If the star-studded entertainment and the delectable meal weren’t enough to make this year’s ECHO Gala a must-see event, the live auction items will certainly send a few deep-pocketed party-goers home happy.

Among the items that will be up for bid include vacations, a hunting trip, tickets to sporting events, a home entertainment system, jewelry and more.

Pictured, a five-day stay at “Casa Patricia” in Puerto Vallarta is among the auction items at the Eighth Annual ECHO Gala.

Submitted Photo

Returning to the auction this year are several items that have been popular among bidders in the past. Among those is a six-day, five-night stay at “Casa Patricia,” a villa in the hills off the beach of Mismaloya in Puerto Vallarta. The four bedroom, 8,000 square-foot villa is “ideal for a family reunion, a friend’s get-together or a wedding event,” the ECHO Foundation stated in a release. The package also includes house staff and an offshore fishing trip.

Also returning this year is a five-day archery bull elk hunt at a private ranch in Colorado. The ranch is surrounded by more than one million acres of private land. The hunt is for one hunter and will take place in the fall.

The “Sportsman’s Dream” package includes three second row seats to a Houston Rockets vs. Boston Celtics game, four tickets to a Houston Dynamo soccer game, five front row tickets to a Houston Astros game and four tickets and a parking pass to a Houston Texans game. The package will also include autographed memorabilia by Houston sports stars.

Sports fans will also have the opportunity to bid on a 2005 Astros Championship DVD, narrated and autographed by the evening’s entertainer, Dennis Quaid, a 2005 All-Star Game Lance Berkman autographed jersey and two club level tickets to an Astros game.

Quaid will also sign an acoustic guitar, which will be up for bid.

A home entertainment package, including a 47-inch LCD HD TV, along with a Blu-ray player and Xbox 360 Kinect will be up for bid, as will a sterling silver Pave Athena White Sapphire Heart Drop Bracelet.

New to this year’s auction will be a round trip vacation for two to New York City, which includes a photo shoot with renowned photographer Bradford Rowley at his New York studio, a stay at the Ritz Carlton Westchester and a $100 gift card for dinner.

For those looking to take a vacation closer to home, a weekend vacation in The Woodlands will be up for bid. The package includes a weekend stay at the Avia Hotel, a round of golf at The Woodlands Country Club, an “Escape Package” at the Spa on the Waterway, a gift card to PF Chang’s and four reserved tickets to a Houston Symphony Performing Arts Event at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. A gift card for La Madeline for breakfast is also included.

Other live auction items will include a “Party in Your Backyard,” including a new barbecue grill, grilling tools, cutting board, a $100 Visa gift card, and dessert; a five-course dinner prepared by Chef Price for up to 10 people at the Tuscany restaurant at The Woodlands Waterway Marriott and an overnight stay for the host couple.

Prior to the start of the live auction, one raffle ticket winner will have the opportunity to choose one item from the live auction list (excluding trips) before anyone else may bid on them. The raffle tickets will be on sale at the gala for $100 each.

The Eighth Annual ECHO Gala, benefiting Tomball Regional Medical Center, is set for Feb. 5 at The Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel and Convention Center. The event is held each year to raise money for upgrades and improvements to the Hospital’s services.

This year, the money raised will help improve patient safety.

According to the Institute of Medicine, 98,000 Americans die needlessly every year due to medical errors. The money raised this year will fund upgrades and improvements to the hospital’s bar coding system in order to provide “electronic double-checks” in patient care.

Platinum Sponsor for this year’s ECHO Gala is Lone Star Chevrolet. Dream Team sponsors are Tejas Pathology and Houston Northwest Radiology Association.

Santa Fe Flats NewMex Grille, Which Wich Sandwiches and Houston Coca-Cola donated food to the volunteers for the event.

For more information, including details about tickets and sponsorship opportunities, e-mail ECHO Executive Director Marilyn Kinyo at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 281-401-7928.

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