Music Legend Gladys Knight Brings the Razzle Dazzle to a $1 Million Houston Lunch
Taste of Texas' Nina Hendee Supplies the Heart and Emotion While Honoring 11 Missing Women In this Vital Breast Cancer Fighting Mission
By Shelby Hodge //
Unlike most singing stars of her generation, Gladys Knight has maintained her pipes in near perfect condition as the 78-year-old demonstrated at the Memorial Hermann “Razzle Dazzle” luncheon held at Houston’s Post Oak Hotel.
While the packed ballroom of 600 guests generously applauded Gladys Knight’s performance and interview by Houston Chronicle reporter Joy Sewing, they equally cheered the financial gain. That would be a record $1 million.
Those proceeds will be directed to the Bobetta C. Ling Breast Care Center at Memorial Hermann Memorial City Medical Center with the focus on early detection of breast cancer and outreach programs. The $1 million raised will make possible approximately 1,000 mammograms for women who might otherwise not be able to afford a mammogram.
After her chat, Knight entertained with three of her favorites — “Best Thing That Ever Happened,” “Neither One Of Us” and “Midnight Train to Georgia.”
While Knight did her share of entertaining, the day’s honoree Nina Hendee, who owns Taste of Texas along with her husband,Edd Hendee, provided a hearty share of humor, hope and emotion during both her video talk and her onstage remarks.
In a thoughtful gesture, the honoree had a table in the center of the ballroom set for 11, 11 women who all suffered an untimely death due to breast cancer. Photos of each woman sat before the empty chairs at the table. Hindee shared a brief story about each of those woman’s battle.
“Early diagnosis” was the mantra of the luncheon, the importance of which was repeated by emcee Jennifer Reyna, KHOU traffic reporter; Hindee; and Anne Neeson, Memorial Hermann Foundation CEO and executive vice president.
“On average a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer every two minutes in the United States,” Neeson told the gathering. “During our program, that’s 45 women who will be diagnosed with this disease.”
Also carrying the torch of early detection were luncheon chairs Jerry and Lisa Simon, whose mother and sister are breast cancer survivors; luncheon chairs Will and Caroline Brown, a breast cancer survivor, and honorary chair Dr. Yvonne Cormier.
A video presentation of other survivors and friends or family of survivors also brought home the message of the importance of early detection.
PC Seen: Memorial Hermann Health System president and CEO Dr. David Callender, Bobetta Lindig, Tony Bradfield, Hallie Vanderhider, Zhanna Golodryga, Sam and Valerie Golden, Lisa O’Leary, Janet Gurwitch, Dr. Sheri Levine, Suzie Johnson, Roslyn Bazzelle Mitchell, Donna Vallone, Ann Cazalot, and Phyllis Williams.
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