Houston’s Women of Distinction Celebrated With a Hint of Old Hollywood in This Winter Ball

For 35 years the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America has been celebrating women of Houston deemed by a scoring system to be distinguished in their service to the community. The recent signature Winter Ball celebrating the 2022 Women of Distinction continued the custom with a parade of lovelies in gowns, past honorees as well as the current class.

Houston Life TV host Courtney Zavala served as emcee of the evening that filled the Hilton Americas-Houston ballroom with a hint of old Hollywood, the theme of the evening.

The hours of service to the community and charitable donations from the philanthropic clutch of honorees, both present and path, is immeasurable. Thanks for the decades of support the Winter Ball has raised millions for CCFA‘s contributions to research for a cure for the debilitating ailments.

Prior to opening of the ballroom doors, the champagne reception spotlighting Gittings portraits of the various honorees through the years set the stage for the elegant evening that ended with a bang when the stage disappeared to reveal a dance floor and the band cranked it up.

Headlining the event were the 2022 Women of Distinction: Anne Chao, Elaine Balagia Croucher, Joni Hruska Fichter, Maureen Higdon, Mandy Kao, Heidi Rockecharlie, Joy Sewing, Heidi Smith, Jo Dee Wright and Rini Wu Ziegler. Vicki West was honored as Ambassador, an even greater honor given in recognition of a multitude of philanthropy and service.

Enjoying a special place in the spotlight were the 2021 honorees, whose official presentation was nixed due to COVID. Those walking the runway on this night were Roslyn Bazzelle-Mitchell, Lara Bell, Donae Chramosta, Leila Perrin, Christie Sullivan, Beth Zdeblick, Sherri Zucker and Ambassador Beth Wolff.

PC Seen: Mary and Jack Balagia, Ceron, Janet Gurwitch and Ron Franklin, Leisa Holland Nelson and Bob Bowman, Beth and Nick Zdeblick, Roz and Alan Pactor, Mary Ann and David McKeithan, Cheryl Byington, Cynthia Wolff, Lily and Thurmon Andress, Ralph Burch, Cheryl Byington, and Drs. Susan and Edward Osterberg.