It's an exaggeration, of course, but it just feels like there are more kickoffs in this city in the month of October than there are in the entire NFL season. No one can have a benefit, it seems, without raising the flag well in advance. Thus, the "kickoff" party.

Most recently there was the Houston Symphony Ball launch lunch at Tony's. And Tuesday night the American Heart Association waved its colors with a sophisticated cocktail soirée in the swank River Oaks home of Kim and Dan Tutcher, chairs of the Feb. 5 Heart Ball.

You can't beat a really beautiful home and popular couple for raising interest, drawing a crowd and providing an audience for the early cheerleading. Dan Tutcher was the host with the most welcoming guests and encouraging potential underwriters by announcing the $1.5 million goal.

Joining the Heart Ball bandwagon were Clayton and Shel Erikson, Laurie Morian, Dr. Larry Kaiser, Susan Hansen, Peggy and Bill Barnett, Beth Madison, Mary Ann McKeithan, Jim Postl, Roxann Neumann, Philamena and Arthur Baird and Bobbie Nau (already tapped with husband John Nau to chair the 2012 Heart Ball).

The previous week saw kickoff parties for the Children's Museum anniversary gala, the Houston Ballet Ball, the Houston Grand Opera ball and the Celebrity Paws gala. Trees of Hope gala organizers and Humane Society gala chairs have their launch parties on tap this week.

 Celebrity Paws push

 Citizens for Animal Protection gatherings are always swell events in no small part because of the pooches and kitties that often accompany the partygoers. The recent kickoff party at Tootsies was no exception as a handful of four-legged critters joined the two-legged party animals.

Gala chairs Julie Brown and Patti Murphy, who have some big fun planned for the Nov. 20 event, joined the fashionable group that included those whose pets are vying for Celebrity Pet of the Year title. Among them were Donna Bruni, Jared Lang, Edward Sanchez and Lindsey Love.

Animal pals in the mix included Susan Boggio, Kappy Muenzer, Lauren Nolasco, Trisha Royal, Rachel and Tom Regan, Nancy Golden and Mary Jane Zummo.

 Ballet Ball kickoff

 Beth and Bryan Muecke rolled out the red carpet at Festari in BLVD Place for Houston Ballet fans who turned out more than 100 strong for the evening of socializing and enjoying light bites from RDG while sipping all manner of libations including The Festari, a grapefruit-flavored cocktail made with Belvedere Vodka.

Chairs of the Feb. 19 "Designed to Dance" gala Jo and Jim Furr were in the mix as was Rose Cullen who will be honored along with her husband, Harry Cullen. Retailers Debbie and Rudy Festari laid on the hospitality in their menswear boutique and donated 15 percent of all sales generated that night to the Ballet.

In the Festari gathering were underwriter chairs Ginni and Richard Mithoff, Diane and Phil Bazelides, Karen Payne, Diane Lokey Farb and Melza and Ted Barr.