Shelby's Social Diary

A swank River Oaks party home makes this carnival kickoff as spectacular as the gala

As chair of the kickoff for the Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital "Under the Boardwalk" gala, Christine Falgout had an ace in the hole — her parents' swank River Oaks home designed with spectacular festivities in mind.

So when Christine asked, Jo Lynn and Gregg Falgout happily opened their mansion — as grand a setting as that of any gala — to hospital supporters. Beyond admiring the surroundings, Memorial Hermann patrons were entertained by a coterie of jugglers, stilt walkers and clowns. Michael Flores Music provided the live tunes and Tony's restaurant served an enticing array of sophisticated "boardwalk" fare. The carnie style bites included gourmet hot dogs and sliders, mini popcorn balls, cake pops and more.

The coup for this event was the presence of three Memorial Herman CEOs beginning with Memorial Hermann Healthcare System CEO Dan Wolterman and including Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital CEO Susie Distefano and Memorial Hermann Foundation CEO Ileana Trevino. Add UT Health president Giuseppe Colasurdo and you get a sense of the powerful assembly.

Center front on this evening were Fred Zeidman and son Jay Zeidman, chairs of the Nov. 9 "Under the Boardwalk" fundraiser that will be held at the Bayou City Event Center.

Joining the indoor/outdoor party scene were Alice and Keith Mosing, Dr. Yvonne and Rufus Cormier, Nancy and Conor McEvily, Caroline Kenney, Shirley and Jim Dannenbaum, Elizabeth and Alexander Dwyer, Alina and Roberto Garcia, Casey and Will Hedges and Shannon Janek.

Ileana Treviño, left, and Alina Garcia at The Memorial Hermann at the Under the Boardwalk kickoff party.

$Ileana Trevi\u00f1o, left, and Alina Garcia at The Memorial Hermann at the Under the Boardwalk kickoff party$

Photo by © Chinh Phan CatchLightGroup.com

Ileana Treviño, left, and Alina Garcia at The Memorial Hermann at the Under the Boardwalk kickoff party.

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Stories of Strength

Lights of love shine during Houston cancer charity’s emotional gathering

Photo by Daniel Ortiz

Darcie Wells, Meredith Beaupre, and Nick Adam.

There wasn’t a dry eye or an empty seat in the house as 400 guests filled River Oaks Country Club for CanCare’s annual Hope Survivorship Luncheon. The gathering, chaired by Michele Leal Farah and Tony Bradfield, raised more than $350,000 to fuel CanCare’s mission of providing peer support to those facing cancer.

In a show of community continuity, six years of former luncheon chairs joined in celebration, including Donna and Norman Lewis, Jordan Seff, Kelley Lubanko, Stephanie Tsuru, honorary chair Frank Tsuru, Phoebe and Bobby Tudor, and 2026 luncheon chair Kristy Bradshaw.

Emceed by longtime supporter Lisa Malosky, the program introduced CanCare’s newest literary endeavor — Hope in the Face of Cancer — a moving collection of stories from survivors, caregivers, and healthcare professionals. President and CEO Darcie Wells framed the book as both inspiration and action, echoing the nonprofit’s mission to pair cancer patients and caregivers with trained survivors.

Generosity flowed early, with Giving Tree gift cards snatched up before lunch began and a glittering raffle sponsored by Tenenbaum Jewelers offering winners the pick of dazzling jewelry or coveted Astros Diamond Club seats.

This year’s honorees reflected the many sides of the cancer fight. Corporate Honoree JP Morgan Chase was represented by Nick Adam and Meredith Beaupre, who spoke to the bank’s commitment to local impact. Healthcare Honoree Dr. Katy Rezvani, a pioneering force at MD Anderson Cancer Center, also delivered the keynote address, sharing breakthroughs from her work as vice president of the Cell Therapy Institute. Community Honorees, the Mir Family, embodied resilience with Marisa Mir, Beckie Mir, Marcie Mir, Gasper Mir III, and Gasper Mir IV all recognized for their shared journey.

The emotional centerpiece of the afternoon was the candle lighting ceremony, which filled the room with flickering flames held high in memory of loved ones. Keith Saathoff followed with a powerful testimonial, and nearly every attendee gave in the appeal that followed.

Part of the luminous gathering were Brigitte Kalai, Alicia Smith, Jordan Seff, Vanessa Ames, Megan Vondra, Fady Armanious, Titus Harris, Kristen Cannon, Leigh Smith, Whitney Kuhn Lawson, Vicki Luna, Anne Neeson, Ileana and Michael Trevino, Cyndy Garza Roberts, Hallie Vanderhider and Bobby Dees, Jennifer Allison, Lesha Elsenbrook, Denise Monteleone, Katie Tsuru, Cathy Brock, Creighton Edwards, Christy Lynn, Michael Fife, John Nau, Martiza Gonzales, and Heidi Rockcharlie.

Photo by Daniel Ortiz

Darcie Wells, Meredith Beaupre, and Nick Adam.

cancare fundraisers