Shelby's Social Diary
The original Charlie's Angel and Viennese waltzers add heavenly notes to gala evening
From the launch of the Mission of Yahweh gala six years ago, the underlying theme has revolved around angels and their service to the shelter for women and children. Friday night's fundraiser played heavily on that theme with Jaclyn Smith, one of the original Charlie's Angels and a Mission of Yahweh patron, as special guest at the Hilton Houston Post Oak.
The evening honored Smith along with "philanthropic angels" Joanna and Brad Marks, Hannah and Cal McNair and Sybil Roos. Their generosity and that of the 425 guests helped raise $500,000 for the mission.
Gala chairs Christine Kirchner and Susan S. Soussan selected "A Heavenly Evening in Musical Magical Vienna," in tribute to their parents, who were born in Vienna. With that theme in mind, four violinists from Mercury were on hand to perform Viennese waltzes for arriving guests. The throng dined in a lavish Viennese-inspired setting complete with mammoth gilded candelabra and golden angel, decor by Linda MacIngvale's A Memorable Event.
During dinner, Dance Houston sent a bevy of waltzing performers onto the dance floor to circle the ballroom to the strains of Johann Strauss' "The Blue Danube." After dinner, it was time for the Richard Brown Orchestra to continue the lilting music.
The party crowd included Warner Roberts, Betty and Jesse Tutor, Andy Delery, Monica and John Blaisdell, Margaret Alkek Willliams with Barron Segar, Kristina and Paul Somerville, Dr. Brad Allen, Isabel and Danny David, Charlie Hartland, Ramona Ortiz Stamps, Shauna Johnson and Morris Clark, Carolyn Farb and Bob Nowak and Kathleen and James Jennings.