'Enchanted' Evening Garners $800K for Junior League

'Enchanted' Evening Garners $800K for Junior League

Elizabeth Kendrick, Ashley Seals, Amanda Hanks Bayles

EVENT CHAIR ASHLEY Seal looked like a princess as she welcomed more than 500 guests to the Junior League's weekend-long Charity Ball fundraiser. Fitting, since the gala's theme was "Enchanted: An Evening Once Upon a Time."


The affair kicked off on Thursday night, with an intimate "Into the Woods" reception featuring dealing pianos and tunes courtesy of DJ Mohawk Steve. The party continued at the Junior League's Briar Oaks Lane venue on Friday, with dinner and a live performance by Radio Live, as well as Saturday, featuring five-piece Texas band Satellite.

Between not one but two Big Board auctions — contested items included vacations in Belize and Colorado, custom boots and jewelry, and shopping sprees — and a paddles-up segment, the Junior League of Houston certainly got its happily ever after: The Charity Ball raised more than $800,000 for the organization's 32-plus community projects and mentorship programs.

“Our Charity Ball would not be possible without the 40 women on the Charity Ball Committee who selflessly and tirelessly volunteered their time over the last 12 months," said League President Amanda Hanks Bayles in a statement. “We are so grateful to those who attended and supported this event! For every dollar raised, the Junior League of Houston is able to triple its value by pairing funding with trained volunteers.”

Ashley Konikowski and Chase Zalman

Ross and Natalie Irvin

Dancers from The Lockin Keez Dance Company and singers Kaitlyn Stuart and Roslyn Bazelle-Mitchell

Randi Blashke and Kolbi Blanchette

Sarah Cloos, Lindsey Davis, Kristiann Rushton, Melissa Reihle

Radio Live singers

Diana Skerl

Gary Hellings and Lavinia Boyd

Monica Carter, Megan Hotze and Alexis Caruselle

Parties
Leadership in Action: Entrepreneur Saba Syed of Moroccan Bath Determined to Build ‘Lasting Legacy’

Saba Syed, Founder of Oasis Moroccan Bath

How did you get to where you are today? My journey began with a need to be financially independent and an even a deeper drive to create a lasting legacy. The centuries-old Hammam tradition has always fascinated me—not just for its relaxation benefits, but for its holistic approach to cleansing the body, mind, and soul. So, combining my passion with a vision to bring an authentic yet luxurious Hammam spa experience to Houston, I took the leap less than two years ago to open my own spa.

Keep Reading Show less

The Cottages at the Boat Basin

THERE'S A REASON that many Houstonians glorify a quaintly picturesque life on Nantucket. Actually, there are several: a storied history, charming shops, cobblestone streets, impossibly fresh oysters (and need we even mention the weather?).

Keep Reading Show less
People + Places

Jacob Hilton, a.k.a. Travid Halton, at home in his kitchen, where he enjoys cooking as a form of therapy.

PINK FLOYD'S THE Wall. Sinatra’s In the Wee Small Hours. Beyonce’s Lemonade. Three divergent examples of the album as a cathartic, psychological, conceptual work, meant to be experienced in a single sitting. Houston singer-songwriter Jacob Hilton, 37, who records as Travid Halton, a portmanteau of his mother and father’s names, might balk at being mentioned in such company. (This is a thoroughly unpretentious man, who describes himself as an “archaeologist turned singer-songwriter.”)

Keep Reading Show less
Art + Entertainment