I must say, January has been eventful. I'm liking how 2018 is starting out. First I ran over 40 miles in the Disney World Dopey Challenge (see previous post). The next weekend I went dress shopping and found an amazing dress by Rachel Allan to wear yet the following weekend to the Astros Diamond Dreams Gala. No, I didn't wait until the last minute to find a dress. I had one that I picked out a month prior. However, about a week before the event, the organizers sent out an e-mail which mentioned the event was cocktail attire. Yikes...I had a full-length gown, so I rushed back to the store, Couture House. I really wish my dad could have attended the event, but he has COPD and is now at a point where he gets very uncomfortable when up and about for too long. I, therefore, went mostly in his honor.
So, what was this gala all about, you ask. Well, first let me start by saying what it supported; that is most important, after all. Proceeds from the event went to The Astros Foundation and New Hope Housing. As stated on The Astros Foundation's website, the foundation supports youth baseball and softball programs, honors our nation's military, promotes childhood cancer awareness, and makes efforts to reduce homelessness. (To find out more or to donate, go to Astros Foundation) The latter of these efforts makes New Hope Housing the perfect partner for the foundation. New Hope Housing's mission, according to its website, is to provide affordable, permanent housing with support services for people who live on very limited incomes. (See New Hope Housing for more information.) As they stated at the gala, both organizations have provided tremendous help to those affected by Hurricane Harvey. While, my family and I were thankfully not affected by this devastating storm, I do know several people that lost everything. In fact, when I was at Disney World for the race, I met a couple that said they are still not back in their home. I would love to be a part of The Astros Foundation. For a while now, I have wanted to become more involved with charity operations.
Now to the gala, itself. The gala took place at Minute Maid Park, home of the Astros. I entered through and registered in Union Station. Union Station, as the name suggests, used to serve as a railway station for Houston. Opened in 1911, it is a piece of history that was, thankfully, preserved and incorporated into the ballpark. Having lived in England for a short time, when I was a child, I gained an appreciation for history and historical sites. I feel like too much history is torn down and destroyed to make room for "progress".
Once registered, I walked through another set of doors, politefully held open by attendants, into the actual stadium. A little to the left I saw all the microphone and cameras set up for press interviews. To the right, though, was the staircase leading down to the field. They had lined the handrail with rope lighting. I must say, stairs were the last thing I wanted to see. I sprained my knee during the Disney races, I was wearing 6-inch heels, and the hose was making my feet slip in my shoes. I made it down without falling, though...(no, please, applause isn't necessary.) ;)
At the bottom of the stairs, attendants were waiting to offer a "you made it down the stairs" celebratory glass of wine. The tables were all decorated very nicely. They even had blankets at each chair because the building is not heated. There was a stage set up because, did I mention, Gladys Knight was set to perform. There were raffles, a Kendra Scott jewelry pull, and even a Houston artist that was painting an Astros logo live. I made my rounds around the floor before something well-lit, off to the side, caught my eye. As I focused in, I realized it was the World Series trophy!!! Yes, it was actually possible to have your picture taken with the trophy. I was so excited. I purchased a replica of the trophy for my dad for Christmas. Inside it looks like a baseball. After I walked away from the trophy I thought, "Darn, I didn't look inside to see if it actually looks like a baseball! I would love to tell my dad." Oh well. I returned to my table and met a wonderful couple that chose the seats next to me. When the lady found out I was single, she made it her mission to try to find me a date. She didn't have any luck but it was quite amusing watching her try.
At 7, Tom Koch, a local sports reporter who was the emcee, started trying to get everyone to take their seats for dinner. I think people did not want to leave the heaters that were set up so he had to ask multiple times. Finally, he joked, "They said the first 100 people in their seats will get free season tickets." Of course, I had to tease him on Twitter. I said that I was in my seat at 5:45 and asked where I could pick up my tickets. He actually replied and said that he said "seasoning tickets" then asked if I needed pepper. He introduced people from the charities and said which Astros were in attendance. There were a bunch of waiters standing between me and the tables closer to the stage so I was unable to see where all the introduced people were sitting. Then it was time for dinner. I can't comment too much about that. It was fancy gala food. Haha...I am so picky. It looked nice; I can say that much. The dessert was super cute. They created a dessert that was shaped like the trophy. Oh! The bread was good! I did eat a piece of that. It was so cold on the field that the butter was pretty solid.
I think there was a little confusion when Gladys Knight started singing. They mentioned that the performance was about to start but I never heard them say her name. I, therefore, thought it was an opening act. Even Susan, my matchmaker, asked me if it was Gladys Knight. Eventually I heard a song that I thought was hers and began to realize she had been performing the whole time. When "Midnight Train to Georgia" came on, I think everyone figured out it was her because I saw a lot of people leave their tables and head to the dancefloor. Gladys Knight and her background singers even performed a soulful rendition of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame", which was absolutely fantastic!
Soon after her performance ended, so did the dinner. That was alright, though, because I had an after-party pass. The after-party was held in Union Station. They had two DJs rocking EDM beats...my favorite! They had moved the trophy into the station for those that did not attend the dinner. Also, here, you were allowed to take photos of the trophy with your phone. I went to take my picture with it, again. As soon as I walked away, I thought, "No! I forgot to look for the baseball again!" So when the line was shorter, later in the evening, I went back and checked. Yep, the inside design is that of a baseball. Mystery solved. There was also a photobooth set up. I was actually able to meet the Astros General Manager, Jeff Luhnow, at the after-party. I told him about my dad. I mentioned how I was so happy that they pulled off the World Series win because it meant a lot to my dad. He has been a fan since they were the Colt 45s. Mr. Luhnow was super nice and even told me to tell my dad "hi". My dad was very appreciative.
