party watch

Stylish Houston A-listers deck out for Derby Day at Houston Polo Club

What: Hats, Hearts & Horseshoes benefitting Bo’s Place

Where: Houston Polo Club

The scoop: More than 250 chic and dapper ladies and gents gathered at the Houston Polo Club for the fifth annual Hats, Hearts & Horseshoes benefiting Bo’s Place. Locals donned their finest Derby Day attire to celebrate the fastest two minutes in sports.

Houston Polo Club was indeed the ideal setting, as guests mingled throughout the grounds, sipped mint juleps, and nibbled on light bites. Adorable stuffed puppies, a racing wall raffle, and rose gifting kept the crowd busy until post time.

At race time, attendees left their tables and gathered around the large-screen TVs to watch Medina Spirit capture the title. Lucky raffle winners nabbed a $2,500 gift item from IW Marks.

Chairs of the event, which raised $280,000, were Alissa and Kevin Maples, Millette and Haag Sherman, and Christie and Mark Sullivan. Meanwhile, Paige Fertitta, Megan and Luke Hotze, Hannah and Cal McNair, Hallie Vanderhider, and Kelli and John Weinzierl served as honorary co-chairs.

President of the Bo’s Place board of directors, Lauren Gray, shared a poignant story of how much Bo’s Place has meant to her family, and also reinforced the importance of the organization’s programs that help those who have experienced the grief and loss of a loved one.

Who: Debbie Gregg, Fady Armanious and Bill Baldwin, Stacey and Al Lindseth, Jade and David Shine, Beth Wolff, Travis Torrence, Cicely Reid, Maria and Neil Bush, Julia and Harvin Lawhon, Tonja De Sloover and Adam Hricik, Tina and Dan Silvestri, Jenny Abbott, Sarah and Duncan Underwood, Elia Gabbanelli, Cynthia Wolff, Rosyln Bazelle, Jo Ann Petersen, Carolyn Faulk, Jennifer and Chad Pinkerton, Claudine and David Hartland, Dee Dee Howes, Dawn Kreig, Kirsten and Roger Herrscher, Mignon Gill, Christina and Matt Altenau, Carol Lee and Allen Lyons, Paige Fertitta, Hallie Vanderhider, Kelli and John Weinzierl, and Maidie Ryan.

Fady Armanious, Hallie Vanderhider, and Bill Baldwin.

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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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