2nd Annual
Black Tie & Boots 2023
October 2023 · Austin Ranch, Trophy Club, TX
The CloudDancer Gala 2023 proved the inaugural year wasn’t a fluke. The 2023 Black Tie & Boots Gala brought the CloudDancer community back to the dance floor with a bigger crowd, a louder auction, and a night that made clear — this organization had found its footing.
Austin Ranch in Trophy Club set the stage — a Texas Hill Country backdrop that felt like the right place for a room full of veterans, aviators, and supporters who believe a uniform earns the right to fly. Boots were polished, hats were tipped, and the evening unfolded exactly the way Joe Johnson envisioned when he founded this organization: a genuine Texas celebration of service, sacrifice, and second chapters.
The Auction
The silent auction opened the evening as guests worked the room, eyeing lots that ranged from authentic Western gear to aviation experiences. When the live auction kicked off, paddles came up fast. Sponsors including American Hat Company, Twisted X, Morris Boot Company, Skydive Dallas, and Vintage Flight Museum contributed items that made every round competitive. The auctioneer kept the energy high and the bidders kept pace.
This scholarship was created to bridge the gap the GI Bill leaves behind. A veteran shouldn’t have to choose between serving their country and affording to fly.
Joe Johnson, Founder — Ashton Johnson Memorial CloudDancer Scholarship
Texas Through and Through
The details are what make a gala a gala. Boot shining stations. A puppy in the auction lineup that drew the loudest bids of the night. Clydesdales outside. Mounted patrol. Joey on guitar. Every corner of the evening felt designed — not like a fundraiser, but like a celebration that happened to raise a lot of money for a cause worth celebrating.
2023 Scholarship Recipient
The presentation of the 2023 scholarship is the moment the entire evening builds toward. A veteran who served with honor, cleared a medical, and committed to the cockpit — standing in a room full of people who believe the sky belongs to them too. James Halepaska was among those recognized this year, his path to aviation made possible by a community that refused to let the GI Bill gap be the end of the story.
The Gallery
Two galas in, the pattern was set: a Texas venue, a live auction that punches above its weight, a scholarship presentation that stops the room, and a community that keeps coming back. Year three would be at the River Ranch Stockyards — and it would sell out.
The CloudDancer Gala 2023 Mission Continues
Each year this community shows up bigger and gives harder. If you believe veterans deserve a seat in the cockpit, there’s a place for you — as a donor, a sponsor, or a future recipient.