On Saturday, April 25, more than 400 attendees gathered at the Montrose Center’s 10th annual Empowering Our Future Gala: Once Upon a Time. The event included a memorial to former Chief Development Officer Kennedy Loftin and a tribute to the night’s honoree, The Ballroom at Bayou Place—our beautiful venue, which has been underwriting this event for many years—with the inaugural LGBTQ+ Youth Champion Award.
All in all, the event raised $361,260 for LGBTQ+ youth services and the Montrose Center. Our youth services are a vital part of our mission to empower LGBTQ+ individuals and their families to live healthier and more fulfilling lives.
Co-Chairs Mandy Giles, Neil Giles, BJ Gill and Robby Guthart hosted the special night of community and pride! Guests embraced the theme, with many arriving as fairy tale characters. The event featured a silent auction and a series of spellbinding performances from Emcee Dessie Love-Blake, Amy Armstrong accompanied by Justin Harner, Blackberri, Reign LaRue, and Christina Wells, who had us all on our feet during her Happily Ever After Finale performance.
We opened the evening with caricatures by Leaf, ‘readings’ from our Magic Mirror, Rachel B Face, and a piece of art painted on-site by Taft McWhorter. We closed the night with Prince of the After-Party DJ Easton.
Huge thanks to the evening’s top sponsors! Title Sponsors Brad & Jennifer Gouge provided a $100K matching gift. Other top sponsors include: The Ballroom at Bayou Place, Jim Spears, CORT, Ed Finger, Ernest Trevino & Scott Ulrick, Richard Werner & Tony Bravo, and Gary Wood & Bryant Johnson-Wood! This event would not be possible without their generosity and commitment to our cause.
Thank you to every person who attended the event or made a donation, for helping local LGBTQ+ youth write their own happily ever afters.
Support the Montrose Center’s programs by donating today.
Thank You to the Heroes of the Night — Our Sponsors!
Title Sponsors
Brad & Jen Gouge
Happily Ever After Sponsors
The Ballroom at Bayou Place
Jim Spears
Slayyy the Dragon Sponsors
CORT
Ed Finger
Ernest Trevino & Scott Ulrich
Richard Werner & Tony Bravo
Gary Wood & Bryant Johnson-Wood
Fairy Dust Sponsors
Charles Caliva & Kim Gustavsson – Concierge Travel
Episcopal Diocese of Texas
Mandy & Neil Giles
BJ Gill & Robby Guthart
Paul & Leon Guillory
NRG
Princex Charming Sponsors
All-Pro Auto Reconditioning
Complete Dermatology
Jeffrey Edwards & Hadley Wickham
Galene Financial – Rick Dickson
Fran & Susan Smith-Snider
Storybook Sponsors
Ashish Ankola & Ryan Nelson and Sam Carrell & Austin Faulk
Jason Brinker & Josh Frey
Clark Caperton & Alex Zuniga
Caryn Honig & Scott A. Schepps – Poppy’s Run for Life
Gonzalez Olivieri LLC
Justin & Michael Huebener
Megan A. Mooney, PhD, PLLC
Paragon Private Wealth Management
Auction Sponsors
Luis Adame & Chris Robertson
Aguasol
All-Pro Auto Reconditioning
Balani Custom Clothiers
Balloon Kings Houston
Bar Boheme
Black Phlox Studios
Brand g Vacations
Brooks Ballard International Real Estate
Concierge Travel
Hilton Americas
Houston Grand Opera
Houston Grazing Tables
KP’s Kitchen
Lauren Lindsay, CFP
LUCHO
Avery Miller
Native Citizen
Nice Winery
Southwest Airlines
Evelyn Spike
Stages
Taft McWhorter Art, LLC