The Dave Ward Building
It was our 2018 Gala and I was seated next to our Keynote Speaker, the incredible Joanna Coles. As the evening began, she immediately leaned into me and with her perfect British accent asked, “Who is that man on stage with that absolutely fantastic voice?” I smiled and proudly replied, “That’s Dave Ward, the Voice of Houston!”
As I continued to listen to him speak, I thought of Joanna’s gravitation towards his voice. Dave Ward is the strong and popular Voice of Houston, but he’s also the same man who has quietly and humbly spent four decades serving law enforcement and nonprofits like Crime Stoppers of Houston. A true Houston gem, both in front of and behind the camera, I once again realized how lucky we are to have him.
Our relationship with Dave began in the early 80s when he and a team from KTRK began airing re-enactments of unsolved cases which would lead tipsters to anonymously report information to our famous tip line, 713-222-TIPS. Soon, with everyone working together, our tip line became the most successful of its kind anywhere in the world. Decades later, people still mention those TV segments, about the power of Dave Ward saying “call Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS…”, but they also share stories about learning how to speak English by watching Dave on the news each night or about how his voice and presence brought a sense of comfort into their homes each evening. For half a century, he’s been our City’s main narrator and remains a voice we know, trust, and associate with home.
Composer Arvo Pärt has said, “The human voice is the most prefect instrument of all.” It’s so true. It’s perfect and powerful. That’s why when Crime Stoppers needed to name its new public safety facility, one that represented its perfect and powerful mission in brick and mortar and would make history as being the very first Crime Stoppers headquarters world-wide, the name had to reflect the inclusive, trusted and service-oriented work we do each day. It also had to reflect the power and reach of that work. There was one name that stood above the rest, the one who kindly greeted us each night with a “Good evening friends” while working hard to accurately keep us informed and safe. It had to be that of Dave Ward.
So now, about a year and a half later, nearly 11,000 people have walked through the doors of the Dave Ward Building, Crime Stoppers of Houston. They stop to take in the many photos that line the Dave Ward commemorative walls, they look at the many donors whose names line our donor wall, and they go to press conferences, free seminars, trainings, meetings, classes or enjoy any number of our other free services. And they do it all while feeling safe and welcomed.
It’s a historic sight, named after a historic man and serving the most noble purpose. Dave Ward’s building wouldn’t be any other way.
Photos Courtesy Crime Stoppers of Houston
