Shelby About Town

A windfall for Elves, a Hotel Granduca lunch and a birthday fiesta make theparty mix

Elves & More executive director Rebecca Roberts and founder David Moore were thebig winners at the Humana Communities Benefit dinner.
Photo by Daniel Ortiz
Philamena Baird, from left, Beth Madison and Mary Grace Gray lunched at HotelGranduca.
Women of Distinction honorees included Lavonne Cox, from left, Susan Boggio,Pattie Dale Tye and Jacqueline Chaumette.

You simply can't wipe the smiles from the faces of the folks at Elves & More. They just received the $100,000 Humana Communities Benefit — Houston grant, presented in a dinner program at Hotel ZaZa. That windfall surprise will help the non-profit expand its free bicycle program for at-risk youngsters.

Each year, Humana Inc. invites applications for the annual grant and a committee of community leaders selects one among the non-profits for the special recognition. Three finalists are named and invited to the presentation event where the winner is revealed. Runners-up this year were HOPE Clinic and Recipe for Success, both of which received contributions from Humana.

Close to 150 guests joined the festivities that were overseen by Pattie Dale Tye, Humana-Houston market president. Taking bows for Elves & More were executive director Rebecca Roberts and founder and president David Moore. Representing HOPE Clinic was Dr. Andrea Caracostis. Recipe for Success founder Gracie Cavnar represented her organization.

Among those joining the dinner evening were Philamena and Arthur Baird, Leisa Holland-Nelson, Clare Sullivan Jackson, Carol and Dr. Tom Sawyer, Ellie Francisco and Susan McEldoon.

Lunching ladies

It was quite a fashionable group that sat down for lunch in Ristorante Cavour at Hotel Granduca the other day. And well it should have been with the stylish hotel GM Mary Grace Gray and Saks Fifth Avenue GM Terry Zmyslo and fashion director Sylvia Forsythe hosting.

The midday fete honored the ABC/Channel 13 Women of Distinction, who will be presented at the Winter Ball in January. Champagne toasts were made to the honorees Susan Boggio, Jacquie Chaumette, Lavonne Cox, Beth Madison, Judy Nyquist, Lisa Richardson, Kristi Schiller, Shawn Stephens, Pattie Dale Tye and WOD Ambassador Philamena Baird. (Honoree Laura Ward was vacationing in Pebble Beach and unable to be there.)

Winter Ball chairs Jan Carson and Virginia Reisman joined the party as did Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America director Charlie Weiss. CCFA benefits from the evening.

Throw-down b'day

It might have been a last-minute e-mail invitation that went out to dozens of Scotty Arnoldy's friends earlier this week, but the turnout was a River Oaks house full in celebration of his birthday. Jana Arnoldy thought she would just have a tiny group over for her husband's party, but that was no fun. So, in true Arnoldy the-more-the-merrier tradition, they expanded the guest list, ordered a feast from Pico's and called it a pop up fiesta.

First in the door were the birthday boy's sister and husband, Susan and Dick Hansen, followed closely by the Arnoldys' neighbor Lynn Wyatt , who stayed only long enough for a few greetings, as she was back home to have dinner with Oscar. The partying throng included Pam and Dr. David Ott, Vicki West, Rosanna Blalock, Alice and Keith Mosing, Marilyn and George DeMontrond, Jan Carson and Tim Connolly and loads more.

A legacy of good works

The philanthropic and charitable activities of Frank Campisi and Macy's George Burch were celebrated in the Grand Foyer of Wortham Theater Center at the eighth annual Legacy Community Health Services awards luncheon. Debbie Festari and Martha Turner chaired and Channel 2 news anchor Jerome Gray served as emcee. City Councilwoman Sue Lovell declared it an official Houston day for both of the honorees and presented proclamations to that effect.

Among the 400 guests applauding Campisi and Burch were Legacy executive director Katy Caldwell, Harris County Commissioner Sylvia Garcia, Rudy Festari, Bob Jones, Becca Cason Thrash, Monsour Taghdisi, Bob Devlin, Jeff Smith, Joyce Echols, Phoebe Tudor, Dr. Roland Maldonado, Clifford Pugh, Claire Cormier Thielke, Barry Mandel and Ceron.

Sight 'ems

Elizabeth and Gary Petersen dining at Tony's with Laura Codman and John Terwilliger . . .

Bill Wright, Arthur Seeligson, Laura Sweeney, Vesta Frommer and Sheridan Williams lunching at various tables in Ibiza.

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Country Charm

Country star Mark Chesnutt boots up big fun for Houston nonprofit's bash

Photo by Daniel Ortiz

Kat Pressly, Chelsea Collmer, and Julia Morales.

The boots were polished, the bourbon was flowing, and the dance floor stayed packed as more than 250 guests gathered at The Ballroom at Bayou Place for the Eighth Annual Kick Up Your Boots for Kids benefiting Dec My Room.

Photo by Daniel Ortiz

Kat Pressly, Chelsea Collmer, and Julia Morales.

The bash, chaired by Chelsea Collmer, welcomed Country star Mark Chesnutt‘s twang and toe-tapping energy. He performed a lively set that had even the most reserved guests two-stepping their way across the room. Founders Kendall Plank and Susan Plank joined the crowd in celebrating the night’s success, their smiles as bright as the rhinestones scattered throughout the ballroom.

Since its founding in 2007, Dec My Room volunteers have transformed more than 10,000 hospital rooms across 180 hospitals nationwide. The effort continues to grow, with requests up 30 percent this year alone. The organization’s impact has reached celebrity supporters too. Even Taylor Swift made a surprise visit to a Dec My Room setup in Tampa earlier this year.

The evening’s emcee and auctioneer David Ackel kept guests entertained with fast-paced bidding and lighthearted banter. Western chic ruled the dress code — think suede, sequins, and plenty of cowboy hats — while guests cooled off with cocktails from two ice bars.

Community Honorees Aimee and Wynne Snoots and Corporate Honorees Jen and Matt Brice of Federal American Grill were recognized for their ongoing generosity. The live auction drew some of the night’s biggest cheers, with top items including rare Pappy Van Winkle bourbon, a private three-day management hunt at Sycamore Springs Ranch with Kendall Plank, and a once-in-a-lifetime chance to throw the first pitch at a 2026 Astros game.

The celebration wrapped with tequila tastings from Loco Tequila and hand-rolled cigars courtesy of The Plank Companies, as longtime supporter Mike Plank looked on proudly from his front-row seat.

The event raised a record-breaking $400,000 to support the nonprofit’s mission of brightening hospital stays for pediatric and young adult patients.

All decked out were Stacey and Al Lindseth, Carley and Mike Stasney, Kat and Ryan Pressly, Laura Moore and Don Sanders, Laurie and Bret Sanders, Courtney and Zac Harmon, Gaye Lynn and Stuart Zarrow, Jody Merritt, Donna Lewis, Natalie and Shaun Hodge, Nina and Clint Rand, Tracy and Landon Ehlinger, Noelle and Ryan Strickland, Patrice and Robert Allinger, Lindsey Love, Brittany Tribble, Kory and Geoff Blum, George Foreman IV, Gina and Devinder Bhatia, Tom Butler, Ali and Haydeh Davoudi, Tammy and Stuart Spence, Grace and Steven Ward, Beth Rivera, Kiki Wilson, Jennifer Cope, and Brittany Tribble.

fundraisers dec my room