We were a featured charity for the month of December 2015 at Okra Charity Saloon, a non-profit bar in downtown Houston. The way it works is every time someone buys a drink or food item they are given a ticket, and then can put their ticket in a box towards the charity of their choice. Whichever charity has the most tickets at the end of the month receives 100% of the profits for the subsequent month. AWIS won the month of December, and as a result was given a check for almost $20,000! We are so elated to be able to use the funds to better build and expand our chapter in the Gulf Coast Houston area.

More About Okra: A group of like-minded restaurant and bar owners in Houston recognized a need for a public voice for independent businesses in the industry. In 2011, they founded OKRA, the Organized Kollaboration on Restaurant Affairs, to pursue community and charitable initiatives in the city.

The names of the people in the photo, starting from left to right:

Gabby Tyree, Okra Charity Saloon employee
Meryl Kelly, Okra Charity Saloon employee
Lee Tyree, Okra Charity Saloon employee
Mike Beaupre, Okra Charity Saloon employee
Dr. Kim Mankiewicz, AWIS GCH Secretary
Dr. Brittany C. Parker Kerrigan, AWIS GCH President
Dr. Triparna Sen, AWIS GCH Vice President
Dr. Delphine Boulbes, AWIS GCH Career Development Chair
Kelley Morgan, Okra Charity Saloon employee
Caitlin Nurik, AWIS GCH Outstanding Women in Science Seminar Series Chair
Hima Vangapandu, AWIS GCH Scholarship Chair
Dr. Le Huang, AWIS GCH Fundraising Chair
Dr. Marife Arancillo, AWIS GCH Public Relations Chair

Not Pictured:
Amanda Hermann (AWIS GCH Membership Chair)
Ayesha Khan (AWIS GCH Treasurer)
Benu Atri (AWISG GCH Community Outreach Chair)