Mixers on the Map
Powerhouse do-gooding Young Professionals groups collide in Midtown hot spot
Photo by Chinh Phan
Photo by Chinh Phan
Photo by Chinh Phan
Photo by Chinh Phan
Photo by Chinh Phan
Photo by Chinh Phan
Photo by Chinh Phan
Photo by Chinh Phan
Photo by Chinh Phan
Photo by Chinh Phan
Photo by Chinh Phan
Photo by Chinh Phan
Everywhere you turn around, there's another young professionals group popping up in support of a cause or charity, such that the social calendar of these accomplished twenty and thirtysomethings is jammed packed with mixers, fundraisers and see-and-be-seen gatherings.
Though Thursday night's calendar was no exception, it didn't take long for the amicable conversation between Young Texans Against Cancer (YTAC), Young Professionals in Energy (YPE) and friends to reach high decibel levels at the new BlackFinn American Grille.
Blame that on the Bacardi Dragon Berry & Lemonade and hand-shaken daiquiris flowing from the bar out to the patio, alongside pulled pork sandwiches, shiitake mushroom pizza and Ying Yang shrimp nibbles.
The holiday meet-and-greet is now a tradition between the two powerhouse good-doing troupes.
This year "Christmas Cocktails" raised funds for Candlelighters' Adopt a Family program, an initiative that spreads holiday smiles to families whose season may not be as jolly because they're coping with a child with cancer or have recently lost a child to the disease.
The affair attracted new personages to the scene, including Manuel Martinez, who just moved to Houston from Southern California, and members of M.D. Anderson's Cancer180, a supporters group for young adults affected by cancer.
Toasting to the holiday season were Kevin Moody, Noah Taylor, Courtney Hurst, Stephanie Fruge, Mark Donaldson, Tom Broughton, James Sivco, Sara Jackson, Rachel Earnheart, Josh Davis, Jhonathan Shaikh, Aliki Thanos, Carolina Gonzalez, Marisa Rivera Mir, Gasper Mir, Victor Ayala, Jamie Honeycutt, Holly Reich David Sawyer, Cynthia Millerand Katherine Ross.
