Museum of the Gulf Coast to host annual gala in April

Published 3:16 pm Wednesday, January 29, 2025

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Sierra Kondos

Special to the News

“Places like this keep your stories alive and delivers a message to our kids, “You can make a difference no matter where you’re from,” Tom Neal, Museum of the Gulf Coast director said about the institution.  The Museum of the Gulf Coast will host its 22nd annual Gala April 26 from 5:30 to 10 p.m. at the Carl Parker Multipurpose Center located at 1800 Lakeshore Drive in Port Arthur.

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The event will honor its 2025 Hall of Fame and Friends of the Museum, Wade and Laurie Phillips, as well as their 2025 Corporate Partner of the Year, Motiva Enterprises, LLC.

“The mission of the museum is to document local history and inspire youth,” Neal said. “With 233 exhibits, the museum aims to showcase regional achievements and provide educational opportunities for children. The museum hosts events like the upcoming April gala, which includes premium drink tastings and honors local contributors such as Motiva and the Phillips family. Events like this help us with funding from free day field trips for kids to the upkeep of the museum and exhibits up to date.”

Wade Phillips is an American football coach who is currently the head coach of the San Antonio Brahmas of the United Football League. He has served as head coach of the Denver Broncos, Buffalo Bills, Dallas Cowboys, and Houston Roughnecks.

“He’s had a book selling here a couple years ago,” Neal said. “Called “Son of Bum,” and he extended this to us to come here and sign the book. He signed and sold 450 books in two hours. I told him, “Hey, go write another book.”

Phillips attends the special events at the museum and special events in honor of his dad, Bum.

 “They honor the area high school coach of the year,” Neal said. “Wade comes in and presents an award and a ring that honors the high school coach who has done amazing things. And he comes back for things like that, to help us out at his own expense, to be there in support of us. During Mid County Madness, Wade came for that event to hand off the trophy to the winning county team. I mean, he’s, he’s still engaged heavily with the community, and it’s appreciated. They continued to be in tune with what we are doing. They’re in tune with our mission, and they’re wanting to help, and they come back.”

The museum also highlights local success stories, such as Kelly Asbury and Walter Davis, to inspire young people. The institution houses significant artifacts, including an Oscar awarded to a local costume designer, and aims to preserve and share these stories to foster a sense of community pride and potential. 

“We’re documenting history, people and things that have happened in this area,” Neal said. “We cover the entire Southeast Texas region, not just Port Arthur. But our focus is really on our youth, because our message is so strong. We have 233 people in our various exhibits there that are knocked nationally and internationally, and we want the kids to understand that. You know, every kid in the world thinks they live in a dead-end street. ‘Where am I going to go from here?’ And so, it basically opens a concept for them to understand it. You know, everybody’s got to come from somewhere. And you just, there are some interesting people, especially when they find out folks that came from right in this area, that were inspired and went on and did great things on the national, international level. It helps them kind of digest that there’s possibilities and opportunities that they may have never considered.”

For more information on sponsorships and tickets to the gala visit https://www.museumofthegulfcoast.org/gala