As the saying goes, "all good things must come to an end." I gathered my purse, my blanket, and my photobooth pictures and walked across the street to the Westin Downtown. That hotel is so conveniently located! And so concluded a wonderful night.
So, what was this gala all about, you ask. Well, first let me start by saying what it supported; that is most important, after all. Proceeds from the event went to The Astros Foundation and New Hope Housing. As stated on The Astros Foundation's website, the foundation supports youth baseball and softball programs, honors our nation's military, promotes childhood cancer awareness, and makes efforts to reduce homelessness. (To find out more or to donate, go to Astros Foundation) The latter of these efforts makes New Hope Housing the perfect partner for the foundation. New Hope Housing's mission, according to its website, is to provide affordable, permanent housing with support services for people who live on very limited incomes. (See New Hope Housing for more information.) As they stated at the gala, both organizations have provided tremendous help to those affected by Hurricane Harvey. While, my family and I were thankfully not affected by this devastating storm, I do know several people that lost everything. In fact, when I was at Disney World for the race, I met a couple that said they are still not back in their home. I would love to be a part of The Astros Foundation. For a while now, I have wanted to become more involved with charity operations.
Now to the gala, itself. The gala took place at Minute Maid Park, home of the Astros. I entered through and registered in Union Station. Union Station, as the name suggests, used to serve as a railway station for Houston. Opened in 1911, it is a piece of history that was, thankfully, preserved and incorporated into the ballpark. Having lived in England for a short time, when I was a child, I gained an appreciation for history and historical sites. I feel like too much history is torn down and destroyed to make room for "progress".
Once registered, I walked through another set of doors, politefully held open by attendants, into the actual stadium. A little to the left I saw all the microphone and cameras set up for press interviews. To the right, though, was the staircase leading down to the field. They had lined the handrail with rope lighting. I must say, stairs were the last thing I wanted to see. I sprained my knee during the Disney races, I was wearing 6-inch heels, and the hose was making my feet slip in my shoes. I made it down without falling, though...(no, please, applause isn't necessary.) ;)
At the bottom of the stairs, attendants were waiting to offer a "you made it down the stairs" celebratory glass of wine. The tables were all decorated very nicely. They even had blankets at each chair because the building is not heated. There was a stage set up because, did I mention, Gladys Knight was set to perform. There were raffles, a Kendra Scott jewelry pull, and even a Houston artist that was painting an Astros logo live. I made my rounds around the floor before something well-lit, off to the side, caught my eye. As I focused in, I realized it was the World Series trophy!!! Yes, it was actually possible to have your picture taken with the trophy. I was so excited. I purchased a replica of the trophy for my dad for Christmas. Inside it looks like a baseball. After I walked away from the trophy I thought, "Darn, I didn't look inside to see if it actually looks like a baseball! I would love to tell my dad." Oh well. I returned to my table and met a wonderful couple that chose the seats next to me. When the lady found out I was single, she made it her mission to try to find me a date. She didn't have any luck but it was quite amusing watching her try.
At 7, Tom Koch, a local sports reporter who was the emcee, started trying to get everyone to take their seats for dinner. I think people did not want to leave the heaters that were set up so he had to ask multiple times. Finally, he joked, "They said the first 100 people in their seats will get free season tickets." Of course, I had to tease him on Twitter. I said that I was in my seat at 5:45 and asked where I could pick up my tickets. He actually replied and said that he said "seasoning tickets" then asked if I needed pepper. He introduced people from the charities and said which Astros were in attendance. There were a bunch of waiters standing between me and the tables closer to the stage so I was unable to see where all the introduced people were sitting. Then it was time for dinner. I can't comment too much about that. It was fancy gala food. Haha...I am so picky. It looked nice; I can say that much. The dessert was super cute. They created a dessert that was shaped like the trophy. Oh! The bread was good! I did eat a piece of that. It was so cold on the field that the butter was pretty solid.
I think there was a little confusion when Gladys Knight started singing. They mentioned that the performance was about to start but I never heard them say her name. I, therefore, thought it was an opening act. Even Susan, my matchmaker, asked me if it was Gladys Knight. Eventually I heard a song that I thought was hers and began to realize she had been performing the whole time. When "Midnight Train to Georgia" came on, I think everyone figured out it was her because I saw a lot of people leave their tables and head to the dancefloor. Gladys Knight and her background singers even performed a soulful rendition of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame", which was absolutely fantastic!
Soon after her performance ended, so did the dinner. That was alright, though, because I had an after-party pass. The after-party was held in Union Station. They had two DJs rocking EDM beats...my favorite! They had moved the trophy into the station for those that did not attend the dinner. Also, here, you were allowed to take photos of the trophy with your phone. I went to take my picture with it, again. As soon as I walked away, I thought, "No! I forgot to look for the baseball again!" So when the line was shorter, later in the evening, I went back and checked. Yep, the inside design is that of a baseball. Mystery solved. There was also a photobooth set up. I was actually able to meet the Astros General Manager, Jeff Luhnow, at the after-party. I told him about my dad. I mentioned how I was so happy that they pulled off the World Series win because it meant a lot to my dad. He has been a fan since they were the Colt 45s. Mr. Luhnow was super nice and even told me to tell my dad "hi". My dad was very appreciative.
As the saying goes, "all good things must come to an end." I gathered my purse, my blanket, and my photobooth pictures and walked across the street to the Westin Downtown. That hotel is so conveniently located! And so concluded a wonderful night.
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