June’s Perfect Party: The Houston Heroes Edition

It’s been a wild time in Houston, as Space City grapples with the historic COVID-19 epidemic that’s changed life as we know it, so this summer shindig is a celebration of the many good things Houstonians have done to help. Dr. David Persse, the head of the Houston Health Department, will have to stop by so we can (safely, from a distance) thank him for keeping us apprised of progress every day at the mayor’s briefings. We’re inviting U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, who proved yet again her leadership bona fides by promptly rolling out testing and aggressively tackling the economic fallout of the stay-home order. We think she’ll be honored to toast our real guests of honor: The many Houstonians who aren’t household names but are the biggest heroes of all. The nurses who’ve treated the sick on the front lines, decamping from home to prevent infecting their families; the grocery store workers who’ve spent hours unloading shipments and stocking shelves with pasta, eggs, and toilet paper; the truck drivers who’ve hauled in all those goods in the first place; the food pantry volunteers who’ve ensured our neediest don’t go hungry; and countless others who’ve stepped up without any fanfare to keep this city going. Your fellow Houstonians are grateful for all that you’ve been doing. We raise our glasses to you.