A Real Cinderella Night in Houston Lets These Ladies Pick Whatever Special Jewels They Want: Bringing Families to the Red Carpet

If diamonds are indeed a girl’s best friend, then their second best friends are Tony Bradfield and Kevin Black. The gents of Tenenbaum Jewelers opened wide the vitrines of their dazzling emporium for the honorees of the upcoming “Catwalk Gala.” The ladies had carte blanche to select whatever they might wish to wear on this special evening.

“It’s their Cinderella moment,” cooed Missy Bellinger, who founded the Amschwand Sarcoma Cancer Foundation which has been reimagined as A Shelter for Cancer Families.

Bellinger selected 18 deserving cancer survivors, who would be draped in jewels from Tenenbaum, to walk the catwalk (in this case a red carpet) at the gala, scheduled later this month.

In preparation for that 15 minutes of bling glory, the honorees, gala chairs — Monica Bickers, Ashley Pearce and Maggie Vermillion — and Bellinger arrived at Tenenbaum on a recent morning for “Bubbles & Bling with Morning Mimosas” and their jewelry selection. How they swooned over the rubies and diamonds and emeralds, oh my. What is a girl to do when a pasha’s trove riches is hers for the asking?

From its inception, the Amschwand Scarcoma Cancer Foundation fundraisers have a had a fashion focus with such heavyweights as Carolina Herrera, Brandon Maxwell and Monique Lhuillier on hand for the fundraising.

“This year we really wanted to put the spotlight on cancer families. We’ve gone through a transition as an organization from Sarcoma Cancer Foundation to A Shelter for Cancer Families,” Bellinger said. “And there’s a reason why ‘families’ is in the name. Often times, siblings, moms, and dads, their needs take a backseat to what’s going on, out of necessity.

“We really want to make sure that we are putting the emphasis on these families. So what better way than to have them walk the red carpet where survivors and co-survivors will walk.”

There is an extra fundraising component to the event. Tenenbaum, in addition to loaning serious  jewels, is also donating 15 percent of purchases now through February 15 to A Shelter for Cancer Families.

Blinded by the bing: Lyndsey Zorich, Tracy Ling, Jill Holstead, Chanda Schneider, Allie Fields, Lauri Mauldin, Jo Veigel, Margaret Ling, Dr. Keila Torres, Kelly Maxson, Madelon McGrenera, Lee ‘Or, Kaci Garcia, Jamie Phillips, Joyce Fadem and Lisa Oren.