Cozy Fun

Houston hospital's pumpkin party blends fall fun with pediatric purpose

Families flocked to McGovern Centennial Gardens for a charming Sunday at Pumpkins in the Park, a cheerful fall fête hosted by Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital and Memorial Hermann Foundation. With cozy ambiance and a community-forward spirit, the event celebrated the hospital’s nationally ranked specialty care and the families it serves.

Under crisp autumn skies, more than 200 guests arrived to find a scene straight from a storybook: A towering custom-built pumpkin archway, fragrant cinnamon-spiced air, and a sailcloth tent humming with laughter and live country tunes from The Hunter Perrin Band. Little ones wove through pumpkin tic-tac-toe and pin bowling while parents sipped apple slushies and loaded up bushel baskets with treats from cozy food stalls like soft pretzels, kettle corn, and iced sugar cookies.

Fall-themed flair came courtesy of Blooming Gallery, with creative direction and planning by Lauren Gow. Swift & Co. handled the crave-worthy bites, and Double Vision Texas Chainstitch turned keepsake fashion into live art, stitching custom names and designs on the spot.

Speakers, including Amalia Stanton, Anne Neeson, and Dr. Damien LaPar, reminded attendees of the deeper mission. Stanton and Neeson spotlighted the hospital’s trailblazing status as a Level I Pediatric Trauma Center and the only Houston hospital that can treat entire families under one roof. LaPar, who leads the Children’s Heart Institute, shared inspiring patient stories and underscored the hospital’s nationally recognized outcomes in congenital cardiac surgery.

Embracing autumn were Chita Craft, Tonya Callendar, Jennifer Allison, Kristy Bradshaw, Felicia Stone, Amalia Stanton, Anne Neeson, Amanda Boffone, Kathy de la Mora, Melissa Sugulas, Holly Blalock Guthneck, Libba Blalock, Angie Matula, Nancy Bihlmaier, Katie and Scott Arnoldy, Christine Falgout-Gutknecht and Bill Gutknecht, Valerie and Tracy Dieterich, and Dr. Mary Aitken.

Children's Memorial Hermann Pumpkins in the Park 2025

Photo by Priscilla Dickson

Holly Blalock Guthneck, Kathy de la Mora, Amalia Stanton, Amanda Boffone, Melissa Sugulas, and Libba Blalock.

fundraisers hospitals childrens memorial hermann hospital

Shopping Fantasia

Houston Ballet’s Nutcracker preview party sets new donation record

Houston Nutcracker Market Preview Party 2025

Photo by Daniel Ortiz

Houston Ballet Academy Dancers.

The Houston holiday season doesn’t officially begin until the Nutcracker Market throws open its doors, and this year’s Wells Fargo Preview Party felt like stepping into a snow globe set on extra. Like more is more.

Somewhere between the cheeky stocking stuffers and the Dior-kissed repurposed couture, guests needed an actual map to conquer the sprawling shopping fantasia.

Held November 12 at NRG Center, the 45th anniversary celebration of the Houston Ballet shopping fête welcomed more than 5,000 eager shoppers, all ready to sprint through aisles lined with more than 280 merchants. Helmed by chairs Susan Binney and Jennifer Kushner, along with preview party chairs Leslie Alston, Kaylon Phillips, and Casey Rowe, the evening shimmered with nostalgia. Guests showed up in themed attire ranging from glittery holiday chic to coordinated squads that looked like flash mobs armed with credit cards and a mission.

Houston Ballet’s new executive director Sonja Kostich arrived for her very first Nutcracker Market, greeting supporters and soaking in the community’s devotion to a beloved tradition that fuels the Ballet’s mission and scholarship programs. Houston Ballet Academy students glided through the party in costumes from Stanton Welch’s The Nutcracker, creating photo ops. Principal dancer Harper Watters and Houston Ballet icon Lauren Anderson also made appearances.

Festive cocktails, champagne flutes, and a parade of hors d’oeuvre and desserts satisfied while the David Caceres Band kept the energy high. By the end of the night, the Preview Party had raised nearly $1.5 million in ticket sales and commissions — a record for the Market.

Moreover, more than 104,000 shoppers showed up during the November 13-16 festivities. All in, ticket sales surpassed $24 million and raised more than $6 million to directly support Houston Ballet, its Academy and scholarship program.

Showing their holiday spirit were Kristy Bradshaw, Ann Bean, Wendy Burks, Anne Chao, Gay Currie, Tom DeBesse, Arcy Muñoz Marshall, Sharon Erskine, Ann Graham, Twana Griffith Faykus, Michelle Iversen Jeffery, Jay Jones, Julie Kent, Deborah and Edward Koehler, Chad Libertus, Desrye Morgan, Beth Muecke, Patti Murphy, Jennifer Sommers, S. Shawn Stephens, Allison Thacker, Cynthia Wolff, Deborah Duncan, Ghada Ali, Carolina Oliveira, Catarina R. Gonzales, and Miya Shay.

Photo by Daniel Ortiz

Houston Ballet Academy Dancers.

fundraisers houston ballet shopping nutcracker market