40, Fabulous — and Touting a Never-Before-Seen Bidding War — the Heart Ball Was a Bash to Beat 'Em All

Daniel Ortiz and Wilson Parrish
40, Fabulous — and Touting a Never-Before-Seen Bidding War — the Heart Ball Was a Bash to Beat 'Em All

Dance floor at the Heart Ball

ON THE EVENING of the American Heart Association's 40th-annual Houston Heart Ball, event chair Kelly Hackett gleefully welcomed more than 500 guests — many clad in rich shades of the night's signature color, red — to the ballroom of the Hilton Americas.


The gala also toasted the 100th anniversary of the national organization, and raised $1.25 million to further its life-saving work.

The night began with electric tunes courtesy of Demola, Houston's hippest violinist, who serenaded guests to their tables with a rendition of "I've Got a Feelin." Khambrel Marshall directed the evening from the stage, where featured speaker Wallis Marsh took to the mic to share his story of survival. Later, 16 honorees received a standing ovation for their tireless dedication to working toward health equity, whether that's via food security or heart health.

A live auction brought on a different kind of excitement and emotions. Led by Logan Thomas, the lively event touted vacations, jewelry and more. One especially fun moment was when gala chair Hackett engaged in a bidding war with Peter Fluor, all over a pair of ruby-and-diamond earrings, donated by Diamonds Direct. She eventually won — and walked over to Fluor to gift him the baubles!

Tunes courtesy of Midtown 10 Band, followed by a big balloon drop, closed out the evening.

Tim Singletary and JoAnne Houck

Alicia and Esmaeil Porsa

Angela and Chad Cole

Steve and Janna Roberson

Beth Wolff and Cheryl Byington

Russ Laberasca, DJ Warner and Damien LaPar

Leila Gilbert, Mona Williams, Liz Jameson

Beverly and Jim Postl

Kelly Hackett and Danielle Hammons

Bruce Padilla and Courtney Cole Hall

Jennifer and David Balevic

Jody Merritt and Christine Johnson

Judy and Russ Labrasca

Meryl Johnson and David McPherson

Julia Andrieni and Robert Phillips

DeeDee and Wallis Marsh with Jack and Julia

Parties
Meet Brian Boyter, New High-End Residential Broker with an Unique Background

BRIAN BOYTER IS a Houston native with an interesting background in real estate. After an impressive 16-year tenure managing commercial transactions in a Fortune 500 Real Estate Investment Trust, he recently made the shift to high-end residential brokerage. The experience left him uniquely suited to thrive in the sometimes-emotional world of buying or selling a home.

Keep Reading Show less

What year was your organization launched? Founded in Houston in 1947, as the Cerebral Palsy Treatment Center, the organization provided services to individuals with disabilities living in Houston and Harris County. In 1989, the organization changed its name and greatly expanded its services to meet the needs of its clientele. Today as Easter Seals Greater Houston, the organization provides multiple outstanding service programs to children, adults, veterans, and service members with all types of disabilities and their families in Harris and sixteen surrounding counties.

Keep Reading Show less

John Kuykendall, Showroom Manager, Sub-Zero, Wolf and Cove

How did you get to where you are today? Growing up I had envisioned myself as a news anchor, living in NY and enthusiastically saying into the camera “Good Morning America!”. To this day, I am still a news/political junkie. My mother owned fur salons so specialty retail, luxury retail was in my blood through the family business. Eventually, mom shuttered the stores and I was recruited to a large specialty retailer. Over the next 30 years, I was in commissioned sales on the sales floor, became a department manager, worked my way up to buyer and store manager. Although I never became a newscaster, I did live in NYC for a few years. But Texas is home and with aging grandparents, I felt the pull to come back to my roots. A headhunter approached me. I never envisioned myself in the high-end appliance market, but there are so many similarities. Clients want a memorable experience; whether shopping for diamonds and fur or remodeling their kitchen.

Keep Reading Show less