The All-Nighters
Some of the season’s hottest looks are inspired by work clothes with an edgy ’80s vibe. Suit up sexy, work late if you have to, and, by all means, take care of business.
Sep. 19, 2017

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.
What is your mission? Easter Seals Greater Houston is the only organization in the greater Houston area providing comprehensive services to individuals with all types of disabilities, veterans and their families. We impact where people need us the most – school, work, home, and in the community. Enhancing education, advancing health, expanding employment, and elevating the community.
Why did you launch the organization? Easter Seals was originally launched as the school district location for children with disabilities before the ADA was passed in the 70’s. Once ADA legislation was passed, the agency evolved into life changing services and programs serving babies, children and adults with all types of disabilities and their families, regardless of their ability to pay.
What are you most proud of? Easter Seals’ services focus on improving the physical, educational, cognitive, mental and financial health of our clients so they can live as fully participating members of our community. Even though we are very efficient, with over $.91 of every dollar used for direct client assistance, we have still been able to consistently expand services to fill gaps in services for an underserved population.
How have you impacted the community? Each year, we serve close to 15,000 families in Harris and surrounding counties, most living below poverty simply due to medical bills and caregiving issues; our programs not only address our direct client’s need for therapy, school, camps and more; but those of the family through respite, financial education, mental health services and emergency assistance.
Tell us about your big event. Easter Seals is excited to announce our 14th annual “Walk With Me Houston” Family fun walk on April 12, 2025, at the Houston Zoo presented by Prosperity Bank and attended by over 4,000 donors, sponsors, volunteers and clients. Following the walk, is an after-party with children’s activities, music, food, drinks and more. WalkWithMeHouston.org
How many employees and volunteers work with your organization? 250 and more than 200.
How much have you raised since you launched? In the past 20 years, Easter Seals has grown an average of 7% a year-in spite of economic downturns, government funding cuts and the fact that less than 3% of all charitable giving goes to organizations serving people with disabilities. That growth came through a combination of community support-from government funding, the United Way, individual donors, foundations and corporations so that our babies, children and adults receive the services they desperately need without worrying about the cost or their lack of insurance.
What are your major challenges? In spite of medical advancements and the power of technology to improve the lives of veterans and people with disabilities, the need for our services continues to grow-and with that the challenge of raising the funds necessary to support those expanded services grows.
Lisa Rich, Jessica Givens, Coco Lu
BETWEEN AN EXCITING raffle and runway show, Homemade Hope's fash bash at Tootsies was a truly tasteful success! More than 160 well heeled attendees also enjoyed browsing the season's most stylish offerings and chatting with Homemade Hope's executive director, Blair Bentley Ozenbaugh, about its mission to support at-risk children via mentoring and culinary lessons.
Festive balloons wrapped the store, courtesy of Topped Off, and Johnny Bravo kept the beats spinning all evening long — and emceed the fashion show! It featured community leaders and Homemade Hope supporters strutting their stuff in the latest looks from Tootsies and Festari for Men.
Following the runway presentation, Johnny Bravo announced winners of raffle prizes — tickets to see Luke Bryan at the Rodeo, a Tootsies shopping spree, and Astros' Diamond Club seats were highly coveted items! More than $75,000 was raised to further Homemade Hope's mission.
Tiffany Halik, Trent Kelley, Laurie Cacioppo
Adam Greer
Bart and Beverly Bentley
Scarlett Hankey and Brooke Bentley Gunst
Calvin Krall and Monica Patel
Oliver Stevenson and Mary Lou Pringle
Michelle Leal, Rome Street
Blair Bentley and Brooke Bentley Gunst
Chelsea Collmer and Laurie Sanders
Lisa Woods
Debbie and Rudy Festari
Brittany Owen
Linda Bischoff, Alex Heins, Ryan Thanos
Kendall Monroe, Katie Tsuru
Julie Thomas, Kathleen Graf, lila Sherifan
Ellecia Knolle
Haniyeh Mirdamadi and Young Son
Heidi Feller, Sandy Patout
Heidi Feller, Sandy Patout
Jessica Givens, Melissa McDavid, Rae Solberg
Chairs Brady and Zane Carruth, Brittany and Adam Clark
IT ALREADY FEELS like spring in Houston and the spring social season is here with it! 375 guests donned in white-tie flocked to The Post Oak Hotel for the annual Houston Symphony Ball, one of the city’s most anticipated and A-list galas.
The theme was Monet’s garden and the grand foyer was transformed into a picturesque lush scene with floral archways and a lifesize lilypond painting with an archway. Dazzling guests took photos and mingled during the cocktail hour that featured passed sipping tequila from Casa Dragones — because why not?
The ballroom was as posh and verdant as the foyer with large wooden gazebos flanking the rows of tables topped with extravagant boutiques of pink roses and various hues of hydrangeas and greenery.
The Post Oak Hotel’s Executive Chef Jean-Luc Royere created a three-course French-inspired meal for the occasion including a French country salad, filet mignon served alongside potato gratin and Grand Marnier pain perdu for dessert. Following dinner, revelers danced the night away to Q the Band.
This ball was chaired by Zane & Brady Carruth and Brittany & Adam Clark and honored Cora Sue Mach with Houston Symphony’s Lifetime Achievement Award and Franco Valobra as Houston Symphony’s Community Honoree.
Betty and Jesse Tutor
Barbara Burger and Gary Ginstling
Margaret Alkek Williams
Hallie Vanderhider and Bobby Dees
Bob and Joan Duff
Chris and Kristy Bradshaw
Daniel Irion, Karen Payne and Kirk Kveton
Eric and Lisa Lindsey
Alice Mao and Matt Brams
Edward and Rini Ziegler
Elia and Michael Gabbanelli
Jim and Dancie Ware
Jonathan and Ann Ayre
Lisa and Eric Lindsey
Tammie and Charles Johnson