MAG Gala-Houston Edition Debuts and Honors Survivors of Domestic Violence and Human Trafficking
The Mi Amor Graciousness Gala (MAG Gala), in support of survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking, debuted in Houston at the Westin Hotel Houston, Memorial City on September 22, 2023 with a focus on Fashion Meets Compassion and benefited charities: House of Angels, Safe Passage Heals, and the Luisa Diaz Foundation. A percentage of proceeds are slated to be donated locally to The Houston 20.
The annual event from the Luisa Diaz Foundation marked its ninth anniversary.
Survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and sex trafficking walked the “runway of hope” in the MAG Gala’s empowerment fashion show adorned by designers Sameera Faridi and Danny Nguyen Couture. The walk on the runway acknowledged the contributions of our Survivor Leaders in the Houston area. These women include Dr. Nissi Hamilton, Angel Drake-Anderson, Jessica Wesley, Kathryn Griffin Grinon, Rhonda Kuykendahl, Monitrice Malone, Melissa Prentice and our own, Dr. Peta-gay Ledbetter.
This year’s celebration also included a Houston proclamation declaring September 22, 2023, as “Kindness is Cool” Day.
Executive director and the NY Ambassador Fore’, Luisa Diaz began her Foundation in honor of her beloved grandmother to raise funds and awareness for individuals and organizations who support survivors of domestic violence and their families.
Diaz was excited to host the MAG Gala in Houston.
“We are so excited to welcome the kindness and support from the Houston community,” said Diaz. “My focus is in helping women to never forget how beautiful they are. I love helping women to know they are worthy. We celebrate it, and we talk about them because most women and society don’t want to talk about human trafficking. They don’t want to talk about domestic violence. We want women to know that they’re beautiful and celebrate these courageous women. My philosophy is Kindness is Cool. With this saying, I wanted to motivate people to be kind with each other because that’s the way we can help each other and help the community.”
Executive director and Ms. Ambassador International, Trish Steele founded Safe Passage to also support survivors of domestic and sexual violence. Dr. Peta-gay Ledbetter The Texas Ambassador Fore’ is a founding member of The Houston 20 which supports all the Houston area agencies that support survivors of sex trafficking. The three Ambassadors pooled their efforts to fulfill their pledge as representatives of the Ambassadors pageant to support efforts to fund The House of Angels, an orphanage located in Crete, Greece.
“It is an honor to be a part of the Luisa Diaz Foundation MAG Gala,” said Anne Fontaine. “It is more important than ever to raise awareness about the global issues of abuse and trafficking—not only to be involved in solutions but to provide hope and courage to anyone who is a survivor to look to a better, safer future.”
Samantha Holsomback of All Things Love Event Planning Creator and Manager for event logistics was moved by the event.
“I felt empowered, motivated and open to the possibilities of what this event could bring to our local community and to the Houston Honorees. Showcasing the resilience of the human spirit was an essential tool used to encourage bravery, ignite growth and lend support to those on the road to healing and recovery,” said Holmsonback.
For more information, go to http://luisadiazfoundation.org.
Photos: Quy Tran