Tony Buzbee and Frances Moody Open Up the Doors to Their Lavish River Oaks Home For a Vital Nonprofit

Colorful trial lawyer Tony Buzbee and his bride, the stunning Frances Moody Buzbee, opened the doors to their River Oaks Boulevard home Friday night for their first big event as a married couple. It was the kickoff party for the October 8 Houston Children’s Charity gala and it was a kickoff like no other with an unexpected windfall.

The Buzbees, recently back from a lavish European honeymoon that followed their Galveston wedding in July, had hoped to encourage donations that would total $40,000, enough to purchase a wheelchair-accessible van for an HCC client. But the ever-persuasive trial lawyer outdid himself on this evening, giving perhaps his most meaningful, if not the best, closing arguments of his career, rallying guests to contribute a whopping $200,000. Unheard of in kickoff party annals.

“In 31 years of hosting kickoff parties, I have never witnessed the hype that Tony created,” HCC CEO Laura Ward says. “He was masterful — for the kids.”

That handsome total allows the nonprofit to purchase five vans for families in need with handicapped children. Under the guidance of Ward, HCC’s Chariots for Children program was launched in 1996 and since that time has gifted 260 specially outfitted vans to families with children in wheelchairs or with other mobility disabilities.

Beyond touting the van program, the Buzbees shared with the gathering of more than 90 guests the impact that Houston Children’s Charity has had in the community. Among the annual programs, 1,200 beds are given each year to children who don’t have a bed of their own and at the start of each school year 3,500 backpacks filled with school supplies are distributed to children in need.

Tony Buzbee and his bride are chairing the HCC 24th annual gala headlining Cyndi Lauper on October 8 at the Post Oak Hotel, continuing his long-standing support of the nonprofit. Over the years Buzbee has been the high bidder on the fabulous autos donated outright to the HCC gala auction by Momentum BMW Southwest and BMW of West Houston. This year’s high bidder will take home the swell 2022 BMW M440i Series Convertible.

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