Houston media members don feather boas and are ready to serve

KHOU-TV Sports Anchor Bob Allen with KHOU-TV celebrity servers:  Lily Jang, Katherine Whaley and Courtney Zubowski with Chita Johnson

Houston media was out in force Sunday night at Tony's. It was to raise funds for the ESCAPE Family Resource Center at the 32nd Annual ESCAPE Celebrity Serve “Color My World” Benefit. ESCAPE is a non-profit that's mission is to prevent child abuse and neglect in the Houston area.

These TV and radio personalities joined folks from the worlds of sports, philanthropy, politics, business and space exploration by donning aprons and feather boas to be charitable celebrity servers.

Texas energy tycoon T. Boone Pickens served as CEO (Celebrity Executive Officer) at the event and directed the Houston celebrity servers who mingled with guests.

Some of the 30+ celebrities were:
- Astronauts Walt Cunningham and Gene Cernan
- Newly named KHOU-TV Sports Anchor Bob Allen
- Stylish Lynn Wyatt
- Tae Kwan Do Silver and Bronze Olympic Medalists/siblings Mark and Diana Lopez
- Parents-to-be Miya Shay, KTRK-TV reporter, and her husband, Texas State Rep. Gene Wu

Wu presented a House Resolution commending ESCAPE’s work that was read in the Texas Legislature.

Also on tap was KHOU-TV reporter and newlywed Courtney Zubowski - a scene-stealer with her rainbow-hued locks, eyelashes and furry boots. Other notables on tap included KHOU's Chita Johnson, Lily Jang and Katherine Whaley, KTRK abc13's The Buzz Lady Roseann Rogers, KPRC AM 950's Michael Garfield, singer Scott Gertner, KPRC-TV Anchor Andy Cerota, pro basketball player Jonathan Bender, CBS Radio/FOX 26 TV’s Cleverley Stone, pro football player Devard Darling and stylist Edward Sanchez.

Tony’s stunning interior design was a canvas of balloon-laden tables bursting in primary colors. The room’s centerpiece was an impressive four-foot tall balloon sculpture on the table of Texas energy tycoon T. Boone Pickens, special guest of dear friends Schnitzer Levy and her husband, Irvin.

The party crowd included: ESCAPE Board Chair Dennis Price and wife Vicki, Irvin Levy, Evelyn Franklin, Faith and Lee Majors, Hon. Bonnie Crane Hellums and her husband, former Houston Oiler Carel Stith, Louise and Dr. Denton Cooley, Hon. Meca Walker, Commissioner R. Jack Cagle, Erica and Charles Harris, Regina Rogers, KTRH Radio Anchor Shara Fryer and husband, Barry Silverman, Marjorie Evans, Shantel and David Ferdman, Dene Hofheinz Anton, Celebrity Chair and ESCAPE Board Member Kim Padgett, Susan and David Morris, Clemencia and Jordan Larimore and ESCAPE CEO Lidya K. Osadchey.

Co-Chair Gerald Franklin, who personally greeted all the guests at the door, said close to 300 guests attended and brought in $288,000 $300,000 for ESCAPE. Franklin is a co-founder of ESCAPE, which dates back to 1983.

Miya Shay and husband, State Rep. Gene Wu, with ESCAPE CEO Lidya Osadchey

Actor Lee Majors ($6-Million Man who is now on "Dallas"), his wife, Faith, Texas energy tycoon T. Boone Pickens (he's on the far right -- special guest for the Celebrity Serve Benefit evening) and his date, Toni Brinker.  

 Bob Allen, Tom Koch, Todd Ramos, Houston Chronicle's Lindsey Love, Ernie Manouse and Roseann Rogers

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