High Society

Two of the season’s most glamorous galas took over the ballroom of Downtown’s new Marriott Marquis hotel. The Houston Symphony’s annual ball — this year helmed by the organization’s executive director and CEO, Mark Hanson, and wife Christina — featured a lively performance by Frankie Moreno and his band, who flew in for the Vegas-themed event. ... A couple weeks later, Michael Bolton took the stage at the Audrey Hepburn Society Ball. Actress and Unicef ambassador Angie Harmon was honored with the Spirit of Compassion award in front of 500 black tie-clad guests, who raised an impressive $900,000 for Unicef, which helps children around the world obtain basic rights and resources.


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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!

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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.

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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.

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Party People