2025 Lifelong Leaders Luncheon Benefit
The Briar Club
Friday, January 24, 2025
12:30 PM
The 2025 AMIGOS Lifelong Leaders Luncheon Benefit returns for another year of impact and inspiration. We have so much to be grateful for this year! As our organization celebrates 60 years of providing transformational experiences for young leaders, we are so grateful for the support of our committed community. Thanks to our supporters and energized staff team, we have been able to expand programming and increase access to our programs for all over the past few. And, with your help we can and will do so much more. Funds raised from the event support AMIGOS youth leadership programs and financial assistance.
With the help of our co-Chairs and Host Committee, we are putting together a wonderful program for you. Please stay tuned for information on our emcee, speakers and honorees
Since our founding in Houston in 1965, AMIGOS has served more than 30,000 young people in thousands of communities throughout the Americas. As our programs inspire more leaders through authentic service and immersion experiences, we continue to fulfill our organization’s mission in powerful ways. We envision a world where these young leaders and all of us become lifelong leaders sharing responsibility for our global community.
As the place where AMIGOS began 60 years ago, Houston has always played a special role in our impact. Over the decades, AMIGOS has influenced the lives of more than 2,500 students from the Houston area. We are enthusiastic about holding annual benefits in Houston that will expand opportunities for Houston’s youth.
Tickets for the 2023 Lifelong Leaders Luncheon are $250 per person. You may reserve up to 10 tickets in one reservation. Sponsorship packages are also still available. Please visit the sponsors tab for more information.
Your ticket reservations will support AMIGOS international youth leadership programs across the Americas and financial assistance for students from the United States and Latin America.
2025 Lifelong Leaders Luncheon
The Briar Club
Friday, January 24, 2025
1:00 – 2:30PM CT
If you have questions about tickets, please email [email protected]. Thank you!
Your sponsorship will help AMIGOS empower more students and will directly support our youth leadership programs. As a sponsor of the Lifelong Leaders Luncheon, you will lead our community in making an impact for AMIGOS. Please view the sponsorship levels below.
Reach out to Jenny Claycombe, Director of Fund Development, with questions at [email protected].
Click to:
• Recognition as the 2023 Lifelong Leaders Luncheon Presenting Sponsor • Full page feature in the event program • Special recognition on all tables • 10 tickets (one table) for the event • Four features on AMIGOS social media channels
Impact: Your sponsorship can fund full financial assistance awards for five high school students.
• Half page feature in the event program • Special recognition on all tables •10 tickets (one table) for the event • Four features on AMIGOS social media channels
Impact: Your sponsorship can underwrite Latin American youth participation in one project location in Costa Rica, Paraguay, or Panama.
• Special recognition on all tables • 10 tickets (one table) for the event • Two features on AMIGOS social media channels
Impact: Your sponsorship can fund a financial assistance award for a high school student.
• 10 tickets (one table) for the event • One feature on AMIGOS social media channels
Impact: Your sponsorship can fund a partial financial assistance award for a high school student.
• Four tickets for the event • One feature on AMIGOS social media channels
Impact: Your sponsorship can underwrite two service projects in program sites in Latin America.
• Two tickets for the event • One feature on AMIGOS social media channels
Impact: Your sponsorship can underwrite a service project in a program site in Latin America.
• To allow students and teachers to attend the luncheon.
All sponsors will be recognized in event and promotional materials.
