Houston’s Nobel Peace Prize Nominees and a Music Superstar to Be Spotlighted In Moral Courage Award Dinner
Holocaust Museum Shines a Light on Notable Scientists, Gives Vanessa Williams the Stage
BY Shelby Hodge // 01.09.23Dr. Marie-Elena Bottazzi and Dr. Peter Hotez to receive the 2023 Lyndon Baines Johnson Moral Courage Award at the Holocaust Museum Houston annual dinner.
What: VIP Spotlight on Courage Soirée
Where: Holocaust Museum Houston
PC Moment: While the evening served announcement of the Who’s Who of community leadership taking the reins of the Holocaust Museum Houston’s upcoming Lyndon Baines Johnson Moral Courage Award Dinner on May 11, there was big news to be revealed. First was announcement that acclaimed scientists and longterm research partners Dr. Peter Hotez and Dr. Maia Elena Botazzi, co-directors of the Center for Vaccine Development at Texas Children’s Hospital and 2022 Nobel Peace Prize Nominees, will be dinner honorees.
The physicians are joining an esteemed cadre of past recipients that include notables such as late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, filmmaker Steven Spielberg, Holocaust survivor and author Elie Wiesel, U.S. Senator Lloyd Bentsen and former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell. The event was founded in 1994 as a tribute to the former U.S. President, who in 1938 as a young congressman stretched the limits of his authority and risked his personal dreams to provide American sanctuary for threatened European Jews.
Second big news of the cocktail reception was the reveal that multi-talented, award-winning actress and singer Vanessa Williams will provide the evening’s entertainment. As special entertainment for this Spotlight on Courage Soirée, Demola the Violinist performed.
Welcoming guests to the reception were LBJ Moral Courage Award Dinner chairs Fady Armanious and Bill Baldwin along with Holocaust Museum Houston CEO Kelly J. Zúñiga and HMH board chair Barbara J. Herz.
Elizabeth Anthony
Rounding out the dinner leadership were honorary chair and honorary vice chairs for their leadership in the community including dinner honorary chair Hallie Vanderhider and honorary vice chairs Paula Goldstein, Laura and Rick Jaramillo, Mady and Ken Kades, Brigitte and Bashar Kalai, Eileen and Kase Lawal, Donna and Norman Lewis, Edna Meyer-Nelson, Laura Murillo, Sylvia and Gordon Quan, Mayor Sylvester Turner, Margaret Alkek Williams and Cyvia Wolff. Also in attendance were dinner host committee chairs Stacy Soefer Gomar and Luis F. Gomar.
