Tiger Ball Honors Houston’s Iconic Lynn Wyatt raising $1.34 million right before the world got hit by the pandemic

Houston’s Gala scene is filled with grand balls and events. Every year, dozens of charities and organizations roll out the red carpets and throw lavish affairs, but one in particular never fails to rise to the top of the list: the Asia Society Texas Center Tiger Ball! And this year was bound to be one of the most grand affair as The event honored Texas’ iconic and beloved champion of the arts, Lynn Wyatt, and was led by co-chairs Kathy and Marty Goossen and Akemi and Yasuhiko Saitoh. Honorary chairs were Kathy and Glen Yoshiaki Gondo, Wendy and Jeff Hines, Stephanie and Frank Tsuru, Brenda and Marc Watts, Donna Fujimoto Cole, and Shota Kondo.

This year’s theme was Celebrating the Elegance of Japan and magically transported a record-breaking attendance of 725 guests to the “Land of the Rising Sun” by creating a beautiful paradise on the Center’s Gala Pavilion. Cherry blossom branches, white Phalaenopsis orchids, roses, pink orchids, Vanda orchids, magnolia Japonica, fringed tulips, Asclepias, and a new breed of tulip known as the Leo spider tulip, decorated the scene. Nearly 10,000 blooms were imported from as far away as Thailand.

Guests entering the Pavilion were greeted by Japanese taiko drummers and origami cranes and white rice paper and feather lanterns were hung from the ceiling. The Center in itself is an expression of the culture, having been designed by famed Japanese architect Yoshio Taniguchi.

A total of $1.34 million was raised to support Asia Society Texas Center’s 150+ public programs each year.

Amongst the notable guests included Sushila and Durga Agrawal, Nancy Allen, Muffet Blake and Bob Murray, Kristy and Chris Bradshaw, Gracie and Bob Cavnar, Anne and Albert Chao, Molly and Jim Crownover, Chinhui Juhn and Eddie Allen, Ann and Peter Fluor, Lily and Charles Foster, Mandy and William Kao, Leela and Nat Krishnamurthy, Sultana and Moez Mangalji, Shazma and Arshad Matin, Duyen and Marc Nguyen, Sylvia and Gordon Quan, Sue and Randy Sim, Leigh and Reggie Smith, Y. Ping Sun and David Leebron, Nanako and Dale Tingleaf, Phoebe and Bobby Tudor, Michelle and Rishi Varma, Starlee Sykes and Al Vickers, Margaret Alkek Williams and Jim Daniel, plus members of the consular corps from Japan, China, India, Korea, New Zealand, and Pakistan. This was most certainly the last glamorous gala Houston experienced before the pandemic hit the world. We continue to pray for everyone’s good health and hope to get back to our normal lives soon.