More than 350 guests enjoyed a festive evening of Irish entertainment, luxurious silent and live auction items and a sumptuous seated dinner at the University of St. Thomas Center for Irish Studies Annual Irish Gala held on Nov. 14 at the Houstonian Hotel. Revelers were on hand to pay tribute to this year’s honorees, the Honorary Consul General of Ireland John B. Kane and his wife, Alayne. Chaired by longtime friends and benefactors of the University, Dorothy and Ray LeBlanc, the event was highly successful, raising more than $200,000 for study abroad funding and academic programs.  The silent and live auction, chaired by Mills Toomey, raised nearly $80,000 for study abroad to Ireland, a figure that included a $20,000 anonymous donation match.
 
Special guests included His Excellency Michael Collins, Ambassador of Ireland to the United States of America, and his wife, Marie, and The Honorable Martin Rouine, Consul General of Ireland, and his wife, Mary. William J. Flynn, chairman emeritus of Mutual of America Insurance Company in New York and a behind-the-scenes negotiator in the Northern Ireland Peace Process was another distinguished guest.
 
The University established the Center for Irish Studies on Jan. 25, 2003, with the support of The Irish Society, a community-based nonprofit, nonsectarian organization.  The Center, under the direction of Lori Gallagher, JD, supports the academic program encompassed in the Irish Studies minor in the undergraduate program and the graduate concentration in the Master in Liberal Arts program. Long-term goals include endowment of the Center and an academic chair.
 
In partnership with the University’s Study Abroad Program, the Center sponsors programs for study aboard in Ireland and Northern Ireland.  The Center awards qualified students with scholarships and offers other financial assistance to enhance the educational and cultural experience.
 
The Center and The Irish Society co-sponsor lectures and cultural events related to the history, literary tradition and culture of Ireland and Northern Ireland, as well as the Irish-American experience.  For more information on the Center for Irish Studies visit http://www.stthom.edu/irishstudies.

With clubs in tow, 34 golf teams of University of St. Thomas friends and alumni gathered on the green Monday, Oct. 13 for the UST Scholarship Tee-Up Tournament at BlackHorse Golf Club in Cypress. The successful event grossed more than $230,000 for the Fr. Francis E. Monaghan Scholarship Fund.

Randy E. Velarde, president of The Plaza Group, was the tournament chair. Special thanks were given to event underwriters Bank of America, McDermott International and Sterling Bank

UST established the Monaghan Scholarship Fund to help deserving students get a quality, values-based education. Since 2000, the fund has awarded more than $6.8 million in scholarships and grants.

UST would also like to thank Piatto Ristorante owner John Marion Carrabba ’80 for donating the post-golf dinner, as well as the host site BlackHorse Golf Club.

Pictured are Randy E. Velarde and University President Robert R. Ivany.

Mardi Gras '07:
The 58th Annual Mardi Gras Gala “An Evening of Stars,” was a spectacle to behold for over 500 guests who attended. Donning masks and beads, Mardi Gras Gala chairs, Cora Sue and Harry Mach, masterfully orchestrated a swank event in the Corinthian. Guests were greeted by a Dixieland jazz band, jugglers, and magician, as they perused lavish silent and live auction items including an exclusive dinner with Cardinal DiNardo in a private home. The Champion Sisters and Richard Brown Orchestra entertained the crowd that feasted on a New Orleans-style cuisine catered by Jackson and Company. The event raised over $800,000 to benefit the Fr. Monaghan Scholarship Fund to enable outstanding students the opportunity to attend the University of St. Thomas.

This year’s Mardi Gras Gala honored Jack Sweeney, who has been a steadfast advocate for the UST family. In addition to his roles as publisher and president of the Houston Chronicle, Jack serves on the Honorary Committee for the Vision 2010 Campaign to assist the University in planning its next major development phase.

Many students benefit from the success of the Mardi Gras and would not otherwise be able to realize their potential as leaders of Faith and Character without the participation of the many donors who help make the event a success.

Thank you to all who contributed to the success and opulence of the gala! View Event Photos

Tee-Up Golf Tournament '07:
More than 22 golf teams made up of University of St. Thomas friends and alumni hit the links bright and early Monday, Oct. 15 for the UST Scholarship Tee-Up Tournament at BlackHorse Golf Club in Cypress . The event was a success and raised more than $105,000 for the Fr. Francis E. Monaghan Scholarship Fund.

UST alumni Danny Klaes, ’85 was the tournament chair and one of the event’s underwriters.  Other notable underwriters included: McDermott International; Quanex Corporation; Pride International; John L. Wortham and Son, Calyon Corporation, KPMG, Ray LeBlanc and Deloitte and Touche. Bank of America was the presenting sponsor.

Student Government Association (SGA) President Josh Gautreau thanked the donors for their participation in the event and for their donations to the scholarship. UST established the Monaghan Scholarship Fun to help deserving students get a quality, value-based education. Since 2000 the fund has awarded more than $5 million in scholarships and grants.

Special thanks were given to Freeway Ford and Raymond James and Associates for their underwriting of the guest goody bags, as well as the host site BlackHorse Golf Club.

Pictured are Klaes and University President Robert R. Ivany.

