What do you get when you combine more than 50 of Houston’s best boutiques, 2,000 shoppers, and free-flowing champagne inside 20,000 square-feet over two days? Answer: a quarter of a million dollars for charity.
The Sale—a two-day shopping spree presented annually by Houston Tri Delta Alumnae Chapter’s fundraising arm, Houston Tri Delta Philanthropies—brought the best of both worlds to the Bayou City Event Center on Jan. 11-12 when bargain-hunters shopped major markdowns for a good cause.
Local boutiques deeply dropped their prices on sought-after merchandise for the occasion—we’re talking up to 90 percent off, which translated into final sales like $25 designer denim—as hawk-eyed Houstonians hunted unbeatable deals. Proceeds from ticket sales, underwriting, and donations all benefited pediatric cancer research at the University of Texas MD Anderson Children’s Cancer Hospital.
Participating retailers included fashion staples (Tootsies, á bientôt), fine jewelers (Tenenbaum), and quirky boutiques (Laurier Blanc, Cheeky Vintage) alike, selling everything from home decor to children’s clothing.
Alternating annual donations between MD Anderson and the Texas Children’s Cancer Center, The Sale has raised nearly $1.3 million for pediatric cancer research over the last six years.
Patty Magill Kallmeyer and Terri Greaves Tarwater co-chaired this year’s event, which began with a Breakfast & Bubbly event for upper-level underwriters who heard touching patient and doctor testimonials. MD Anderson associate professor of pediatrics Dr. Zsila Sadighi—herself a pediatric brain tumor survivor, and also a Delta Delta Delta alumna—spoke of the importance of The Sale’s fundraising efforts.
The ticketed event kicked off with champagne-fueled shopping on Saturday morning and concluded with Sunday Funday. The latter featured special guest Alex Snodgrass, the recipe developer and food stylist behind popular blog The Defined Dish. Snodgrass hosted a meet-and-greet and signed copies of her new book, The Defined Dish: Healthy and Wholesome Weeknight Recipes.
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