Survivors and Socialites Inspire Hope at CanCare’s 30th Luncheon

Daniel Ortiz and Dave Rossman
Survivors and Socialites Inspire Hope at CanCare’s 30th Luncheon

Whitney Lawson, Fady Armanious and Alicia Smith

NEARLY 400 GATHERED at the River Oaks Country Club to raise a glass to cancer survivors, caregivers and supporters — and the hope that everyone deserves to feel throughout their journey with the disease.


CanCare’s 30th annual luncheon, chaired by philanthropist heavyhitters Phoebe and Bobby Tudor with honorary chairs Stephanie and Frank Tsuru, raised an incredible $400,000 for the organization’s mission to match new cancer patients with survivors who can support them. Attendees walked away with a new understanding of the significance that positivity and hope has for cancer survivorship.

A raffle touted Valobra earrings and coveted Diamond Club seats at an Astros game. Winners were drawn at the end of the program, which included an onstage chat between Gina Gaston and MD Anderson physician Peter Pisters. There was also an emotional candle-lighting ceremony, during which guests held up glowing candles in honor of loved ones impacted by cancer.

Those who made donations during the luncheon received a bell to ring — an action which traditionally marks the end of cancer treatment.

Alex Blair and Debbie Pakzaban

Vijay Goradia and Marie Goradia

Amy Pierce and Stephanie Tsuru

Titus Harris and Charlie Epps

Brigitte Kalai and Alex Kalai

Sippi and Ajay Khurana

Cathy Herr, Anne Neeson, Susan Distefano

Rochelle Griffin and Donna Lewis

Natalie Mohtashami, Megan Vondra

Ceron

Darcie Wells, Vijay Goradia and Phoebe Tudor

Michael Wiesenthal and Jared Wiesenthal

Peter Pisters with Phoebe and Bobby Tudor

Michael and Ileana Trevino

Ginger Blanton, Regina Rogers

Kim Trimble, Amanda Horton, Angela Williams

Jordan Seff, Vanessa Ames, Brook Lee

Jim Braniff and Coy Lewis

Parties
Exclusive Furniture’s Sam Zavary Credits Luck, Hard Work and ‘Mom’s Prayers’ for His Success

How did you get to where you are today? I am a firm believer that hard work and having dreams that you strive to achieve will motivate and inspire people to achieve their potential. Working hard, dreaming, and making sure to take advantage of every opportunity is something I learned at a young age. I credit God and God’s grace firstly, but I know that success is a direct result of hard work. I tell my podcast subscribers and followers to continue setting goals, evolving, improving, and planning, and I practice what I preach. I am proud to have started my business in the fastest growing major city in the United States, and I attribute a lot of the success of Exclusive Furniture to the family culture we create in the best city — Houston’s diversity, philanthropy, and innovation have helped me achieve a lot of the milestones in the furniture business (and the “low prices”) you see today!

Keep Reading Show less

Jacob Hilton a.k.a. Travid Halton

THERE IS A long recorded history of musicians applying their melodic and lyrical gifts to explore the darker corners of human existence and navigate a pathway toward healing and redemption. You have the Blues and Spirituals, of course, which offer transcendence amid tragedy in all of its guises. And then there’s Pink Floyd’s The Wall, Frank Sinatra’s In the Wee Small Hours, and Beyoncé’s Lemonade, three wildly divergent examples of the album as a cathartic, psychological, conceptual work meant to be experienced in a single sitting, much like one sits still to read a short story or a novel.

Keep Reading Show less
Art + Entertainment

Houston’s own Wayne Wilson stars in and helped create Cirque du Soleil’s new ’Songblazers’ show.

WHEN CIRQUE DU Soleil’s newest show, the country-music-inspired Songblazers, hits Houston Aug. 1 — only the second city, after Nashville, to get it — a few folks in the audience will recognize a familiar face on the stage.

Keep Reading Show less
Art + Entertainment