Children’s Museum Supporters Go Goth-Glam at Million-Dollar Gala

Alexander's Fine Portraits

THE CORINTHIAN WAS the scene for a haunted happening benefiting Children’s Museum Houston. The decidedly adult bash was filled with dark allure, gothic glamour, and generosity to the tune of $1.14 million, the second-highest total in the event’s history.

Noir Ball chairs Whitney and Ryan Burns and Allison and Iván Chávez pulled out all the stops in creating a memorable evening shrouded in gothic romance — a la lace veils, caged roses and eerie candelabras. Guests, clad in leather, feathers and fake blood (oh my!), were greeted by waves of thick fog emanating from a rose-petal-filled fountain. Actors portraying Maleficent, Dracula and Wednesday Addams posed for pics with galagoers in between perusing silent-auction items and grabbing a cocktail.

The live auction certainly added some light to the otherwise (purposefully) dark evening: Auction chairs Devorah Krieger and Elizabeth McIngvale-Mackey secured some covetable packages, like an extravagant dinner for 24 inside The Corinthian’s historic vault, complete with a custom menu by Jackson & Co., and centerpieces by Bergner & Johnson Design. A Thomas Markle Jewelers diamond necklace and Lark & Berry diamond earrings were also up for grabs, as was a getaway to a Costa Rican penthouse. A raffle touted a pair of white-gold diamond-encrusted rings from Valobra Master Jewelers.

The cutest part of the night was the puppy auction! K-9 Angels donated two Labrador retriever/Pointer mix rescue pups, who sparked bidding wars and found their forever homes.