Palm Beach, FL
– The Jewels of Life Ball, held February 22 at The
Ritz-Carlton, Palm Beach, was AUSSOME! With a Land
Down Under Theme, the Lung Association scored a hit
as the hundreds of attendees were dazzled by the
brilliant creation that unfolded before them. This
beautiful multi-faceted jewel of an event delighted
and charmed – proving itself to be anything but
ordinary gala fare.
Guests were
treated to an exotic array of auction items
assembled by auction chair, Marie Pupke, which
featured a beautiful piece of Aboriginal art and
included gorgeous handbags and jewelry from VanCleef
& Arpels, Daniella Ortiz, and Lisa Plume, as well as
an array of fabulous items donated by Worth Avenue
and Palm Beach area restaurants and merchants. Men
were surprised by a rare gala auction find:
electronics, cameras, watches and a selection of
well-crafted cufflinks. Cocktail bars abounded in
the auction room and a sparkling, dazzling ice
sculpture in the shape of a kangaroo glimmered and
beckoned attendees to imbibe cheekily named martinis
made with CooranBong, an Australian premium vodka,
showcased at the event. The warm aromas emanating
from a bubbling chocolate fountain sponsored by
Sandra Hoffman and Fred Meltzer of Hoffman
Chocolates further beguiled guests and made a tasty
respite during the shopping hour.
Gala chairs
Gail Worth, Laura Sherman and Faith Morford led
guests into the Grand Ballroom for dinner – where
the engaging tune of “The Land Down Under” was
beckoning gala-goers to the dance floor. The tone
for the evening was fun, fun, Fun! Ken Sharples and
Steve Ford of Creations Productions struck the right
note for the evening with décor that was earthy and
elegant, yet playful. The Max Band was brilliant
and well tuned and played to a packed house and a
full dance floor, before a backdrop of lush greenery
and colorful CooranBong banners.
The new South
Seas décor at the Ritz-Carlton was a sumptuous
backdrop for the Land Down Under, and Head Chef,
Ryan Artim outdid himself with a creative and
elegant Australian dinner, featuring foods spiced
with herbs flown in especially for the event. The
Honorable Mrs. Amanda Hodges, Australian Counsel
General, was elated by the authenticity of the
hors d’oeurves
and plated dinner.
Mrs. Lois Pope
honored the organization by accepting the 2008
Humanitarian of the Year Award on behalf of the late
Leo Albert, philanthropist and benefactor, for his
community leadership and financial support. Her
thank you speech was a poignant tribute to Albert, a
great man who has contributed so much to this
community. Mrs. Pope’s “Semper Fi” will ring in many
ears and hearts for days to come. The RUTHIE Award,
named for the Association’s gala pioneer, Ruth
Granat, was presented to Marc and Laura Sherman, who
have demonstrated unwavering commitment to the Lung
Association and its mission. The RUTHIE Award seeks
to acknowledge young people who make an impact on
the community through exceptional service and
support to our organization.
Immediately
following the award ceremony came a huge surprise --
the unveiling of G’Day Imports gala gifts of
CooranBong Australian Vodka. The wait staff at the
Ritz-Carlton, with choreography that would be envied
on Broadway, entered the ballroom with a flourish…
delivering full-sized bottles of CooranBong to each
table and every gala attendee. The presentation was
dramatic - a captivating Aussie-flavored voice-over
pitched the product to the accompaniment of
Aboriginal didgeridoos in a darkened room, which
flashed with multi-colored hues as lighting designer
Ken Sharples brought up earthy colored spotlights
all around. Gala Chairs Gail Worth, Laura Sherman
and Faith Morford definitely have a flair for the
theatrical and should be congratulated on
orchestrating such a tremendous crowd pleaser.
A number of
true Aussies were on hand to add an air of realism
to the event. Association friends from the Land Down
Under, Countess Brigitte von Bulow and The Honorable
Mrs. Amanda Hodges, Counsel General of Australia,
gave a tremendous amount of guidance and energy to
help make an event that rang true, and were
recognized for their enthusiasm and kindness.
Michele & Dave Freyder and Laura Reuter of G’Day
Imports, underwriting sponsor for the event,
participated by hosting the fabulous CooranBong
Vodka ice bar – then went above and beyond by giving
each gala goer a 750ml bottle of CooranBong Premium
vodka. CooranBong is a gluten-free, premium 10x
distilled vodka from grapes grown in the Barossa
Valley, which also produces some of Australia’s
finest wines. G’Day Imports employed The Jewels of
Life Ball as a vehicle to rollout and introduce its
product to the Palm Beach area – a gala first!
Reaching the correct demographic with quality vodka
was an important consideration to G’day Imports and
the gala provided the audience and serious palate
that they aim to reach with their premium product.
Escada
Boutique’s General Manager, Debra Koch, hosted a
fabulous pre-event cocktail party in celebration of
the gala, with the assistance of G’Day Imports who
supported with a specially concocted “Margaretha Ley”
cocktail. Escada generously donated a percentage of
sales from the reception to support the gala and the
Lung Association’s mission. Koch was delighted with
the Ball and eagerly pledged Escada’s support for
future events.
Nelly Rhoda,
General Manager of the St. John Boutique is hosting
an afternoon tea on February 27 at the Worth Avenue
store as a salute to the Gala Chairs, Gala Board,
and major event sponsors as her way of saying thanks
for both their generosity and community commitment.
The American
Lung Association of Florida is so very grateful to
its Gala Board and Gala and Auction Chairs, Honorary
Chairmen Hermé deWyman Miro, Rhoda & David Chase,
Leo Albert (in memory), Nancy Sexauer Walsh
Foundation, Lorrain & Malcolm Hall, and Suzy Minkoff;
sponsors Lawrence and Florence DeGeorge, Peter
Kelliher, Hannah & Marvin Kamin, the Richard E.
McCready Foundation, G’Day Imports, Creations
Productions, and Portada Magazine for their time,
effort and support, which made this event a success.
The Lung Association also thanks all those who
supported the Jewels of Life Ball in any and all
ways.
The word is
out – this is THE event to attend. The American Lung
Association of Florida has created an expectation of
surprise, and it will be well worth attending to see
what else they manage to pull out of their magical
bag of tricks! For more information
please visit:
www.lungfla.org