India House Gala & TUTS Dream Out Loud
Society with Ruchi
India House celebrated their ninth annual gala ‘Living Our Dreams of Philanthropy’ on Saturday February 18, 2012 with grandeur at the Intercontinental Hotel, Houston, Texas. The ballroom was decorated with exquisite taste for a chic audience from the Indo and American community. India House President Jugal Malani and Raj Malani warmly welcomed the guests. In an exclusive interview he explained the importance of these galas and how it was necessary to raise funds through these events.
The highlights for the gala were keynote speaker for the evening Harris County Judge Ed Emmett and a cultural program by a talented group of children. It was a very proud moment for India House as they celebrated years of success of being a significant contributor to the community by bringing various cultures together. Over the years India House has been able to showcase and enrich Houston by sharing India’s traditions and unique cultures like Rath Yatra, Diwali and many other cultural, political and religious festivities.
This sold-out gala was attended by the who’s who of the community, and turned out to be a huge success as they raised over $500,000. Spotted at the India House gala event, Dr. Renu Khator, David Raj, Sam Merchant, Pankaj Malani, Sanjay and Savita Rao, Sudha Mani, Witty Bindra, and many others.
How much some may complain about galas I do have to confess that this one left me speechless. The River Performing & Visual Arts Center (The River), along with chairs Bill and Stephanie Swingle, welcomed more than 250 guests on Friday February 17 to its ‘Dream Out Loud’ Celebration. Guests flocked to the Junior League in their best cocktail attire to enjoy a night of festivities and to pay tribute to the nonprofit by raising funds for its arts education programs. In total, the event garnered more than $200,000 in donations for The River’s programs.
The River is an affiliate of Theatre Under The Stars (TUTS), a unique, barrier free initiative that provides an accessible and inclusive arts education for children with disabilities, chronic illnesses, or who are economically disadvantaged. These year-round classes teach music, art, drama and dance to approximately 2,300 children annually.
Before dinner, guests were treated to a silent auction and cocktails, however the evening was made special with a powerful presentation from The River performance troupe, which comprised of students from both The River and The Academy at Humphreys School of Musical Theatre. In keeping with the theme of the night, they performed a piece based off the idea of ‘Dreamland’.
Among the other guests were event underwriting chairs Toni and Howard Tate, event auction chairs Elizabeth and Scott Schwind, TUTS President and CEO John Breckenridge, Amy and Rob Pierce, Ed and Lorraine Wulfe, Marsha and David Taylor, Hector Villarreal, Julien and Lori Smythe, Ben and Arline Guefen, Frank and Doreen Speidel, Curtis and Cindee Klement, Dee Dee Dochen, Barbie and Don Schaffer and Carol and Don Brace.
Dream Out Loud Photos by David Kraitman
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Sponsored by: Photos by Rovo and Pentafour Photography
