Houston’s Most Giving Families Get Saluted In a Posh Steak 48 Bash — Altruistic Dynasties Help Build the Bayou City

For its fourth annual Fall Fête hosted by this scribe and celebrating the start of the charitable social season, Steak 48 tapped into the roots of Houston’s vast network of philanthropy, saluting families that have supported the Bayou City community through generations. Representatives of more than a dozen of those altruistic dynasties joined the evening of cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and talk on the importance of giving.

Below we dive into a bit of their conversations.

Jenna Lindley

The Lindley Family Foundation, manager of individual giving for the Houston Museum of Natural Science

“I personally believe that philanthropy is taught and learned, not something that someone just does,” Lindley says. “You have to grow up in a family, or in a culture, or community that values giving back and teaches you the importance of it. And why you should. I think Houston is a very unique place in that that is ingrained in the DNA here.

“Philanthropy was incredibly important to my great-grandparents and today we have the honor and the privilege to give back and to learn about the causes that were important to them and to maintain that in a continuing legacy.”

Barrett Reasoner

Partner at Gibbs & Bruns LLP, son of admired community leaders Macey and Harry Reasoner

“This city was built by people who have a giving heart and who want to support and see the city thrive,” Reasoner says.”And it’s great to see that that’s been passed on from generation to generation.”

Eddy Blanton

Sscion of the Scurlock/Blanton families

“My grandfather, Eddy Scurlock, started the family in a generous way of life, helping others who were not so fortunate as we were,” Blanton notes. “Even his parents, during the Depression, invited anyone out on the street to come in for dinner because people were struggling then.

“This generosity has continued through the generations. He showed us how to be good stewards.”

Both Eddy Blanton’s grandfathers — Bill Blanton and Eddie Scurlock — served on the board of Methodist Hospital together.

Lexi Sakowitz Marek

Realtor with Compass

“Over the years even growing up, our parents instilled a very big message of the importance of community throughout Houston and the importance of giving back to the community  and how necessary it is to keep Houston thriving,” Sakowitz Marek says. “I think we’ve really done our part to contribute where we can and be involved in some really great organizations and causes that are important to us.”

Brittany Sakowitz

Corporate partner at Kirkland & Ellis

“We grew up going to the symphony and being super involved in the arts,” Sakowitz says. “Actually, I just joined the (Houston) Symphony board last week. It’s important to me not just because the symphony is an integral part of the arts community in Houston, but it also exposes the next generation of young people to the arts.

“Making sure that these really fabulous institutions go into the next generation and bring in new blood and new people into the audiences is really important.”

Beth Wolff

Founder of Beth Wolff Realtors

“It’s really been a thrill to have started my company in the early ’80s and to be able to give back to the city because I felt so fortunate to have been a single mom in Houston that was able to succeed in the real estate business . . .”Beth Wolff says. “Ed (her son) doesn’t do the social thing, but he is  with a number of things including Texas Children’s Hospital, Children at Risk education and Methodist Hospital. And he’s secretary of the Congregation Beth Israel.

PC Seen: Pierce Bush, Ana Torras, Harry Reasoner,  Joan Schnitzer, Shelli Lindley, Heidi and Marcus Smith, Susan Reasoner, Kelli Blanton, Dr. Yvonne Cormier, Cynthia Wolff, Lauren Randle, Robert Sakowitz, Ileana and Michael Treviño, Elizabeth Stein, Laura Stein, Leisa Holland-Nelson Bowman, Allsandra and Miguel Treviño, Geraldina Wise, Amy Pierce, and Kendall Pierce.