There wasn’t a dry eye or an empty seat in the house as 400 guests filled River Oaks Country Club for CanCare’s annual Hope Survivorship Luncheon. The gathering, chaired by Michele Leal Farah and Tony Bradfield, raised more than $350,000 to fuel CanCare’s mission of providing peer support to those facing cancer.
In a show of community continuity, six years of former luncheon chairs joined in celebration, including Donna and Norman Lewis, Jordan Seff, Kelley Lubanko, Stephanie Tsuru, honorary chair Frank Tsuru, Phoebe and Bobby Tudor, and 2026 luncheon chair Kristy Bradshaw.
Emceed by longtime supporter Lisa Malosky, the program introduced CanCare’s newest literary endeavor — Hope in the Face of Cancer — a moving collection of stories from survivors, caregivers, and healthcare professionals. President and CEO Darcie Wells framed the book as both inspiration and action, echoing the nonprofit’s mission to pair cancer patients and caregivers with trained survivors.
Generosity flowed early, with Giving Tree gift cards snatched up before lunch began and a glittering raffle sponsored by Tenenbaum Jewelers offering winners the pick of dazzling jewelry or coveted Astros Diamond Club seats.
This year’s honorees reflected the many sides of the cancer fight. Corporate Honoree JP Morgan Chase was represented by Nick Adam and Meredith Beaupre, who spoke to the bank’s commitment to local impact. Healthcare Honoree Dr. Katy Rezvani, a pioneering force at MD Anderson Cancer Center, also delivered the keynote address, sharing breakthroughs from her work as vice president of the Cell Therapy Institute. Community Honorees, the Mir Family, embodied resilience with Marisa Mir, Beckie Mir, Marcie Mir, Gasper Mir III, and Gasper Mir IV all recognized for their shared journey.
The emotional centerpiece of the afternoon was the candle lighting ceremony, which filled the room with flickering flames held high in memory of loved ones. Keith Saathoff followed with a powerful testimonial, and nearly every attendee gave in the appeal that followed.
Part of the luminous gathering were Brigitte Kalai, Alicia Smith, Jordan Seff, Vanessa Ames, Megan Vondra, Fady Armanious, Titus Harris, Kristen Cannon, Leigh Smith, Whitney Kuhn Lawson, Vicki Luna, Anne Neeson, Ileana and Michael Trevino, Cyndy Garza Roberts, Hallie Vanderhider and Bobby Dees, Jennifer Allison, Lesha Elsenbrook, Denise Monteleone, Katie Tsuru, Cathy Brock, Creighton Edwards, Christy Lynn, Michael Fife, John Nau, Martiza Gonzales, and Heidi Rockcharlie.
Photo by Jacob Power
Heather Bulk and Jordan Seff.
