The Elizabeth Ann Seton Board’s (EASB) annual gala, Cosmic Cowboy, raised more than $1.3 million to support Mother/Baby Services and the Marialice Shivers and Dell Children’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at the Kathryn Frances Walker Center for Neonatal Intensive Care & Family Support at Ascension Seton Medical Center Austin (ASMCA). The funds will help advance programs, upgrade facilities, and meet essential equipment needs.
More than 800 attendees, including community leaders, dedicated sponsors, and guests, gathered at Troublemaker Studios for the gala. Guests enjoyed a pre-event cocktail hour, a lavish dinner and program, and a live auction. The evening concluded with a lively after-party featuring DJ Cassandra.
Live auction items featured premium getaways, such as a Punta Mita luxury vacation and a Round Top girls’ trip, along with original works contributed by various artists. The most unique item up for bid was a once-in-a-lifetime dinner with Bevo.
EASB President Callie Hester, Gala Co-Chairs Kristin McShane and Stephanie Page, and the entire board worked tirelessly over the past year to support the NICU at ASMCA and the babies and families, advancing Ascension Seton’s mission to care for and improve the health of those they serve, with special attention to the poor and vulnerable.
Hester remarked, “The EASB Gala gives us all a chance to come together and support the babies, mothers, and families going through one of the hardest chapters of their lives. It is such an honor to work with an all-female board of more than 70 Austin women who devote nine months to creating this event. We raised over $1.3 million this year, and 100% of those funds go directly back to the NICU and Mother/Baby services at our hometown hospital. No mother should have to second-guess if their baby is getting the best care possible. We help ensure that each of those babies receives the care they deserve at Ascension Seton.”
The EASB has played a leading role in the Women First Campaign, raising more than $19 million toward its $20 million goal to provide NICU and Mother/Baby equipment for the new Ascension Seton Women’s Hospital, slated to open in summer 2026.
The new 178-bed, 326,000-square-foot hospital will serve up to 7,500 families each year and bring together advanced high-risk maternal care, a dedicated women’s emergency department, and two full floors of private-room NICU space. From private labor and delivery suites to leading-edge surgical technology, every detail has been carefully designed to provide the highest level of care for moms and babies across Central Texas.
To learn more, visit supportseton.org.
