Event Date: October 26, 2024
Location: Hilton Americas-Houston
Event: Gala
Beneficiary: interfaith Ministries Greater Houston
No. in attendance: 600
Money raised: $700,000
Chairpersons: Paula Sutton & Bill Gross and Nadia Tajalli & Dr. Shahin Tavackoli
Honorees: Randall Evans and Sushma & Devinder Majahan
Presenting Sponsor: Shell USA Inc.
Emcee: Casey Curry
Entertainment: Kenneth Gayle, Cecilia Duarte, The Philip Hall Singers and The Philip Hall Trio
Photography: Quy Tran
“A Tapestry of Making a Better Tomorrow” at Interfaith Ministries Greater Houston Tapestry Gala
Interfaith Ministries Greater Houston’s annual Tapestry Gala filled the Hilton Americas-Houston ballroom with 600 blessed supporters as they celebrated its theme, “A Better Tomorrow Starts Today.” Headlining the event were Co-Chairs Paula Sutton and Bill Gross, Nadia Tajalli and Dr. Shahin Tavackoli, and Shell USA Inc., the event’s Presenting Sponsor.
Hindustani music from Northern India, performed by Dr. Shane Monds and Prashant Kumar on sitar and table, welcomed guests to the reception of this festive yearly fundraiser. Media personality and emcee Casey Curry greeted the crowd and invited Shell USA Inc.’s representative Sonya Vial, who spoke about her company’s longtime commitment to the organization. Board Chair Kathy C. Flanagan, M.D. then gave heartfelt thanks to the gala’s sponsors and brought a team of multi-faith leaders to the podium to lead the shared prayer. This devotional team comprised Rabbi Pam Silk, Kayvon Haghpeykar, Alex Kalaitjakis, Nazli Cizmeci, Acharya Surya Nanda, Daisy Tam and Rev. Dr. Tamala Wilson. A moment of silence honored several key leaders who passed away. They were Rev. William A. Lawson, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee and Susan Farb Morris.
While guests dined on the hotel’s exceptional cuisine of Braised Beef Short Rib, Pumpkin Cognac Cheesecake and Chocolate Pot de Crème, and listened to the musical stylings of Jazz-inspired and soulful entertainment provided by Kenneth Gayle, Cecilia Duarte, The Philip Hall Singers and The Philip Hall Trio, Casey Curry was joined on stage by IM President and CEO Martin B. Cominsky, who showcased a new video of IM’s good work. Afterward, the Chairs presented the evening’s honorees—community leader and former Board Chair Randall Evans and Sushma and Devinder Majahan, co-founders of the new Eternal Gandhi Museum Houston.
This spirited and consistently successful event raised $700,000 to further IM’s commitment to diversity, feeding homebound seniors and their pets and building bridges of understanding through interfaith dialogue … A True Tapestry of Making Each Day Better than the Last for Everyone!
In the Social Scene (not previously mentioned): Hon. Sylvester Turner, County Commissioner Adrian Garcia, and Houston City Council Members Twila Carter and Fred Flickinger, Shirin and Saied Alavi, Susan and Dan Boggio, Murad and Sanober Ajani, Philamena and Arthur Baird, Emma Chambers, Luisa and Dr. Lucky Chopra, Wendy Cooper, Jacques D’Rovencourt, Jill and Mark Eddings, Marla and Danel Fielder, Doe and Henry Florsheim, Karen and Jay Harberg, Renu and Sanjay Jain, Ann and Ron Kaesermann, Hon. Bill King and Cheryl Boblitt King, Roberta and Eric Konicki, Atul Kothari, Edward Kuntz, Fred Marshall and Linh Nguyen, Vijay Pallod, Robert Sakowitz, Hon. Arthur and Joyce Schechter, Joy Sewing, Cheryl and Brian Wagaman, Dr. Manish Wani and Ali Zakaria