Holiday Shopping Card

After Jose Altuve joined Holiday Shopping Card kickoff, the Astros' fortunes changed

Maybe the Holiday Shopping Card brought the Houston Astros good luck. After losing three straight games to the New York Yankees in the ALCS, the Astros headed home and star second baseman Jose Altuve headed to Highland Village Thursday where a kickoff party to tout the shopping card that benefits the American Cancer Society was going on.

And suddenly the team's fortunes changed as they swept the Yankees in the final two games to advance to the World Series on Tuesday against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Altuve, who happened to be picking up dinner at Escalantes in the shopping center when he noticed the event, joined Grammy-nominated singer Mary Griffin, American Idol alum Vincent Power, the Texans cheerleaders and mascot, Toro the Bull, Miss Teen Houston Yasmine Moussa, and Miss Houston Hannah Johannes to celebrate the launch with live music and a fireworks show.

Singer Bubba McNeely entertained the audience from a stage in the parking lot near the JCrew store while whimsical costumed characters and aerialists from J&D Entertainment kept guests in the holiday spirit. KPRC anchor Andy Cerota welcomed the crowd, who had the opportunity to do some shopping at stores who honor the Holiday Shopping Card.

With the card, shoppers can receive a 20 percent discount at more than 500 participating retailers between now and October 29. The card can be purchased for $75 online at www.holidayshoppingcard.org or at participating area merchants.

Victory, a volunteer fundraising branch of the American Cancer Society, has raised more than $15 million through the sale of the card over the last two decades.

Seen in the crowd were Bobby and Weezy Dees, Angel Rios and Richard Flowers, Brian Teichman and Andrew Cordes, Brad and Diana Wander, EJ Farhood, Don Langston, Hannah McNair, Raquel Lewis, Katherine Pulse, Sharon Hawkins, and Chris and Laurie DeClaire, with sons Patrick and Trent.

Brad Wander, Diana Wander, Jose Altuve, Brian Teichman, Andrew Cordes.

Priscilla Dickson Photography

Brad Wander, Diana Wander, Jose Altuve, Brian Teichman, Andrew Cordes.

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Party Watch

Contemporary Western art shines at Galveston museum fundraiser

Photo by Jacob McCready

Ryan Horton, Meredith Peebles, Taylor Crowder, Kara Przybyl McIver, and David McIver.

What: Art Untamed, A Night of Contemporary Western Art

Photo by Jacob McCready

Ryan Horton, Meredith Peebles, Taylor Crowder, Kara Przybyl McIver, and David McIver.

Where: The Lancaster Hotel

The Scoop: With cowboy boots traded for cocktail attire, more than 115 artists and art lovers moseyed into downtown for Art Untamed, an evening that lassoed the spirit of the West with a modern twist.

Now in its fourth year, the fundraiser benefiting The Bryan Museum was steered by a dedicated committee including Christine Glover, Linda and Bill Reeves, and Guylene and Jay Lendrum. The event spotlighted 32 Southwestern artists featured in the Visions of the West exhibit.

Guests sipped and mingled during cocktail hour, sizing up 73 pieces ranging from luminous landscapes to storytelling textiles. The live auction, led by crowd-favorite auctioneer Randolph Holford, delivered a flurry of paddles in the air, especially for Bob Stuth-Wade’s radiant Santiago Peak from Chalk Draw, Nathaniel Garza’s moody Three Reasons, and Echo Ukrainetz’s intricate batik honoring cowgirl trailblazer Lucy Mulhall.

The weekend kicked off at The Lancaster Hotel, where partner Jay Shinn hosted artists and VIPs at a reception in the historic property set to celebrate its centennial next year. During the festivities, museum founder JP Bryan captured the mood best.

“A collection is an expression of a soul; it speaks to where our heart is,” he said. “That is why the museum was founded, to share the important story of Texas and the American West through a world-class collection, outstanding exhibitions, and educational programming.”

The evening raised nearly $100,000 to support educational programming and outreach at The Bryan Museum.

Who: Lori Leal Wedemeyer and Barkley Wedemeyer, Sassy Stanton, Bill Pinckard, Mike Glover, Shara Fryer, Barry Silverman, Frank Rynd, Deborah and Monte Stavis, Kelly and Luis Zúñiga, Kara Przybyl McIver and David McIver, Dianne Reynolds, Stephanie and Brent Kindle, Penny and Townes Pressler, Linda and Jerry Dickson, Bob Leibrock, Paulina Padilla, Nocona Burgess, Vickie McMillan-Hayes, Ricardo Robles, and Bob Stuth-Wade.

museums fundraisers bryan museum visual-art