Can-Do Spirit Takes Over Benny Chows for Sold-Out Wine Dinner

Can-Do Spirit Takes Over Benny Chows for Sold-Out Wine Dinner

Ryan Arnold, Elizabeth Yost, Marial Biard, Bear Biard

THE THIRD ANNUAL Hope Uncorked event had vino-lovers popping bottles at Benny Chows in the name of CanCare! The sold-out wine dinner and auction took over the entire Washington Avenue restaurant and raised an impressive $90,000 for the organization.


Upon arrival, guests were greeted with a glass of Madame Zero Champagne, then proceeded to take a seat for dinner. Each table was helmed by a wine host, who provided incredible vintages from their own personal cellars to complement Chef Jett Hurapon's four-course meal.

Before the highly anticipated auction began, Megan Vondra took to the mic to speak about her personal journey with cancer, and how important it is to have a fellow survivor by your side after receiving the devastating diagnosis. CanCare's mission is to provide anyone facing cancer with a survivor to usher them through the difficult chapter. We'll raise a glass to that.

TJ and Margaret Farnsworth

Ben Hildreth, Mary Nell Boone

Val and Leslie Brock

Caroline Kenney, Garvin Davis

Steven and Angelica Newmyer, Kimberly Wilkins

Cathy and David Herr

Robert Sakowitz

Chrissy and Hap Hunnicutt

Natalie and Steve Mohtashami

Christian and Jill Varas

Dan and Martha Ceballos

Megan Vondra and Darcie Wells

Hye Lee, Gleeson Van Riet

Matthew Massey and Nick Sanford

Jason Pennington, Michael Pinon, Matt Girotto

Jim Janke, Susan Kachler

Mark Bermann, Franelle Rogers and Mark Cox

Jeanie Janke and Guy and Kimberly Stout

Parties

John Kuykendall, Showroom Manager, Sub-Zero, Wolf and Cove

How did you get to where you are today? Growing up I had envisioned myself as a news anchor, living in NY and enthusiastically saying into the camera “Good Morning America!”. To this day, I am still a news/political junkie. My mother owned fur salons so specialty retail, luxury retail was in my blood through the family business. Eventually, mom shuttered the stores and I was recruited to a large specialty retailer. Over the next 30 years, I was in commissioned sales on the sales floor, became a department manager, worked my way up to buyer and store manager. Although I never became a newscaster, I did live in NYC for a few years. But Texas is home and with aging grandparents, I felt the pull to come back to my roots. A headhunter approached me. I never envisioned myself in the high-end appliance market, but there are so many similarities. Clients want a memorable experience; whether shopping for diamonds and fur or remodeling their kitchen.

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How did you get to where you are today? My journey to where I am today is built on a foundation of hard work, dedication, and perseverance. Every step along the way, I faced obstacles, but I approached each one with determination and a “never give up” mindset. Instead of being discouraged by challenges, I used them as opportunities to grow and improve. Consistency was key—I committed to showing up and giving my best effort every day. I also learned not to take “no” as a final answer. Instead, I saw it as a chance to push harder, adapt, and find another way forward. It’s this combination of persistence, resilience, and unwavering focus that has brought me to where I am today.

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