NFL Stars, Private Jets and a Major Bachelor Surprise

Super Bowl LI week is here, the celebs have touched down in Houston, and Saks Fifth Avenue at the Galleria was primed and ready for its shining moment. VP/GM Bobby Dees and wife Wezy showed off the store’s tony new digs to NFL celebs and VIPs with a blow-out party hosted by the one and only Rich Salgado, aka Big Daddy, insurance agent to sports stars like Michael Strahan, Reggie Bush, and Justin Tuck.

The evening’s beneficiary was St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and the luxury sponsors included Rolls Royce and Sentient Jet, the private air travel club that features the newest aircraft models on the market.

“Tonight, I’ve partnered with my Saks family here in Houston,” Salgado told PaperCity excitedly in his trademark booming voice. “We’re making sales here and trying to raise some money for St. Jude and children. As you can see some of my celebrity friends are here, Jesse Palmer from Good Morning America, and other current and former NFL players. This a great, great venue — I couldn’t ask for anything better than this.”

The philanthropic-minded Salgado, who had a brain aneurism nearly 10 years ago, frequently partners with Saks Fifth Avenue for fundraising events all across the country.

Indeed, ladies were ogling The Bachelor contestant and former NFLer Palmer, who was mingling with guests and flashing his megawatt smile. Super Bowl champion Ronnie Lott, former Minnesota Viking/philanthropist Jack Brewer, the NFL Players Association’s Terese Whitehead and Gina Scott were just some of the faces representing the NFL.

DJ Hawaii-Five-O spun tunes accompanied by a live saxophonist, while the tony crowd imbibed copious amounts of ice-cold Prosecco and enjoyed sophisticated hors d’oeuvres.

It wouldn’t be a Super Bowl party without luxe party favors. Cigars finished with Saks Fifth Avenue labels were being hand-rolled and doled out, as were the swag bags sponsored by Sentient Jet containing a hat and a gift card for a whopping $5,000 flight credit and a $2,000 donation to St. Jude with purchase of a 25-hour flight card. Naturally, those 25-hour flight cards don’t come cheap (think six-figures) — but that shouldn’t be much of a problem for some these high rollers.

Seen: Fay Salgado; Saks’ Sylvia Forsythe and Tijuana Harvey; Bravo’s Married to Medicine‘s Ashandra Batiste; stylist Dixie Toledo, in from LA; Ursaline Hamilton; Ericka Bagwell; Caroline Brown; Deborah Brown; Nicole Lassiter; philanthropist Carolyn Farb; Brian Teichman and Andrew Cordes; dermatologist Jennifer Segal; Tamara Bonar; shoe designer Joyce Echols; Beth Muecke; gallerist Barbara Davis; and handbag designer Debra Linse.