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    Celebrating a big 20th

    President George W. Bush and six top toques headline Baker Institute 20th anniversary celebration

    Shelby Hodge
    Sep 27, 2013 | 12:48 pm

    The sleek invitations hit mailboxes earlier this week as the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy gears up for a spectacular 20th anniversary celebration with former President George W. Bush as the headliner and with a remarkable collection of six of the city's leading chefs preparing the dinner.

    Plans have been in the making for more than a year for the Nov. 8 gala that will take place in an elaborately-decorated party tent on the Rice University Campus where Baker Institute founding director Edward Djerejian will lead "A Presidential Conversation" with Bush. Former Secretary of State James A. Baker III and Rice president David Leebron will be on the program as well.

    The evening will celebrate the institute's international stature that includes rankings as the 13th best university-based think tank in the world and sixth among energy research programs worldwide. Nationally, the Baker Institute ranks 21st among the U.S.'s prestigious think tanks.

    Complimenting the cerebral component, the gala promises a first-of-its-kind culinary celebration as well. Each of the chefs participating are James Beard Award-nominated talents. Sharing their expertise will be Reef's Bryan Caswell, Hugo's Hugo Ortega, Sparrow Bar + Cookshop's Monica Pope, Underbelly's Chris Shepherd, Uchi's Philip Speer and Michael Cordúa of Americas, Churrascos and Artista fame.

    Joining forces as chairs of the gala evening are Cynthia and Bucky Allshouse, Phoebe and Bobby Tudor and Sheridan and John Eddie Williams. Add to that powerful mix Shahla and Hushang Ansary, who serve as anniversary celebration chairs. It will be a special evening for the Ansarys as Hushang will receive the James A. Baker III Prize for Excellence in Leadership 2013. Details on attending the gala are available here.

    The gala is the first of two celebrations, the second of which the following night is geared for young professionals and among the co-chairs is Bush's daughter Jennifer Bush Hager and her husband Henry Hager. Check back at CultureMap for details on that party, dubbed "Club Berlin: A Night in Awash in Digital Grafitti."

    Chris Shepherd and Bryan Caswell are two of the six top toques preparing dinner at the 20th anniversary gala.

      
    Photo by © Michelle Watson CultureMapSNAP.com
    Chris Shepherd and Bryan Caswell are two of the six top toques preparing dinner at the 20th anniversary gala.
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    Party Watch

    Rock painting and ninja runs charm guests at Houston hospital's benefit

    Joel Luks
    Jun 23, 2025 | 3:00 pm
    Texas Children’s Hospital Family Fun Day 2025
    Photo by Jenny Antill
    Chita Craft with daughter and friends.

    What: Ambassadors for Texas Children’s Hospital Family Fun Day

    Texas Children\u2019s Hospital Family Fun Day 2025
      

    Photo by Jenny Antill

    Chita Craft with daughter and friends.

    Where: Houston Arboretum and Nature Center

    The Scoop: The Houston Arboretum transformed into a nostalgic summer escape for the 15th annual Family Fun Day hosted by the Ambassadors for Texas Children’s Hospital. Dubbed “Camp Ambassador,” the affair drew more than 450 guests for an afternoon that channeled sleepaway camp vibes — with none of the homesickness.

    Chairs Brooke and Scott Hutson welcomed families to a playful forest wonderland brimming with pony rides, ninja course antics, and whimsical mohawk makeovers. Craft stations kept creativity flowing with rain stick-making and rock painting, the latter doubling as a heartfelt gesture — painted stones will soon brighten the hospital’s interfaith chapel, offering young patients a bit of camp spirit indoors.

    Dr. Benjamin Ho, the hospital’s newest concierge medicine doc, handed out play bandages to campers of all ages, proving that even in make-believe, compassion counts. Meanwhile, families refueled on camp-themed comfort eats like waffle fries, firewood franks, fruit kabobs, and cake cones that felt straight out of a mess hall dream.

    Proceeds supported Texas Children’s Nursing Talent, Innovation and Education, a program empowering new nurses with hands-on tools to navigate the challenges of clinical care.

    Who: Ellen and James Bookout, Jen and Ben Fink, Cindy and Les Fox, Julie and Patrick Gimlett, Laura and Dan Gollins, Nina and Clint Rand, Carolyn and Jake Sabat, Ellen and Andrew Sheedy, Tym and Charlene Tymbar, Shea Henry and Jeffry Yoesel, Dr. Natalie and Andrew Walton, Rachael and Jason Volz, and Currie Rice.

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