Cute Crowd Hits Glam Gala at Country Club, Raises Funds to Serve Homemade Hope’s Kids

Daniel Ortiz
Cute Crowd Hits Glam Gala at Country Club, Raises Funds to Serve Homemade Hope’s Kids

Margot Delaronde Marcell, Heather Mountanin and Monica Patel

ONE OF THE city’s favorite charities — Homemade Hope, which helps underprivileged kids develop life skills through various educational programs including cooking classes — once again took of the ballroom of the River Oaks Country for a bright gala supported by a fun crowd of next-gen philanthropists and well-scrubbed swells.


It was dubbed the Home is Where the Heart Is Gala, and Margot Delaronde Marcell, Heather Mountain and Monica Patel served as chairs, with Scarlett and Scott Hankey as honorees. Per the custom, sisters and Homemade Hope Founder Blair Bentley and Board member Brooke Bentley Gunst led the evening’s program.

The event raised more than $300,000 to support programming and help provide after-school culinary classes, mentoring and field trips for children. One of the young people in the program provided the invocation to start the evening.

“An appeal and lively live auction was led by Johnny Holloway,” explained a rep for gala organizers. “Unique items included VIP tickets to any Dierks Bentley concert along with a meet and greet and a signed guitar. Hands were flying to bid up all the items.”

Brooke and Adam Beebe

Emily Tallman, Ashley Gilliam and Jordan Jackson

Elliot Scheirman and Liz Coleman

Camden Miller and Emily Grace Rogers

Jeff Gunst and Brooke Bentley Gunst

Robin and Tom Segesta

Jessica and Scott Clendenin

Carolyn and Jake Sabat

Donna and Norman Lewis

Masha and Mehran Massumi

Tony Dafft, Patti Pike and Donna and Paul Canales

Jenny Green, Courtney Cannatti and Jill Bollich

Parties
Leadership in Action: John Kuykendall Traded Newcaster Dream for Success in Luxury Retail

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

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

How did you get to where you are today? My journey to where I am today is built on a foundation of hard work, dedication, and perseverance. Every step along the way, I faced obstacles, but I approached each one with determination and a “never give up” mindset. Instead of being discouraged by challenges, I used them as opportunities to grow and improve. Consistency was key—I committed to showing up and giving my best effort every day. I also learned not to take “no” as a final answer. Instead, I saw it as a chance to push harder, adapt, and find another way forward. It’s this combination of persistence, resilience, and unwavering focus that has brought me to where I am today.

Keep Reading Show less