Reality TV Stars Outwit, Outplay and Outlast To Raise Funds For Youth

photos c/o Justin Yoder


The 2nd Annual “It’s A Jungle Out There” benefit kicked off with the Warriors Games, a NEW family-friendly event which was held on the grounds of the Embassy Suites Love Field Hotel. Despite a soggy start to the day, participates were fired up to compete and attendees were able to watch teams comprised of former players from Survivor, The Amazing Race and Big Brother and young adults from Cheer 4 Your Life’s teen Warrior program compete in challenges similar to those seen on the hit CBS show, Survivor. The teams were hit with twists and turns as the games progressed. In true Survivor tradition, the final challenge to determine who would be crowned the Sole Survivor was a fire-making challenge. Congrats to Baylor Wilson from Survivor, Season 29 for using a flint and creating a fire big enough to burn through the twine to raise her flag, making her victorious!! Proceeds from this event raised funds for Cheer 4 Your Life, a non profit organization 501(C)3 that helps empower youth by providing supportive funding as needed for individual participation in various clubs and school programs including but not limited to athletic programs, performance based programs and service projects. “The most touching part of the Cheer 4 Your Life journey (for me) so far has been the Warriors project, which is a leadership program for teens encompassing community outreach and personal growth while raising money through healthy competition in monthly challenges,” said Missy Payne. “To see these kids meet today – the Teen Warriors who have raised money all year to help teens they didn’t even know pursue their dreams – it’s just so rewarding!” That evening, Event Co-Chairs Leslie Madden and Laura Powell gathered with supporters at the Frontiers of Flight Museum for an adult only benefit, which included a concert, dinner, silent and live auction. Guests began the evening with dinner and live entertainment from talented teens from area Performing Arts High Schools, Competitive Club Cheerleading and Dance programs, and Acrobatic troupes illustrating what Cheer 4 Your Life is all about – helping teens pursue their passions and talents. The evening culminated with a rousing performance from rising Country music star, Hudson Moore.

How Dallas Celebrities Spent Christmas

I woke up this morning with visions of sugarplums still dancing in my head. I love the merriment of Christmas - I celebrate all month along and am always sorry to see it go. So, let's stretch out the season one more day and take a gander at how some of our local celebrities, sports starts and newsmakers spent their holiday.

Christmas dinner at Paula's with our dear friends. Roast pig and cranberry tamales!

A photo posted by Stephan Pyles (@chefpyles) on Dec 25, 2015 at 6:37pm PST

Chef Stephan Pyles spent his Christmas Day with fellow chef Paula Lambert of The Mozzarella Company.

Merry Christmas from me and my new Cappuccino machine! Thanks Santa (mom&dad)!! 🎄🎁🎅☕ pic.twitter.com/tJZ2rVBgiH

— Hannah Kirby (@IamHannahKirby) December 26, 2015

Looks like Hannah Kirby, former contestant on The Voice, got her self a new cappachino machine.

Merry Christmas from the Lowes!

A photo posted by Sean Lowe (@seanloweksu) on Dec 25, 2015 at 8:50am PST

“It’s A Jungle Out There” Benefit Gave Fans a Chance to Meet and Compete Alongside Former Survivor Players and Reality Stars

Stars of competition and reality TV gathered on August 29 for the first annual It's A Jungle Out There benefit.  (back row) Carolyn “Mama C” Rivera, Tyler Fredrickson, Max Dawson, Jake Pavelka, Cory Shivar, Uchenna Agu, Alex Stein, Keith Nale, Joe Anglim, Mike Holloay, April Lewis (front row) Jenn Brown, Kelly Shinn, Missy Payne, Baylor Wilson, Sierra Dawn Thomas, Brandy Goddard, Natalie Anderson, Jodi Wincheski

Missy Payne, Cynthia Smoot. Thanks to Level 3 Active 
for providing me the perfect dress to wear to this event!

Highland Park native, Missy Payne, star of Survivor San Juan del Sur/Season 29, hosted the inaugural “It’s A Jungle Out There” benefit on Saturday, August 29 at Lofty Spaces. The evening began with a VIP/Sponsor reception with all of the celebrities and lots of creepy crawly things and furry animals brought in by CritterMan.

Everyone then moved into the main space for dinner, several rowdy performances from talented teens from area Performing Arts High Schools, competitive club cheerleading and dance programs, and acrobatic troupes and finally a live auction. Among the items up for grabs were tickets to attend the live finale where the next winner of Survivor, Season 31 will be named.

