Wine Tasting Benefits Children’s Charities, Rotary
Birmingham Rotary’s seventh annual Korks for Kids wine tasting attracted 200 to The Reserve on May 8 in Birmingham. They sipped, supped and socialized. The hot topic was the closing of this newspaper at the end of the month. The event netted $15,000 for Childhelp Michigan, Orchard’s Children Services and a Rotary International project in the Philippines.
• The Women Officials’ Network Foundation, which works to empower women where public policy is made, attracted 150 to The Reserve on April 30 for its inaugural Wonder Woman Awards. The event highlight was the introduction of each honoree by her husband — Norm Rotter, Bob Pastor and Bob Hallmark. The hot item in the silent auction, which raised $1,600, was Curtis Posuinak’s donation of his Klassics by Kurtis blown glass ornament replicating Aretha Franklin’s Luke Song-designed inaugural hat.
• The Detroit Country Day School annual auction had a circus theme. It attracted 650 on May 1 for family fun and 350 adults on May 2 to party and bid in the new Cooper Gymnasium. The same night, St. Regis school supporters celebrated the school’s 50th anniversary at the Regis at the Hop auction. Proceeds will provide SMARTboards for every classroom.
• The third annual DSO deCanted wine tasting and auction attracted more than 100 Volunteer Council members and their friends to the Detroit Athletic Club May 13. In the live auction the chance to sit on stage with the orchestra during a performance was so popular that auctioneer WDIV-TV’s Andrew Humphries sold it twice. The event that Joan Emerick and Barbara Diles chaired raised $20,000.
• Kudos to Karen Williams, Lisa Hoehn and Shannon Grace Clark for the success of the 11th annual Women Helping Women luncheon and fashion show which they chaired May 2. It attracted more than 600 to the Royal Park Hotel and raised funds for the women and children programs at Grace Centers of Hope.
• Some 80 well-wishers, including the Tom Denommes, Michael Kratchmans, Gary Valades and Rob Beebes, partied at Bud and psychologist Nancy Liebler’s Bloomfield Hills home May 9. They were there to celebrate the launch of Nancy’s new book Healing Depression the Mind-Body Way, Creating Happiness with Meditation, Yoga and Ayurveda. The book was co-authored with Ann Arbor Ayurvedic practitioner Sharon Moss and published by John Wiley & Sons. It offers holistic solutions to prevent and treat depression. It’s at most bookstores.
• The late Gilda Radner’s brother Michael Radner is heading the host committee for Gilda’s Big Night Out 2009 — A Very Merry Unbirthday at Gilda’s in Wonderland, Thursday, at the Troy Marriott. Call Laura Ortiz at (248) 577-0800, Ext. 16, about tickets ($100-$500) to this major fund-raiser for Gilda’s Club, which provides cancer support for the whole family.
• Carmen Bell Ross and Christina DiBartolomeo are chairing BravoBravo!, Michigan Opera Theatre’s young professional group’s revelry Friday, June 5, at the Detroit Opera House. Call (313) 237-3433.
• The Mike Fezzeys, Steven Grekins, Doug Turnbulls and Norman Yatoomas are chairing the fourth annual Champions for the Kids Dinner/Auction (at the Townsend, Sunday, June 7) & Golf Tournament (at Oakland Hills Country Club Monday, June 8). Call (888) 987-5437 for reservations that benefit kids who have loss a parent.
• Music Hall’s annual Cars & Stars Friday, June 12, will salute the beleaguered Big Three for their beneficence to the performing arts. It will feature partying on the stage before and after the show — a jazz/dance collaboration of Savion Glover and Jeff “Train” Watts. Call Laura Raisch at (313) 887-8553.
Send ideas for this column to Sally Gerak, 28 Barbour Lane, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48304, e-mail samgerak@aol.com or call (248) 646-6390.
