Inaugural
Black Tie & Boots 2022
October 15, 2022 · CR Smith Museum, Fort Worth, TX
Before the tradition had a name, before sold-out signs went up, before the auction paddles became a ritual — there was the first one. On October 15, 2022, the Ashton Johnson Memorial CloudDancer Scholarship hosted its inaugural Black Tie & Boots Gala at the CR Smith Museum in Fort Worth, and proved that a community built around one man’s legacy could fill a room, open wallets, and launch a mission that would outlast the evening.
The venue sold out. Military dignitaries, aviation leaders, and supporters from across Texas filled the museum — Lt. General Steven Polk (USAF, Ret.), FAA Chief of Staff Michael Davis, Parker County Attorney John Forrest, and Kevin Lacy among them. The CR Smith Museum, home to the historic Flagship DC-3, gave the evening a backdrop that felt fitting for a scholarship built around flight.
The Evening
A uniformed Coast Guard member greeted guests at the door and escorted them to the red carpet — a paparazzi-style entrance that set the tone for the night. Every attendee received a challenge coin, the first in what would become a tradition marking each year of the gala. A social hour with an open bar gave the room a chance to mix, bid on silent auction items, and take photos on the DC-3.
Dinner was a three-course meal prepared by FarmHouse Catering of Dallas. The entertainment lineup featured comedian Ryan Perrio, a video tribute to Ashton Johnson, and an original performance by Alexis Spaulding that brought the room to its feet. Captain Neil Raaz announced the scholarship recipients, reading a short bio on each — the first veterans to receive the CloudDancer Scholarship and begin their path to the cockpit.
We didn’t know if anyone would show up. What we found out is that Ashton’s story — and the mission behind it — resonated with people in a way we couldn’t have predicted.
Joe Johnson, Founder — Ashton Johnson Memorial CloudDancer Scholarship
The Auction
Lt. General Steven Polk delivered the keynote speech — a reflection on service, sacrifice, and the obligation to lift up those who have served. Then Colonel Pete Setian took the stage for the live auction. Vacation packages to Cancun, private jet charters, custom handmade boots — the lots kept climbing, and the paddles kept rising. DJ Rudy Duron closed the evening with music, drinks, and dancing that carried the night to its finish.
$61,500 Raised
When the night was over, the inaugural gala had raised more than $61,500 for the foundation — a number that exceeded every expectation. It was a testament to the reach of Ashton Johnson’s life: the sheer number of people he had touched, both during his time in uniform and after. The community that gathered that night wasn’t just generous — it was personal. They came because Ashton’s story meant something to them, and because the mission of putting veterans in the cockpit was worth backing.
The Gallery
What started as a question — can we actually pull this off? — became the answer. The 2022 gala wasn’t just a fundraiser. It was the proof of concept for everything the CloudDancer Scholarship would become: a community that shows up, a mission that resonates, and a legacy that keeps Ashton’s name in the sky.
Where It All Began
The inaugural gala set the foundation — not just financially, but culturally. It established the Black Tie & Boots identity, the challenge coin tradition, and the Texas-sized hospitality that would define every year that followed. Year two would move to Austin Ranch. Year three to the River Ranch Stockyards, where it would sell out before the doors opened. But it all started here, in a museum built around flight, for a scholarship built around a veteran who never stopped chasing it.