Thousands of Kids Have 'A Place to Dream' Thanks to Record-Breaking Furniture Bank Event

Thousands of Kids Have 'A Place to Dream' Thanks to Record-Breaking Furniture Bank Event

Dean Todd, Stacey Todd, Cinde Matocha, Gary Matocha

HUNDREDS OF GUESTS packed River Oaks Country Club for The Furniture Bank's annual fundraising event. They hit the ballroom floor to ensure no kid sleeps on the floor!


Emcee Linda Lorelle introduced the "A Place to Dream" video documenting the efforts of founder Oli Mohammed and city leaders to give furniture to Houston families in need. The evening's honorees included Youval Meicler of Texas Mattress Makers, and the late Ralph Marek, whose son Stan graciously accepted the award.

A live auction led by Johnny Bravo got the crowd excited, and musician Doug Montgomery kept the energy high all the way through dessert and coffee. A record-breaking $300,000 was raised for The Furniture Bank, which has since 2018 provided beds to more than 4,000 children in need.

Aaron and Jessica Glick

Syed and Kelsey Iman

Ben Marek, Neha Dubey

Stan Marek and Regina Rogers

Bob Gulitti, Lisa Gulitti

Oli Mohammed, Jeff Cummins, Harry Cummins

Kevin Gilliard and Frank Billingsley

Michele and Youval Meicler

Mike and Francie Willis

Laura Barnett, Daniel Cavazos

John Parsley, Mike Holland, Stan Marek, Brent Ballard

Parties
Thrive & Inspire: Creating ’Something Bigger Than Ourselves’ Drives Gooch and Pappas of RYDE

Ashley Gooch and Andrew Pappas, Co-Founders

WHAT INSPIRES YOU as you grow RYDE? The RYDE community and our team inspire us every day. The goal from the start was to create something that is bigger than ourselves — our community is just that. We want to push the limits of what a fitness experience can be. Our new Heights studio is a testament to that commitment, offering a high-energy indoor cycling experience in a stunning space. RYDE Heights opens in April, exactly eight years after our first location opened on West Gray in River Oaks.

Keep Reading Show less

David Cordua

FOODIES WITH BIG hearts were in heaven at the annual Signature Chefs restaurants expo and fundraising dinner benefitting the March of Dimes. Held at The Revaire and chaired by Kristen J. Cannon and Mignon Gill, the event took in some $425,000 in support of healthier mothers and children.

Keep Reading Show less

LeBrina Jackson

AS WE GET into the holiday season, we’re reminded of what we have, what we want and what might be lacking. As Sheryl Crow says in her song, Soak up the Sun, “It’s not having what you want, it’s wanting what you've got.” We caught up with LeBrina Jackson, owner of Escape Spa in Cypress, Texas, and learned how she tackles the holiday season with hope, love and most importantly, gratitude.

Keep Reading Show less