Irish Gala '07:
More than 300 gathered with the Friends of the University of St. Thomas Center for Irish Studies and The Irish Society for the 2007 Annual Irish Gala, at the Houstonian Hotel, Thursday, Sept. 27. The event celebrated honorees Debbie and Patrick J. Moran.

 

The event grossed more than $150,000, with money also raised for the Bishop John McCarthy Scholarship for Study Abroad in Ireland.

 

Those who attended the Irish Gala included: Irish Consul General Sean Farrell, based in Chicago; British Consul-General Paul Lynch and his wife, Yoko, newly assigned to Houston; and Honorary Consul of Ireland John B. Kane and his wife, Alayne. Popular Celtic Balladeer Danny O’Flaherty performed at the event and the auction chairs were Mills Toomey and Katie McConn.

The Center for Irish Studies serves as a focal point for the study of Irish history, literature, politics, art, culture and society at UST. It enhances the academic mission of the University by concentrating on a broad and coherent study of Ireland within an integrating framework of many academic departments and community organizations. The Center affirms the historic and contemporary connections among Ireland, Northern Ireland, the Irish-American community and the University, while encouraging the intellectual examination of the Irish experience in the United States and the Southwest. Some of the Center’s primary goals are to preserve Irish heritage and culture and promote peace and reconciliation.

 

Pictured from left to right: Director of the Center for Irish Studies Lori Gallagher; Irish Consul General Sean Farrell, based in Chicago; Michele Malloy; and Honorary Consul of Ireland John B. Kane.

Fashion Show '07:

Nearly 340 alumni and friends of the University of St. Thomas gathered at the River Oaks Country Club for the 3rd annual Fall Fashion Event. Guests enjoyed the latest styles from Neiman Marcus, including fashions from Ports, Phillip Lim, Lafayette 148 New York, Riani, Elie Tahari and Diane Von Furstenburg.

The event, chaired by Robin Thomas Klaes, helped raise more than $85,000 for the University of St. Thomas Alumni Association Endowed Scholarship fund. UST alumnae Marilyn Tanner Hebinck of Royston, Rayzor, Vickery and William, L.L.P, Pamela Ngo Tranpark of Victory Lending Solutions and Genna Wise Evans, executive director of the William & Marie Wise Family Foundation, were all honored for their work with the University and the community.

As guests entered River Oaks Country Club, they were treated to touch-ups from Laura Mercier Cosmetics makeup artists. Event attendees included: Kelli and Mary Kickerillo, Michael and Lucia Cordua, Trini Mendenhall Sosa, Leticia Loya, Martha Long Lipsitz, William and Marie Wise and Kittsie Thomas.    

Pictured from left to right are Tranpark, Hebinck, Wise Evans, Klaes and Dr. Robert Ivany.  

Revelers donning masks and beads celebrated on Fat Tuesday, Feb. 24, as the University of St. Thomas hosted its annual Mardi Gras Gala “A Night in Rio” benefitting Fr. Francis E. Monaghan Scholarship Fund. More than 500 guests celebrated UST’s time-honored tradition at the Hilton Americas, as they helped raise $800,000 for the education of current and future students.

Kerri and Downey Bridgwater chaired the event, which honored longtime University friends and benefactors Carol and Odis Peavy, owners of PV Rentals. The Peavys have worked tirelessly to help the University reopen its School of Nursing. They generously donated $2.5 million towards the project. In 2007 the Peavys served as Mardi Gras Chairs. Downey Bridgwater sits on the University’s board of directors. 

A live auction featured a dinner with His Eminence Daniel Cardinal DiNardo and numerous luxury vacation packages including trips to Tuscany, England, France, Brazil, San Miguel de Allende, and Pebble Beach. A silent auction was also part of the festivities. 

UST seniors Tom Mendez and Cimela Kidonakis, who won the honor of this year’s student king and queen, greeted attendees and later thanked donors for making a St. Thomas education possible for themselves and others.  Read More

Fashion Show Raises More Than $65,000 For Scholarships

A crowd of 340 University of St. Thomas alumni and friends watched as the hottest fall fashions ignited the runway at the Fall Fashion Event and Luncheon held Oct. 23 at the River Oaks Country Club. The event, hosted by the University of St. Thomas and chaired by sisters and UST alumni Julie Sacco ‘96/’98 and Kathryn Sacco Smith ‘93, raised more than $65,000 for the University of St. Thomas Alumni Association Endowed Scholarship fund.

During the event, alumnae Lucía Cordúa ‘85, Lauri Vallone ‘93 and Betty Fischer ‘52/’91 were honored for their volunteerism at the University and in the community. Neiman Marcus-Galleria provided the clothing and models. Upon arrival, guests were treated to cosmetic touchups by Sisley Cosmetics.

Guests at the fashion show included the Cordúa family including Michael and son David, alumna Kelli Kickerillo with her parents Mary and Vince Kickerillo, Cora Sue Mach, Carol Peavy and Kathy Peavy Bailey, Gloria Portela, Donna and Tony Vallone and the Vallone family, Trini Mendenhall Sosa and Raye White.

Pictured left to right are Julie Sacco, Lauri Vallone, Betty Fischer, Lucía Cordúa and Kathryn Sacco Smith.