Spring Fling Celebrates Three Decades of Foster-Care Assistance, Honors Mattress Mack

Quy Tran
Spring Fling Celebrates Three Decades of Foster-Care Assistance, Honors Mattress Mack

Marta Fredricks, Aaron Bludorn and Elyse Cokinos Stevens

A HOUSTON NONPROFIT has quietly but diligently served the children and families in the Texas foster care system for three decades. Tanglewood residents and longtime donors Laura and George Pontikes hosted a springtime soiree in honor of Arrow Child & Family Ministries' 30th anniversary.

More than 200 partygoers raised a glass to the Pontikes, who spearheaded the renovation of Arrow's Spring-area HQ, which will be named for them. The evening, which featured delectable dishes courtesy of Aaron Bludorn, also honored Jim "Mattress Mack" McIngvale. He got a superhero cape and video tribute showcasing his contributions to Arrow and the foster-care community.

Joella and Steve Mach, Chris Pappas, Ellen Cokinos

Patrick Hicks, Doug Dillon, Nancy Pettiette, Billy Braddock, Ed Britt

Cynthia Pritchard-Stevenson, Jean Durdin, Sharilyn and Gayle Lampson

Aimee and Wynne Snoots

Laura and George Pontikes

Mike and Susan Holland

Jack and Brenda Lynch

Eliza Flannery, Nick Pontikes, Molly Jodeit

Fr. Juan Torres, Scott Lundy, George Pontikes, Laura Pontikes, Jim McIngvale, Debi Tengler

Parties

Jacob Hilton, a.k.a. Travid Halton, at home in his kitchen, where he enjoys cooking as a form of therapy.

PINK FLOYD'S THE Wall. Sinatra’s In the Wee Small Hours. Beyonce’s Lemonade. Three divergent examples of the album as a cathartic, psychological, conceptual work, meant to be experienced in a single sitting. Houston singer-songwriter Jacob Hilton, 37, who records as Travid Halton, a portmanteau of his mother and father’s names, might balk at being mentioned in such company. (This is a thoroughly unpretentious man, who describes himself as an “archaeologist turned singer-songwriter.”)

Keep Reading Show less
Art + Entertainment

How did you get to where you are today? The present moment is a combined history of my family, my time as an athlete, my passion for learning, and my desire to see the world be better. I grew up as a successful springboard and platform diver, however, an injury caused me to seek alternative treatments to heal my body. In that process, I discovered the power of yoga, exercise, meditation, mindset, and nutrition. This holistic approach eventually led me to open a Pilates and cycling studio called DEFINE body & mind. I opened studios around the nation, and after selling most of my business between 2017-2019, I was ready to explore how I could make an even greater impact on the wellbeing of our community. In 2023, I started actively working on a brand new multi-family/apartment concept called, Define Living. The idea focused on offering health and wellness services within a beautiful apartment setting to increase the wellbeing of our residents. Having a strong sense of community is the number one factor in living a happy life, so why not build a community where daily fitness, cooking classes, and social connection are the norm? We opened Define Living in March of 2024, and we couldn’t be happier with how things are being received. We are already looking at building more concepts like this in the Houston area and beyond.

Keep Reading Show less