What: UTHealth’s Tasting Dinner benefiting the Children’s Learning Institute
Where: Tony’s
The scoop: At UTHealth’s seventh annual Tasting Dinner benefiting the Children’s Learning Institute (CLI), guests lifted forks and raised wine glasses while raising more than $100,000 to support educational programs for at-risk children.
Tony’s, a Houston mainstay for innovative fine dining, was a fitting location for the event benefiting CLI, which is known for making an impact in the lives of children through evidence-based research and the development of innovative learning solutions.
Event co-chairs — Lisa and Evan Meeks, MD, and Sheri and William Harvin, MD — welcomed more than 125 supporters to taste five exquisite dishes paired with wines from around the world.
With ingredients hand-selected by legendary restauranteur Tony Vallone, Austin Waiter, the executive chef at Tony’s, prepared an exquisite dining experience that included Carciofi romani, corn raviolini, prime filet mignon, and whole salt crusted Gulf red snapper that was set aflame just before being served. For dessert, guests used wooden mallets to crack open a decadent chocolate dish of mandarin, white chocolate budino, and oats made exclusively for UTHealth’s guests.
While they dined, guests were treated to a sampling of how CLI has made an impact across Texas. CLI leaders and supporters dished about the programs — including Texas School Ready and the academic enrichment outreach program of the Dan L Duncan Children’s Neurodevelopmental Clinic — that have helped hundreds of thousands of children reach their full potential.
“Thanks to your amazing generosity, CLI is able to continue its leading-edge work in creating innovative education techniques and whole child development,” said Susan Landry, PhD, founder and director of the Children’s Learning Institute. “Philanthropy allows our experts to tutor children struggling to read, help teachers enhance their skills, and work toward ensuring that children with developmental delays and learning disorders reach their full potential.”
Who: Karen and Gus Comiskey; Jacquelyn and Collin Cox; Lex Hochner; Ginni and Richard Mithoff; Maria and Chris Pappas; Lisa and Dana Roy; Anne Whitlock and Michael Skelly; Barbara Stoll, MD; Jennifer and Neil Wizel; and Marion and Kyle Woerner, MD.
Michael and Lindsay Hensley with Dr. Patrick Hsu and Jahaira Lazo.
