Heroes Seen and Wishes Granted at Make-A-Wish “Wish Ball-The Hero Within” Gala

Heroes Seen and Wishes Granted at Make-A-Wish “Wish Ball-The Hero Within” Gala

Fulfilling the wishes of critically ill children has been the longstanding mission of Make-A-Wish Texas Gulf Coast and Louisiana and their recent gala, “Wish Ball-The Hero Within,” was a tribute to the love our city has for this organization.

More than 650 guests attended this record-breaking evening, raising over $1.8 million to continue the organization’s ongoing legacy. Honorary Chairs Beth and Dan Bellow, honorees Mandy S. Williams and Enterprise Mobility, President & CEO Shelly Millwee and Emcee Melissa Wilson were overjoyed at the turnout and the smiling faces seen throughout the evening program.

The event began with a heartwarming wish granted to six-year-old Adonis Braithwaite, a Wish alum and cancer survivor. Emcee Melissa Wilson brought Adonis to the stage and encouraged him to call Batman. The recognizable Bat Signal lit up the video screens and a live feed revealed the Batmobile arriving outside the hotel. His hero, Batman, emerged and joined Adonis on stage, where he presented him with his very own Batman mask. The iconic Gotham City crime-fighting car was also on display for guests to enjoy.

Proud mother Melissa was then joined on stage by her son, Caleb, another Wish alum and leukemia survivor, whose wish to visit Alaska was granted when he was five. Now 17, Caleb spoke about how Make-A-Wish made the impossible possible, giving him newfound strength.

Wish Kid Aria dreamed of planting 1,000 trees in our city. She arrived at the gala with 900 trees already sponsored, thanks to support from Trees for Houston. The crowd was then asked to help fund Aria’s final 100 trees. This powerful appeal raised an astounding $500,000 and secured Aria’s wish for 1,000 trees in Houston to be planted.

Auctioneer Letitia Frye brought the house down and the paddles up with a few auction items, including a live painting by artist Edgar Medina, a poodle puppy, and front row tickets to 9-year-old fashion phenomenon Max Alexander’s upcoming Aspen fashion show. Max holds the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s youngest runway fashion designer.

Major sponsors for the gala included The Kaneka Foundation, Kristin and Barry Palmer and Red & Black Productions. Longtime design and décor company Art Attack worked its magic with the blue, silver and gold color scheme. Honoree Mandy Williams brought her Ferrari Race Car to display at the event. She once raced in it and would take donations from drivers to fundraise for Make-A-Wish when the chapter started. This is the world’s only Make-A-Wish race car. Party in the City had an excited and packed group on the dance floor with some chart-topping and heroic tunes!

Shelly Millwee, President and CEO, said, “What an extraordinary and magical night for Make-A-Wish. The generous funds raised from our event will help grant many wishes and bring joy and hope to more local children facing unimaginable illnesses. We appreciate all our supporters who helped make this evening a tremendous success.” As evidenced, there is a Hero Within Us All, if we take a moment and Give a bit of ourselves!

In the Social Scene (not previously mentioned):  Courtney and Jason Jennaro, Genevieve and Ed Razim, Gregory Miller, Claudia and Brad Freels, Teri and Jim Andrepont, Cathy and Robert Brewton, Susan and Larry Kachler, Pam and Joe Slovacek, Kay and Tommy Austin, Jacob Millwee, Holly and Ryan Lambert, Jerrie and John McGillis, Charity and David Stone, Yuliya and Dr. Daniel Penny, Drs. ZoAnn and Jeff Dreyer, Michael Vanderhider, Dana and Taft McWhorter, Max Alexander, Mark Reed, Stephanie and Ryan Moss, Ashley and Jonathan Sloan, Kristin and Barry Palmer, Aabha and James Brown, Stephanie and Thomas Hatfield, April and Scott Townsend, Becca and Scott Schwinger, Renee Montgomery, Marye and John Nickens, Stephanie and Daniel Milwit