Silks Bash Involvement Story

Daniel Smith
May 14
5 min read

By Daniel Smith | Silks Bash Committee Member.

Callsign: Dreamweaver

Hi, I’m Daniel Smith — Creative Director and Web Designer at my company, Dream Digital Images, LLC.

My journey with Silks Bash and Operation Open Arms, Inc. started with a simple project inquiry and quickly turned into something much more meaningful. This is the Silks Bash Involvement Story.

In late 2023, I was contacted through a portal by an IT professional and committee member named Sam about a website project for Chrysalis Ventures. From the first call, I knew Sam was someone I’d work well with — we just clicked. (If Sam were a Top Gun: Maverick character, he’d be Link. Cool, steady, just an all-around great guy. But he was also the Link that connected me to Silks Bash and Operation Open Arms, Inc.)

Chrysalis Ventures is based in Louisville, Kentucky — a city I’m quite familiar with but don’t live in. It’s led by Irv Bailey, the husband of Cathy Bailey. These two incredible individuals founded Operation Open Arms, Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping families stay united when parents — particularly mothers — are threatened with or already facing incarceration. Their mission gives children a voice and helps provide loving homes, prioritizing keeping families together whenever possible.

The Call That Changed Everything: Silks Bash Involvement Story

Fast forward to February 2024.

I was literally about to jump in the car for a week-long vacation when my phone rang. It was Sam. (Did I mention how much I like this guy?) He explained he was in a bit of a dilemma. He needed someone to revamp a website for a party called Silks Bash — and he needed it fast.

Without thinking too hard (because honestly, if Bob asks for help, you say yes), I told him to send me everything and I’d take care of it when I got back. The catch? It needed to be done before the end of February. It was already February 6th.

At the time, Silks Bash already had a site on SquareSpace. No offense to SquareSpace, but after years of building with WiX Studio (and loving its creative freedom and power), I knew we could do better.

When I returned from vacation, I dove right in — redesigning the Silks Bash site and creating an animated hero image featuring a glass of bourbon against a glowing Kentucky sunset. I even embedded the Woodford Reserve logo into the glass in Photoshop — a nod to one of the event’s major sponsors.

By February 16th, the initial redesign was done, and I was invited to a conference call with the full Silks Bash Committee — a group that seemed absolutely wonderful even though I hadn’t seen them face-to-face yet.

Cathy Bailey, who chaired the meeting, was particularly enthusiastic about the work. I floated the idea of moving the site fully to WiX Studio to give it even more flexibility and power.

After learning more about how Silks Bash is a benefit gala for Operation Open Arms, Inc., held Derby Eve, I told Cathy I would donate the website redesign for the charity.

That’s when things really took off.

Meeting Cathy and Building Silks Bash Dreams

Cathy is one of the most creative, driven, and energetic people I’ve had the pleasure of working with. Our brainstorming sessions are a whirlwind — neither of us can keep up with our own ideas. Over the weeks, not only did we create amazing work together, but I feel like we also became good friends. I have now given her a callsign: Maven:

An expert or trusted figure — she leads and knows how to get things done.

By mid-March 2024, the brand-new WiX Studio site was live, and ticket sales for Silks Bash began.

When Maverick Called

In one of our meetings, Cathy casually mentioned that their celebrity guest was someone called California Tom Cruise.

Curious, I Googled him during the call — and nearly fell off my chair.

Top Gun: Maverick wasn’t just a good movie to me — it was the movie. I saw it twice in one day when it hit theaters. And here was a man who could pass for Tom Cruise’s twin.

Soon after, Cathy connected me with California Tom Cruise (Jerome), and I asked if he could film a reel promoting Silks Bash 2024.

He delivered a perfect recording, which I lightly edited by adding music and the Silks Bash logo.

As of today, that reel has nearly 100,000 views — and it’s still growing!

Enter: Iceman

When I finally made it to Louisville for Silks Bash 2024 at the end of April, I received some tough news: Jerome (Maverick) had fallen ill and couldn’t make it.

I was devastated — I had “lost that loving feeling” for sure.

But he assured me not to worry — he had sent in a wingman.

Enter: The Arizona Iceman — a perfect Val Kilmer double.

(Why do they call him Iceman?

“Because of the way he flies. Ice cold. No mistakes.”)

We scrambled to adjust plans. Iceman flew in from Phoenix the night before the bash. Maverick recorded a video message saying he couldn’t make it but had sent his Wingman.

We met Iceman at Historic Locust Grove, where the bash would be held, and filmed a new video on-site — seamlessly handing off the mission.

The Squadron Is Formed

That’s how I first got involved with Silks Bash.

Since then, I’ve gone on to build websites for California Tom Cruise, Operation Open Arms, and have created so much content that it’s hard to even track it all.

For my wedding anniversary, I even had Maverick record a surprise message for my wife and me — commemorating 16 years together.

Shortly after, we created more promos for Maverick’s new website launch.

By 2025, I was officially named part of the Silks Bash Squadron.

My callsign? Dreamweaver.

Joining the ranks:

Maven
Maverick
Iceman
Link
Dreamweaver
and Chrono (the official timekeeper for Silks Bash 2025).

Chrono — founder of BYOP: Be Your Own Pilot Watches — even donated custom watches to Silks Bash and shared his incredible story.

Silks Bash 2025: Bigger, Better, and Full Throttle

There were some last-minute flight logistics in 2025, too.

Maverick flew to Nashville where a real legend, named Chip, callsign, Gambit. (Chess term for a bold strategy; fits someone who knows how to take calculated risks, and thats Chip) Gambit was a true wingman and helped Maverick catch a private jet ride after some plane trouble.

Thanks to Chip’s “borrowed” ride, Maverick and Iceman arrived just in time for Thurby at Churchill Downs — greeted with news interviews, photo ops, and fan shoutouts left and right.

Throughout it all, they tirelessly promoted Operation Open Arms and Silks Bash — a benefit gala on May 2nd, 2025, Derby Eve at Historic Locust Grove.

Meanwhile, the sponsor dinner, Silks in the Bluegrass, hosted major supporters like Rand Paul, Mitch McConnell, Arnold Ventures, Pepsi, and many more.