What: Picnic for the Park
Where: The Forest Club
The scoop: Nearly 400 guests turned out for “Picnic for the Park," chaired by Rosanna and Myron Blalock, along with and Gayle and Richard Hightower. The annual gala, emceed by ABC 13 anchor Linda Lorelle, raised more than $375,000 for Memorial Park Conservancy, a nonprofit organization created to restore, preserve, and enhance Memorial Park.
The evening featured a laid-back dress attire, deemed “bee casual, no ties,” and a French Country-inspired picnic complete with blue-checkered tablecloths, lavender, and wildflowers.
Attendees fueled up on rustic fare, including charcuterie and cheese, barbecue brisket, and fried shrimp — all packed in wicker picnic baskets —before hitting the dance floor to lively spins by DJ Damon Pampolina.
The party was a celebration of the Conservancy’s two-year anniversary of managing and operating Memorial Park, in partnership with Houston Parks and Recreation Department, and the group’s Master Plan to improve the municipal green space.
The first phase of the Plan is a $36 million project currently underway in the Park’s Eastern Glades. Due to be completed in 2020, it includes the addition of more than 100 acres, a 5-acre lake, picnic areas, expansion of the Seymour Lieberman Running Trail, restroom facilities, and a food truck area.
Who: Honorary chairs Terry and Tommy Smith, Shellye Arnold, Tina Sabuco, Lou Gregory, Nancy and Butch Abendshein, Laurie and Blake Liedtke, Lisa and Downing Mears, Karol and Paul Barnhart, Judy and Charles Tate, Bonner and George Ball, Tammy and Steve Jenkins, Rita and James Koski, Beth and Zet White, Pam and John Breeding, Janet and Paul Hobby, and Robin and John Wombwell.
Also joining the fun were Councilman Mike Knox, Councilwoman Amanda Edwards, Councilman David Robinson, Councilman Jack Christie, and Mayor Pro Tem Ellen Cohen.
Sam Seidel, Shannon Robinson, Justin Robinson.
