Baby, it’s cold outside! Fortunately, the winter wind always ushers in a crush of wonderful events that warm donors’ hearts and kick start the giving season.
I spent last Saturday at Yeamans Hall with Meredith and John Dunnan, president of the Charleston Concert Association (CCA). They hosted a dinner in appreciation of CCA donors, and the black-tie clad crowd was in high spirits. CCA brings world class performances to Charleston year-round, and a recent night of Chicago’s energetic Hubbard Street Dance had patrons buzzing. In March, CCA will host the St. Petersburg Ballet Theatre, and I hope to be in the audience for what is sure to be a night of beautiful and technically spectacular dance.
One for the first familiar faces that I spotted amongst the gathering at Yeamans was Lenore Himmelstein— a firecracker wrapped in a petite frame that is always adorned in something phenomenally fashionable. She is an animated talker, with hands fluttering about, and I find her to be one of the most charming women in Charleston. Her husband, Fred, will soon celebrate a milestone birthday, and I hear the festivities are not to be missed.
Seated dinners always present the opportunity to forge new friendships (or be bored stiff while mentally urging the courses to plate themselves posthaste). My luck on Saturday was running high as I found myself seated between local photographer DuBose Blakeney and Lowcountry transplant Bryan Sherbacow, who settled in Charleston several years ago by way of Washington D.C. Bryan works with an alternative energy company—a subject that’s been part of my recent daily conversation thanks to a friend who is working with one of the first wave energy hubs in North America. I was enchanted by Bryan’s earnest appraisal that a cosmopolitan, worldly, and diverse selection of people populate the peninsula. A microcosm of those interesting folks attended the Dunnan’s dinner as evidenced by some of my other table-mates: John Paul Huguley, the founder of the American College of the Building Arts who had just returned from Paris, France, and Julia Santen, who recently traveled to Chicago on an auction buying trip for her King Street vintage poster gallery.
Over the past four days, Charleston has celebrated its second annual Philanthropy Week, a collaborative effort by leaders of various local nonprofits to heighten awareness of community needs and also recognize local leaders who are working to create solutions that enhance the safety and vibrancy of life in the Lowcountry.
On Wednesday night, Women Making a Difference distributed $111,000 in grants to 15 local organizations. To view a list of the recipients, check the website at www.womenmakingadifference.com.
The party was held at Lowndes Grove, and the weather could not have been more perfect— crisp and windless. Approximately 200 women and men gathered beneath two tents to nosh on hors d’oeuvres provided by Whole Foods and hear about the work that will be funded by the grants. To date, the group has raised more than $340,000 to benefit nonprofits that work with women and children in Charleston.
Thursday was a double-header that started with the National Philanthropy Day luncheon at the downtown Marriott. Registration began at 11:30 and the hallway was a beehive of activity by 11:35. As a speaker later remarked, it looked like a campaign headquarters as many guests wore pins with a photo of Dr. Ted Stern, recipient that day of the Philanthropist of the Year Award. By the time I entered the ballroom, I’d spoken with Len and Beverly Hutchison (Wachovia and the Dee Norton Lowcountry Children’s Center, respectively), Julia Forster (Spoleto Festival USA), Kay Chitty (Coastal Community Foundation), Bill Medich (S.C. Bank and Trust, a main sponsor of Philanthropy Week), Kenton Morrison (Gibbes Museum of Art), Tish Lynn (Coastal Conservation League), Dean Valerie Morris (College of Charleston’s School of the Arts), and David Rawle (Rawle Murdy).
Keynote speaker Peter Bloom captivated the crowd with stories of his involvement with DonorsChoose.org, a phenomenal web-based conduit that connects teacher submitted proposals with donors who can fund classroom learning projects with the click of a mouse. Corporate sponsorships cover the organization’s overhead, and 100% of donated funds are used to fulfill requests. Teachers who receive funding also get a disposable camera that they use to document the funded projects. The film is returned to and developed by DonorsChoose and then posted on the site. Meanwhile, the students and teachers write thank you notes to funders, and Peter read excerpts from several letters. I’ll abbreviate the last note he shared, which was written by a student who was given his first book as a result of the funding Peter and his wife supplied to a project that wished to provide impoverished students with a single book to call their own: “I don’t know who you are or why you helped me, but that must mean you need something. So whatever I can do to help you, just tell me.”
