Life and Legacy of Big-Time Benefactor Celebrated at MFAH’s Grand Gala Ball

Jenny Antill
Life and Legacy of Big-Time Benefactor Celebrated at MFAH’s Grand Gala Ball

Alanna Flores, Fayez Sarofim, Meredith Flores Barker, Gillian Sarofim

NEARLY 500 BLACK-tie-clad Houstonians turned out to toast the late billionaire-philanthropist Fayez Sarofim, who notably contributed tens of millions to the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, at the MFAH’s annual Grand Gala Ball. This year, the event honored Sarofim’s legacy and that of his eponymous foundation, and celebrated the continuance of the family’s generosity, as several of the Sarofims were in attendance.


Guests entered through a clear, chandelier-bedecked tent into the museum’s Cullinan Hall, whose walls were covered in dozens of masterworks from Fayez’s personal collection. At the event, it was announced that 125 of the pieces will be placed on an extended loan to the MFAH beginning early next year.

The decorative floral walls and accents of navy- and peach-colored linens throughout, executed by The Events Company, were reflective of Fayez’s personal taste. His favorite dishes — from lobster salad to risotto Milanese — were whipped up by City Kitchen and beautifully served to galagoers during the seated-dinner portion of the evening. Another one of his faves? Whataburger, which inspired the late-night bites at the conclusion of the event.

DJ Chris Szenberg and Revel Arcade provided the soundtrack for the night, which raised nearly $2.4 million.

Will Denton and Sara Dodd-Denton

Albert and Anne Chao, with Lily and Hamid Kooros

Veronika and Marc Adler

Anne Duncan and Gary Tinterow

Bobbie Nau and Marc Grossberg

Thad and Sarah Smith

Stephanie and Frank Tsuru

Chris and Kristy Bradshaw

Christy Cham and Phillip Sarofim

Sheridan and John Eddie Williams, with Laura and Mike Sweeney

David Anders, Liz Anders and Hunter Bell

Robert Sakowitz

Isla and Tommy Reckling

Rich and Nancy Kinder

Elyse Lanier and Eva Robins

Evan and Nicole Katz

Herman and Aliyya Stude

Reggie Smith, Terry Wayne Jones, Bill Baldwin and Jay Jones

Joan Schnitzer and Susan Sarofim

Payson and Susie Tucker

Patrick Seabase and Allison Sarofim

Nicole Rose

Mona and Andrew Sarofim

Jim and Whitney Crane

Max and Lauren Barrett

Margaret Alkek Williams;

Lily and Johnathan Schnitzer

Keefer Lehner, Alex and Ali Weaver, and Laura Lehner


Parties
Leadership in Action: ‘Family, Community and Spiritual Connection’ Drives Success for Henry Richardson

How did you get to where you are today? The present moment is a combined history of my family, my time as an athlete, my passion for learning, and my desire to see the world be better. I grew up as a successful springboard and platform diver, however, an injury caused me to seek alternative treatments to heal my body. In that process, I discovered the power of yoga, exercise, meditation, mindset, and nutrition. This holistic approach eventually led me to open a Pilates and cycling studio called DEFINE body & mind. I opened studios around the nation, and after selling most of my business between 2017-2019, I was ready to explore how I could make an even greater impact on the wellbeing of our community. In 2023, I started actively working on a brand new multi-family/apartment concept called, Define Living. The idea focused on offering health and wellness services within a beautiful apartment setting to increase the wellbeing of our residents. Having a strong sense of community is the number one factor in living a happy life, so why not build a community where daily fitness, cooking classes, and social connection are the norm? We opened Define Living in March of 2024, and we couldn’t be happier with how things are being received. We are already looking at building more concepts like this in the Houston area and beyond.

Keep Reading Show less

What is your mission? Launched in 2006, Kids’ Meals’ mission is to end childhood hunger in Houston by delivering free, healthy meals year-round to the doorsteps of Houston’s hungriest preschool-aged children and through collaboration, provide their families with resources to end the cycle of poverty.

Keep Reading Show less

What year was your organization launched? 1986 by a small group of committee community members that believed special needs children were not receiving basic life services.

Keep Reading Show less