Originally delivered on 1/13/2025 8:10 am

SUBJECT: Houston Aggie Moms' Club: January Newsletter

JANUARY 2025 NEWSLETTER

Howdy Houston Aggie Moms! 

I hope you all had a wonderful time over the holidays with your Aggies! 

Our most anticipated event of the year is right around the corner on Saturday, February 8th: "A Tradition of Giving" dinner and auction! Don't miss out - buy your tickets/table by January 20th! Link to purchase tickets and tables: 

2025 HAM Dinner-Auction Tickets 

Don't Miss the January 2025 Events:

Thursday 1/16  6:30pm-8:30pm January General Meeting

Wednesday 1/29 6:00pm Sandwich Generation Support

Multiple Days 1/20, 1/22, 1/24, 1/28, 1/31 Help with Auction preparations 

Be sure to check out the "Save the Dates" below. We've planned more fun social events, great speakers, and other events this spring so check our website frequently and subscribe to our calendar: Houston Aggie Moms' Club - Calendar (membershiptoolkit.com)  

Would you like to get more involved next year? Join our board! See the Nominating Committee information below.

Thanks and Gig 'Em,

Margo Wall '82

President, Houston Aggie Moms' Club

https://houstonaggiemoms.membershiptoolkit.com/

2025 ANNUAL HAM DINNER & AUCTION

Don't miss our awesome annual fundraiser! Bring friends, neighbors, families, Aggies, non-Aggies...to raise funds for Aggie scholarships and special programs at TAMU College Station and Galveston! 

The Galveston Yell Leaders and our fabulous DJ will keep the energy going on the dance floor while our favorite ABC 13 Aggie sportscaster, Greg Bailey '90, will honor us as our emcee and fire everyone up for the live auction!

Underwriting opportunities, tickets and tables are available until January 20th - Buy tickets here: 2025 HAM Dinner-Auction Tickets A HUGE thank you to our generous venue sponsor, The Ballroom at Tanglewood, and our other sponsors and donors!

We need "all hands on deck" to volunteer: bring donations to our January Meeting on the 16th (or we can pick them up!), group and wrap baskets, decorate the venue, transport auction items to The Ballroom at Tanglewood, and more! Sign up here: HAM Auction Help SignUp Genius

Donate to your Aggie's Class Basket here: 2025 HAM Class Basket Donations Which class will be the one with the most donations???

DONATION IDEAS:

Did you receive a holiday gift that "just isn't you"? Someone else will love it! 

Bring on the event tickets, experiences, Aggie items, non-Aggie items, your favorite retailer and restaurant gift cards in Houston and Aggieland, wine, jewelry, sports items, memorabilia, sign-up party ideas! 

Take our donor request letter and donor form with you on errands: 

2025 HAM Auction Donation Request Letter

2025 HAM Auction Donor Form

What to wear? Cocktail attire, and of course, Aggie Maroon is always in style! 

You must attend in person to bid on the fabulous live auction items, but if you really can't join us, you can still bid on our great silent auction items - and share our auction link far and wide so others can, too!  2025 HAM Silent Auction Bidding Link

Look for our "Auction Preview" to open in the days before the auction!

QuestionsNeed to arrange a donation pick up? Contact our Fundraising VPs, Dawn Weaver '91 (832-721-4467)  or Gina Smith (713-498-6076)  auction@houstonaggiemoms.org

Venue: The Ballroom at Tanglewood (5430 Westheimer Court; 77056)

JANUARY GENERAL MEETING, Thursday, 1/16, 6:30PM

Catch up from the holidays with other Aggie Moms and hear the exciting news and details for the HAM Annual Scholarship Auction Gala quickly approaching! Then, Julie Scamardo, Manager of the Traveling Aggies, will share special trips they have lined up for the new year. 

Please be sure to rsvp to attend: HAM January Meeting Evite Link

If you would like to bring salad "fixins" to share, please sign up here: 

HAM January Meeting SignUp Genius

This is the last meeting before our annual dinner auction fundraiser, so please bring your gift cards, general auction donations, or wine ($25+up) for the wine pull to the meeting! Receive an extra door prize ticket for EACH AUCTION DONATION OR WINE PULL BOTTLE!! 

Bethel Church of Houston: 825 Bering Dr.; 77057

"Sandwich Generation" Support Network

Who: Houston Aggie Moms who are increasingly helping parents or in-laws with living situations, health concerns, financial issues, driving, managing their estate and/or dealing with their passing

What: NEW Group within Houston Aggie Moms for those "sandwiched" between caring for parents and kids

Where: Home of Bendi Saindon, 4603 Banning Dr.; 77027

When: Wednesday, January 29th, 6:00 pm

Why: SUPPORT each other, SHARE resources, and GROW as we go!