Peter, who lives a life of abundance both personally and professionally according to John Thompson’s introduction, closed with a remarkable surprise. He gave every person in the room $25 to be used toward funding of a DonorsChoose.org project. Wow!
The luncheon ended with honors bestowed upon Blackbaud (2007 Outstanding Business Award) and Dr. Theodore S. Stern (2007 Outstanding Individual Award), who at the age of 95 is as witty, kind, and gracious as ever.
As the 410 guests cleared the ballroom, Bev Seinsheimer and I scampered about collecting Peter’s $25 DonorChoose.org gifts from the seats of people who left early or perhaps forgot to take their handouts. Their loss— our gain! We giddily talked about selecting projects to fund while in the car after the event, and I plan to share mine with my family during the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. I urge you to check out the website to learn more. As Peter was addressing our luncheon, DonorsChoose.org was launching its national initiative. South Carolina is already in the mix and thanks to a recent televised mention by Stephen Colbert, more than $50,000 has been pledged in support of local projects.
The celebratory vibe continued into Thursday night with Darkness to Light’s annual eye-popping Circle of Light gala that raises money for its child sexual abuse prevention programs. Mammoth circus-style tents covered the northern end of Marion Square creating an almost bedouin-style encampment in the park. The temperature plunged once the sun set, but fortunately the check-in line was relatively short upon our arrival. I hear it mushroomed to 200 plus people not long after we made our way inside the heated cocktail party tent.
This party is always a delight to the senses. Several years ago, Tally Attaway designed an ethereal white decor with low hung chandeliers that were wrapped in white tulle and dotted with stunning silk jeweled butterflies that slowly and methodically flapped their oversized wings with the nudge of a little battery power. That party took my breath away at first sight, and it has always ranked as one of the most memorable affairs that I’ve ever attended. More recent themes have included a dramatically dark decor with human candelabras and an Asian influenced event that featured two Koi ponds in the cocktail tent. Over the top does not begin to describe this annual gala and last night’s event was another one to remember.
The physical decor (primarily white and green in the cocktail tent and burnished pumpkin-tangerine with green accents in the main tent, all courtesy of Soiree) was quite eye-pleasing, but it was a troop of high-kicking flamenco dancers that captured the crowd’s attention. And it was a drag queen decked out in feathers galore that captivated the crowd! That’s right— a drag queen. As Jennet Alterman later remarked, after a sweet puppy fetched $17,000 in the live auction, “It’s a toss up as to my favorite moment… the drag queen or the puppy.”
Look!
Unlike most galas that use the standard eight or ten person round tables, Darkness to Light filled the dining tent with a mix startlingly long rectangular tables that seated 24 guests and smaller tables that sat from four to twelve guests. Sumptuous silk table cloths spilled onto the ground, and tea lights sparkled amidst glass vases of simple green fronds.
The live auction got underway shortly after dinner, and items like a John Carroll Doyle oil painting fetched thousands of dollars. It was, however, the aforementioned puppy that gave guests quite a thrill. A soft six-week-old pup swaddled in a blanket carried by a volunteer made the rounds all night. The din in the room increased steadily through the auction, but an adoring hush fell across the crowd once the puppy was carried onstage. Bids popped up around the room with several paddles fighting throughout the $5,000 to $10,000 ascension. From $12,000 upwards, it became a duel between two tables that were situated on either ends of the stage.
Auctioneer Doug Warner got quite a workout running from one end of the stage to the other. I had a clear sight of one set of bidders, and the lady of the pair looked so hopeful that I happily cheered on their bidding. Then I discovered that I knew the other set of bidders, so I cheered them on, too. In fact, everyone was cheering. As the bids rose—$12,000 to $13,000 and upward still— guests made such a racket that the sweet puppy awoke with a shudder and was probably scared witless from the raucous shouting. Once the winning bid was announced (in favor of the people seated behind me), the woman leapt up and rushed toward the stage, eager to hold the puppy. She was clearly overjoyed, and I know that puppy lucked into a good home.
The entire auction ended soon after, and everyone migrated back to the cocktail tent for Dance Party USA. Hint to the organizers: I think you need a larger dance floor at the 2008 gala!
Caritas.
Ida
