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

'Technicolor Tombstone'

THERE IS A pivotal scene in The Matrix where Morpheus (played by a thoroughly in-shape Laurence Fishburne) prepares the film’s hapless hero (played by a pre-John Wick Keanu Reeves) for his jump into the proverbial rabbit hole by asking him, “Have you ever had a dream . . . that you were so sure was real? What if you were unable to wake from that dream? How would you know the difference between the dream world and the real world?"

Keep Reading Show less
Art + Entertainment

Apollo Chamber Players and, right, DJ Spooky

CAN MUSIC EXPRESS the sound of a melting ice cap? It’s a question Houston’s Apollo Chamber Players and New York-based composer, author, and multi-media artist Paul Miller, a.k.a. DJ Spooky, will explore Nov. 18 at the Burke Baker Planetarium in “Canceled,” a concert of works for string quartet, digital electronics, and A.I. generated visuals.

Keep Reading Show less