Lunch Bunch

The inaugural Women of Substance luncheon honored a dozen local ladies for their philanthropic contributions, and raised $400,000 for the Mission of Yahweh shelter. ... Meanwhile, supporters of the Houston Botanic Garden also raised nearly $500,000 at the organization’s lunch. ... A sold-out event benefiting Houston’s Ronald McDonald House thanked Southwest Airlines for its support. ... The second annual Power of Literacy luncheon, hosted by the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation’s Ladies for Literacy Guild, celebrated the unveiling of the 30-foot Curiosity Cruiser mobile library. ... Finally, Rob Lowe was the ballyhooed keynote speaker at the Council on Recovery’s fall lunch, which raised $520,000.


Special
Exclusive Furniture’s Sam Zavary Credits Luck, Hard Work and ‘Mom’s Prayers’ for His Success

How did you get to where you are today? I am a firm believer that hard work and having dreams that you strive to achieve will motivate and inspire people to achieve their potential. Working hard, dreaming, and making sure to take advantage of every opportunity is something I learned at a young age. I credit God and God’s grace firstly, but I know that success is a direct result of hard work. I tell my podcast subscribers and followers to continue setting goals, evolving, improving, and planning, and I practice what I preach. I am proud to have started my business in the fastest growing major city in the United States, and I attribute a lot of the success of Exclusive Furniture to the family culture we create in the best city — Houston’s diversity, philanthropy, and innovation have helped me achieve a lot of the milestones in the furniture business (and the “low prices”) you see today!

Keep Reading Show less

THE CORINTHIAN WAS the scene for a haunted happening benefiting Children’s Museum Houston. The decidedly adult bash was filled with dark allure, gothic glamour, and generosity to the tune of $1.14 million, the second-highest total in the event’s history.

Keep Reading Show less
Parties

Morris Smith, Tilman Fertitta and Toni Smith

THE HOUSTON CHILDREN'S Charity gala is always anticipated, thanks to the big-deal musical acts brought in to entertain; this year it was Chicago. But the headliners this year were the generous donors, who seemed to surprise even event organizer with their largesse, with a total till of $6.2 million, a record.

Keep Reading Show less
Party People