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LIFE's 23rd Annual "Lady in
Red" Gala
A Night at the Speakeasy
A Huge Success!
PALM BEACH, FL- (December 8, 2016)
There’s an old adage in show business: Never follow
children or dogs.
Certainly, at the 23rd Annual
“Lady in Red” Gala, which took place at the elegant Mar
a Lago Club on December 3, 2016, a dog – actually, a
two-and-a-half-month-old “Goldendoodle” (a mix of a
Golden Retriever and Poodle) – named Patton stole the
show.
Indeed, Chairwoman Lois Pope – noting
that it is a “long-standing American tradition to have a
‘First Dog’ in the White House,” – introduced the
raven-haired Patton to the crowd of more than 600. Mrs.
Pope said she intends to present President-Elect Trump,
whom she has known for more than three decades, with
this “puppy worthy of the Presidency.”
Patton is the offspring of a long line of
American military hero dogs who served with distinction
in our nation’s wars. He is named for the legendary
General George S. Patton, a man who Mr. Trump has
repeatedly said he considers one of the greatest
military men in U.S. history.
Patton wasn’t the only highlight,
however, of the beautiful, starlit evening that lived up
to its billing as the sauciest, sexiest event of the
Palm Beach Season. As promised, this electrifying
evening was filled with a little mayhem and mischief,
beginning with cocktails and a poolside serenade by the
Palm Beach Symphony, followed by more dancing than Palm
Beach has seen in a long, long time. The Soul
Survivors had the crowd up and dancing from the moment
they entered the Grand Ballroom, which had been
transformed into a 1920s Speakeasy, until the wee hours
of the morning.
And speaking of keeping the crowd of its
feet, The Empress of Soul, herself – the legendary
Gladys Knight – lived up to her royal title and wowed
everyone in attendance with all of her hits from Midnight
Train to Georgia, to Best
Thing that Ever Happened and Heard
it Through the Grapevine.
This very successful evening raised more
than $1.2 million to benefit LIFE’s partnership with
American Humane, the oldest organization in America for
the welfare and well-being of pets and children. Ms.
Pope and LIFE support such American Humane initiatives
as the renowned Red Star Rescue, which provides
emergency services on site to animals lost and in need
of treatment and temporary housing due to hurricanes,
tornados and other disasters, as well as those
victimized by abuse; the annual Hero Dog Awards, which
honor courageous canines who serve as arson, military,
law enforcement, therapy, hearing and guide dogs; and
the just announced Lois Pope LIFE Center for Military
Affairs, which offers an array of initiatives
benefitting military families and military dogs.
Al Adelson, LIFE’s Honorary Auctioneer,
did an amazing job with the live auction, entertaining
the crowd and raising funds for this very worthy cause.
Chairs of the gala were Lois Pope,
Patrick Park, Tova Leidesdorf, and Ari Rifkin.
Co-chairmen were Linda & Al Adelson and Soula & Rick
Rifkin.
Lois Pope's LIFE/American Humane programs
in Palm Beach County include a large Pet Mobile for
adoption purposes and rescue service during times of
emergency.
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