Spirited Affair
Spirits soar at Pink Door Gala as black-tie crowd raises funds for cancer care
Pink Door rose to the challenge of helping provide financial assistance to women with cancer by raising $230,000 at the local non-profit’s eighth annual gala, dubbed “Night of the Phoenix.”
Chaired by Tammy and Marshall Sweed, funds raised will go to cover to basic bills of water, phone and utilities, along with more costly items from home mortgages to health insurance bills.
Despite the serious topic at-hand, spirits were high as the evening's emcees, Mix 96.5 FM’s Chad Pitt and Lauren Finkelstein, charmed the crowd, keeping the evening light as a stilt walker dressed as a phoenix soared high above the heads of the nearly 400 attendees in the Royal Sonesta Hotel ballroom.
Guests enjoyed a three-course dinner, silent auction and presentation that included a salute to Dr. Eric Bernicker, director of Medical Thoracic Oncology at Houston Methodist Hospital, and Dr. Karen Lu, chair of the Department of Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, for their contributions in cancer treatment and patient care.
As well, cancer survivor Angie Swanagon was presented with the The Gayl Ann Gronauer Cole Legacy Award for her countless volunteer hours assisting those in need.
Helping raise funds for the worthy cause were KHOU reporter and weekend anchor Rekha Muddaraj and Dr. Neil Badlani, Sapna Patel and Arpan Gupta, Pink Door founder Cortney Cole Hall, Edward Sanchez, Brittany Zucker, Matt and Andrea Flanagan, Sally Dowell, Jan and Steve Schott, Kevin and Amy Gordon, Kanny Satar, Brett and Whitney Bennett, Cynthia Garcia, Jack and Karen Linville and Danny Kurtin.