The Celebration

CKW LUXE Magazine celebrated its Fourth Anniversary and Star Awards honorees with a gorgeous fête at the elegant Ballroom at Bayou Place. During anniversary celebrations only, the philanthropic magazine bestows its Star Awards on exceptional and inspiring women and youth who have made a significant contribution to their community. Founder and publisher of CKW LUXE magazine,  Connie Kwan-Wong, hosted the charming event. Lead anchor at KTRK-TV, Gina Gaston, emceed.

 

The Story

Guests felt like Alice in Wonderland as they walked beneath flower-festooned arches into the reception area transformed by Kirksey-Gregg Productions into a fairy-tale garden with a magnificent backdrop depicting oversize flowers, mushrooms, and butterflies. The details throughout the entire venue were superb. Aerialists dressed as beautiful butterflies welcomed participants, performed breathtaking feats, and poured Champagne into glasses.

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A large poster featured CKW LUXE magazine’s current cover photographed by Jenna Barrett showcasing model Riley Halford. Halford, dressed as she is on the CKW LUXE Winter/Spring 2019 cover, posed with delighted guests in front of the exquisite wall of flowers custom-made by Lexis Florist just for the event. The fresh flowers adorning the wall leant a delicate scent to the air.

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For dinner, guests sat at tables draped in colorful linens crowned with bright floral centerpieces. Each place setting included a pretty flower-bordered card describing the evening’s menu and proceedings, and each chair held a copy of the CKW LUXE Winter/Spring 2019 issue for attendees to take home with them. The delicious meal culminated in a rotating desert of homemade bread pudding and chocolate mousse cake.

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The Moments

City Council member Amanda Edwards and District Director of the 22nd Congressional District of Texas, Christian Bionat, proclaimed April 4, 2019 as Margaret Alkek Williams Day, to the delight and surprise of the crowd.

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The Star Awards presentations were made by Connie Kwan-Wong, Christian Bionat, and City Council member Michael Kubosh. As well as their Star Awards, each honoree received congressional recognition and a certificate of appreciation from the City of Houston. 

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The Recipients of the 2019 CKW LUXE Star Awards Were:

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Inspiring Youth Awards

Shooting Star Award: Zoe Lalji

Pop Star Award: Tyler Hoang

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Inspiring Women Awards

Astral Light Award: Rosanette Saragusa Cullen

Aquarian Award: Phoebe Tudor

Lifetime Aquarian Award: Margaret Alkek Williams

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The evening ended with a spectacular performance by members of  the Milana Pliner Dance Studio. Guests were enthralled by the professionalism of the dancers and by the beauty of their movements.

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CKW LUXE would like to thank its sponsors: Tommy Kuranoff with Momentum BMW Southwest; Sue Habib with Lexis Florist; Amy Geng with Amy’s Skin Care & Med Spa; Beth Wolff with Beth Wolff Realtors, Real Living; Milana Pliner Dance Studio; AllShow Events; Kirksey Gregg Productions, LLC; and The Ballroom at Bayou Place for making the evening a huge success.