'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
What’s the Secret to Biz Success? ‘Show Up with Kindness,’ Says Bianca Bucaram

How did you get to where you are today? Passion, persistence, and faith, and a little bit of luck. I graduated from Vanderbilt University with a degree in Political Science and Spanish, on the track to be pre-med. Little did I know that a journey to help my younger sister would set my course to sail in PR. I had no background in communication, except my raw talent, and was fortunate enough to have a family member who needed her story to be told! I was helping tell my younger sister (one of the most recognized influencers in the online vegan community) @fullyrawkristina’s story, and it all blossomed from there.

Keep Reading Show less

The four-bedroom home at 3 Briarwood Court, listed by Compass’ Robert Bland for $27.5 mil, has verdant courtyards and a whole-home generator.

IS A HEALTHY, balanced real estate market finally here? Per HAR data, the answer is ... kind of? Inventory is at the highest level since 2011, prices are holding steady, and the city and metro area continue to grow in population. Having lost population after Harvey and Covid, the city welcomes significant yet sustainable growth — and a housing market that can handle it.

Keep Reading Show less
Home + Real Estate

HOW DO YOU get more than a million streams, two singles in the Top 40 on the Texas Regional Radio Report Chart, and Grammy-winning Country music superstar Brad Paisley to play on your album? Practice! Just ask Katy native and up-and-coming singer and guitar slinger Hayden Baker.

Keep Reading Show less
Art + Entertainment