An appetizer is served to whet the appetite of what’s to come when the entree is presented. So, 2026 Sweetheart Ball Chair Tavia Hunt knew just how to tantalize the guests who would be attending the black-tie fundraiser on Saturday, April 11. In the months leading up to the big weekend, there had been hints and talk about the evening having something to do with sports. Made perfect sense, since Tavia and husband Clark Hunt and their kids are the second-generation First Family of the Super Bowl-winning Kansas City Chiefs.
But anyone thinking that the ball benefiting UT Southwestern’s heart disease research and treatment programs would be football-oriented had to go back to head-scratching once it was revealed that the patron party would take place at Lisa and Kenny Troutt‘s estate on Friday, April 10. Yes, Lisa and Kenny were good friends of the Hunts, but the Troutts’ place in sporting royalty had not involved pigskin. Rather, it was due to their thoroughbred race horse, Justify, becoming the 13th Triple Crown winner in 2018. As a result, when Lisa chaired the Sweetheart Ball in 2019, it had been “an homage to the Sport of Kings.”
It was becoming known, however, that Tavia was planning on shining the spotlight on North Texas’ reputation for winning…