Purse Bingo Makes For One Wild and Wacky Houston Night

This crowd didn’t really need the Deep Eddy Vodka to lift their spirits, though it didn’t hurt. With 35 to-die-for designer purses up for grabs, the ladies were all in for Be An Angel‘s third annual “Purse Bingo,” (which could be better titled “Handbag Bingo” for playful alliteration purposes).

Nomenclature notwithstanding, the night was a roaring success as more than 350 women rolled into the ninth floor meeting room of Amegy Bank headquarters in Amegy Tower on the West Loop South. They swept up bingo cards with enthusiasm in a wave of spending that garnered $60,000 for programs benefiting special needs children.

So enthused was the crowd and the lucky ladies who were winners, that the screaming and cheering could almost be heard on the buzzing freeway below.

And who would not be thrilled to win handbags from Louis Vuitton, Burberry, Coach, Kate Spade, Elaine Turner, Brahmin, Trina Turk and more? Add door prizes were from Events, Pamela Wright Collections, Swarovski, Nordstrom’s and Neiman Marcus as ingredients to further fuel the excitement.

Don’t think this was a women-only event. In a twist on fashion presentations, a handful of gents “modeled” the handbags. It was a hilarious gig for former Houston Oilers quarterback Dan Pastorini, Joel Rogers, Mark To and Stuart Duke, all of whom seemed to be having as much fun on this night as the ladies.

In addition to the servings of vodka, the party included a buffet of tempting appetizers, pastas and salads. Pièce de résistance were the cookies designed and decorated as handbags.

PC Seen: Chairs Sunshine Rogers and Hanh To; plus Pam Behrend; Stuart Duke; Donnelly Heim; Carol Glover; Gayle Rosales; Judy Nichols; George Lindsey, host on The Bull 100.3;  Jennifer Thomas; and Be An Angel executive director Marti Boone.