Houston Ballet Helper

Crazy holiday loot: Nutcracker Market racks up $17.78 million in sales in amatter of days

Houston Ballet Nutcracker chairs Rachel Regan, left, and Patti Murphy flank theballet's executive director Jim Nelson led the way to another record year.
Photo by © Gary Fountain
Even with a lower attendance, the ladies shopped more fervently than everbefore.
Photo by © Michelle Watson/CultureMapSNAP.com

The Houston Ballet Guild and the powers that be at Houston Ballet are kicking up their heels at the results of last week's Nutcracker Market that filled Reliant Center with more enticing goodies than even Santa could imagine.

Once again, more Christmas wreaths, travel jewelry, trinkets and toys exited in shopping bags than the previous year. Houston Ballet director of individual giving and special events Patsy Chapman reports that merchant sales for 2012 were $17,789,000 — more than $1.4 million above last year, an 8.6 percent increase.

Merchant sales for 2012 were $17,789,000 — more than $1.4 million above last year, an 8.6 percent increase.

Of course, the merchants keep the lion's share of those millions and Reliant has to be paid, but significant proceeds remain for Houston Ballet coffers with funds going to Houston Ballet Foundation as well as to the ballet's Ben Stevenson Academy and its scholarship funds.

That mega number was reached even with a lower attendance than in 2011. Last week, the turnstiles clicked 104,836 entries, about 4,000 less than last year. That drop is attributed to the fact that last year's market fell on Veteran's Day, a holiday for many which meant a work-free shopping day.

Applause, applause for the 1,000 volunteers who work all year long to make the market happen and overall market chairs Rachel Regan and Patti Murphy; preview party chairs Katrina Arnim, Gabriela Dror, Caroline Kenney, Pattie Dale Tye and Susan Vick; Saks Fifth Avenue luncheon chairs Anne Carl, Kimberly DeLape, Kim Moody and Alicia Smith; and Macy's brunch chairs Rosemary Schatzman and Michelle Smith.

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raising glasses

Wine and dine raises spirits for Houston's Catholic Charities

Catholic Charities wine and dine fundraiser 2024

Photo by Johnny Than

Alicia Reggie Freysinger, His Eminence Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, Catholic Charities President Cynthia Nunes Colbert.

An evening of fine dining and philanthropy unfolded at The Revaire for the 2024 Wine and Dine Dinner, benefitting Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston on November 16. With wine glasses in hand and wallets wide open, the stylish and pious savored a night dedicated to lifting up the most vulnerable in the community.

Co-chairs Mikki Hebl and David E. Harvey, Jr., alongside Kerri and Downey Bridgwater, welcomed the crowd, which included His Eminence Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, who blessed the meal. The highlight? A four-course feast by master sommelier Brandon Kerne and chef Ryan Bouillet, paired with wines selected to enhance each bite.

An interactive twist with the secret sip challenge surely added a playful element. Attendees worked together to identify the mystery wine — a 2015 Merite Cabernet Sauvignon from Australia’s Wrattonbully region.

But the night wasn’t just about indulgence. The live auction, emceed by Johnny Bravo, and a moving “fund a need” segment inspired oenophiles to dig deep for Catholic Charities’ programs. Last year, the organization served people in need 358,000 times across Harris, Fort Bend, and Galveston counties, providing essentials like food, housing assistance, and legal aid for immigrants.

Generous support came from sponsors like the Hildebrand Foundation, Congregation of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word, and Cuenod Families.

Wining and dining were Alicia Reggie Freysinger, Cynthia Nunes Colbert, Penny and Paul Layne, Monit Cheung and Patrick Leung, Ashley and Doug Plaeger, Sandi and Jim Lemming, Carol and Paul Beck, Louise and Bob Parsley, Avalyn Langemeier, Suzanne Werner, Amie Springmeyer, Lori Hessel, Ginger Niemann, Peggy Idstein, Karina and Mark Amelang,and Ellen and Jim Ginty.

Photo by Johnny Than

Alicia Reggie Freysinger, His Eminence Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, Catholic Charities President Cynthia Nunes Colbert.

catholic charities of the archdiocese of galveston-houston fundraisers

Houston Ballet Helper

Crazy holiday loot: Nutcracker Market racks up $17.78 million in sales in amatter of days

raising glasses

Wine and dine raises spirits for Houston's Catholic Charities

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