Kid Crime Fighters Become a Houston Thing With Crime Stoppers’ New Youth Ambassadors

What: Crime Stoppers “Raise ‘Em Up for Texas” gala

Where: The Revaire

PC Moment: Crime Stoppers of Houston CEO Rania Mankarious introduced the Houston Crime Stoppers Youth Ambassador Program, designed for fourth through 12th grade students. The statewide program offers age-appropriate safety education led by Crime Stoppers staff. Following a student mission video, the inaugural Youth Ambassadors took the stage to be recognized for helping write scripts and film ReelStories for the SafeSpace Student Hub. 

The night, in the hands of chairs Stacy Johnson and Jamie Burns, raised $1 million, in large part thanks to major donors Vanessa Ames and Jordan Seff, whose husbands — Chuck Ames and Dylan Seff — are both successful execs at Vitol.

Saluting the “Voice. Action. Results. What’s Next.” theme of the evening, through mission videos and personal stories, supporters saw how one person speaking up can set action in motion, helping solve a crime, or prevent harm before it happens.

Johnson and Burns shared how the Crime Stoppers mission is personally important to both families. Johnson with her family’s relationship with MetroNational and the need for people to feel safe where they work, live and gather. Crime Stoppers’ advocacy for camp safety motivated Burns, who has a family connection to Camp Mystic.

The evening honored Shirley Treichel Swinbank, founder and executive director of Yorkshire Adademy and Yorkshire Foundation, with the McIngvale Family Humanitarian Award. State Representative Mano DeAyala and Mankarious presented the award. Governor Greg Abbott delivered a congratulatory message via video.

“Every child deserves to feel safe, to feel valued, and to have someone who believes in their future,” Mankarious says. “Shirley, you’ve spent a lifetime being that person for so many children. And the impact of that kind of love, leadership and commitment reaches far beyond what we can ever measure.”

PC Seen: Mayor John Whitmire, Houston Police Chief J. Noe Diaz, Crime Stoppers board chair Chris Massey, board vice chair Patricia King-Ritter, Jason Johnson, Alicia Smith, Brigitte Kalai, Susan Boggio, Steven and Natalie Mohtashami, Brooke and Kevin Lee, Alex and Tammy Janos, Lindzey and Eric Winter, Maya and Ziad Fleyhan, and Meg and David Weekly.