Houston’s Big Western Night Puts Mothers and Daughters In the Spotlight, Heralding a Dec My Room Leadership Change
Lifting Hospital Patients' Spirits With Cool Rooms
By Shelby Hodge //
Photography Daniel Ortiz
What: Dec My Room “Kick Up Your Boots for Kids”
Where: The Ballroom at Bayou Place
PC Scene: Few dared show up at this Houston Western-themed fundraiser in anything less than boots, Stetons or the like, and cowboy/cowgirl inspired outfits. For it was indeed a boot-scootin’ evening for Dec My Room. The fundraiser, which brought in record proceeds of $415,000, carried a certain mother-daughter theme.
Ann Carl and her daughter Elizabeth Carl chaired the evening that raised funds for the nonprofit founded by mother-daughter duo Susan Plank and Kendall Plank.
The Planks founded Dec My Room in 2007 and volunteers have personalized and decorated more than 10,000 rooms in more than 180 hospitals nationwide for pediatric and young adult patients since then. Each room is designed with items reflecting the patient’s individual interests and personality. The effort made to lift patients’ spirits and thereby support the healing process.
The Planks report than in 2026 the request for Dec My Room assists have increased by 30 percent.
Baobab Classique Scented Candles
Early in the evening, Susan Plank revealed that she was passing the Dec My Room leadership torch to her daughter Kendall.
This evening saluted Stacey and Al Lindseth as community honorees while Northern Trust was tapped as corporate honoree.
Auctioneer David Ackel kept the bidding soaring on many hot items, including a guitar signed by Dolly Parton, which was so popular that a second was offered earning additional funds for the nonprofit. Perhaps the most exciting item was a golf outing at Big Easy Ranch in Columbus, Texas, complete with helicopter transportation. That experience, hosted by longtime Dec My Room supporter Mike Plank, also sold twice. A Federal American Grill package featuring the coveted Pappy Van Winkle bourbon also drew enthusiastic bidding.
PC Seen: Carley and Mike Stasney, Julia Morales Clark and Matt Clark, Jerry Simon, Grace and Steven Ward, Laurie and Bret Sanders, Courtney and Zac Harmon, Nina and Clint Rand, Tracy and Landon Ehlinger, Sneha and Nick Merchant, Tom Butler, Maria Moncada Alaoui and Omer Alaoui, Kory and Geoff Blum, Noble Carl, Fabio Cardamuro, Heather Almond, Adrienne Crane, Alicia Smith, Kim and Dan Moody.
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