Annie’s Listhttp://annieslist.com/ promotes progressive women candidates for public office in Texas. Over the years, they’ve invited the press to their benefit lunches.The speakers are always compelling.
This year, it was U.S. Sen Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.). We’d all heard about her hard-fought campaign in 2012. She also a first-class public speaker. She told funny personal stories and, wisely, emphasized her own experiences. Hard to argue with that.
The banquet room at the Hyatt Austin was full of cheering admirers, mostly women. (The food, by the way, was excellent. The Hyatt is becoming a confident player on the food service scene.)
Several elected officials given substantial help from Annie’s List — including Reps. Donna Howard, Mary Ann Perez and Senfronia Thompson as well as Sen. Wendy Davis — also gathered on the stage.
Impressive group.
Nancy Scanlan and Laura Scanlan Cho at Annie’s List Lunch
Water to Thrive is a faith-based group led by Dick Moeller that digs wells in Africa. It also spreads the word about the global water crisis. It’s of more than a dozen Austin-based groups directly improving the lives of the world’s neediest people.
The group staged a small Chef’s Table party at the Palm Door. Various top cooks put together dinner packages that made me wish I could join the bidding wars. David Bull from Congress, for instance, not only plans a unique meal, the winners join him in the kitchen to cook for themselves.
The more one discovers about Water to Thrive, the more one admires its efficient, effective efforts. It should be better known.
Brandon Davis and Mary Clare Rodriguez at Chef’s Table for Water to Thrive
The iAct benefit at the Four Seasons was split into two chapters. First we heard the live and taped testimonies of refugees helped by the group, formerly known as Interfaith Texas, which unites folks of faith to help the needy in Austin.
Last year, audiences were blown away by the testimonies of those aided by iAct’s Hands on Housing program. Profiles followed in this column about grateful homeowner Doris Roland and innovative developer Terry Mitchell. Hope to snag some life stories from the speakers this night as well.
Omar and Marta Lopez at the Hope Awards for iAct
Later, four figures familiar to readers of this column — Alex Winkelman, Patsy Woods Martin and Liz and Kirk Watson — were honored with Hope Awards. Couldn’t think of a more deserving group of leaders, each introduced by a family member.
Best quote came, not surprisingly, from Sen. Watson: “The city of Austin has given us far more than we can ever give to it.”