$25K to honor 25 years
Legacy’s Executive Director Melissa Grove with actor Leslie Jordan, a longtime Legacy supporter (Photo courtesy of Melissa Grove) As Melissa Grove exits Legacy Cares, she raises money to keep the organization financially sound DAVID TAFFET | Senior Staff Writertaffet@dallasvoice.com Before Melissa Grove retires as executive director of Legacy Cares by the end of the summer, her staff wanted to surprised her with one last gift: Assuring her that she was leaving the agency on a solid financial footing.
To achieve that, they’ve set a goal of raising $25,000 over the next few weeks. For a number of years, raising that kind of money came easy to Legacy: Make a call to Leslie Jordan who would jump on a plane and fill a theater — cash raised.
But Jordan’s become one of the hottest stars on TV. Currently, he’s starring in Call Me Kat and can’t get away. So Legacy is raising money the old fashioned way — pleading with supporters one last time while Grove as executive director. “I’m so honored they decided to do this in my honor,” Grove said. “The best gift they could give me is letting me leave knowing Legacy is in good shape.” When Grove took over as executive director, the agency was expected to close before long.
That was 25 years ago when the small organization that offered counseling to people with HIV and ran a hospice for those who would soon die of AIDS.
