn pledged 100% of granted funds directly aided and assisted individuals in a number of ways including: search and rescue, basic needs, humanitarian support, food and long-term clean-up and recovery efforts. These partners were CitiImpact, Gleaning for the World, Operation BBQ Relief, Somebody Cares, Team Rubicon, and The Provisions Project.
Additional initiatives include supporting 2017 Hurricane Harvey victims, O.U.R. (Operation Underground Railroad) paving the way for permanent eradication of child sex trafficking; Folds of Honor/Stand To Honor in Dallas 2017; Dallas Film Society’s High School Roundtable events and High School Day 2016-2017 and 2017-2018; 22 Kill-veteran suicide prevention; Team Rubicon-disaster recovery in Rowlett, Garland, Baton Rouge, Houston, North Carolina and Panama City; S.E.E.D.-trauma support and counseling in Iraq; F.A.R.M.-agricultural therapy for veterans living with PTSD and depression; City of Glenn Heights-disaster relief; Recovery Resource Council; Irving Cares; La Buena Vida Youth Leadership Foundation; Boot Campaign; Operation BBQ; Sons of the Flag; Minnie’s Food Pantry; Soupmobile; Irving AMBUCS; Catholic Charities; Chris Kyle Foundation; and Honor, Courage, and Commitment.
Mercury One has expanded its partnership with veterans’ organizations to fund educational, psychological and employment training as well as hosted celebrations to honor them for their sacrifice and dedication. Mercury One has provided its partners in Israel with first responder rescue “ambucycles,” and increased its collection of historical and religious artifacts.
In 2016 over $200,000 was donated to the Assist the Officer Foundation benefiting the families of fallen officers in Dallas following the fatal shooting July 7, 2016.
Photos by Dana Driensky, Amber Fisher and Rob Wythe/Gittings.
(Sharon Adams, Adams Communications Public Relations, is honored to represent Mercury One and the M1Ball.)
