Published in Rite Up, 2026 – Issue 3
Step back in time to 1996 at the Scottish Rite for Children Dallas campus. Inside the Atrium, under the Flying Machine mobile, treasures fill the room, organized in a street fair arrangement. Each guest brings a personal treasure to contribute. While enjoying drinks, hors d’oeuvres and music, people mingle and mosey up and down the streets silently bidding on the items, hoping to take home the perfect one. The attendees also have another goal in mind — to raise $35,000 for Scottish Rite’s Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC) Clinic. That first year, guests not only took home beloved treasures but also raised more than $166,000. Treasure Street was an instant success.
On October 22, Scottish Rite for Children will celebrate the 30th anniversary of Treasure Street, its signature event that has raised more than $16 million to date. Three decades ago, the idea for the fundraiser was born around a kitchen table. Dee and Dodge Carter wanted to give back to the hospital for treating their daughter Nicole, who received care for tuberous sclerosis complex. TSC is a rare genetic disease that causes noncancerous tumors to grow in parts of the body, most commonly in the skin, brain, eyes, kidneys, heart and lungs.
“Our baby Nicole was at Scottish Rite all the time. She was so well cared for, and we didn’t have to worry about finances,” Dee says. “We thought, ‘We have to do something for this incredible place that’s taking care of our daughter.’” The Carters approached each of their parents, including Dee’s father, Harold Carter, and her late mother, Bitsy Carter, and Dodge’s parents, Margaret and Syd Carter.
One family’s decision made 30 years ago has inspired numerous donors and friends to engage in Treasure Street and contribute year after year. Over time, the event has grown tremendously, introducing more and more people to Scottish Rite and its mission of giving children back their childhood. Guests have enjoyed fun-filled themes from Dancing in the Street to A Few of My Favorite Things. Entertainment has included the go-to Dallas favorite, Emerald City Band, as well as recording artists Pat Green, Lee Ann Womack, Andy Grammer and Robert Earl Keen to name a few. In 2011, when Scottish Rite for Children celebrated its 90th birthday, former President and Mrs. George W. Bush served as honorary event chairs.
To commemorate Treasure Street’s 30th year, Nicole’s brother Dodge and his wife, Diane, are continuing their family’s legacy by serving as the 2026 event chairs. Dodge was 6 years old when his parents started Treasure Street. “To stand here 30 years later and help lead the event alongside Diane is humbling,” Dodge says. “We’re not building something new. We’re carrying forward something a lot of people have poured themselves into. If Diane and I do our jobs right, the 30th anniversary will set up the 40th.”
Dodge Carter Jr. and Diane. Treasure Street Event Chairs
”Throughout the years, more than 50 Treasure Street champions have served as event chairs, inviting their friends to discover the magic of Scottish Rite’s culture, an altruistic atmosphere permeated by kindness. “Every dollar raised on October 22 traces back to a little girl who needed care and a hospital that showed up for her,” Dodge says. “Getting to honor Nicole in this way is the greatest privilege I have had.
What began as an effort to support the TSC Clinic and the patients served by it has grown to benefit all children treated at Scottish Rite. Countless compassionate individuals have poured out their love for the organization and the patient families in its care through Treasure Street. As the institution celebrates its 105th birthday, Treasure Street is a model of pure goodness that exemplifies the soul of Scottish Rite for Children.
