How sweet it was — a black-tie gala with a program so brief that it was over before the well-heeled crowd could blink. Applause, applause for Joella and Steve Mach, who chaired the annual Pearl Ball that felt more like an elegant dinner dance than the typical midweek fundraiser.

It is a tradition that has held throughout the 22-year history of the Pearl Ball, which raises funds for the Good Samaritan Foundation, the state's largest private scholarship program for student nurses. Since its inception, the ball has raised more than $4.5 million for nurse education in Texas. And from those early days, the benefit evening has been short on words and long on merriment.

Thus, the River Oaks Country Club ballroom reverberated with such liveliness that it felt more like a wedding reception or an anniversary party. Just about everyone knew just about everyone else. It seemed that the gregarious guests would never respond to the dinner chimes. Cora Sue and Harry Mach were busy catching up with friends such as Tara and David Wuthrich. Margaret and Dr. Jeff Lanier visited with their pals Susie and Mel Glasscock while Margaret Williams and Jim Daniel worked the reception in style.

With the younger generation of the Mach family at the helm, the evening drew more than a few youthful supporters. Kirby and Scott McCool, Alex and Brady Knight, Stephanie and Julian Fertitta and Meredith and Mark Barineau joined the mix that included 2012 Pearl Ball chairs Randa and Charles Williams and Jason Fertitta (his wife, Courtney, at home, having given birth to twins only the week before).

The evening went so swimmingly that Jason Fertitta joked with Joella and Steve that maybe someone else should chair next year as no one would want to follow their success.

The fun of the evening centered on The Three Waiters, a trio of entertainers who kept the crowd entertained intermittently throughout dinner with their play and their talented operatic singing. The Machs added another element to the excitement, a raffle of a beautiful pearl and diamond necklace compliments of Deutsch & Deutsch. And, of course, there was after-dinner dancing and lots of it.

Applauding the evening were Harriet and Sonny Wallace, Beth Madison with Ralph Burch, Sharyn and Jim Weaver, Susan and Dr. Richard Stasney, Cathy and Joe Cleary, Carmen and Butch Mach, Kathleen and Tom Mach and Good Samaritan Foundation board chairman Steve Lindley and wife Shelli.