‍Children’s Museum Houston’s Saturday night fever raises the mercury with $1.1 million!

Second time most money raised in Museum’s gala history!

Chaired by Katie and Scott Arnoldy and Holly and Steve Radom

Underwriting Chaired by Whitney and Ryan Burns and Allison and Ivan Chavez

HOUSTON (Oct. 17, 2023) – Children's Museum Houston (CMH) turned up the funk for this year’s “A Night at Studio 54” Gala presented by Phillips 66, exceeding goal and raising an astounding $1.1 million from underwriting and live auction on Oct. 14, 2023.  This groovy evening event, filled with the stardust sparkle of a pulsating disco era, turned back the clock and transformed The Corinthian into the legendary Studio54.  Event chairs Katie and Scott Arnoldy and Holly and Steve Radom and underwriting chairs Whitney and Ryan Burns and Allison and Ivan Chavez invited Houston’s A-listers to turn the beat around and boost CMH’S educational and outreach programs.

Nearly 600 guests sporting black-tie or disco-glam outfits (including bell bottoms, platform shoes, boas and funkadelic shades) went beyond the velvet rope, passed the ornate chandeliers, and rejoiced in the likes of “Andy Warhol” and “Liza Minnelli” to take in Bergner and Johnson’s vision of funkadelic-style glamour replete with shimmer and 70’s era red lips iconography.  Partygoers dug on a multi-course feast of slamming delicacies catered by Jackson & Company.  Then, they celebrated good times by hitting the dance floor and boogying down to the beat of the Drywater Band who turned up the Saturday night fever beneath the shimmer of disco balls.  

During the live auction chaired by Mona Sarofim and Brittany Zeplain, guests had the opportunity to bid on exclusive and unique packages, including two rescued puppies which sold for $20,000 each; an overnight stay-and-play at Bluejack National donated by Katie and Scott Arnoldy, which sold for $8,000; an unforgettable dinner party for 24 catered by Jackson & Company inside the historic First National Bank vault in the basement of The Corinthian (donated by Jackson &Company, Bergner and Johnson and The Corinthian) which sold for $10,000, a private overnight birthday party in the Children’s Museum Houston, which sold twice for $15,000 each; an Ultimate Houston Sports Package which included Diamond Club tickets for the Astros, Lower Bowl tickets for the Rockets and 50-yardline club level tickets for the Texans (donated by Mona and Andrew Sarofim)which sold for $12,500 and a 14K white 2.97 carat white gold tennis bracelet from the Zadok Collection (donated by Zadok Jewelers) which sold for $6,000.

This past year, CMH welcomed nearly 650,000 on-site visitors and impacted nearly 190,000 children and parents through outreach programming.  For the last 31 years, the CMH annual gala has made it possible for the Museum to prepare children to be successful in school and to instill confidence in lifelong learning.