Important Details: "Sandwich" supper provided 

Evite Link: Sandwich Generation Evite Link

Questions?Email Laura Spilman at  Laura.Spilman@HoustonAggieMoms.orgor Bendi Saindon at BWSaindon@gmail.com 

Announcements / Reminders
Where Does Your Aggie Apply for Houston Aggie Moms' Scholarships?

Texas A&M has simplified the application process for scholarships by having only ONE application for students to fill out! Houston Aggie Moms' Scholarships are available through this one application, as well as many other scholarships, including departmental scholarships. 

https://uwide.tamu.edu/ is the link for the application. 

- The application is now open and will close on February 1, 2025! 

Please remind your Aggies that if they do not fill out the application, they cannot be considered for TAMU returning student scholarships! 

SPRING FINALS CARE PACKAGES

Thank you to all of the parents who ordered Finals Care Packages for the Fall! We hope your Aggies loved them! 

If you ordered a Fall Finals Care Package, our VPs Nichole Ake and Kristen Burgess would like your feedback on a brief survey to assist them in planning the Spring Finals Care Packages.  

Please take a few minutes and complete the survey - THANK YOU! 

HAM Fall Finals Care Package Survey

DON'T MISS OUT!

Subscribe to our Calendar so you don't miss any of our upcoming events! Download the Membership Toolkit app and subscribe to our calendar: Houston Aggie Moms' Club - Manage Subscriptions (membershiptoolkit.com)

DO YOU WANT TO GET MORE INVOLVED IN HAM IN 2025-2026?

Thank you to those who have volunteered to serve on our Houston Aggie Moms' Club 2025-2026 Board! We are pulling together a great group of leaders for our club, but still have a number of key spots to fill. How might you apply your skills, personality, and experience to serve on our board?

Most of our VP positions can be filled by two people, so we would love for you to work with another Aggie Mom with the same interests. Find a friend to make it more fun or get to know a new partner! 

Plans are to announce our 2025-2026 Board Slate  at the "A Tradition of Giving" Dinner & Auction on Saturday, February 8, 2025, so the Nominating Committee is quickly working to fill all the slots.  

Please respond with your interest and/or questions to: nominatingcommittee@houstonaggiemoms.org

Your HAMC 2025-2026 Nominating Committee,

Sonja Nitsch (Chair), Laura Spilman '93, Iram Ahmed, Dawn Joy, Felicia Lewin, Kathy Roth Choate (alternate), Gretchen Young (alternate).

Did You Know?

That Houston Aggie Moms can sign up for Kroger to make a donation to our group every time you shop?  Log into your Kroger account and use the code KC493 to support Houston Aggie Moms' Club with every purchase!  

SAVE THESE DATES! (more info later)

- ANNUAL DINNER AUCTION FUNDRAISER “A Tradition of Giving": Saturday, February 8th, 6:30-10:30PM at The Ballroom at Tanglewood

- NO FEBRUARY GENERAL MEETING (Annual Dinner Auction instead)

- AGGIE MOM CAMP: Friday February 21st through Sunday February 23rd at TAMU, College Station 

- SOCIAL- SAVE THE DATE: Thursday, February 20th, evening

- AGGIE BASEBALL VS RICE: Sunday, March 2nd, 7pm at Dalkin Park (formerly Minute Maid Park)

- MARCH GENERAL MEETING: Thursday, March 20th, 6:30PM at Bethel Church of Houston

SINGING CADETS CONCERT IN HOUSTON: Saturday, March 22nd evening at Second Baptist Church

- SPRING FINALS CARE PACKAGE PURCHASE DEADLINE: Friday, March 21st

- FEDERATION OF AGGIE MOMS’ CLUB/HOUSTON AGGIE MOMS’ CLUB BOUTIQUE during FAMILY WEEKEND in COLLEGE STATION: April 4th-5th at the TAMU Memorial Student Center

- NO APRIL GENERAL MEETING (Family Weekend in College Station instead)

- SPRING FINALS CARE PACKAGE DISTRIBUTION: Date TBD, usually late April 

- MAY GENERAL MEETING: Thursday, May 15th, 6:30PM at Bethel Church of Houston

- ADDITIONAL FUN SOCIAL EVENTS ARE BEING PLANNED FOR THE YEAR!

THANK YOU TO TAMU MAYS HOUSTON!

TAMU Mays Houston has graciously shared their classroom space with Houston Aggie Moms' for our board meetings,  TAMU Mays Houston has asked us to share information on their Executive and Professional Houston Programs with our Aggie Moms. If you, your spouse, or your children are interested in learning more, information can be found by scanning the QR code in the graphic below. Please spread the word that an Aggie RING can be earned in HOUSTON! Aggies support Aggies! Gig 'Em!

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