Garrett and Cecilia Boone believe in doing good in Dallas. After selling The Container Store in 2007, the couple and their three children established the Boone Family Foundation. Cecilia is passionate about advancing gender equality, while Garrett is a firm supporter of environmental sustainability.
Their connection to Parkland Health Foundation began in a deeply personal way—after a severe car accident nearly cost Cecilia her life.
Cecilia’s car was struck at an intersection, and paramedics rushed her to Parkland for emergency care. As Garrett arrived at the hospital, anxiously waiting for updates on her condition, he phoned a friend who was a surgeon to ask where she should be taken for the best care. The answer was immediate: she was already exactly where she needed to be—Parkland.
Cecilia spent the next two weeks undergoing surgeries and treatment for her injuries, all while receiving the compassionate, high-quality care that defines Parkland’s mission.
“Parkland saved my life,” she shared. “I was struck by how everyone was treated the same… regardless of their resources, the level of treatment was the same.”
Moved by their experience, the Boones made their first gift to Parkland: $100,000 toward the construction of the WISH building. Since then, they’ve continued to support programs aligned with Cecilia’s passions, including breast cancer initiatives and family planning services.
In their 51 years of marriage, Garrett has always supported Cecilia’s interests and values.
“Garrett has been a wonderful partner in recognizing the validity of things that I care about,” Cecilia said.
Their shared commitment to giving back was shaped early on—both were raised by strong mothers who instilled in them the importance of service and compassion. Cecilia describes her mother as “a woman with a lot of gumption,” while Garrett reflects that his own mother was “born a little bit too soon—she would have been a feminist.”
The couple has instilled similar values within their own children.
“For as long as I can remember, Mom and Dad volunteered for and donated to organizations in North Texas,” said Aimee Cunningham, Garett and Cecilia’s daughter. “Service to our community was always something our family prioritized, first personally and then through The Boone Family Foundation. In fact, during one of the early years of the Foundation, we were trying to come up with a family motto; Dad immediately said, ‘Our motto is stay close and do good.’ There is really no better way to sum up the way Mom and Dad raised us.”
Today, whether they are supporting Parkland’s mission to expand equitable healthcare in Dallas County or working to improve the environment, the Boones are united in their commitment to local impact.
“Why hold onto the money when there are so many needs right here in Dallas?” Garrett asked.
For Garrett and Cecilia, philanthropy is more than generosity—it’s a way to preserve vital community resources.
“Having an excellent safety-net hospital is a huge need and a gift to the city,” Garrett said.
Cecilia agreed. “If we didn’t have Parkland—and if we didn’t improve or grow Parkland’s facilities—what would we do with all the people who need that care? It would be a shame if we had a city with so many excellent qualities but couldn’t provide healthcare to the neediest.”
Parkland Health Foundation is deeply grateful to Garrett and Cecilia Boone for their generosity, advocacy, and ongoing investment in the health of Dallas County.