You Could Hear a Pin Drop at Children’s Museum Houston Friends and Families Luncheon

You Could Hear a Pin Drop at Children’s Museum Houston Friends and Families Luncheon

A record-breaking $237,000 was raised at Children’s Museum Houston’s annual Friends and Families Luncheon. Over 400 cheerful guests came together to support chairpersons Lexi Sakowitz Marek and Natasha Stolte in making this the most successful luncheon in the Museum’s history.

Welcoming the full house was Emcee Katherine Whaley, who thanked H-E-B’s Central Market for the floral centerpieces and guided the crowd through the afternoon festivities. After a sumptuous meal, she cheered on the keynote speaker and author of Toddlers CAN Read, Spencer Russell. Russell’s message about helping children embrace challenges resonated deeply with the audience. He encouraged parents and caregivers to empower little ones to tackle hard things by breaking big challenges into manageable steps and supporting them through the process, helping them build confidence. His words captivated the room, and attendees later reflected that “you could have heard a pin drop.”

The Museum also unveiled its newest gift to Houston families: the “Gallery of Wonder,” the largest museum space in the nation dedicated exclusively to early learning. Early childhood educators and two dozen dynamic programs focused on brain development, critical thinking, and cognitive growth. This latest addition is expected to welcome more than 350,000 visitors annually.

Children’s Museum Houston CEO Rayanne Darensbourg was beaming as she stated, “The Friends and Families Luncheon is a celebration of the families, educators, and champions who believe in the magic of childhood and the extraordinary potential inside every child. This incredible outpouring of support shows what happens when a community comes together around a powerful idea that every child deserves joyful opportunities to learn, explore, and grow. Because of this community’s generosity, we can continue creating playful learning experiences that ignite curiosity and empower the next generation of thinkers, creators, and problem-solvers.”

In the Social Scene (not previously mentioned):  Katie Arnoldy, Meredith Barker, Lauren Barrett, Kathryn Boeker, Bethany Buchanan, Alex Butt, Skye Chao, Allison Chavez, Julie Chen, Lauren Cox, Adrienne Crane, Narguess Fazel, Annabel Florescu, Devorah Krieger, Whitney Kuhn Lawson, Lacey Marek, Hayden Lasher, Amanda Pickering, Kat Pressly, Monica Radoff, Ashley Sloan, Mary Morgan Stevens