The Dallas Morning News Cheryl Hall column

Mar 3, 2010 — The Dallas Morning News

Cheryl Hall

Mar. 3, 2010 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) -- Doug Brooks will tell you that Craig Gavras shouldn't have lied about his past.

The chief executive of Brinker International Inc. (NYSE:EAT) will also tell you that Gavras, the founder and executive director of Limbs for Life, helped Brooks put his life back on course after he lost his left leg 12 years ago.

Therein lies the reason for Brooks' steadfast support for Gavras and the Oklahoma City nonprofit that gives artificial limbs to people who don't have insurance.

Brooks and his wife, Holly, work arduously for Limbs for Life as board members and fundraisers.

But they learned some lessons last week after Gavras admitted his "stupid mistake."

Lesson No. 1: Don't do anything you don't want to read about in The Dallas Morning News. An article on Saturday revealed that Gavras had misrepresented how he lost his leg. For years, the tale had been that he'd lost it after being beat up as a Dallas police officer, when, in fact, he's never been a policeman.

His leg was actually amputated in 1993 after multiple failed surgeries following a jogging accident while he was attending the Dallas Police Academy in 1989.

There was no question of financial impropriety.

When confronted with his embellishment by The News, Gavras, 43, tried to skirt the issue but then came to the newspaper for an interview.

The timing was particularly painful. Saturday night was the annual masquerade ball organized by Doug and Holly Brooks. Gavras confessed at the beginning of the dinner program. The audience of 500 responded with enthusiastic applause.

Lesson No. 2: When caught with a misdeed, be contrite.

From the Brookses' standpoint, Gavras' mea culpa ends it.

"He's taken ownership by admitting that he screwed up," Brooks said. "He's one of the most rock-solid people I've ever known. One mistake from years ago is not going to change that. Holly and I've watched him change people's lives who couldn't change them for themselves. He changed ours."

For the last nine years, the Brookses have worked tirelessly to put on a funky fundraiser that offers lighthearted revelry to benefit a deeply serious cause.

The organization's tagline is "We're not asking for much ... just an arm and a leg."

It can be politically incorrect because 57-year-old Doug is an amputee. In 1998, he was hit by a car while jogging. His left leg was amputated above the knee.

After two months in the hospital, he'd had his fill of able-bodied doctors and counselors telling him that he'd be just fine. Doug said he was mad at the world.

"His life, our family life -- everything changed in an instant," Holly said. "We didn't know how to handle it."

Enter Craig Gavras, who heard about Doug through their mutual prosthetist in Oklahoma City. Gavras drove down to see Doug.

"Craig gave Doug tips like 'Here's how you go to the bathroom with one leg,' 'Here's how you put your pants on with one leg,' " Holly said. "Little, quick tips that a person who isn't an amputee would never know in a million years. They became great buddies."

The Brookses joined the Limbs for Life board later that year.

Four days after 9/11, the Brookses held the first fundraiser at Ozona Grill and Bar on Greenville Avenue. About 100 people came, and eight items were auctioned off, including a helmet signed by Lance Armstrong.

"In that small back room at Ozona, I've never felt more love and support for something that was small but would grow," Doug said.

They made it a costume party starting in year three, and the event started moving to larger venues.

"It's hilarious how personalities come out at a costume party," Holly said. "We've had CEOs of big companies in big hair and clown shoes."

Last year's event at the Trade Mart raised $370,000. This year's was expected to match that through ticket sales, a raffle for a 1953 Porsche and 300 auction items.

Artificial limbs are expensive, and many people aren't covered by insurance. Even when they are, insurers often don't want to pay for anything but the basic model.

Doug's robotic leg costs $45,000. Every time he needs a new one, he has to wrangle with his insurers. "And I'm the CEO of a company," said Doug, who came to this year's party as a Keystone Kop. "This isn't meant to be a joke, but we help people who are on their last leg. We want to give them a limb, get them back in the workforce and then they'll have insurance and they can go on."

By summer, 150 people will have the latest in prosthetic devices because the money raised Saturday night will be leveraged 10-fold through donations and discounts of medical services and equipment.

Doug had surgery in December to clear up an infection. He spent the holidays on crutches and in a wheelchair. Going through airports was a real challenge.

"It just reinforces, you can have a full life with this baby," he said, tapping his computerized leg.

"Without it, it's something much less than full. That's the magic of what this organization does."

Newstex ID: KRTB-0046-42528531