Viviana and David Denechaud
Kellie and Chad Motsinger
Samantha Schnee and Michael Hafner
Cathy and Ed Frank
White & Case
Barrett Sides
Fletcher Held Law
Linda and Phil Johnson
Robin and Kevin Lanier
Catherine and Scott Roberts
Cathy Arnold
Brombacher & Co. Properties
Suky and Ed Cazier
Allyson and Steve Cook
Carolyn and Chris Dorros
Higginbotham Insurance Agency
Rob Lee
Mariela Poleo and Alfredo Sabal
Patti and Art Rascon
Jane Schussler and Mike King
Molly and Coert Voorhees
Westwood Trust
Shila Bustos
Rachel and Travis King
NX Media
Ilene and Bart Putterman
Rebecca and Matt Werner
Mary Stelletello and Andy Howick
Julie Edwards
30,000 alumni across the world
60 years of programming in 17 countries
Website views: 380,000+ yearly
Monthly Newsletter: 30,000+ subscribers
Instagram: 25,000+ monthly impressions
Facebook: 7,500+ monthly impressions
Recent features on Live! In the Bay, PaperCity Magazine, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Forbes Magazine, and Global Travel Channel
Viviana and David Denechaud
Kellie and Chad Motsinger
Laura and Steve Otillar
Samantha Schnee and Michael Hafner
Jeff and Beth Abel
Cathy Arnold
Beth and Jason Bernal
Amy Becker Barelas and Joseph Barelas
Michael and Brenda Brombacher
Shila Bustos
Ed Cazier
Katherine and Rick Chambers
Steve and Allyson Cook
Carolyn and Chris Dorros
Ed and Cathy Frank
Mary Fusillo
Andy and Kate Green
Rick Hess and Rochelle Tafolla
Phil and Linda Johnson
Rachel and Travis King
Kevin and Robin Lanier
Rob Lee
Catherine and George Masterson
Mariela Poleo and Alfredo Sabal
Scott and Cathi Roberts
Barrett Sides
Coert and Molly Voorhees
The 2023 AMIGOS Luncheon Benefit builds on the legacy and impact of the annual benefits hosted from 2017-2022 in Houston. Together, these events have raised approximately $350,000 for our programs and the Access Program. Thank you to our past sponsors, co-chairs, host committees, program speakers, and donors of these events. The legacy of support will continue with this year’s event.
The 2022 Lifelong Leaders Luncheon Annual Houston Benefit was a great success! More than 200 guests came together at Hotel ZaZa in Houston on Friday, November 4th. It was a true celebration full of smiles, connection, and inspiration. The event raised over $90,000.
The event showcased students who embarked on their experiences during AMIGOS 58th summer. Watch the video to see the AMIGOS mission of inspiring leaders put into perspective:
Perla Quintero, featured student speaker, shared her journey with AMIGOS, which began this year when her brother encouraged her to find a way to travel. Her journey took flight in a three-week summer program in Ecuador.
“ … I learned so much about myself. I now recognize my limits and don’t feel disappointed in them. I feel motivated to keep working on my weaknesses to make them my strengths. I understand with certainty that caring for and loving someone doesn’t require much time but requires the right people. I learned to love to farm, wake up early to see the sunrise, and feel the kind breeze in my hair every morning … ”
–Perla Quintero, Student Speaker, 2022 Alum
Sara Nathan, AMIGOS President & CEO, recognized Betsy Griffin, Trustee Emeritus. Betsy has been a strong advocate for building connections across borders for the organization for over four decades. During Betsy’s impactful tenure, 19,273 students completed an AMIGOS program.
Nationally recognized multi-ventured business owner and AMIGOS parent Tony Chase delivered an empowering speech on the importance of bringing people together from different backgrounds. Tony paid tribute to his father, John S. Chase, who was the first Black student at the University of Texas and first Black architect in the state of Texas. Tony highlighted his son Jojo’s journey to Panama with AMIGOS at age 15 and the curiosity about the world it created.
Guests had a great time playing the luncheon raffle, which was a fun new addition to the program. Raffle winners received prizes ranging from a gift card for the popular H-Town Restaurant Group to a champagne buddle and a special stay at the Hotel ZaZa.
2022 Lifelong Leaders Luncheon Benefit Co-Chairs
Kellie and Chad Motsinger
Laura and Steve Otillar
Samantha Schnee and Michael Hafner
Kendall and Carlos Solé
On November 19, 2021, 200 guests attended the event with 175 guests in-person at the Hotel ZaZa and with 25 friends joining us virtually on Zoom. It was a true celebration full of laughter, connection, and inspiration. The event raised critical funds for the AMIGOS 2021 $1MM Annual Fund and was the first hybrid event AMIGOS has ever hosted.
WSJ best-selling author and keynote speaker Dr. Stefanie K. Johnson delivered an upbeat speech on the importance of including diverse perspectives and communities in leadership groups of organizations. She shared three ways that each of us can make our workplaces and communities more inclusive through mentorship, sponsorship, and recognition.
Meah Matherne, featured student speaker, shared her journey with AMIGOS, which began in 2020 when her original trip was canceled due to the pandemic. Her journey resumed this past summer when she participated in our three-week summer program in Nicaragua.
“…Those three weeks in Nicaragua gave me the opportunity to step back from my own life and examine my exact place in the world. Yes, I am still small in the face of time and the universe, but I still have my place in it, and it is my job to make that space as beautiful of a garden as I can…”
-Meah Matherne, Student Speaker, 2021 Alumna
Alma Del Toro and Clint Ford
Laura and Steve Otillar
Samantha Schnee and Michael Hafner