Houston’s Own Enchanted Forest Creates a $2.1 Million Night — How Dodging the Rain Paid Off For the Zoo
Animal Ambassadors Crash the Cocktail Hour
By Shelby Hodge //
Photography Daniel Ortiz for Houston Zoo
What: Houston Zoo “Enchanted Forest” gala
Where: The tented Masihara Pavilion
PC Moment: Only a few drops of the anticipated flood fell as a flock of more than 600 arrived via golf carts at the pavilion tucked into the heart of the Houston Zoo. The real downpour came during the After Party while The DryWater Band played on. All in all, it still turned into a promising rain for the Zoo with the night raising more than $2.1 million in support of Houston’s zoological wonderland.
The generous fundraising was in the hands of the Goossen family — Kathy and Marty Goossen, their sons and daughters-in-law Catherine and Jay Goossen and Lacey and Matthew Goossen.
The evening honored former Houston Zoo president and CEO Lee Ehmke, who oversaw Houston Zoo’s breathtaking transformation during his decade-long tenure at the helm. Appreciation for those strides was expressed to the Ehmke and the gathering by current president and CEO Lisa Peterson, who stepped into the position in June.
The “Enchanted Forest” gala was themed as a celebration of forest animals around the word. Bringing the zoo story home were animal ambassadors which mingled with guests during the cocktail hour.
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Amid the tent that was transformed into a chic ballroom, zoo supporters sat down to dinner by City Kitchen.
The live auction contributed handsomely to the bottom line while zoo believers gave generously — $259,250 — during the Paddle Raise. A generous match of $110,000 led by Dee Methvin and Kerry Galvin. The match was made in memory of his late wife and emeritus board chair Stacy Methvin, doubling the donors’ impact.
PC Seen: After Party chair Anna Gryska, Alec Peterson, Courtney and Bas Solleveld, Carey Kirkpatrick and Neil Hershey, Cathy and Joe Cleary, Carina and Brooks Antweil, Courtney and Zac Harmon, Monica Kuraturi and Kumaran Sathyamoorthy, Kristy and Chris Bradshaw, Jordan and Dylan Seff, and Kelley and Stephen Lubanko.
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