Party Watch

Houston billionaires' $150 million gift launches new children’s cancer center

What: Reveal Celebration of Kinder Children’s Cancer Center

Where: The Nancy and Rich Kinder Building at The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

The Scoop: A powerful new chapter in pediatric cancer care officially began with the reveal of the Kinder Children’s Cancer Center, marked by an elegant evening at the Nancy and Rich Kinder Building. The May 14 event drew more than 300 guests eager to witness the unveiling of a landmark $150 million gift from the Kinder Foundation, fueling a joint mission between Texas Children’s Hospital and UT MD Anderson Cancer Center.

The new Kinder Children’s Cancer Center is set to become the nation’s largest and most comprehensive center devoted exclusively to children’s cancer care and research, with the Kinder Foundation’s gift leading a multi-year fundraising campaign.

The occasion opened with a harmonious welcome from the Houston Children’s Chorus, their joyful voices filling the museum’s grand staircase as guests arrived. The air buzzed with emotion and purpose, anchored by heartfelt remarks from Dr. Debra Sukin, president and CEO of Texas Children’s, and Dr. Peter WT Pisters, president of UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, alongside philanthropists Nancy and Rich Kinder.

Their collective vision? Nothing short of ending childhood cancer.

Guests noshed on a spread by City Kitchen — think beef carpaccio, miniature BLTs, and smoked chicken tostadas — while taking in the gravity of the night’s announcement. A touching finale came courtesy of the Houston Chamber Ringers, whose performance echoed through the gallery as guests received crystal bells, a shimmering symbol of hope and healing.

Who: Dr. Steven Sukin, Kathy Pisters, Meghan Pisters, Kevin Eltife, Park and Mary Eliza Shaper, Dan Diprisco, Will Parsons, Richard Gorlick, Jodie and Sunny Messiah-Jiles, Emily Crosswell, Guy Hagstette, Sarah Newbery, Patsy Fourticq, Greg Fourticq Jr., Lovett and Melanie Shaper, Joe and Cathy Cleary, Dr. Huda Zoghbi, Dan and Allison Parsley, and JB Milliken.

$Kinder Children\u2019s Cancer Center reveal party$

Photo by Johnny Than

Rich and Nancy Kinder with Dr. Debra Sukin and Dr. Peter WT Pisters.

BOOTS & BALLET

Houston Ballet kicks off 2026 season with Texas-themed fundraising dinner

Photo by Michelle Watson, CatchLight Group

Honorees Hugh and Carroll Ray and Opening Night Onstage Dinner chairs Kris and Richard McGee.

This year, ballet aficionados swapped formal attire for cowboy boots, hats, and fringe as they filled the Wortham Theater Center for Houston Ballet's 2026-27 season opener, a triple bill including George Balanchine’s Symphonie Concertante, Lar Lubovitch’s Meadow, and the revival of Stanton Welch’s Pecos Bill. The Western-inspired looks were a nod to the highly anticipated production, which brought a fun Texas twist to the ballet's annual onstage dinner.

The evening began with Michele Leal, the City of Houston’s director of the Office of Arts, reading a proclamation from Mayor John Whitmire naming September 11, 2026, Houston Ballet Day. The celebratory moment was followed by a pause for silence in remembrance of those lost on 9/11, before the orchestra launched into a spirited rendition of the national anthem.

The crowd gave a hats-off ovation to Kris and Richard McGee, who chaired the event, which raised more than $320,000 for the Houston Ballet. Co-artistic director Julie Kent honored Carroll and Ray Hugh for more than 40 years of generosity and for helping to inspire and sustain an appreciation for dance in Houston.

Immediately after the performance, the curtains rose to welcome dinner guests to the opening-night onstage dinner. Completely transformed by Bergner and Johnson Design, the space drew inspiration from Pecos Bill and Texas's natural landscape. Tablescapes included denim, taupe linens, and red gingham napkins set off by centerpieces featuring a colorful bounty of flowers.

Guests kicked off their Texas-themed meal, prepared by City Kitchen, with a seasonal salad, followed by a main course of beef short rib served with Yukon Gold potato mash, oven-roasted okra, and buttermilk biscuits. Dessert was a classic chocolate pecan tart paired with vanilla bean gelato.

Boot-wearing VIPs included Kris and Richard McGee; Carroll and Hugh Ray; Sonja Kostich; Julie Kent; Stanton Welch AM; Chad Libertus; Stephanie Tsuru; Melza and Ted Barr; C.C. Conner and David Groover; Jo Furr; Margaret Alkek Williams; David Wuthrich; Bill Stubbs and Kurt Grether; Rose Cullen; Leigh and Reggie Smith; Ileana and Michael Treviño; Shawn Stephens and Jim Jordan; Margaret Cox; Deborah Keyser and James Stafford; Allison and Troy Thacker; Jay Jones and Terry Wayne Jones; Jennifer and Chris Laporte; Leigh and Chris Joseph; Michele Leal; Angie Matula; Akemi Saitoh; Marguerite Swartz; Jerry Ann Woodfin-Costa; Mignon and Steve Gill; Susan and Gary Binney; Christine and Paul Sofka; Sharon Roark; Leslie Alston; Michael Zenker; Michelle Iversen Jeffery; Timothy Wampler; Beth Muecke; Rochelle and Andrew Deiso; Kent Schaffer; Sasha Davis and Geoffrey Oshman; Kevin Potter; Jean and Henry May; Helen and Jim Shaffer; Rini and Edward Ziegler; Erin Patak and Alejandro Aballay; Mitchell George and Stanley Curtis, Jr.

Photo by Michelle Watson/CatchLight Group

Honorees Hugh and Carroll Ray and Opening Night Onstage Dinner chairs Kris and Richard McGee.