"Oh what a night!" Even Houston Children's Charity executive director Laura Ward couldn't have said it better than Frankie Valli sang it in the ballroom of the Hyatt Regency Saturday evening. With a generous outpouring of funds from loyal supporters, the annual gala netted HCC an astounding $1 million.

Applause, applause for gala chairs Amber and Steve Mostyn and for underwriter chairs Phoebe and Bobby Tudor and Sheridan and John Eddie Williams, the latter of whom made a surprise donation of $100,000 in honor of the Mostyns. That windfall sent Laura Ward into tears and caused Houston Children's Charity board chair Tilman Fertitta to cheer.

Fertitta, the Mostyns, the Williamses, gala honorees Soraya and Scott McClelland and Sue and Lester Smith helped take the proceeds over the top with their $50,000 table purchases, a first for HCC. The McClellands were honored for their community leadership and philanthropy and for his stewardship of H-E-B of which he is Houston president.

Also adding to the coffers was the live auction that featured for the fourth year in a row a BMW (this year a BMW 650i convertible), donated outright by Momentum BMW Southwest & West. Neither Fertitta nor Ward could offer enough praise to Monty Meave and Maria Moncada Alaoui, who have facilitated the generous donation which places the firm as gala presenter. Add the fabulous pearl and gemstone necklace donated by Franco Valobra, the beautiful fur coat from Sakowitz Furs and the various trips that all contributed to the big ka-ching.

The dance floor was packed for every moment of the 75-minute show that had Valli and his hunky backup group of handsome young men (standing for the original Four Seasons) singing all the goldie oldie favorites.

Swaying to the great sounds were former Mayor Bill White, Andrea White, Licia Green-Ellis and State Sen. Rodney Ellis, Carol and Mike Linn, Karen and Mike Mayell, Mickey Rosmarin, Rosemary and Matt Schatzman, Terry Rambin, Grant Gutherie, Cathy and Jesse Marion, Karen and Byron Hood, Jane and Dean Gladden, Cyndy Garza, Dancie Perugini Ware, Regina Rogers and astronaut Mike Kelly.