A philosopher once said “One of the true joys in life is the opportunity to light someone else’s candle with the glow from your own.” If you’ve been real fortunate in your life you’ve known a few people whose very existence seems to be dedicated to helping others.
With that said, I must add that if Kim Cloud didn’t already exist, someone in North Texas would have to invent her. Whatever it is in the human condition that causes someone to feel empathy and kinship for their neighbor, Kim has an abundance of it!
Many of you already know about her super-successful Cloud 9 Salon and Spa on FM 407 in Flower Mound. What some of you may not know is that Ms. Cloud has used that success to give back to the community in manifold ways.
Originally from Garland, Texas, Kim is now a resident of Highland Shores and has become noted for her numerous special events in which she has raised huge sums of money for needy causes.
The annual Cloud 9 Fashion Show, held at the Hilton Garden Inn, has become one of the most exciting and popular events in the county, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for a host of aid organizations. The Art Gala, another annual affair, most recently held at Le Beaux Chateau in Flower Mound, attracts well-established artists from several cities and towns in the area, displaying their oil and water-color paintings, sculptures, original carvings, jewelry creations, etc., as guests examine the exhibits for purchase. For a nominal fee, guests are provided with a plentiful supply of sumptuous hors d’oeuvres and wine as they leisurely stroll around the large room, copiously adorned with eye-pleasing treasures. Again, proceeds are donated to local and national causes.
Having attended most of these spectacular functions several times, my wife and I had the pleasure of getting to know Kim. Therefore, it was a special pleasure to have her meet with us recently for this interview.
Her first salon was in Lewisville, on Sellmeyer Road. “When Cloud 9 started, the very first event we ever did was to have a golf tournament and we donated the money to Pedi Place (a not-for-profit pediatric clinic in Lewisville that provides healthcare to children who have limited access to it). Then we did a “cut-a-thon,” where we opened on Sunday and had kids with banners donating money to Kidds Kids (an organization that provides funds for chronically ill and/or physically challenged kids aged 5 to 12, to send them on all expense paid trips to Disney World in Florida).”
Kim said that was the precursor to a veritable panoply of things to come. “We wanted to do a big event that would reflect favorable on the community as well as back to the salon; so we started the fashion show. Our first fashion show was in Lantana and, with about 70 people attending, we raised about $13,000. It has steadily increased to a high of about $160,000. We try to think of things that are new and different that no one else is doing,” she added.
All of the fundraising is done under the auspices of Cloud 9 Charities, an organization which provides money to other nonprofits in order to support existing programs and create new programs that help children and families. Some of those include Children’s Advocacy Center for Denton County, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), Pedi Place, The Sue Weaver Cause, Friends of the Family, Christian Community Action (CCA) and the Humane Society of Flower Mound, just to name a few.
The most recent spectacular event is called the Best Little Brew Fest in Texas, www.blbfit.com. “The Brew Fest came about with a friend of mine that was from Virginia and part of a big festival there for 16 years. We were at a brewery one day and noticed there was a huge crowd. It was mostly the 30 something’s. I started to think that Cloud 9 Charities doesn’t have an event that could draw this age, and I wondered if we could do something. Last year was our first year of doing this at the race track and we had 1,200 people there. The City of Lewisville contacted us and wanted to talk about having the festival in Lewisville.”
Kim sprung into action, hence, on Saturday, June 21, the event will be held on Church and Charles Streets in Lewisville. “You pay $35 and you get a tasting cup and there will be about 70 craft beers there and this year we have 10 different Texas wines,” Kim said proudly. She went on to say that there will be vendors, live music, three 30’x100’ air-conditioned tents, and 8 food trucks. “In the morning, from 12 noon to 3 pm, there will be a car show, which will lead into the festival that will go on until 7:30 pm. We are expecting around 4,000 people. The city wants this to become sort of the Grape Fest of Lewisville,” Kim said. “We think it will eventually be a 2-3 day event that will push Cloud 9 Charities to a higher level. The money for this will go to Alzheimer’s and Teen Suicide Prevention, so I am very excited about it,” she gushed.
There’s so much more to relate about this remarkable woman, who orbits our community like a good will satellite. But, suffice to say, the people who have been touched by her kindness and generosity are legion, making them very thankful indeed that someone invented her.
Bob Weir is a long-time Flower Mound resident and former local newspaper editor. In addition, Bob has 7 published books that include “Murder in Black and White,” “City to Die For,” “Powers that Be,” “Ruthie’s Kids,” “Deadly to Love,” “Short Stories of Life and Death” and “Out of Sight,” all of which can be found on Amazon.com and other major online bookstores.
