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Houston fashionistas run for the Roses at a stylish soiree with heart

Photo by Quy Tran

The pink carpet rolled out for some local VIPs as The Holly Rose Ribbon Foundation kicked off their fab 11th annual Run for the Roses Kentucky Derby event. Some 300 people found their way to The Kensington River Oaks, a recent townhome development by Carnegie Homes. Entry was a $25 offering or a bottle for the “Satisfy your Spirit” wine spin and liquor toss games at the Kentucky Derby party at The Palm Restaurant, which is off and running on May 5.

Guests were greeted by a live DJ and a very appetizing full dinner spread and two fully stocked bars. One bar was set up on the second floor and the other was set up on the fourth floor of beautiful, fully appointed four-story townhome. (Thankfully, for those of us who live in high-heels, there was an elevator.) It was a fashionable feast; it was for the Derby after all.

Event planner to the elite, Lily Paxson-Salinas, worked closely with Priscilla Anderson to pull-off the seamless event hosting some of Houston’s most well-known: Erica Rose Sanders and husband Charles Sanders;Ben Rose; Lissa Goldsmith; Therese Landa; Beth Casisdy;Bryan Cotton;Lina Matar;Arpan Gupta and wife Sapna Patel; Gregg Harrison; Angelica Jimenez-Champan;and Michael Pearson, to name just a few.

This year’s event honoree will be the HRFF Executive Director herself, Paxson-Salinas. “We are fortunate to have Lily, as she believes in our mission, and for her to experience the rapid loss of her husband to cancer just this last year, as well as his mother’s slow loss and immense suffering with cancer,” says HRFF co-founder Cindi Harwood Rose.“She is a perfect honoree at our upcoming event.”

Created in 2005 by Houston Plastic Surgeon Dr. Franklin Rose and his wife Cindi Harwood Rose, the Holly Rose Ribbon Foundation provides free reconstructive surgery to post-cancer patients who are not able to afford health insurance. The charity’s namesake, Cindi’s sister Holly Harwood Skolkin, passed from breast cancer in 2012 after a long courageous battle. After learning of their sister’s illness and that more than 45 million such Americans are without health insurance, Dr. Franklin and Cindi Rose made it their mission to help those in need. The Holly Rose Ribbon Foundation, a 501 (c)(3) organization and underwrites reconstructive surgery for dozens of these patients each year.

To help the lives and self-esteem of cancer survivors, you can look glam for a good cause the 11th annual Holly Rose Ribbon Foundation Run for the Roses Kentucky Derby event at The Palm Restaurant.

Photo by Quy Tran

fundraisers

Medics on the Keys

Houston doctors play a Steinway to support pediatric burn program

Courtesy of Doctors in Recital

Dr. Michael Yafi and Amanda Watson.

What happens when scalpel-wielding professionals swap the OR for a Steinway? Something pretty magical. For the third annual Doctors in Recital, Houston’s Steinway Piano Gallery orchestrated a night where medicine met music — and heartbeats gave way to half notes — all in support of the city’s only Pediatric Burn Program.

Held at the newly renovated River Oaks Theatre, the performers welcomed a crowd of friends, family, supporters, and members of the medical community for a musicale. The program spotlighted 12 multi-talented physicians, whose day jobs span cardiology to pediatric surgery, as they played their hearts out on two exquisite Steinway grands.

The performance piano: A gleaming Model B-Spirio in ebony, digitally recording each performance. Its show-stealing counterpart? A limited edition Steinway X Disney: Mickey Mouse piano — one of just 25 in the world — designed by Italian artist Elena Salmistraro in honor of Disney’s 100th anniversary.

Amanda Watson, chair of the event and rep for Steinway Piano Gallery of Houston, welcomed the audience, setting the tone for an evening of artful giving. Then came Dr. Michael Yafi, co-chair and performer, who riffed on art history and the legendary Viennese surgeon-musician Billroth. A nod to the storied connection between music and medicine, his remarks underscored the tenor of the evening: Compassion, creativity, and care.

The performances were a blend of classical favorites — think Beethoven, Chopin, and Rachmaninoff — with a dash of good-humored flair. There may have been a few lighthearted shenanigans (it’s not every day you hear a doctor sneak in a playful glissando mid-Rachmaninoff), but the audience loved it. These weren’t just notes on a page — they were love letters to both music and medicine.

Rounding out the evening was Dr. Kevin Lally, who offered insight into the cause behind the concert: The Burn Program in the Department of Pediatric Surgery at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston. As the city’s only pediatric burn unit, it treats more than 400 children annually, provides $50,000 in free burn care supplies, and serves a community of 2.3 million.

Among the doctor performers were Neale Clark, Ryan Dickey, Natalie Drucker, Liliane Hay, Khashayar Hematpour, Maria Matuszczak, Aki Nishikawa, Marc Rhoads, Allison Speer, Tony Tran,and Pansy Tung, joined by guest performer Chaden Yafi, who teaches five of the participating doctors.

Courtesy of Doctors in Recital

Dr. Michael Yafi and Amanda Watson.

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