Houston’s Rose-money Helps Power Brookwood Gala to a $900,000-Plus French Night
Phenom 300 Private Jet Emerges as a Big Prize
BY Shelby Hodge // 04.07.19John & Cyndi Baily, Shelley & Curtis Frisby at the Brookwood Community gala at Houston Country Club. (Photo by Priscilla Dickson)
The indomitable duo of Mary Whalley and Rosemary Schatzman, affectionately known as “Rose-money” due to her fundraising prowess, brought the biennial Brookwood Community gala to a remarkable conclusion, filling coffers with more than $900,000.
More than 400 cocktail attired guests contributed to the bottom line which was enhanced dramatically by a $100,000 match issued anonymously only a week before the gala. Add the newly introduced live auction with auctioneer Jeff Smith and the appeal and it was ka-ching, ka-ching for the faith-centered nonprofit that works to change the way the world thinks about adults with disabilities.
Of special interest in the live auction was domestic flight time on a Phenom 300 private jet generously donated by NetJets. Anna and Curt Krippner, Netjets vice president, have a daughter, Kyndall, who is a Brookwood citizen.
As is tradition with Brookwood events, the Brookwood Handbell Ensemble entertained, this year with the added contribution of a trio of Houston Grand Opera Studio participants — mezzo-soprano Lindsay Kate Brown, baritone Thomas Glass and pianist Kyle Naig — whose performance was sponsored by Houston Methodist Center for Performing Arts Medicine.
In fact, the evening honored the Houston Methodist and the hospital system’s president and CEO Dr. Marc Boom with the Dr. lee Lyman Dewey Tuttle Legacy Award for Excellence and Partnership in Medicine.
Guests partied in a French-themed mis en scène courtesy of Bergner & Johnson, which transformed the Houston Country Club ballroom into “An Evening in the Garden” aka “Une Soirée dans le Jardin.” This included a French menu — think entrecote of beef and crème brûlée.
Elizabeth Anthony
Adding to the evening’s success were honorees Denise Bush Bahr, Kelli Cohen Fein and Kristina Hornberger Somerville, the trio served as co-chairs in 2017.
PC Seen: Mistress of ceremonies Jan Carson, Carol and Mike Linn, Cynthia and Tony Petrello, Melinda and Sam Stubbs, Molly and Jim Crownover, Celina Hellmund, Diana and Russell Hawkins, Courtnay and Mark Elis, Mary Ann and Tim Detmering, Phyllis Williams, Cathy Cagle and Martin Houston, Judy Waters, and Sabrina and Rich DiMichele.
_md.jpeg)
