Vital Houston Community Organization Celebrates 50 Years With a Song — and a Party to Remember

What: Interfaith Ministries of Greater Houston annual Tapestry Gala

Where: The Post Oak Hotel

PC Moment: On this 50th anniversary of the community service organization, the nonprofit’s history was recounted in song and word as Mike Kahn, Dee Dee Dochen and Ken Gayle provided the related musical interludes while emcee Deborah Duncan, KHOU Channel 11 morning host, revisited the various decades of Interfaith Ministries’ civic contributions, not the least of which has been bringing together people of all faiths in an effort to serve those in need and tackle community challenges. For this organization, it has been a bountiful half century of dialogue, collaboration and service.

With 600 guests applauding IM’s successful efforts, the evening honored three who have played pivotal roles in the nonprofit’s mission. Brigitte and Bashar Kalai , donors of the Brigitte & Bashar Kalai Plaza of Respect, were gala honorees while Rabbi Roy Walter, Rabbi Emeritus of Congregation Emanu El and IM past president and life board member, was recipient of the inaugural Spirit of Respect Award.

The program included remarks from IM board chair Shaukat Zakaria, IM president and CEO Martin B. Cominsky, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, Mayor Sylvester Turner and Fred Whipple of Shell Oil, Palladium Weaver sponsor.

Applause, applause for gala co-chairs — Shaista and Shahzad Bashir, Bimla and Swatantra Jain, Dr. Sushma and Devinder Mahajan, Lorraine and Ed Wulfe, and Nihala and Shaukat Zakaria — who led the evening to $650,000 in proceeds. The funds will be used in IM’s four areas of service: Meals on Wheels/Animeals, Refugee Services, Interfaith Relations and Community Partnerships, and Volunteer Houston.

PC Seen: Susan and Dan  Boggio, Patti and Richard Everett, Suzanne and Randall Evans, Sippi and Ajay Khurana, Karyn and Charles Crisp, Anuradha and Mani Subramanian, Dotty and Lawrence Kagan, Fran Zandstra and Duane Failing, Regina Rogers, Nihala Zakaria, Karen Labat, Dr. Frazier Wilson, and Philamena and Arthur Baird.