By Amy Scherzer, Times Staff Writer
In Print: Friday, November 13, 2009
Siobhan Roland, left, and her mother, Melissa Roland, right, visit with Catherine Lowry Straz at the awards dinner. Straz was the top bidder for a performance by classically-trained Siobhan, TBBCA’s first high school scholarship winner.
Arts patrons picnicked and previewed a spectacular light show illuminating the new Tampa Museum of Art for the first time at Saturday night's Evening in the Park.
The view and the breezes delighted from the University of Tampa riverfront where sponsors Gene and Patsy McNichols gave grandchildren, Matthew, William and Megan, the honor of flipping on the lights. McNichols Co. supplied the perforated aluminum skin on the museum, hence the name for the Sono Cafe dessert they bid $5,500 to name, Holey Gelato.
Call it the Un-Pavilion (the opposite of the museum's usual November formal benefit) as half the 400 guests supplied their own decor and dinner (stone crabs, champagne and such) at $250 each. The other half paid $360 for Mise en Place to sizzle and style their meal. Either way, the net was $250 per guest, said co-chairs Allison Casper Adams and Leslie Jennewein, who topped her table with an original C. Paul Jennewein sculpture.
Maureen and Doug Cohn and their supper clubmates commissioned Chez Bryce to cater and artist Eileen Goldenberg to paint a Matisse tablecloth. Mort Richter built his own table with a hole in the center where Sara Richter adorned a tree with a giant butterfly, a nod to the Pavilion XVII theme they chose as chairmen in 2002.
When it came to picking best table, judges could be bribed. Museum chair Ray Ifert's pals chipped in to win, helping the elegant picnic net $110,000.
Coolest conveyance: Larry Salkin captained a Tampa Water Taxi bearing Marian and Hal Flowers, Mark Anderson and Keith Bucklew, Mark and Linda Saul-Sena, among others, to the UT seawall.
Who better than Tony Dungy to get to the meat of the message at the Boys & Girls Clubs' 28th annual Steak Dinner at Busch Gardens? Step up, get involved, urged the 2009 Community Hero, inspiring pledges of $18,000 to match Joe and Anne Garcia's challenge gift.
Two club youngsters seated at every table joined 500 adults texting emcee Dick Crippen via a high-tech system donated by Padgett Communications. CapTrust's Roger Robson donated the sole auction item, a New York corporate suite, plus airfare and theater tickets, which sold for $4,600 to Dennis Jones.
From cocktails under the roaring Scorpion roller coaster to the Desert Grill musical revue, sponsors Busch Gardens and Outback Steakhouse helped the Nov. 5 sell-out net $180,000, up 70 percent over last year.
"String Diva" Betsy Goode gained a slew of new fans rocking on her electric cello at the Tampa Bay Businesses for Culture & the Arts awards dinner at the Florida Aquarium. These patrons of the arts organized 20 years ago to promote and invest in local culture.
Alan Darcy strolled on sax, Samantha Churchill twisted wire salvaged from SkyPoint condominium and Olga Benitez danced salsa — all talents auctioned at the Nov. 5 party. Emcee Paul Wilson hawked two Darcy performances for $1,700; two hours of singer Siobhan Roland brought in $1,000. A coaching session with screenwriter Howard Flamm went for $300. Artists received a "wholesale" fee; TBBCA kept the overage, netting nearly $10,000 for its Save the Artists campaign.
Guests also heard a snippet of Wonderland: Alice's New Musical Adventure and met the awardees. Individual winners were Marjorie Golub, Carl Kuttler, Beth Houghton, Scott Wagman and Bill Zewadski. Business honorees were J. Kokolakis Contracting and Tampa International Airport.
Boys & Girl Club Steak Dinner
Tampa Bay Businesses for Culture & the Arts awards gala
Tampa Museum of Art's Evening in the Park
Events
Wednesday: National Philanthropy Day awards luncheon sponsored by Suncoast Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals; 11:30 a.m.; A La Carte Pavilion; $50; (813) 251-9172.
Nov. 20: Light up the Night benefits Cigar Family Charitable Foundation and Tampa Firefighter's Museum, 7 p.m.; 720 E Zack St.; $85 VIP or $50, in advance; $105 VIP or $70 at the door; (813) 247-3880.
Nov. 28: Wonderland Mad Hatter Tea Party benefits Joshua House and Kids Charity of Tampa Bay; 2:30 p.m.; Ferguson Hall; Wonderland matinee only, $50; matinee and tea party, $100; (813) 263-3469.
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