Diamond Winter Ball cracks $1 million mark
Winter Ball chair
Franelle Rogers decided to err on the side of elegance for the 30th anniversary Diamond Winter Ball benefiting the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation.
While past balls — namely, 2015’s “A Night on the Nile” and last year’s “Age of Aquarius” were over the top, Saturday’s Winter Ball at Hilton Americas-Houston felt decidedly more subdued.
Gone were the shirtless men, signature cocktails and acrobatics that had become synonymous with the soiree. Sure, there were some constants: What’s a Winter Ball without a donated Mercedes-Benz convertible or two?
The bejeweled evening — no, really, Tenenbaum
Jewelers’ estate bling was on prominent display inside the makeshift cocktail lounge, and
Franco Valobra’s custom necklace fetched high bids during the live auction — raised a cool, recordbreaking $1 million.
Looks like Rogers made the right call.
A Marilyn Monroe impersonator, the night’s opening act, set the tone by shimmying up and down the runway to “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend.” Next, more than 50 previous ABC13 Women of Distinction honorees hit the catwalk before emcees
Melanie Lawson and Tom Koch introduced the 2017 class: Jo Furr, Dr. Sippi Khurana, Shawntell McWilliams, Cyndy Garza Roberts, Jessica Rossman, Susan Sarofim, Kim Tutcher, Kelli Weinzierl, Vivian Wise and ambassador Judi McGee.
Videos revealing how friends and family surprised each award recipient with the news of their honor streamed overhead, while the 650 attendees schmoozed over dinner. A few honorees, including Wise and Roberts, were ambushed at Tootsies; other unveilings went down at the St. Regis and Hotel Granduca.
Danielle Ellis, crowned a Woman of Distinction in 1997, explained that past honorees suggest new names every year, though the final nominations are decided by secret voters.
The next day, over brunch at Cuchara, Roberts and her extended family swiped through iPhone photos from the Winter Ball.
Apparently, a mob of galagoers had moseyed down to the hotel’s lobby bar where the black-tie set and a KISS cover band merged for an impromptu after-party.
Perhaps the 2017 fete wasn’t so tame after all.