This event was a competition/reality TV fan's fantasy come true with players from Survivor, The Amazing Race, Big Brother, The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, Dancing With The Stars, and more in attendance. Following the dinner and main stage entertainment, the party moved outside where celebrities competed in challenges (similar to the challenges seen on Survivor) while party patrons place bets on teams to win. Guests had a chance to buy into these challenges and compete alongside the celebrities. Those who thought this was light-hearted fun were in for a surprise. These celebs meant business. When bragging rights are on the line, competition and reality TV stars stop up! Participating in the challenges were:

“It’s A Jungle Out There” Benefit Will Give Fans a Chance to Meet andCompete Alongside Former Survivor Players and Reality Stars

Readers of this blog know that I am a HUGE fan of reality and competition TV shows. My family has watched every season of Survivor so I am thrilled to see Highland Park native Missy Payne, star of Survivor: San Juan del Sur, Season 29, create the inaugural “It’s A Jungle Out There” benefit that will take place on Saturday, August 29, 2015 from 7pm to 10pm at Lofty Spaces. If you are a fan of the hit TV show Survivor, here’s your chance to not only mix and mingle with former Survivor-stars but compete alongside them to test your endurance and puzzle IQ. Guests will begin the evening with dinner and live entertainment from rising Nashville star, Baylor Wilson, who also happens to be Missy’s daughter and fellow Survivor contestant. Other performers will include talented teens from area Performing Arts High Schools, Competitive Club Cheerleading and Dance programs, and Acrobatic troupes. Among the items that will up for grabs during the live auction will be tickets to attend the live finale in Los Angeles where the next winner of Survivor, Season 31 will be named. Following the dinner and main stage entertainment, the party will move outside where Survivor celebrities will compete in challenges (similar to the challenges seen on the show) while party patrons place bets on teams to win. Guests will have a chance to buy into these challenges and compete alongside the celebrities to see who can become the Ultimate Survivor.

See How Dallas Celebrities Spent New Years Eve

Happy New Year everyone! I hope that you had a fun-filled evening last night and are ready for an exiting New Year! I scoured the web to see how Dallas celebs spent their last night of 2014. Some had a low-key family evening, while others boozed it up in grand style. Here's a snapshot of how some of Dallas' famous faces brought in 2015.

Survivor Blood vs. Water: San Juan del Sur contestants Baylor Wilson and her Mother Missy Payne hosted a party at Cucina Neighborhood Italian in Preston Center. Baylor posted "Shine bright like a diamond". And yes, that's me toasting with Missy. You know it's a good party when you end up on the bar... That was stop one of three for me. Just a day in the life...

(photo of Baylor via Instagram)

A Look Back and What's Next for Survivor's Missy Payne & Baylor Wilson

Survivor is a reality TV show that pits city dwellers against country farmers, old against young - and in the just completed 29th season - Mothers against daughters. Dallas' Missy Payne and her daughter, Baylor Wilson, were contestants on this season of "Survivor: San Juan del Sur - Blood vs. Water". Missy grew up in Highland Park and still resides in The Bubble. She has coached the Highland Park 8th grade and freshman cheerleading squads at HP Middle School, was the Cheerleading and Dance Team Coach/ Choreographer at ESD and is currently the owner of Express Cheer, a competitive cheerleading gym. Her daughter, Baylor, attended HPISD for a time but embraced "her artsy side" at Booker T. Washington. She is currently a student at Belmont University in Nashville where she hopes to be the next country/pop music sensation (Watch out Taylor Swift).

Baylor and Missy at the Survivor Finale on
Dec. 18. Photo credit: FayesVision / WENN

If you watched this season of Survivor, you know that one of the most dramatic moments of the show occurred when Missy incurred a Level III ankle sprain in a late-season Reward Challenge. She resisted Jeff Probst's insinuations that she might want to leave the game and plowed ahead despite considerable pain (and no drugs). Her perseverance paid off, getting her to the final three where she ended up coming in third place.

Baylor did almost as well, hanging on until the final five before getting voted out. I met up with the duo at DRIP on Lovers Lane the day after Christmas (just 8 days after the finale) to see how they were adjusting to their new "normal" life after 30+ days of living in the jungles of Nicaragua.

The motto of the game in Survivor is "Outwit. Outlast. Outplay." What Survivor reminds us of is that often, it’s doesn’t matter how great your strategy is or how physically strong you are, but how well you can get along with your tribe that keeps you in the game. Social skills are crucial to your success in life. Whether you are a student in a college fraternity or an employee in an office, how you can get along in a group will determine if you end up President or just a member of the team. Learning how to interact, engage and endear yourself to others can pay off big. Pair that skill with a solid education and the world’s your oyster.