The Texas Biomedical Forum Celebrates With Annual Gala
By Jake Gaines Photography by Katie Clementson of Billo Smith Photography
THE SCENE: Nearly 500 guests attended The Texas Biomedical Forum’s 51st annual gala, The Enchantment of Spring, at The Argyle. A harpist played to welcome guests into the party as hors d’oeuvres and chilled towels were passed on silver trays to offset the heat, as guests made their way to the nearest bars for refreshments.
THE STYLE: A shining star of the evening was the Ribbon Pull, an interactive and fundraising concept that was conceptualized by the gala team. Guests purchased the chance to pull a satin ribbon hanging from a beautiful tree to reveal a prize. The grand prize of the Ribbon Pull was a pair of diamond earrings donated by Kelly Wade Jewelers. Guests also perused and purchased tickets for the raffle packages.
Guests then enjoyed a seated dinner that featured a decadent menu prepared by The Argyle, celebrating the abundance and gifts of springtime. Dinner began with a spring pea soup with cranberry coulis, followed by a salad duo of quinoa and chickpeas and a cucumber wrap bouquet. Next was the entrée consisting of a Pepper Bomb New York Strip with Béarnaise sauce, pesto potatoes, green bean and carrot vegetable bundle, and tomato provençal. The dessert of a lemon blueberry mascarpone dome with gold leaf capped off the delicious meal. Then, the Drywater Band entertained guests at the after party in the gorgeously appointed tent while Maverick Bourbon whiskey poured tastings at a table on the lawn. Additionally, three artists from Vogue Vignette of Austin were on-site sketching portraits of couples. Barbara Shorts, Verve Event Planning’s founding president, helped coordinate the gala’s festivities.
THE PURPOSE: Rebecca Nathan was this year’s gala chair, with Audra Kerr serving as co-chair and Amelita Mauzé as this year’s Forum’s president. The purpose of the Texas Biomedical Forum is to support the Texas Biomedical Research Institute through community relations, volunteer services, and fundraising. This funding has allowed researchers to apply for additional grant monies in excess of $75 million in subsequent awards for large-scale research projects, which equates to approximately twenty-three dollars in return for every dollar of Forum grants. The gala team is incredibly grateful to Lee Michaels Fine Jewelry for kindly donating all the crystal party favors that were hand-delivered by the gala team to every attendee in the days leading up to the event.
