Angie Harmon Brought to Tears in a Celebrity Filled Houston Night

As the final black-tie event of the season, the fourth annual UNICEF Audrey Hepburn Society Ball brought the Houston social season to a glorious finale. With Michael Bolton on guitar, Angie Harmon taking bows and Mayor Sylvester Turner putting on the boxing gloves in the battle against human trafficking, the event was a smashing success.

The Marriott Marquis ballroom pulsated with social fervor thanks in no small part to honorees Rose and Harry Cullen and to gala award namesake Margaret Alkek Williams. Their lengthy side-by-side tables were populated with an impressive coterie of philanthropic, civic and social leadership including the mayor and his daughter Ashley Turner, Dr. Jim Willerson, Marie Bosarge, gala co-chairs Sofia Adrogué and Sten Gustafson, Pat Breen, Katie and Harry Cullen Jr., Kathy and Jody McCord and John and Becca Cason Thrash.

The Cullens were presented the Margaret Alkek Williams Humanitarian Award for their 30 years of UNICEF support and for their generous philanthropy across the city.

Recipient of the Spirit of Compassion Award, Harmon, a UNICEF Ambassador and End Trafficking spokeswoman was introduced by her three daughters, a loving intro that had the star of Rizzoli & Isles and Law & Order in tears.

“I’m honored to think of the words of Audrey Hepburn who said as you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands,” she said, “one that is for helping yourself and the other is for helping others.”

For his part Michael Bolton, ever handsome, ever talented, wowed the gathering of more than 450 with his gratis performance of “When a Man Loves a Woman” and “Stand by Me.” He was then joined on stage by Kelly Levesque for a spine-tingling duet of  “The Prayer.”

The fast-paced program was deftly shepherded by emcee Deborah Duncan and included Nelson Bowman of the Southwest Region for UNICEF USA, regional board chair Susan Boggio, gala co-chair Amy Pierce, and Barron Segar, chief development officer and executive vice president of UNICEF USA.

The dashing Stephen Lewis ramped up the action as auctioneer capping the successful evening that raised close to $1 million.

Gala co-chairs taking bows for the success included Jerry Ann Woodfin Costa and Victor Costa, Amy and Rob Pierce, Princess Tatiana Galitzine and Guillermo Sierra. Honorary ball chairs were a who’s who of Houston including Molly and Jim Crownover, Karin and Sean Hepburn Ferrer, Princess Maria-Anna Galitzine and Prince Piotr Galitzine, Joanne King Herring,  Sippi and Ajay Khurana, Penny and Paul Loyd, Beth Madison, and Susan and Fayez Sarofim.