If wine is a love language, Hope Uncorked spoke it fluently.
The fourth annual sold-out dinner benefiting CanCare returned with a swirl, a sniff, and a generous pour of goodwill at The Post Oak Hotel, where oenophiles gathered around long tables dressed for both decadence and purpose.
Event chairman Franelle Rogers raised a glass to an evening that paired personal cellars with a four-course menu crafted by executive sous chef Roger Altamirano. Each table had its own wine host, pouring handpicked selections and turning dinner into a tour through vineyards. Behind the scenes, longtime supporter chef Mark Cox lent culinary insight during the planning stages, with Robert Sakowitz offering wine pairing suggestions.
Anchoring the evening’s convivial spirit were the dedicated wine hosts, including Lisa Blackwood and Steve Newmyer, Lesha Elsenbrook and Ellie Francisco, Margaret and T.J. Farnsworth, Mignon and Steve Gill, Cathy and David Herr, Caroline and Gary Kenney, Alexis and Michael Leiser, Dean Putterman, Dr. Madaiah Revana, Rogers with Sakowitz, Elizabeth and Alan Stein, Kimberly and Guy Stout, and Kim and Mike Weill, each curating personal selections.
The emotional centerpiece arrived when board member and volunteer Ken Tubman shared his story of loss after his wife’s passing from cancer. His message about the power of having a survivor by your side hushed the clinking glasses. CanCare president and CEO Darcie Wells followed, explaining the organization’s mission of pairing cancer patients with survivors of the same diagnosis, offering a kind of hope that feels less abstract and more hand-in-hand.
Auctioneer Stephen Lewis kept paddles raised during a spirited live auction, especially for a stay at Alexana Winery in Oregon, donated by Revana. More than $170,000 were raised to support CanCare’s mission of providing “a survivor by your side” to anyone facing cancer.
Swirling into the scene were Rose Cullen, Cathy Brock, Kristen Cannon, Hallie Vanderhider and Bobby Dees, Fady Armanious and Bill Baldwin, Karen and Murry Penner, Barbara and Peter Forbes, Gregg Reyes and Paola Montoya, Gwyn Richardson and Randy Garcia, Ed Finger, Ray Kirk, Garvin Davis, Chree Boydstun, and Tripp Carter.
Photo by Wilson Parrish
Steve and Angelica Newmyer, Kimberly Wilkins, and Lisa Blackwood.
