JoseGrinan's Blog

World reknowned heart Surgeon Dr. Denton Cooley, former US Secretary of State James Baker, their wives, philanthropist Lynn Wyatt, and many others showed up at "The Reef" restaurant on a recent Sunday night for the annual Escape Celebrity fundraiser.

 The event benefits  the Escape Family Resource Center in Houston, which assists families in crisis over abuse. It also provides counseling services for families at risk . In past years, The fundraiser has been held at the Benihana's on Westheimer. But this year, renovations and or remodeling allowed us to enjoy the ambiance (and a little food, too) offered by the "Reef." (But I'm anxiously waiting to see what the "new" Benihana will look like, too.)

At Benihana we (the so-called celebrities) served as Celebrity Chefs. On this night we would be Celebrity waiters.

And, excuse the pun... our ranks were "stellar"... and literally "out of this world." There were two Apollo era astronauts, at least one former professional football player, and a host of on-air personalities from a number of radio and television stations in the Houston area.

Now, we didn't have to serve the entire meal. The "REAL" waitstaff did that. But we were responsible for keeping the water and tea glasses full, making sure everone's wine glass was at a certain level, we ran to the bar for any mixed drinks our tables wanted, and we tried our darndest to entice attendees to donate generously and bid "high" on some of the "live" auction items.

The theme for this year's benefit was along the line of ...Cool Caribbean. And we were encouraged to sort of dress for the part. So, I dusted off the Panama Hat and wound up taking a picture with Dr. Cooley and Sec. Baker.   

The fundraiser was a lot of FUN... and I was honored to be in the orbit (even temporarily) of some of the people who have helped mold and make the city of Houston what it is.

I hope our efforts as "waiters" helped fill the coffers at Escape. Thanks for letting me be a part of such an outstanding event.

Do I have a GREAT JOB, or what?