A 90-minute concert by Sting (pictured) was the highlight of The Lanier Law Firm’s annual family-oriented holiday party on Sunday, which also featured carnival rides and games for the kids, barbeque and Tex-Mex food, and county fair treats such as hot cider, funnel cakes and cotton candy. Houston plaintiffs attorney W. Mark Lanier and his wife, Becky, hosted about 5,600 people at their home in northwest Houston on Dec. 5. It was a crisp, sunny day for the hot-ticket event, which also doubles as a fundraiser for Guatemala SANA, which supports educational programs in Guatemala. Lanier says the party may have been the best ever — it’s the 17th in a row — because of the perfect weather and because Sting “went out of his way to do a very special job.” Sting, who wore black slacks and a silky, shiny shirt while performing in the huge tent, played many of his hits from The Police, including “Roxanne,” “Message in a Bottle,” “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic” and “Every Breath You Take” and songs from his solo career including “Englishman in New York.” Lanier says he and Becky reduced the invite list to the party this year, to make the crowd at their house in northwest Houston a bit more manageable. “It outgrew our ability to be great hosts at a great event,” Lanier says. He notes that about 9,000 partygoers attended the 2008 party, when teen pop star Miley Cyrus performed. Lanier says he doesn’t know yet how much money the firm raised for Guatemala SANA, but it will be several hundred thousand dollars because people were “very generous.” He notes that “every penny given goes directly to the people of Guatemala.”
-- Brenda Sapino Jeffreys
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