T he Houston Fire Fighters “Red Hot Gala” always set the ladies’ (and some gents’) hearts on fire when the first responders calendar model strut the runway sans shirts, flexing both their community spirit and their chiseled physiques. But for the eighth anniversary of the gala, held at the Royal Sonesta Hotel, the parade of Houston’s bravest included a first.

That’d be Sasha, Ms. September, a female fire fighter whose surprise walk had the throng of more than 450 cheering with even more enthusiasm.

Such is the energy of this annual gala that herding this crowd into attention is always a challenge even for emcee Courtney Zavala , who knows her way around a bustling ballroom crush. But all was in good spirits as the evening raised more than $500,000 for Houston fire fighter training

See Full Page