Pediatric Cancer Survivors Strut Their Stuff on the Runway at River Oaks Country Club

Pediatric Cancer Survivors Strut Their Stuff on the Runway at River Oaks Country Club

Ginger Blanton with 'Patient Champion' Nova (photo courtesy Texas Children's)

THE 13TH ANNUAL Salute to Champions event, held at River Oaks Country Club, celebrated the bravery and vitality of pediatric cancer survivors, a poignant way to mark Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.

Chaired by Scott Basinger, Elsie Eckert, Sidney Faust and Judi McGee, the luncheon and fashion show raised nearly a quarter of a million dollars for Texas Children's Cancer and Hematology Center. Fox 26 reporter Melissa Wilson — who's also a mom of a pediatric cancer survivor — enthusiastically emceed the event, announcing the "Patient Champions," or models, as they walked the runway in sassy and chic fashions courtesy of Dillards. Each was accompanied by a "Community Champion," a notable Houstonian who has donated their time and money to the cause.

The 300 guests, including physicians and families of models, enjoyed a seasonally savory meal of pecan-crusted chicken and maple-mashed sweet potatoes — and chocolate mousse parfaits for dessert. Sweet!

Susan Blaney, Paige Schultz, Lara Shekerdemian and Jennifer Sanders (photo courtesy Texas Children's)

Cathey Cook, Honorary Chair Sybil Roos and Betsy Garlington

Judi McGee, Susan Blaney and Rossitsa Nocolava (photo courtesy Texas Children's)

Kelly Larkin and Fernando Parra with 'Patient Champion' Tatiana (photo courtesy Texas Children's)

Clarease Rankin Yates and Gayla Gardner (photo courtesy Texas Children's)

Dominique Armstrong, Fite Partsch, Scott Basinger, Marge Lindquist, Tina Faust and Peter Farrell (photo courtesy Texas Children's)

James Versalovic with 'Patient Champion' Michael (photo courtesy Texas Children's)

Duyen and Marc Nguyen with 'Patient Champion' Anthony (photo courtesy Texas Children's)

Gayla Gardner, Vicki West and Cheryl Byington (photo courtesy Texas Children's)

Parties
Fall Philanthropy Report: Easter Seals of Greater Houston ‘Impacts Where People Need Us the Most’

What year was your organization launched? Founded in Houston in 1947, as the Cerebral Palsy Treatment Center, the organization provided services to individuals with disabilities living in Houston and Harris County. In 1989, the organization changed its name and greatly expanded its services to meet the needs of its clientele. Today as Easter Seals Greater Houston, the organization provides multiple outstanding service programs to children, adults, veterans, and service members with all types of disabilities and their families in Harris and sixteen surrounding counties.

Keep Reading Show less

Bill Viola’s ‘Ascension,’ on display as part of ‘Living with the Gods’ at MFAH

THE ARTIST WHO ushered in the expressionist movement in the early 20th century was not, in fact, Picasso or Matisse. It was Paul Gauguin, whose career spanned the decades just preceding the turn of the century. The French painter is the subject of the Museum of Fine Arts’ latest exhibit, Gauguin in the World, which was organized by Henri Loyrette (formerly of the Louvre and the Musée d’Orsay, Paris). The show, just one of the museum’s diverse winter season shows, debuted in Australia in June and will be on display through Feb. 16, 2025, at the MFAH, the only U.S. venue for the survey.

Keep Reading Show less
Art + Entertainment

Cirque du Soleil's 'Echo'


Keep Reading Show less
Art + Entertainment