August 2008
WHIRL Events:
All WHIRL event photos on display in the online photo store!
Zoo Gala Goes Green: Party with Impact
Pictured: Liz Dipucci, Gabriele Boldizar,
Kevin O’Connell, Tracy Gray
Lions and tigers and bears ... oh yes! The Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium brought out 1,000 black ties — with comfortable shoes — to its annual Zoo Gala, raising $500,000 via sponsors and another $100,000 through ticket sales. Although the zoo is home to many colorful animals, green was the color du jour. They chose cloth napkins over paper, distributed reusable tote bags and even gave the animals the fruit and veggie centerpieces — as a snack! The zoo’s public relations manager, Tracy Gray, said the night was a blast as usual, but they are very serious about conservation. “We wanted to show conservation in terms of moderation and thinking,” Gray says.
Greensburg Croquet Tournament
Pictured: Jennifer & Chris Fedele, Jo & Jim Rossi
Wickets and mallets replaced textbooks and pencils when 1,500 croquet players and spectators gathered in their whitest white attire on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg for the Greensburg Croquet Club’s 19th Annual Croquet Tournament. Sponsored by First Commonwealth and PNC Wealth Management, the daylong event featured energetic croquet matches for adults and children and a tent decorating competition, contributing $75,000 to the various philanthropic endeavors of the Greensburg YMCA. To wrap up the day’s sunny festivities — in its 19 years, rain has never dampened the spirit of the tournament — the club’s president, Ernie Vallozzi, presented “The Mallet” to third-time croquet champions Dennis Camlin and Aaron Sanders, and the “Silver Bowl” to Jim and Jo Rossi and Friends, the winning tent decorating team.
Say Cheese! The Musical Edition:
Celebrating the Wisdom of Elders
Pictured: Gina Pferdihert, Tony Mowod,
Leslie Merrill McCombs
The Presbyterian SeniorCare Foundation celebrated its 80th anniversary in a very “cheesy” way as more than 200 guests gathered at PNC Park’s Home Plate Club for Say Cheese! The Musical Edition: Celebrating the Wisdom of Elders. The event’s catchy tagline — “Age doesn’t matter unless you’re a cheese” — was the original inspiration for this year’s fundraiser, setting a festive tone for the cocktail reception, musical entertainment, and presentation of the 2008 Presbyterian SeniorCare Awards. Patricia Kornick, director of communications, calls the special event a “celebration of the vibrancy of the older adults” who have contributed to the community. The successful event raised $70,000 for the foundation.
The California University
of Pennsylvania President’s Gala
Pictured: Gloria & Aaron Walton
Guests of the California University of Pennsylvania President’s Gala hit the slot machines and Blackjack tables, but students and faculty members were the ones who really cashed in at the Las Vegas-themed event. Nearly 400 guests helped the university achieve its dazzling goal of exceeding $1 million in gross revenue over the 15-year history of the gala, which raises money for student scholarships. “This was our biggest crowd ever,” says Angela Burrows, Cal U’s director of public affairs. The gala, held at the Omni William Penn Hotel, also served as a night of recognition for faculty members who have contributed to the community. The big winner of the night, alumnus Aaron Walton, senior vice president of corporate affairs at Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield and former chairman of the Cal U Council of Trustees, received the Lillian M. Bassi Core Values Award for exemplifying the University’s core values of integrity, civility, and responsibility.
Rodef Shalom Congregation’s
150th Anniversary Celebration
Pictured: Richard Wechsler, Annette Rom Blum, Rosella Bass Broff, Harry Binakonsky, Pearl Kalb Brostoff
It’s not every day that one attends a 150th birthday party, but that’s just what 400 Rodef Shalom Congregation members did to celebrate their temple’s 150th anniversary and its Fifth Avenue location’s 100th. Co-chairs Janet and John Spear welcomed members, ranging in age from recent confirmation class graduates to those in their 90s. “I think that everybody was just so happy to see everybody,” says publicity chair Barb Mendlowitz. “There was really just a joyous, exuberant feeling.”
Hi, We’re 25!
Pictured: Greta & Art Rooney, Anne Lewis
The Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh’s Hi, We’re 25! birthday gala was the icing on the cake of “a recipe for 25 years of success.” Nearly 300 guests celebrated the museum’s continuing growth and helped raise $225,000 for the museum. “What’s outstanding is that the Children’s Museum is 25 years old and that we continue to grow,” says Bill Schlageter, marketing director of the museum. “What’s remarkable about all of that is that combined effort of all, from gala attendee to corporation, from museum visitor to children every day of the week, that makes this 25 feel very special.” Co-chairs Anne Lewis and Greta and Art Rooney and honorary chair Governor Edward G. Rendell entertained museum guests with cocktails, dinner served by The Duquesne Club — on tables adorned with centerpieces of carnations in the shape of birthday cakes — dancing, and a silent auction.
Second Annual Barbecue with the Bucs
Pictured: Frank & Debbie Coonelly, Kyle Coonelly
If Gilda’s Club Western Pennsylvania were a baseball team, its Second Annual Barbecue with the Bucs would mark the celebration of two wildly successful seasons. Gilda’s Club and the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Wives got together at the Club’s Strip District home to offer food, music, and a silent auction to approximately 150 Gilda’s Club fans. Gilda’s Club, which was founded in memory of comedian Gilda Radner, provides free support and activities for families and friends affected by cancer. Carol Lennon, the Western PA Club’s executive director, says while the event raised $13,000, the most inspiring portion of the evening was when members told their personal stories of why Gilda’s Club resonates in their lives. “I think they tell the story better than any of us can tell it,” she says.
