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.

unspecified

Raising the Barre

Chris Shepherd honored as Houston Ballet wows diners at annual dinner

Photo by Annie Mulligan

Rench Soriano, Alyssa Springer, Marianne Geagea, Lenni Burke, Sayako Toku, and Saul Newport.

A dozen diners once gathered around chef Chris Shepherd at Catalan on Washington for what felt like a charming experiment. Fast-forward to April 26, and Houston Ballet’s Raising the Barre arrived at Navy Blue in full bloom, now one of the city’s most coveted culinary tickets.

Photo by Annie Mulligan

Rench Soriano, Alyssa Springer, Marianne Geagea, Lenni Burke, Sayako Toku, and Saul Newport.

The sort of invitation where, once the next date is announced, seasoned regulars simply buy first and ask questions later.

More than 150 guests in cheerful spring attire filled the chic Rice Village eatery for the annual fête benefiting Houston Ballet. Co-chaired by Lenni and Bill Burke and Marianne and Joe Geagea, the evening honored Shepherd for his longstanding partnership with the ballet and years of helping this delicious institution pirouette forward. In a sentimental gesture, Shepherd held a photo from that very first gathering.

Because some of the best traditions begin modestly, then grow legs. Preferably in heels.

The now-signature format paired top chefs with Houston Ballet dancers to create a four-course dinner inspired by heritage, hometowns, and personal taste. Opening the menu, Chef Chris Williams teamed with Demi Soloist Rench Soriano for lumpia with talong-style black-eyed pea relish and house-made sweet and sour sauce, a tribute to Soriano’s Filipino roots and his father.

Chef Seth Siegel-Gardner with Soloist Sayako Toku, serving takoyaki arancini with roasted bone marrow — playful, rich, and rooted in Toku’s Japanese background. Chef Aaron Bludorn and Soloist Alyssa Springer delivered a surf and turf inspired by their shared West Coast ties. Dessert landed with a sweet wink courtesy of pastry chef Jared Adams, representing Rebecca Masson, paired with Corps de Ballet member Saul Newport. Their New Zealand-inspired Hokey Pokey Sundae was vanilla bean ice cream heaven with house-made honeycomb and honey caramel.

The event raised more than $100,000 in support of Houston Ballet’s performances, artistic excellence, and education initiatives. While Shepherd’s wife, Lindsey Brown, one of the original architects of the event’s concept, couldn’t be there in person, a few of us managed to say hello via FaceTime.

CultureMap seen were Sonja Kostich, Julie Kent, Kristy and Chris Bradshaw, Leigh and Reggie Smith, Susan Binney, Michelle Jeffery, C.C. Conner, Jo Furr, Terry Wayne Jones, Jane DiPaolo, Marguerite Swartz, Mary Sage, Mitchell George and Stanley Curtis, Jr., Victoria Gutierrez and Nick Pierce, Beth Muecke, Kristen Cannon, Dannika Simpson, Shawn Stephens and Jim Jordan, Ileana and Michael Treviño, Allison and Troy Thacker, Christine and David Underwood, Zoe Cadore, Gina Bahr and Anthony Bahr, Sasha Davis and Geoffry Oshman, and Akemi Saitoh.

fundraisers galas houston ballet anderson