Steve Burns, best known as the original host of Nickelodeon’s “Blue’s Clues,” will be the featured speaker at Grant Halliburton Foundation’s 17th Annual Beacon of Hope Community Luncheon on Friday, March 13, 2026, at the Omni Dallas Hotel (555 S. Lamar St., Dallas). Burns will present “The Cost of Showing Up Happy: Burnout and the Wisdom of Asking for Help.”

The luncheon is the first fundraising event of Grant Halliburton Foundation’s 20th anniversary year.

As the implacably happy, beloved host of “Blue’s Clues,” Steve Burns was the guy who sang, danced and cheerfully bolstered children’s self-esteem. What most don’t know is that he was doing so with undiagnosed severe clinical depression. He will talk about the following:

• What is the cost of forcing joy?

• How can one maintain peak-level achievement and be completely burned out at the same time?

• And once it’s all over, how do you re-engage with your own life when the tank is completely empty?

Burns will share lessons from his own struggles as “the happiest depressed person in North America” and how he has learned to apply the messages he shared with an entire generation.

The Beacon of Hope Community Luncheon supports Grant Halliburton Foundation’s work to provide education, resources and support for children, teen and young adult mental health. Event sponsorships and underwriting range from $600 to $25,000. Individual tickets go on sale in February for $250.To learn more and to purchase a sponsorship or underwriting opportunity, visit GrantHalliburton.org/boh.

Amy and Michael Roseman and Meredith and David Camp are the 2026 Beacon of Hope Community Luncheon co-chairs. The founding luncheon chair is Barb Farmer.

Kevin Hall, president of Grant Halliburton Foundation, said, “Steve helped shape how generations of children learned about curiosity, kindness, and problem-solving. We’re honored to hear his honest story and how those same values continue to guide his approach to mental health today.”

Since 2006, the Foundation has provided mental health education, training and support to nearly 350,000 students, educators, parents and professionals, thanks to funds raised from the Beacon of Hope Luncheon.

Suicide is the second-leading cause of death among Texas youth ages 10-24 (CDC). The Beacon of Hope Community Luncheon aims to bring focus to the vital work needed to educate the North Texas community on adolescent mental health and suicide prevention. Through its work in North Texas schools and communities, Grant Halliburton Foundation aims to change this reality as it works to promote awareness and understanding of teen and young adult mental health and to prevent suicide.

About Steve Burns: Steve Burns is best known as the original host of Nickelodeon’s “Blue’s Clues,” where he spent seven surreal years solving mysteries with a cartoon dog and a talking mailbox. Then he disappeared. On purpose.

Since then, Steve has released indie rock albums, toured with The Flaming Lips, wrote the theme song for “Young Sheldon,” been a host and storyteller for The Moth and currently hosts the new podcast “Alive with Steve Burns.” In 2021 and 2024, he went massively viral by quietly breaking the internet with a heartfelt message to a generation of now-grown-up viewers.

About Grant Halliburton Foundation:
Grant Halliburton Foundation was established in 2006 in memory of a Dallas teen who battled depression and bipolar disorder for several years before his suicide death at the age of 19. The Foundation that bears his name works to help prevent suicide by providing education, resources, and support for children, teen, and young adult mental health. Over the past 19 years, the Foundation has provided mental health education and training to more than 350,000 students, educators, parents, and professionals. The Foundation also offers help and support through HereForTexas.com and the Here For Texas Mental Health Navigation Line. These free community tools provide easy access for Texans seeking information and resources for mental health and substance abuse. Learn more at GrantHalliburton.org.