Rules of Engagement

The surest putt of all: She reached in the cup for her golf ball & found a ring

Meredith Timms was totally shocked when Trent Staggers went down on one knee atRedstone.
Of course, she said yes.
Trent had hired a photographer to capture the special moment.

Golf has always had special meaning for lovebirds Meredith Timms and Trent Staggers. Their first date was to play a round of golf. But Meredith had no idea what was in store when Trent suggested a tour of the links at Redstone Golf Club on a beautiful Sunday in December.

The day before, Trent had suggested that they pop into a golf shop that was next door to the gym where they workout. He wanted to get her a new golf outfit as an early Christmas present. She picked out a pink plaid skirt number which she wore the next day.

As luck would have it, Meredith was off her game on that Sunday and by the seventh hole decided to just give it up for the day and ride the cart instead of hitting balls. Trent convinced her to keep playing just for the fun of it rather than for a great score. So she continued on and finally sunk her putt at hole number eight.

"As I went to grab the ball out of the hole," she e-mailed, "I noticed my ball wasn't the only thing down there. A nice little box was sitting inside. I didn't hesitate to pick it up and wasn't really sure what was going on."

She couldn't believe her eyes. "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, Is this real?" she gasped. Trent took the box from her hand, got down on one knee, told her how much he loved her and opened the box to let the diamond sparkle in the sunlight. She cried, professed her mutual love and, as she continued in her e-mail, "Of course, I said 'YES!'"

Trent had arranged for a photographer to hide at a strategic point near the eighth hole so that he could record the moment and Trent's sister stood guard discreetly watching over the ring in the hole.

They headed back to the clubhouse for champagne toasts and there they were met by both his and her families for a big "Congratulations!" shout out. A celebratory dinner party followed that night at Meredith's parents home.

Meredith and Trent are now planning their wedding.

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Safety First

Houston spirit shines as Crime Stoppers gala raises $2 million

Photo by Daniel Ortiz

Event and strategy chairs Vanessa Ames, Kristen Collins, Dana Barton, Brooke Lee, and Jordan Seff.

Big hats met big-hearted giving at The Revaire as Crime Stoppers of Houston hosted its Second Annual “Raise ’Em Up for Texas” Gala, presented by Glenda and Russell Gordy and the C. James and Carole Walter Looke Family Fund

The evening unfolded like a Texas-sized toast guided by gala chairs Brooke Lee, Dana Barton, and Kristen Collins, and lifted further by strategic chairs Vanessa Ames and Jordan Seff.

More than 460 guests filled the sprawling venue, welcomed first by a festive happy hour and a bustling silent auction. Master of ceremonies Johnny Bravo kicked things into gear as guests settled in, followed by remarks from Crime Stoppers CEO Rania Mankarious, who championed the crowd’s shared commitment to keeping Houston safe.

Speaker Maurine Molak, co-founder of the David’s Legacy Foundation shared the story of her son, whose life was cut short at 16 after enduring relentless cyberbullying. She illuminated the gap in resources available to families at the time and the sweeping efforts that eventually led to David’s Law. Her partnership with Crime Stoppers through The John M. O’Quinn Foundation Million for Million campaign has already reached more than two million students, continuing David’s legacy by empowering young Texans to seek safety, support, and hope.

A surprise presentation of the Second McIngvale Family Humanitarian Award honored Chris Shepherd and Lindsey Brown of Southern Smoke Foundation for their community-wide compassion. Accepting on their behalf was Catarina Bill.

Then came a major announcement: The creation of a new Crime Stoppers Women’s Collective, a group of 50 women stepping into a leadership role for 2026, along with an ambitious push to educate 10 million Texas students and the launch of SafeSpace Student Hub, a digital platform designed to give students a confidential place to seek guidance.

Nobody’s Fool closed out the night with plenty of two-stepping as supporters lingered, celebrating a mission-driven evening that raised a record-breaking $2 million.

Showing up in full Texas spirit were Brigitte Kalai, Alicia Smith, Hallie Vanderhider, Sippy and Ajay Khurana, Tom Ramsey, Noe Diaz, Ben Katrib, Twila Carter, Willie Davis, Fred Flickinger, Mary Nan Huffman, Julian Ramirez, Alan Rosen, Terry Allbritton, Emily DeToto, Lori DeAngelo, Peyton Peebles, Aaron Burdette, Lance Long, Dan Simons, Carolyn Dozier, Ken Wise, Tiffany Herd, Eric and Lisa Elder, Alex and Tammy Janos, Kari Lynd, Natalie and Steve Mohtashami, Kyle and Erin Cummings, Snehal Amin and Adrienne Amin, Jessica Leeke, Carla and Tony Maarraoui, Karen and Lohn Zylicz, Frank and Jill Stagg, Robert and Dana Clay, Catherine and Peter Badger, Pam Connealy, Mayes and Macy Middleton, Megan and Walker Weston, Meredith and Ben Marshall, Seth and Hannah Siegel-Gardner, Anna Reger, Sheri Zucker, Trini Mendenhall, Phillip Royalty, Jeff Nadalo, Farida Abjani, Maria Moncada Alaoui and Omar Alaoui, Susan Boggio, Deborah Duncan, and Laura Ward.

Photo by Daniel Ortiz

Event and strategy chairs Vanessa Ames, Kristen Collins, Dana Barton, Brooke Lee, and Jordan Seff.

fundraisers crime stoppers houston