Donors Celebrate to their Hearts' Content at Unbeatable Ball

Daniel Ortiz and Wilson Parish
Donors Celebrate to their Hearts' Content at Unbeatable Ball

Jorge and April Salazar

SUPPORTERS OF THE American Heart Association gathered at the Post Oak Hotel for an evening of dinner and dancing ahead of the organization's 100th anniversary.


Taking place on Valentine's Day weekend, naturally, the event was themed "Every Beat, Everywhere," and included fun plays on the word "beat" like hip-hop violinist Demola, who accompanied cocktail hour. After a gourmet dinner — Chilean sea bass, herb-roasted tenderloin — guests took to the dance floor and boogied to the beats of Manhattan Band. Throughout the night, emcee Khambrell Marshall introduced speakers such as Olivier Le Peuch and Doug Lawson, as well as an emotional video testimony featuring an 11-year-old heart disease survivor.

An exciting live auction touting items such as a Hawaiian vacation and a getaway to Puerto Vallarta helped the total till top $1.2 million. Can't beat that!

Demola the Violinist

Casey Brand

Pam and Jim Wells

Debbie and Jack Moore

Khambrel Marshall and Sabirah Rayford

Daniel Penny and Yuliya Veretennikova

Doug Lawson and Carla Guzman

Jeff and Bonnie Houston

Anne Neeson and Jim Postl

Manhattan Band

Kim Williams and Chuck Pyle

People + Places
‘Embrace Changes,’ Says Valobra, Whose Namesake Jewelry Store Has Become a Houston Institution
How did you get to where you are today? I had little choice in the matter; I grew up being trained to become the fourth-generation jewelry designer behind my great grandfather, grandfather, and father. It was my duty to carry on the family business and continue the hard work and success they built from nothing, beginning in Torino, Italy in 1905. I was surrounded by jewelry and its craftmanship as a young child and was taught the business from a very young age.
Keep Reading Show less

UPON ARRIVAL AT Maroma resort on Mexico’s Riviera Maya, a beautifully dressed attendant, briefcase and tablet in hand, ushers guests to their respective rooms. “Here’s your welcome amenity,” she says, gesturing to ceramic vessels on the coffee table with one hand as she completes the check-in process with the other. “It is tequila.”

Keep Reading Show less
People + Places

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