African American Chamber of Commerce of Western Pennsylvania Networking Mixer
Pictured: Doris Carson Williams, Don Kortlandt, Anna Singer with Sammy
Silhouetted by a Pittsburgh skyline, members of the African American Chamber of Commerce of Western Pennsylvania gathered for a networking cocktail party on Mt. Washington. Associate Member Don Kortlandt and his wife, Anna Singer, opened their Grandview Avenue home with a breathtaking view to more than 60 guests for the Chamber’s monthly networking event. “It’s a way for our members to talk to each other informally, to exchange business cards, and to find out what each other does so they can work together,” says president and CEO Doris Carson Williams.
Hoops for Hope Gala
Pictured: Jacqueline & Jamie Dixon
The Petersen Events Center at the University of Pittsburgh served as more than just an athletic arena when it played host to the inaugural Hoops for Hope Gala. Pittsburgh Coaches vs. Cancer, comprised of the six Division I college basketball coaches in the region — Jamie Dixon and Agnus Berenato of the University of Pittsburgh, Ron Everhart and Suzie McConnell-Serio of Duquesne University, and Mike Rice and Sal Buscaglia of Robert Morris University — and 350 American Cancer Society patrons gathered in their best black-tie attire to support the Society’s mission to increase funding for cancer research. The event raised more than $200,000 — double the projected sum of $100,000. To complement the evening of fine food, cocktails, and dancing to live music by Jeff Jimerson and Airborne, silent and live auctions featured favorite items such as a weeklong condo stay in Maui, Hawaii, and tickets to the 2009 NCAA Final Four games.
Children’s
Carousel Tea
Pictured: Sandi Solomon, Ian Loop, Erica Loop
A merry crowd of 300 descended on the PNC Carousel at Schenley Plaza in Oakland for the first Children’s Carousel Tea. The afternoon, benefiting the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, had a little something for everyone in the family, who came dressed in their springtime best and topped with a favorite hat — a Spring Hat Luncheon for the kids, if you will. Parents and children decorously noshed on teas, lemonade, sandwiches, fruit, and cookies. The colorful PNC Carousel formed the centerpiece of the event, and everyone giggled wildly at entertainment from the Zany Umbrella Circus, Pittsburgh Puppet Works, and music by Duke Puddintown. The event, a whirlwind of activity, grossed $60,000, and is sure to come around again.
Party for the Garden
Pictured: Bill Kolano & Brigette Pavlik
The Botanic Garden of Western Pennsylvania welcomed the birds, the bees, and more than 300 guests to the eighth annual event which, “was the best one to date,” says Joan Mazur, event chair. The Cultural Landscape Foundation’s Stewardship of Excellence Award went to Lindsay Bond Totten in recognition of her contribution to the Botanic Garden of Western Pennsylvania. Nothing was more breathtaking than the glorious Fox Chapel gardens of hosts — and neighbors — Karen and Ed DiPasquale and Nancy and Richard Zappala, which surrounded the guests, and truly reflected the vision of Nature as Art. The fundraiser took in $90,000, and just like the flowers, Party for the Garden continues to grow and grow.
Nordstrom Pre-Gala Cocktail Reception
Pictured: Gail Murphy, Becky Torbin,
Peggy McKnight
Nordstrom department store will open at Ross Park Mall this fall with a gala October 22 benefiting the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre and the Carnegie Museum of Art. The gala’s honorary co-chairs and hosts Peggy and Steve McKnight intensified the shopping anticipation by holding a Pre-Gala Cocktail Reception at their home, “to invite each of the gala committee members to come to one place and get excited and create a buzz,” says Katie Turiak, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre’s development assistant. Bob Middlemas, Nordstrom’s executive vice president for the Midwest region, addressed the approximately 180 guests, who each received the gift of a bowl designed by Nordstrom illustrator Ruben Toledo.
Please Take a Seat Gala
Pictured: Carol & Joe Massaro,
Alexandra Studnicky
Patrons of the Twenty-Five Club of Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC were invited to “Please Take a Seat” for neonatology. The gala, featuring cocktails, dinner, and live entertainment, was highlighted by the silent and live auctions of uniquely decorated chairs. The event’s inspiration was derived from the club’s goal of establishing an endowed chair in neonatal research. Live auctioneer Jim Roddey encouraged the 270 guests to bid on the decorative seating, signed by Pittsburgh sports heroes — including the 2006 Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl XL team, Sidney Crosby, Mario Lemieux, and Arnold Palmer — and painted by prominent local artists. The event was a victory for the club, bringing their total funds raised to $1 million, a figure that will be generously matched by Magee-Womens Hospital.
2008 Urban Garden Party
Pictured: Lynn Bunting, Clare Westwood,
Suzy Donahue, Peggy Finnegan
The Mattress Factory held a powdered wig and bustier-filled fête to remember for the 2008 Urban Garden Party. Approximately 1,000 guests partied like royalty and helped raise nearly $200,000 for the museum. Scott Bergstein and Jessica Coup co-chaired the soirée, which posed the question, “If Marie Antoinette had an iPod, what would she listen to?” and achieved the goal of bringing “that era of decadence and opulence into the 21st century,” according to the Mattress Factory’s marketing coordinator Jeffrey Inscho. Entertainment ranged from a performance by The Zany Umbrella Circus that took place four stories above ground, to a VIP pre-party fashion show featuring a dress made entirely from Toffee Taboo chocolate and designed by Bob Sendall.
All WHIRL event photos on display in the online photo store!