SEWE Gala and the Leukemia Ball
The city was in full festival mode last week with the arrival of the Southeastern Wildlife Expo, a multi-day celebration of the sporting set. Last Thursday, I attended the black-tie gala at Charleston Place alongside hundreds of expo patrons. In years past, gala apparel has ranged from eye-popping feathered gowns to camouflage tuxedos. By comparison, this year was relatively tame although I did spot one woman with a bird tethered to her ponytail. Considering how realistic some of the expo decoys can be, we’re hoping it was a stuffed hair accessory and not the real thing. Living, breathing animals did abound as renowned animal handler Jack Hanna wandered through the crowd with sundry beasts, including an enormous yellow boa constrictor that cleared a wide path everywhere its handler went.
On Saturday, I made my way to the North Charleston Performing Arts Complex ballroom for the Leukemia Ball, where the Mardi Gras-theme inspired some guests to don brightly colored masks. Dueling ice-block martini shooters attracted a fair share of attention from guests who caught custom-blended libations from the bottom of the frozen luges. Both a silent and live auction helped raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, an organization that has always been dear to me since I lost my best childhood friend, Alison, to leukemia in 1994. Several of the guests in attendance at Saturday’s gala were also friends with Alison, and it was heartwarming to see people continue to support this meaningful cause in her honor these many years later.
All the best,
Ida
