party watch

Sports and scholastics score big at former Texans kickoff party

What: Project 88 Kickoff Party

The scoop: Founder Ericka Graham and her husband, former NFL player Garrett Graham greeted friends and family who turned out to support Project 88, an organization that supports leadership development in low-income, high-need communities. Project 88 provides schools with college advisors who guide students through the college application process.

“This year’s gala is even more important than before because of Hurricane Harvey. So many students have been displaced, so preparing for college has been even more challenging,” Ericka Graham said.

Hannah and Cal McNair, and Lisa and Chris Seay are the 2018 Honorary Game Day Gala chairs; Katherine and Jonathan Lusk are the Sponsorship Chairs; and the Host Committee Chairs are Amanda and Jon Weeks and Megan and Brian Cushing. The Jeans and Jerseys themed event is April 13th at Ecclesia.

At one point, Graham took her heels off, and hopped on a chair in the Tipping Point Lounge to introduce the ADVISE TX college advisors working in schools across the Houston area. EMERGE scholar and high school senior Geraldine Martinez surprised Graham and the rest of the crowd when she revealed her acceptance to LeHigh University in Pennsylvania. It was a secret she had been waiting to reveal until the kickoff party.

Who: The robust crowd of 75 included Hannah and Cal McNair, Herman and Lisa Eagleton, Cecil and Chanel Shorts, Beau and Melissa Tuft, Chris and Lisa Seay, Jonathan Lusk, Megan Cushing, Bria Wall, Amy Haymond, Austin and Holly Alvis, Todd and Jennifer Hoffman, Kevin Walter and Owen Daniels.

Joe Francisco, Nicki Erickson.

Photo by CatchLight Group

Joe Francisco, Nicki Erickson.

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Party Watch

Champagne and shells mark bold push to save Texas oyster reefs

Coastal Preservation and Restoration launch party

Photo by Daniel Ortiz

Caroline Craddock, Tommy Garcia Prats, and Andrew Abendshein.

What: Texas Farm-Raised Gulf Oyster Tasting Celebrating the Launch of Coastal Preservation and Restoration

Photo by Daniel Ortiz

Caroline Craddock, Tommy Garcia Prats, and Andrew Abendshein.

Where: La Griglia

The Scoop: Shell-ebrating sustainability never tasted so chic. More than 85 guests gathered on La Griglia’s breezy patio to toast the official launch of Coastal Preservation and Restoration (CPR), a new initiative aiming to restore 5,000 acres of Texas’s public oyster reefs by 2050, making it the largest reef restoration effort in the nation.

The soirée paired bubbly with brininess, as guests slurped freshly shucked Texas farm-raised Gulf oysters from Key Allegro Oyster Co. and Oyster Bros., complemented by elegant accoutrements and a touch of night sparkle.

John Eads, CPR’s founder and chairman, shared heartfelt remarks about the power of oyster mariculture to safeguard reef systems, bolster local economies, and buffer coastal communities. He was joined by Shellye Arnold, introduced as the organization’s incoming CEO, who brings serious conservation chops from her decade-plus leading Memorial Park Conservancy.

With organizations like Harte Research Institute, Galveston Bay Foundation, and Coastal Conservation Association Texas in the mix, the evening closed with a toast to the future, one where Texas bays thrive with purpose, oysters, and just the right hint of salinity.

Who: Mary Eads, Pam and Will Harte, Nancy and Butch Abendshein, Sis Johnson, Daniel and Lucie Arnoldy, Emily Clay, Susan Cooley, Dancie and Jim Ware, David Mincberg and Lainie Gordon, Rob Fondren, Carla Knobloch, Bob Stokes, and Bill King.

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