The gala celebrates the students in the Kickstart Kids program and the success of the program in middle schools across Texas. The evening will begin with a cocktail reception and silent auction followed by a gala dinner.

The event will welcome two special guests this year. Texas Governor Greg Abbott and First Lady Cecilia Abbott, as the gala's honorary chairs, will make one of their first official appearances in Houston since his election to office. Marcus Luttrell, former United States Navy SEAL and recipient of the Navy Cross and Purple Heart for his actions in June 2005 while facing Taliban fighters during Operation Redwing, co-wrote the bestselling novel Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and The Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10, which went on to become the inspiration for the popular film Lone Survivor.