Shelby's Social Diary

Deepak Chopra inspires at the Galleria and more than $600,000 pours in to helpstarving kids

Photo by Kim Coffman
Photo by Kim Coffman
Photo by Kim Coffman
Photo by Kim Coffman
Photo by Kim Coffman
Photo by Kim Coffman
Photo by Kim Coffman
Photo by Kim Coffman
Photo by Kim Coffman
Photo by Kim Coffman
Photo by Kim Coffman

With the words of physician and author Deepak Chopra filling the Westin Galleria Hotel ballroom with inspiration, the Akshaya Patra Foundation's second major fundraising push in Houston resulted in more than $600,000 for the starving children of India. Chopra is a member of the foundation's advisory board.

The foundation provides midday meals for 1.4 million children in more than 9,000 schools. The meals not only serve to nourish youngsters but also to encourage them to attend school, resulting in increased enrollment throughout participating schools. The hope is to replicate the program globally.

Applause, applause for chairs Philamena and Arthur Baird, Anuradha and Mani Subramanian, Nidhika and Pershant Mehta and Leena and Ash Shah and honorary chair Harris County Judge Ed Emmett. Their fundraising efforts were multiplied when at the end of the evening, it was announced that Leena and Ash Shah were making a legacy endowment of $1 million for the foundation.

Among those casting their vote in favor of this educational effort that fights hunger were Amit and Arpita Bhandari, Nidhi and Mukesh Turakhia, Nita and Neil Jolly, Jaleh and Bruce Sallee, Yasmine Haddad, Gabriela Dror, Mehrnaz Gill, Sudha and Ravi Mani, Dr. Vis and Priya Balakrishnan, Peggy and Avinash Ahuja and Divya and Chris Brown.

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Star-studded night

Rivalry and revenge shine at Houston Grand Opera’s grand opening gala

Houston’s cultural elite hit a high note as the Houston Grand Opera orchestrated its much-anticipated 2024–25 season curtain raiser with Verdi’s vengeful Il trovatore. The black-tie gala on October 18 struck a fabulous chord at Wortham Theater Center, ending with a tented soirée on Fish Plaza where opera aficionados and stars mingled.

Under the baton of event chairs Janet Gurwitch and Ron Franklin, opening night ushered 425 attendees, including a chorus of visitors from beyond Houston’s borders, proving the presenter’s global reach.

Under the vision of Stephen Wadsworth, this avant-garde Il trovatore transposed the audience to a pulsating modern Spain, where architecture conversed with vibrant street art. The gritty, almost rock-and-roll sets swept the crowd into the tumultuous love triad that is the heart of Verdi’s opus.

The Events Company set a festive milieu that danced between old-world elegance and modern flair while City Kitchen Catering served a menu that hit all the right notes: a refreshing beet salad with frisée, tender boneless beef short ribs, and a decadent dark chocolate torte.

General director and CEO Khori Dastoor composed a tribute to artistic and music director Patrick Summers to celebrate his transition to Music Director Emeritus in 2026. Honoring board chair Claire Liu, recently lauded by Opera America, Dastoor highlighted her leadership and dedication, a true maestro behind Houston’s operatic ensemble. The event raised $612,000 to amplify HGO’s mission of enriching Houston’s diverse symphony through the timeless art of opera.

Margaret Alkek Williams, Jack Bell, Molly and Jim Crownover, Isabel and Danny David, Tracy and Valerie Dieterich, Warren and Rachel Ellsworth, Liz Grimm and Jack Roth, Jake Heggie, Michelle and Frank Hevrdejs, Elizabeth and Richard Husseini, Teresa and José Ivo, Carey Kirkpatrick, Elizabeth and Bill Kroger, Joe Greenberg, Indira and Jason Mills, Franci Neely, Duyen and Marc Nguyen, Cynthia and Tony Petrello, Kelly and David Rose, Lindy and John Rydman, Monica Karuturi and Kumaran Sathyamoorthy, Diana Skerl and Michael Karakasians, Dian and Harlan Stai, Sylvia Barnes and Jim Trimble, Phoebe and Bobby Tudor, Betty and Jesse Tutor, Hallie Vanderhider,and Ellen and Bob Vladem

Photo by Michelle Watson

Lady Stephanie Kimbrell, and Cory McGee with Butler Studio artists, Ani Kushyan, Alissa Goretsky, and Elizabeth Hanje.

fundraisers gala houston grand opera