cultural showcase

Houston moms sparkle with international flair at fashionable luncheon

One doesn’t have to meander far from home in Houston to have a worldly experience. On Saturday, May 11, 2024 — a day before Mother’s Day — a stopover at the Junior League of Houston sure beats the layover often necessary to gallivant across the globe. Leave the luggage at home for this one, kids.

Thank media maven Ruchi Mukherjee for that.

The stylish social butterfly was at it again, hosting the 11th Annual International Mother’s Day Luncheon presented by LCAHouston. More than just a repast among fashionable media personalities and their families and friends, the event showcased the cultural diversity and richness found right here while honoring the matriarchs of the Bayou City — and a handful of fathers, too.

These moms and dads took to the runway and strutted in gleaming duds that revealed what was special about their heritage, slaying the catwalk with their sons and daughters by their side. The room was outfitted with subtle shades of blues and whites to allow the fashion to vibe and sparkle. Honorees for this edition of the luncheon were Dr. Olga Bachilo, Dr. Brenda Rios Brombacher, Cortney Cole, Rose Chen, Monica Fulton, Blanca Jolly, Katherine Le, Luanne Marshall, Rekha Muddaraj, Amie Parker, Yong Tran, Katherine Whaley, and Leisa Holland-Nelson. The dads, holding their own, included Dr. Rick Kline, James Dale, Walter Sassard, and Gordon Quan. Each honoree received a glass trophy as a token of gratitude for their community service and dedication to their families.

KTRK reporters Pooja Lodhia and Mycah Hatfield served as emcees, engaging in a heart-to-heart chat with Mukherjee, who professed her views about her purpose. “When you empower a mother, you empower a nation,” she said.

Mukherjee unveiled the latest print edition of LCAHouston, featuring a collaboration with UNICEF and highlighting global trailblazers. Mukherjee also revealed that she said yes to marriage. She’s set to tie the knot with Sassard in November at The Bryan Museum in Galveston.

Seen among the throng of 250 were Eileen Lawal, Susan Boggio, Ann Holmes, Miya Shay, Corbett Parker, Lindsay Yates, Dr. Sippi Khurana, Felicia Stone, Dr. Alice Mao, Christy Lynn, Vicki Rizzo, Roz Pactor, Neil Badlani, and Chris Whaley.

Courtesy of LCAHouston

2024 LCAHouston International Mothers’s Day Honorees.

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Painted with Purpose

21 Houston doctors trade scrubs for canvases at Arts of Healing gala

Photo by Alida Bonifaz

Chita Craft, Bethany Buchanan, and Nora Jarrard.

Turns out, creativity isn’t just for the canvas. It pulses through the hands of healers, too.

Photo by Alida Bonifaz

Chita Craft, Bethany Buchanan, and Nora Jarrard.

That was the spirit of The Arts of Healing Eighth Annual Gala, where physicians traded lab coats for aprons and oils to showcase their artistic prowess at The Post Oak Hotel on November 8.

Guests — close to 500 — were greeted by a floral fantasia courtesy of Blooming Gallery. A grand circular bar anchored the room, while a curated silent auction, wine pull, and an ultra-chic Valobra raffle for a diamond necklace tempted attendees. The centerpiece? Art by 21 physician-artists being honored that evening lining the entire ballroom.

Among the physicians celebrated for their contributions both in hospitals and on canvas were Dr. Shetal Amin, Dr. Deepak Bedi, Dr. Mark Dannenbaum, Dr. Meshann Fitzgerald, Dr. Matthew Goldman, Dr. Brandon Goodwin, Dr. Mollie Gordon, Dr. Maysoon Hamed, Dr. Emily Jamea, Dr. Henry Kuerer,Dr. JP LeFave, Dr. Dean Moore, Dr. Marlene Morales, Dr. Sehar Najamus, Dr. Eric Powitzky, Dr. Terrence Wadley, Dr. Cindy Williams, Dr. Jose Miguel Yamal, Dr. Sarrah Zadeh, and Dr. Isaac Raijman, who, alongside his wife, Lori Raijman, founded the Arts of Healing Foundation.

Co-chaired by Rachel and Warren Ellsworth IV and Natalie and Mark Bordman, the evening marked a fundraising high, collecting more than $560,000 to support The Arts of Healing and its Sunshine Kids Summer Camp collaboration. The initiative brings children facing cancer from across Texas together for creativity, connection, and joy.

A special musical cameo brought the house down when honoree Dr. Jeff Ross took the stage, trumpet in hand, for a guest appearance with Dry Water Band. The dance floor stayed thumping well into the night, a tribute to the spirit of creativity as medicine.

Summoning their inner Picassos were Sarah Collins, Michele and Youval Meicler, Kristen Collins, Betsy and Jimmy Montgomery, Courtney and Zac Harmon, Kristen Cannon, Cathleen Fishel, Stephanie Wilcox, Alexis Rosales, Faith Majors, Bethany Buchanan, Susan and Steve Beatte, Larry Doty, Vanessa and Chuck Ames, Dana Barton and Robert Clay, Rita Shuma, Jennifer Wisler, Dr. Rukmini Rednam, Dr. Victoria Chang, Dr. Danielle Antosh, Katie Tsuru, and Dr. Kathy Nguyen.

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