Tavia and Clark Hunt, pictured with Jerry Jones, who is holding the Preston Road Trophy.
Haynsworth Photography
It could only happen in Dallas.
When Tavia Hunt agreed to chair the 2026 Sweetheart Ball benefiting cardiology research at University of Texas-Southwestern Medical Center on April 11, she invoked the spirit of her legendary father-in-law. Lamar Hunt’s philosophy was go big, or go home.
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This was the 44th annual event that previously had raised a cumulative $46 million for UT-Southwestern.
Tavia, the wife of Kansas City Chief’s CEO, Clark Hunt, was determined to raise the bar with an unprecedented collection of major professional championship trophies from across the global sports world.
And she did just that by raising $4 million in a single night.
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Glammed-to-the-max guests strolled among an extraordinary collection of iconic championship trophies never before assembled — featuring hardware from local teams, owners, athletes and owners.
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Lisa Troutt, wife of Dallas billionaire Kenny Troutt, with the Triple Crown Trophy from thoroughbred racing on April 13. The display at the Sweetheart Ball benefiting cardiology research at UT Southwestern also included the Kentucky Derby Trophy, the Woodlawn Vase (Preakness Stakes), and the Belmont Trophy.
Haynsworth Photography
Among the highlights were nine Vince Lombardi Trophies from the Dallas Cowboys and Kansas City Chiefs; the Dallas Mavericks’ 2011 Larry O’Brien Trophy; the Texas Rangers’ 2023 Commissioner’s Trophy, and FC Dallas’ 2016 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
All four major golf championship trophies were displayed — the Masters Trophy, the Wanamaker Trophy (PGA Championship), the Claret Jug (The Open), and the U.S. Open Trophy — courtesy of Dallas native Scottie Scheffler and Southern Methodist University graduate Bryson DeChambeau.
The legendary Stanley Cup traveled from its home at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, honoring the Dallas Stars’ 1999 championship and guarded by its own security detail. After all, there is only one Stanley Cup in the world.
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One highlight was the Triple Crown Trophy from thoroughbred racing. Justify, owned by the Troutt family of Dallas, was only the 13th horse in history to achieve the Triple Crown in 2018. The display also included the Kentucky Derby Trophy, the Woodlawn Vase (Preakness Stakes), and the Belmont Trophy.
Perhaps the evening’s most memorable moment came when Clark Hunt presented the “Preston Road Trophy” to Jerry Jones — a back-and-forth “trophy” created by Lamar Hunt in 1998 to celebrate both rivalry and friendship.
It’s named for Preston Road, where the Hunt and Jones families were once neighbors across from one another.
The presentation — the first ever made in public — marked the Cowboys’ 31-28 victory over the Chiefs on Thanksgiving Day at AT&T Stadium.
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“The room erupted with laughter and applause, embracing the moment exactly as I’d hoped for,” said Tavia. “It’s a lighthearted celebration of competition between two families whose history on the field is matched only by their deep mutual respect.”
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Now that she’s had time to breathe, she said it was hard to put into words what the event meant to her personally.
“My heart is just so full. Seeing everything come together and the impact it will have is incredibly humbling and such a gift.” Tavia told The Dallas Morning News in an interview.
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“I keep thinking about the lives this will touch — that’s what stays with me. The night was beautiful, but the friendships in the room and the purpose behind it is what means everything.”