Shelby's Social Diary

So many charity events, so little time

Joe Baraban, left, Phyllis Rauls and Joanne Naponic test their luck at the 14thAnnual Young Friends of Ronald McDonald House Oscar Night America.

Photo by Kim Coffman
Doug Foshee, from left, John Knox Jr. and Larry Heard were the big guns leadingSEARCH to a whopping success.
Nathalie and Charles Roff, left, shared duties as co-chairs of the Da Camera ofHouston gala with Carrie and Al Pepi.

Photo by Pin Lim
Parents and Families luncheon chairs Suzanna Brener de Stern, left, JessicaMeyer and Jennifer Stern were joined by husband/father Dr. Juan Stern.

A look at the social calendar for the month and you can tell that we are barreling toward spring break. It seems that every major charity is scheduling its spring luncheon and/or gala during the first two weeks of March. During week three of this month, we can rest our party clothes and tuxes while all the school kiddies and parents head for the slopes, the beaches or the ranch. But we've got a lot of party terrain to cover between now and then. Herewith a recap of major events that have taken place in recent days.

Going Hollywood

There was a touch of Academy Awards glamor at the J.W. Marriott Hotel Sunday night as the Young Friends of Ronald McDonald House supporters gathered more than 300 strong to walk the red carpet at the 14th annual Oscar Night America party. Naturally, the awards ceremony was broadcast on large projection screens. Casino games, live and silent auctions and interactive "predict the winners" contest provided further diversion as did the seated dinner and the Hollywood-style decor.

The party crowd included Katherine Avery, Jordan McPhail, Jennifer Malinoff, Danielle Wymer, Marlene Harrison, Jenny Dill, Emily Wang, Ryan Chase, and Channel 13 newswoman Jessica Willey, who served as emcee.

Big six-figure success

We love it when a luncheon tops the $500,000 mark in proceeds. Congratulations to SEARCH Homeless Services for its luncheon at the Hilton Americas Houston where the greenbacks rolled in beyond the $512,000 mark and the turnout was 850. No small fete in this economy.

Credit goes in large part to the deep-pocket connections of the key players including luncheon chairs Caroline and Larry Heard, CEO of Transwestern. Add underwriting chair John Knox Jr. to the mix and honoree Doug Foshee, chairman and CEO of El Paso Corp. It was a win-win for everyone and the whole thing ended promptly at the promised 1 p.m. closing. Three cheers for it all!

An off-beat bash

What fun! The theme of Da Camera of Houston's annual gala "The Nuvo Boho: The New Bohemians" set the stage for an evening of colorful entertainment that began with vocalist Danielle Reich and her "gypsy" swing trio, moved on to performances by musicians from Da Camera's Young Artist program during dinner and concluded with dancing to the disco funk sounds of Sam Dinkins III and Collector's Item.

Overseeing the party at the Bayou Club were co-chairs Carrie and Al Pepi and Nathalie and Charles Roff. In the mix were Claudia and David Hatcher, Chinhui and Eddie Allen, Nancy Allen, Elaine and Marvy Finger, Mimi and Robert Del Grande and Isabel and Ransom Lummis.

Not just for kids

The Children's Museum of Houston's 17th annual Parents and Families Luncheon played to a full house at River Oaks Country Club where 460 guests helped raise $150,000, a figure more typical of current charity luncheons. The event was chaired by the mother-daughters trio of Susana Brener de Stern, Jessica Stern Meyer and Jennifer Stern. Of course, proud pappa and hubby Dr. Juan Stern was on hand to lend his support.

Applauding guest speaker author Erin Gruwell were Courtney Hopson, Greggory Burk, Debbie Festari, Jennifer and Lance Gilliam, Nancy DeWalch and Melissa and Michael Mithoff.

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a sort of homecoming

Houston director Wes Anderson headlines fundraiser for historic theater

Photo by Lars Niki/Getty Images for The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences

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Acclaimed Houston-born filmmaker Wes Anderson may call Paris his home these days, but he’s always ready and willing to come back home to support a worthy cause.

The Oscar-winning auteur will attend an evening celebrating his 30-year career in filmmaking, presented by Arthouse Houston. Titled “Wes Anderson Homecoming Soiree,” the event takes place at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts’ Zilkha Hall on Friday, July 17. It will also benefit the preservation of the historic Garden Oaks Theater and founding of a new Arts & Film Center.

The evening will include a “Founders Experience,” followed by a reception with food and drinks, live music by the Kelly Doyle Trio, and a silent auction. After that, Anderson will introduce a quintet of his short films he selected for the occasion. These shorts include Bottle Rocket (which he later expanded into his 1996 feature-film debut), and The Swan, one of the shorts from The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Three More, his only-on-Netflix collection of mini-Roald Dahl adaptations.

Donors at the Founders level will be treated to a meet-and-greet and Q&A with Anderson and friends prior to the show, including a celebratory toast, and a signed show poster. Top-tier donors (starting at $100,000) will have naming rights within the new Arts & Film Center and four complimentary tickets to the event. Proceeds will directly help the effort to preserve one of the city’s few remaining historic cinemas, as well as create a new cultural hub where cinema, live performance, production, and education converge.

Houston won’t be Anderson’s only American stop next month. From Friday, July 10, to Sunday, July 12, he’ll be in Los Angeles for the Hollywood Bowl’s “Music from the Films of Wes Anderson” concert series, featuring performances from Beck, Jackson Browne, Devo, Bill Murray, and others.

For tickets and more info on the event, go here.

wes anderson houston fundraisers preservation