Amy Scherzer's Diary

United Way's Art of Giving

Vern Yip fans admired the interior designer/architect's style and candor at United Way of Tampa Bay's sixth Art of Giving dinner April 29. Known for home makeovers on TLC's Trading Spaces and HGTV's Design Star, Yip discovered design, not medicine, was his calling, to his parent's dismay.

United Way's star Afria DeVries and a parent, Amy Schaediger, united the 500 guests to raise $110,000 for Summer Care, where kids play and adults pick up budget advice. Their passion, plus sponsors Bank of America and Publix and a very lively auction, will pay for 110 kids to attend 10 weeks of Summer Care.

Besides five travel packages, emcee Kim Malone of the The Daily Buzz, helped auction six stunning purses donated by Neiman Marcus. Tampa Tribune publisher Denise Palmer got the white leather Kooba bag for $850. Lisa Overmyer bid $1,500 for a Tory Burch handbag, shoes and day of beauty for four. Liana Fox nabbed the Fendi bag, plus a wine and make-up party, for $800. Tana Welch took home the red Chanel clutch for $1,200. But everyone left A La Carte Pavilion with swag bags loaded with nail polish, cereal, candy and more loot donated by Ace Beauty Supply, Publix, General Mills and others.







Wheels of Success

Most of us take our transportation for granted, says Susan Jacobs, founder of Wheels of Success, which has provided cars to 332 families and helped another 311 people with auto repairs.

Appreciative recipients spoke of travel travails as Jacobs handed over keys to seven more cars at the fourth RACE luncheon April 27 at A La Carte Pavilion. That included the 26th car for a Caspers McDonald's employee, and the first car to an employee of new partner Tampa General Hospital.

"Check your car when you leave,'' joked emcee Jack Harris of 970 WFLA-AM, handing out shiny Hub Cap awards to Joe Petrillo of AutoWay dealers for 13 cars loaded with Christmas gifts. Also awarded were mentors Bobbi Davis and Irene Hill of the county Children's Board, Grace Armstrong of the Nonprofit Leadership Center and Nikki Daniels of the Family Justice Center, which houses Wheels of Success. Lunch was free, but guests' donations will put 15 more families on the road.

Las Damas de Arte's Sunday in the Arts

Las Damas de Arte hosted its 25th Sunday in the Arts soiree, filling Scarfone/Hartley Gallery at the University of Tampa with paintings, photographs, sculpture and wearable art May 2. Sales, silent auction and sponsors raised more than $10,000 for art student scholarships.

Rose Bilal sang to the artsy crowd; Aja Channelside donated the party wine bar while members brought along bottles for the Wall of Wine raffle, won by Kathy Clayton.

Juror Tracy Midulla Reller awarded first place to UT professor Kendra Frorup for her mixed-media work.

Roberta Schofield took second prize for a nearly 7-foot-wide photograph of Terri Willis' smile. Lynn Manos won third place.

But it was performance art by UT students Alexa Johnson and Theresa Bergman that stole the show, revealing Elena Cifuentes' torso-to-tush body art beneath spooky gray ninja robes.

Sea Grapes food and wine festival

Sea Grapes served up a vital lesson Saturday night: eating sustainable seafood is healthy for you and for ocean ecosystems. Seafood experts Bonefish Grill, Lobster Pot and Aquanox dished out that delicious message at the ninth annual food and wine fest.

But carnivores were also pleased, sampling from more than two dozen restaurants and three musical groups. The String Divas rocked classical music outside; the Dagari jazz trio played the lobby and acoustic guitarist Colt Clark strummed in the Florida Aquarium's Coral Reef.

Board member/event chairwoman Jennifer Closshey hosted 250 VIPs at an early, exclusive Armani's tasting at $150 each. Then 700 more guests arrived with $85 tickets. Add auction sales and the aquarium netted a record $130,000.