Houston’s Big Time Golf Moment Earns Jim Crane Praise — Kicking It In Memorial Park
With Surprise Prizes
By Shelby Hodge //
Photography Jenny Antill
What: Memorial Park Conservancy’s “The Park Ball”
Where: Memorial Park Clay Family Eastern Glades
PC Moment: The bottom line was the most significant aspect of the evening as the fundraiser, attended by close to 500 people, raised more than $1,040,000 in support of Memorial Park’s day-to-day care, including its 1,100 acres of urban forest, savanna and prairie, which are home to hundreds of plant and wildlife species.
Chaired by Emily Clay and Bill Schneidau along with Mary Kay and Brandt Bowden, the evening honored Jim Crane (and wife his Whitney, who couldn’t make it) and the Astros Golf Foundation which transformed the Memorial Park Golf Course for the Texas Children’s Houston Open tournament into a gem, with aims to make the tournament a PGA Tour signature event (as PaperCity first reported). For one extraordinary week each year, the Foundation becomes the Conservancy’s neighbor through the PGA Tour.
Of course, an LPGA Major — The Chevron Championship — is being played at Memorial Park Golf Course this week.
This party in the park brought a cathedral-style, clear-paneled tent replete with florals and views to the verdant surrounding landscaping. All created by The Events Company. An expected tasteful dinner by City Kitchen fueled the energy while live entertainment from Houston Groove Society set an upbeat mood.
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Leading the program were Memorial Park Conservancy board chair Veronica Chapa Gorczynski and Conservancy president and CEO Chris Ballard who introduced the event’s honorees and chairs.
Creating a sartorial souvenir of the evening, each attendee received a “Gala in the Glades 2026” ball cap, and the night wrapped up with a special door prize. The surprises prizes, provided by the Astros Golf Foundation and Memorial Park Conservancy, were hidden underneath one random chair at each table. Imagine the merry uproar as lucky winners waived their envelopes in the air.
PC Seen: Jared Crane, Janet and Paul Hobby, Anita Sehgal, Kate and Steve Gibson, Nancy and Rich Kinder, Sallie and George Alcorn, Kate Stouffer, Melissa Barrett, Mary and Steven Schneidau, Aubrey Ballard, Neha and Manish Agrawal, Allie and Hunter Durbin, and Amy and Christen Springs.
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