Historic $100 Million Gift and Partnership Turn Buffalo Bayou Park’s Water Works Into a Party Scene
A Transformation Made Possible by the Kinder Foundation
BY Shelby Hodge // 11.09.22
Buffalo Bayou Partnership gala chairs Jodie Jiles & Sonny Messiah-Jiles and Wendy Montoya Cloonan & Shawn Cloonan. (Photo by Daniel Ortiz)
What: Buffalo Bayou Partnership gala
Where: The Water Works in Buffalo Bayou Park
PC Moment: How happy was this throng of more than 400 with the suggested attire — cocktail and sneakers. Cocktail as this was celebration of the historic public-private partnership between the City of Houston and Harris County, which is anchored by a $100 million gift from the Kinder Foundation. That generosity will lead to the realization the Buffalo Bayou East Master Plan.
Sneakers derigueur as this outdoor event began with tours of the Buffalo Bayou Park Cistern and segued into a tented dinner on the grand lawn. No stilettos needed.
Lively jazz sounds by students of the Raul Yzaguirre School for Success wafted across the party scene while guests schmoozed, studied the impressive map of BBP‘s plans for the eastward expansion and watched the Astros win Game 5 of the World Series on the requisite big screens.
Once seated at tables, named for neighborhoods along the bayou and centered with succulents for guests to take home, A Fare Extraordinaire staff began serving the three-course dinner.
Elizabeth Anthony
Heading the evening dedicated to raising funds in support of BBP’s mission to create and steward a dynamic network of welcoming parks, trails and unique destinations along Buffalo Bayou were chairs Wendy Montoya Cloonan and Shaw Cloonan and Sonny Messiah-Jiles and Jodie Jiles.
The program included enthusiastic remarks from Mayor Sylvester Turner and words from Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis.
PC Seen: Nancy and Rich Kinder, Roxann and Tim Neumann, Guy Hagstette and Doug Lawing, Sis and Hasty Johnson, Gloria Zenteno, the Rev. Harvey Clemons Jr., Anne Whitlock and Michael Skelly, Elizabeth Brock, Emily Keeton, Anat and Chad Shaw, Shari and Tom Fish, Sanober and Murad Ajani, Marie Louise and David Kinder, BBP president Anne Olson and husband Tom, State Representatives Christina Morales and Mary Ann Perez; and City Council members Sallie Alcorn, David Robinson and Letitia Plummer.
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