Mattress Mack and Jim Crane Give Surprise Gifts at Crime Stoppers’ Homerun Gala at Minute Maid

Mattress Mack and Jim Crane Give Surprise Gifts at Crime Stoppers’ Homerun Gala at Minute Maid

Brigitte Kalai, Margaret Alkek Williams, Alicia Smith, David Wuthrich

BASKING IN THE glow of the Astros World Series win just a week before, and even posing for the selfies with the championship trophy, supporters of Crime Stoppers of Houston gathered on the field at Minute Maid Park to raise funds for crime prevention programs and what the organization calls critically needed victim services.


Chaired by Sheridan and John Eddie Williams, the gala honored luminaries Jeff Bagwell, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee and Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale — and raised a record-breaking haul of nearly $1.4 million. Highlights of the night included an unexpected additional donation of $300,000 from McIngvale, who gave an impassioned speech on the urgency of the cause; Astros owner Jim Crane and wife Whitney made a similar surprise gift, matching Mattress Mack.

Iconic newsman Dave Ward, a longtime high-profile Crime Stoppers booster, made remarks via video. The 500 guests also heard from the families of recent crime victims in a “fireside chat” portion of the evening’s program, making the importance of the evening more profound.

Memorably, guests were welcome to take photos with the Astros’ Commissioner’s Trophy — the very symbol of the championship — made available by the endlessly generous Cranes.

Boldface names in the crowd included Crime Stoppers CEO Rania Mankarious, Margaret Alkek Williams, Russell and Glenda Gordy, Brigitte Kalai, Alicia Smith, Tama Lundquist, Tena and Tyson Faust, Susan Boggio, Dancie Ware and Jim Ware, Laura Ward, Franco Valobra, Houston Police Chief Troy Finner, District Attorney Kim Ogg, many other state and local officials, and members of the Zadok family, who gave generous prizes to goose bidding in the “paddles up” portion of the gala.

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, Hall of Famer Jeff Bagwell, Sheridan Williams, Jim McIngvale Matress Mack, Rania Mankarious

Jim Crane, Whitney Crane, Tissy Harding, Rusty Harding

Dror Zadok, Senator John Whitmire, Jonathan Zadok

Gala Chairs Sheridan and John Eddie Williams

Tena Faust, Marge Lundquist, Sandra Smith Cooper, Rania Mankarious, Tama Lundquist

Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg and Supporters

Justin Vickrey, Krislyn Vickrey, Esmat Ahmed, Hazem Ahmed

Susan Boggio

Ramy Mankarious, Rania Mankarious, Dror Zadok, Vivian King, Helene Zadok

Rania Mankarious, HPD Chief Troy Finner, Metro PD Chief Vera Bumpers

Jordan Seff

Vicki Rizzo and Mauri Oliver

Parties
Thrive & Inspire: ‘Results for Clients’ in Oil and Gas Drives Michelman & Robinson’s Varnado

Lauren Varnado, Houston Office Managing Partner at Michelman & Robinson, LLP and sought-after oil and gas lawyer

WHAT WAS THE highlight of 2022 at your business? That’s easy, launching Michelman & Robinson in Houston was, for me, the absolute high point of 2022 — and that’s in a year that included so many highlights. Without question, being named the firm’s Houston Office Managing Partner is and was a professional milestone that I’m so very proud of. That I’ve already been able to expand the office to 10 of us (and growing) and significantly move the needle in terms of the firm’s reach within the energy space is icing on the cake.

Keep Reading Show less

'Is that how you treat your house guest'

ARTIST KAIMA MARIE’S solo exhibit For the record (which opens today at Art Is Bond) invites the viewer into a multiverse of beloved Houston landmarks, presented in dizzying Cubist perspectives. There are ornate interior spaces filled with paintings, books and records — all stuff we use to document and preserve personal, family and collective histories; and human figures, including members of Marie’s family, whose presence adds yet another quizzical layer to these already densely packed works. This isn’t art you look at for 15-30 seconds before moving on to the next piece; there’s a real pleasure in being pulled into these large-scale photo collages, which Marie describes as “puzzles without a reference image.”

Keep Reading Show less
Art + Entertainment

Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian cocktail

SPOOKY SEASON IS starting early this year with the release of the Beetlejuice sequel in theaters on Friday. Houston cocktail bar and pizza joint Betelgeuse Betelgeuse is celebrating the film with two weekends of events and specials.

Keep Reading Show less
Food