Social Hour: Imagine Muny Gala Raised Over $1 Million to Preserve Lions Municipal Golf Course

The Muny Conservancy hosted its third annual fundraising event, the Imagine Muny Gala, with a star-studded crowd at the ACL Live at the Moody Theater on Sunday, March 24, 2024. The event delighted guests with Muny programming, a spirited live auction, incredible live music, and raised more than $1 million dollars for the Muny Conservancy. The fundraiser featured Austin’s own Asleep at the Wheel front man and Save Muny Board Member Ray Benson, Larry Gatlin, Jimmie Vaughan, and Gary P. Nunn. It was a magical night of music and fellowship with the Austin community showing up to celebrate Lions Municipal Golf Course and raise funds to protect and preserve Muny. 

Muny Conservancy co-chairs Ben Crenshaw and Scotty Sayers kicked the evening off by hosting a ‘green carpet’ media event alongside Muny Board Members Ed Clements and Angela Akins Garcia (joined by PGA Golfer husband and Muny supporter, Sergio Garcia), as well as Asleep at the Wheel’s Ray Benson, Larry and Rudy Gatlin, sports commentator Verne Lundquist, Austin NAACP President Nelson Linder, actors Turk Pipkin and Kyle Chandler, TV personalities Chris Harrison and wife Lauren Zima, First Lady of Texas Cecilia Abbott, Mayor Kirk Watson, Councilwoman Alison Alter, and Save Muny supporter and champion of 50+ years, Mary Arnold.

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Chris Harrison & Lauren Zima (photo by Amy E Price)

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Ray Benson & Larry Gatlin (photo by Amy E Price)

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Dr. Monica Woods & Nelson Linder (photo by Amy E Price)

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Kathryn Chandler & Kyle Chandler (photo by Amy E Price)

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Verne Lundquist & Ed Clements (photo by Tyler Schmitt)

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Carl Richie, Scotty Sayers, Mayor Kirk Watson, Kyle Chandler, Ed Clements & Volma Overton III (photo by Amy E Price)

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Ben Crenshaw, Julie Crenshaw, Angela Garcia & Sergio Garcia (photo by Amy E Price)

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Alex Mortberg, Katherine Crenshaw, Julie Crenshaw & Ben Crenshaw (photo by Amy E Price)

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Kyra Madsen, Ansley Walker Newar, Suzanne Erickson, Taylor Carmouche & Mackenzie Jackson (photo by Amy E Price)

About The Muny Conservancy

The reasons for saving Muny are many. The Muny Conservancy was created to help preserve and improve one of Austin’s iconic recreational green spaces, Lions Municipal Golf Course. The mission is to help make sure all 141-acres are saved for future generations to enjoy, with affordable golf, public accessibility, the Civil Rights history of the site and promotion of the game of golf.

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Ray Benson and Asleep at The Wheel, Jimmie Vaughan, Larry Gatling & Rudy Gatlin (photo by Tyler Schmitt)

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(photo by Tyler Schmitt)

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Ben Crenshaw & John Butler (photo by Tyler Schmitt)

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Scotty Sayers, Ben Crenshaw & Ed Clements (photo by Tyler Schmitt)

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Verne Lundquist (photo by Tyler Schmitt)

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(photo by Tyler Schmitt)

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Gary P. Nunn (photo by Tyler Schmitt)

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(photo by Tyler Schmitt)

The Muny Conservancy was created in 2019 to raise funds and work with the City of Austin and the University of Texas to permanently save the course. Once the course is preserved, The Muny Conservancy has plans to restore and improve the 141-acre Lions Municipal Golf Course with award-winning golf course architecture firm Coore & Crenshaw and create a dynamic public facility for everyone, a place where everyone can not only play golf but gather and enjoy community activities. The plans also include building a teaching center that honors the historic integration of a legendary public golf course, and the courageous people who made that happen.

The wildlife, heritage oaks and 18-holes of golf have been an important part of our city’s parkland since 1924. Learn more by visiting themunyconservancy.com and by following @savemuny on Instagram & Facebook.