Fertitta's 'True Blue' Backyard Bash Raises $1M for Houston Police

Fertitta's 'True Blue' Backyard Bash Raises $1M for Houston Police

Matt Clark, Julia Morales Clark, Laurie and Bret Sanders

TILMAN FERTITTA AND his family hosted the 15th annual True Blue fundraising fete benefiting the Houston Police Foundation. More than 600 supporters — clad in denim and beautiful shades of blue, naturally — helped make it a record-breaking event, with $1 million raised for the department's equipment and training.


This year's True Blue bash was Hawaiian-themed, and touted fire dancers, hula girls and drumming luau performers. And, of course, given the access to Landry's best and brightest, the food impressed: Restaurants like The Palm, Willie G's and Brenner's provided bites such as green papaya salad, bluffing tuna poke, teriyaki beef kabobs and more.

Meanwhile, HPD's robotic dog, Spot, roamed the grounds looking for photo ops, and wasn't even frightened during the casual-cool evening's finale — an eye-catching, ear-popping 15-minute fireworks display!

Blake Fertitta, Tilman Fertitta, Blayne Fertitta and Patrick Fertitta

Whitney and John Whitmire

Michael Kaplan and Garrett Kaplan

Twila Carter with Spot

Keith and Alice Mosing

Tim Phillips and Pat Mann Phillips

Monica and Russell Ybarra

Tilman Fertitta, Laura Ward, Police Chief Troy Finner

Paul and Kristina Somerville, Frances Moody Buzbee and Tony Buzbee

Sam Pena, Joan Huffman, Keith Lawyer

Sunny and Mac Haik

Parties

WHEN HURRICANE HARVEY unleashed its wrath, Mumbai-born author Nishita Parekh and a few family members, some of whom had homes in evacuation zones, holed up in her second-story apartment, safe from the flooding — but trapped. “Five adults and two kids, crammed into this one-bedroom space,” recalls Parekh. “We ended up having a good time. But that experience planted a seed in my mind that this would make a good premise for a mystery."

Keep Reading Show less
Art + Entertainment

Treebeards Red Beans and Rice with sausage (photo by Becca Wright)

IN 1978, EARL Campbell was the number-one draft pick for the Houston Oilers, Republican Jim McConn was Mayor of Houston, and the Texas Medical Center was growing exponentially. Treebeards also burst on the scene in burgeoning Downtown, and quickly became a beloved lunch tradition.

Keep Reading Show less
Food