Dave and Leigh Anne Clark are heading back to Dallas, and this time they're bringing a gala with them. The couple has been named co-chairs of the 2027 Children's Cancer Fund Fashion Show and Gala, a role that puts them at the center of one of North Texas philanthropy's biggest annual events just as their company relocates its headquarters to the city.
A Homecoming Tied to a Growing Startup
According to The Dallas Morning News, the Clarks co-founded Auger, an AI supply chain management company, after moving to Seattle in 2024 to launch it. Dave Clark is a former Amazon executive, and the outlet reports that Auger's CEO says the company moved its headquarters back to Dallas in 2026. Per the company's own account, Auger is opening a Dallas office and building out its customer-facing teams and part of its science organization there while maintaining and expanding a large engineering office in Bellevue, according to Auger's LinkedIn page.
Auger says it has raised $150 million and counts Meta, Kimberly-Clark and Fanatics among its customers, per the same company page. The Clarks have returned to North Texas with their two sons, the company noted in a post marking its Dallas debut: “We had a great event last night to kick off our presence in Dallas.” The Dallas Morning News reports the Clarks said they are honored to support the 2027 gala.
A Milestone Year for the Gala
Children's Cancer Fund will hold its 37th annual fashion show and gala on April 7, 2027, at the Hilton Anatole, according to The Dallas Morning News. Children's Cancer Fund CEO Jennifer Arthur said the Clarks will serve as co-chairs, and the outlet reports she expects the 2027 event to raise more than $4 million, building on the $4 million the 2026 gala brought in. Tables start at $10,000, and the event typically draws more than 100 sponsors along with about 1,200 guests and 200 children, per the same report.
Troy Aikman and Dak Prescott are serving as celebrity chairs for the 2027 gala, continuing what The Dallas Morning News describes as their status as longtime supporters of Children's Cancer Fund and its signature event. Dak Prescott said he supports using his platform to help children with cancer, according to the outlet's reporting.
What the Money Funds
The gala itself centers on a fashion show in which current pediatric cancer patients and survivors walk the runway alongside aspirational role models, The Dallas Morning News reports. Ahead of the main event, Children's Cancer Fund will host a model reveal at NorthPark Center and a Dillard's-sponsored wardrobe fitting and family photoshoot for the young participants, per the same account.
Proceeds from the 2027 gala will go toward cancer research at Children's Health and UT Southwestern, according to the report. Children's Cancer Fund states on its own website that it operates as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit whose mission is “to find a cure for all childhood cancers and support families affected by cancer,” and it says on its Liftoff page that donations are critical to continuing to provide patients with gifts that are empowering and individualized.
The Case for Pediatric Cancer Funding
The stakes locally are significant. The Dallas Morning News reports that Children's Health treats one in five children with cancer in Texas, has about 650 children receiving cancer treatment at any given time, and records roughly 300 new pediatric cancer diagnoses each year. Federal cancer research funding allocates less than 4% to pediatric cancers, according to Children's Cancer Fund, as cited by the outlet.
Children's Cancer Fund has also donated $2.5 million toward construction of Moody's Children's Hospital, a joint venture between Children's Health and UT Southwestern that is slated to open by 2031, per The Dallas Morning News. That long-term investment gives the 2027 gala's fundraising goal added weight, tying the Clarks' Dallas return directly to a project years from completion.
