What: I Live Here I Give Here’s annual fundraiser, The BIG Give
Where: Hotel Van Zandt
The lowdown: More than 400 philanthropists, nonprofits, and community members gathered at Rainey Street's Hotel Van Zandt on September 7 for an evening of fun — and fundraising. The flagship event for Austin's I Live Here I Give Here, The Big Give featured tunes from DJ Mel;cocktails from Desert Door, Playa Real, and Tito’s; and food truck-inspired fare which turned the glitzy event into a festive Austin affair.
The evening also honored this year's Big Giver, an award bestowed to a person or persons making a "long-lasting and personal impact on the community." The 2018 Big Givers Russell and Kathy Duke were chosen for their ongoing commitment to Austin nonprofit Any Baby Can, a commitment that raised a record-setting $140,500 last year for ABC's community programming.
Another highlight of the evening was the swanky auction, which included prizes like three-night stay at Bunkhouse Group's Hotel San Cristobal in Todos Santos, Mexico; a 10-course dinner for four with wine and sake pairings at Uchi or Uchiko; staycations at Hotel Ella and South Congress Hotel; and a kitchen remodel project package from Messer Design & Construction.
Who: Russell and Kathy Duke, LindsayMuse, ChikageWindler, KelseyKuehn, NoelBridges, ChristinaAllen, HaleyThompson, RudyMetayer, CelesteMetayer, Blake and ChristinaAbsher, Cindy and Greg Abell, Jackie Sekiguchi,Terri Broussard Williams,Kathy Smith-Willman, CatherineLucchesi, MarisaSecco, ChikageWindler, and TrevorScott.
Kelsey Kuehn, Noel Bridges, Christina Allen and Haley Thompson.
