Shelby's Social Diary
Far more than kid's play, Children's Museum's 30th anniversary gala brings inrecord dollars
Photo by Gary Fountain
Photo by Gary Fountain
Photo by Gary Fountain
Photo by Gary Fountain
Photo by Gary Fountain
Photo by Gary Fountain
Photo by Gary Fountain
Photo by Gary Fountain
Photo by Gary Fountain
Photo by Gary Fountain
Photo by Gary Fountain
What better birthday present for the Children's Museum of Houston, which turns 30 this year, than a record-setting gala. More than 500 of the city's philanthropic leaders turned out Saturday night for the black-tie evening that raised an unprecedented $1.2 million for museum coffers.
The applause are still being heard for mother-daughter gala chairs Kathryn Rabinow and Sarah Rabinow Pesikoff, who took this event well beyond the initial goal of $800,000. It was a heartfelt affection for the museum that led this duo on the successful mission. Both have been deeply involved in the museum which launched at the University of Houston, then moved to Allen Parkway and finally to the Robert Venturi-designed building in the Museum District.
"The Birthday Ball" was held in that newly-expanded museum where guests celebrated three decades of serving the city's children with educational and cultural exhibits and programs.
It was very much a family affair with the tone set by Rabinow and her husband, Richard, and Pesikoff and her husband, David, and the Rabinow's daughter and son-in-law Rebecca and Matthew Ringel.
The multi-generational families attending included Bobbi Samuels with Marci Rosenberg and Ben Samuels; Nancy Allen with her sons, Randy and Eddie, and their wives, Laurie and Chinhui, respectively; Anne Lamkin Kinder wtih Kara and Aaron Howes; Gloria Gaston with Gina Gaston Elie; Clayton and Shel Erikson with Farley and Steve Erikson; and Franci Crane with Krystal and Garret Thompson.
