'Boo Ball' Bash! Night Owls and Ghoul-friends Pull Out Tricks, Treats and $800K for Ronald McDonald House

Daniel Ortiz and Jacob Power
'Boo Ball' Bash! Night Owls and Ghoul-friends Pull Out Tricks, Treats and $800K for Ronald McDonald House

Jose and Carolina Quiros

OF THE MANY festive fetes over the weekend, the annual Boo Ball benefiting Ronald McDonald Houston may have been the biggest, most spook-tacular one! More than 700 costumed partygoers descended upon the Hilton Americas ballroom, where a haunted house — complete with photo opps and bubbly — awaited.

Some of the party's most popular costumes included Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce; various iterations of Barbie; and beautified vampires and witches galore. Chaired by April and Wells McGee, the evening included silent and live auctions, plus a raffle and a "Pick Your Poison" spirit pull. A bidding war broke out in competition for a wine-tastic trip to Sonoma, and a teenage beneficiary of Ronald McDonald House's services presented the night's final prize up for grabs — an adorable puppy!

After the auctions and program, emceed by Lisa Malosky and featuring remarks by organization CEO Cristina Vetrano, party band Hybrid 7 had everyone out on the dance floor, boogying the night away. The total till topped $820,000 — talk about a treat!

Wayne Chapman, Sherry Fuller

Betsy and Elliott Hirshfeld, Matt and Melinda Mogas

Cari and Steve Greenley

Wade Upton and Flo McGee

Cristina Vetrano, Wells and April McGee, Dan Connally

Vicsandra Jones and Melissa Juneau

Diane and John Tully

Seth and Emma Elsenbrook, Kate Archer, Evan Elsenbrook

John and Diane Riley, Lizabeth and Tom Riley

Kaely Suarez with puppy

Ryan and Iryns Herbst

Patty and Greg Glasscock

Michael and Angela White

Ken and Mady Kades

Kristen Cannon, Faith Majors


Parties

Gerard O’Brien, President/CEO & Founder, and Sumi Patel, Vice President

HOW DID YOU get where you are today? The EMS industry, quite literally, never stops. Our staff and units are called to serve our community every hour of every day; there are no weekends, holidays, or “days off.” Obviously, the demands of EMS are not for the faint of heart, and we have established a culture of service and accountability that is different than nearly every other organization. Our leadership team sets this culture by exhibiting their passion for this industry daily. Their tireless dedication makes a better experience for our staff when they come to work and for our patients and clients when they call on us to transport their loved ones.

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HOW DID YOU get to where you are today? My journey has been profoundly shaped by a blend of transformative experiences and formative influences. One of the central pillars of my journey has undoubtedly been the concept of “tough love” that I was fortunate enough to encounter during my early years. Raised in an environment where discipline and a strong work ethic were highly valued, I was instilled with principles that laid a solid foundation for my present success.

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