Buzzy Houston Best Dressed Luncheon Raises More Than $1 Million With Powerhouse Women, a Lynn Wyatt Surprise and Touching Moments
One of the March of Dimes' Biggest Fundraisers Anywhere Shows Off H-Town's Stylishness and Giving Spirit
By Shelby Hodge //
Photography Priscilla Dickson
It was a record-breaking day when the ballroom of the Post Oak Hotel was packed with trés chic femmes and a sprinkling of divine gents, a handsome throng that gathered for the PaperCity Philanthropy in Fashion Houston Best Dressed luncheon and Neiman Marcus fashion presentation benefiting March of Dimes.
More than $1 million was raised thanks in part to the generous sponsorship of Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital and that of Brigitte and Bashar Kalai who provided a matching gift of $100,000 to advance the March of Dimes mission by establishing an NICU Wall of Hope, a photo wall of babies and children who have graduated from the NICU and are going home.
That happy end of day news was delivered by March of Dimes Houston board chair Sara McEown, who earlier launched the Houston Best Dressed program with the personal story of her daughter Sadie, who was considered a micro-preemie.
“She was born silently. Her lungs were too underdeveloped to breathe on her own and she was in respiratory distress,” McEown shares. “I later learned that in those early hours right after her birth she was given surfactant to help her lungs develop. Surfactant treatment was developed with funding from March of Dimes.
“I can honestly say that March of Dimes saved our daughter’s life.”
So important is the luncheon to March of Dimes, one of its largest fundraisers nationally, that the organization’s top leadership jetted in for the event — Cindy Rahman, interim president and CEO, from Washington D.C. and Alison Spera, senior vice president, market impact, from Philadelphia.
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The event included a special celebration of Lynn Wyatt, who was among the first Best Dressed Class of 1982, was the first to enter the Houston Best Dressed Hall of Fame and is a member of the International Best Dressed Hall of Fame. Her fashion savvy has merely been an adornment to her decades of steadfast and generous support of Houston’s performing arts. The crowd rose in standing ovation honoring Wyatt for her receipt of the inaugural PaperCity Philanthropy in Fashion Best Dressed Icon Award.
Applause, applause for luncheon chairs Jennifer Allison, Melissa Juneau (also an honoree) and Jordan Seff. Allison and Seff wore Adam Lippes, the featured designer in the fashion presentation. Special thanks to the raffle chairs Vanessa Ames, Whitney Kuhn Lawson and Melissa Sugulas, who contributed to the fundraising effort.
Houston Best Dressed Hall of Famers
Honorees in the spotlight included three Hall of Famers — Brigitte Kalai, Dr. Sippi Khurana and Linda McReynolds — and Carrie Brandsberg-Dahl, Stephanie Fleck, Melissa Juneau, Stacy Lindseth, Heidi Smith, Stephanie Tsuru and Lyndsey Zorich. (You’ll learn more about the honorees and see their runway and luncheon photos in an upcoming PaperCity piece.)
The honorees were introduced by Neiman Marcus‘ Heather Almond and this writer. The Adam Lippes fashion presentation was introduced by Kathy Leigh, Neiman Marcus vice president and general manager. Joining the designer at the Neiman Marcus runway table were investors and besties Courtney Sarofim, Elyse Lanier and Aliyya Stude.
PC Seen: Too many shiny people to mention. Please check out the full Priscilla Dickson photo slideshow above this story.
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