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

Jessica and Ryan Getz, Grace Ward

HOUSTON NONPROFIT Dec My Room threw a country-music-filled bash at House of Blues, where supporters two-stepped the night away and raised record-breaking proceeds, which will be used to decorate and customize hospital rooms of pediatric and young-adult patients all over the country. To date, the organization has improved the attitudes and healing process of 18,000 patients in nearly 200 hospitals.

Keep Reading Show less
Parties

THE STANDARD BEARER FOR LUXURY

We built The Village communities to exemplify sophisticated retirement living in Houston, surrounded by the heritage neighborhood of River Oaks, Tanglewood and Southampton. Each offers impeccable designer finishes and Aspenwood service detail with dining and resortstyle amenities making them premier locations for discerning Houstonians and their families. Impressive, spacious residential floor plans, generous natural light, and expansive terraces allow a new level of indoor-outdoor living. Beautiful spaces are designed for entertaining, fitness, and relaxation with a dedicated team to provide a secure lock and leave lifestyle for our members.

Keep Reading Show less