Black Tie & Tales 10.22.15

Key to the Cure opens up the season; SPARCC sets the stage high with scavenger hunt; other fun facts and "overheard's" from the social scene this week.

By Molly Schechter
| 9:00 a.m. October 21, 2015

Black Tie

+ Fashion and feeding frenzy
Key to the Cure, which benefits the Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation’s breast cancer programs, is to 2015 what the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art’s UnGala Gala was to 2010 and preceding years: a giant, summer-ending, season-launching reunion of Sarasota’s young and/or beautiful ... With a crowd of 900 that could have been an ad for Pure Barre and a crew of 95 from Michael’s On East, the new Saks Fifth Avenue at University Town Center was so packed that one of the seven (!) co-chairs announced, “I’m too old for this.” … Pink party dresses, accessories and footwear prevailed as always — most creatively in the boots worn by sponsor Dr. Alissa Shulman, who acquired them at Goodwill and painted them herself, and Dr. Katherine Keeley’s Diana Kelly flats, which she painted the brooch and heels pink ... Pink also dominated the dessert display of tropical coconut macaroon towers and other treats made by the SMH Food & Nutrition department … Asked what she’d call the color of her Carmen Marc Valvo dress, Sally Schule said, “A color that Sally never wears.” It must have been the big pockets for her walkie-talkie that sold her … Marie Selby Botanical Gardens’ CEO Jennifer Rominiecki remarked that the party was “raucous” as compared with the “boring” parties at Saks Fifth Avenue in New York City ... BT’s own Heather Merriman Saba was out for the first time after giving birth to daughter Olivia Grace Sept. 29. Her mom, Wendy Merriman, was her date while her hubs, Tim Saba, was home with the babe … Dancers from Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe were popping and locking in one of the Saks display cases that even a few partygoers popped into as well to perform their own dance moves ... Under the weather and over the top: Co-Chair Susan Jones had laryngitis and could barely speak, but you sure couldn’t tell by looking at her. See her fantastic feathers on the Black Tie cover and solo online with many more pics here.

+ Saying goodbye ... Larger-than-life Jules Rose, who served on the boards of the Asolo Rep, Florida Studio Theatre and Perlman Music Program-Suncoast, died June 10. Ron Taub, whose passions included the Asolo Rep, Sarasota Opera, Circus Arts Conservatory and Pines of Sarasota, died June 28. We lost the humorous, adventurous and oh-so-talented Frank Colson Aug. 7. Senator Bob Johnson, whose brilliance and warmth had an impact on so many organizations, died Aug. 31. His funeral Sept. 10 filled the Church of the Redeemer with more than 600 people. Maxine Donohoo, lovingly known as the Grande Dame of Bay Plaza, died Sept. 13.

+ Get a clue and take a hint ... SPARCC hosted a not-your-everyday scavenger hunt, #SPARCCAmazingRaise, which featured 10 teams racing around Sarasota in stretch Hummers, SUVs and limos trying to crack the code of the clues they received on their mobile apps. Teams piled into a Fusion at Sarasota Ford with clown noses on, re-enacted Unconditional Surrender, played Operation at Hautamaki & Horiuchi, and more. One team even managed to get its driver to strip for one of its challenges (OK, OK ... just his shirt). The winning teams were announced at the Raise the Roof afterparty at Michael’s On East — race winners The Direct Energy Dashers and fundraising winners Super-SPARCCs – Susan Jones, Sally Schule, Veronica Brady, Michelle Senglaub, Rochelle Nigri, Roger Capote, Tony Pinho and Chaz Glunk. See more photos here.

+ Tidbits ... Another notable nonagenarian … The handsome and ever-so-gentlemanly Bill Wise turned 90 this summer and celebrated with an intimate dinner at the Casey Key home of Teri Hansen and Steve Wilberding. Leave it to Margaret Wise to come up with the perfect gift. She commissioned a large painting of his favorite view of Sarasota Bay by Linda Richichi, represented in Sarasota and Martha’s Vineyard by Wise’s good friend, Nikki Sedacca ... Party within a party within a party … Larry Kabinoff celebrated his 65th birthday at the KTTC VIP lounge in Sophie’s … On the road to recovery … BT would like to send some get-well wishes out to its friends Dennis Ries, Cheryl MacLauchlin, Marcia Jean Taub and Nanci Rand, who are all on the mend ... Wedding bells … Art and Peggy Wood’s daughter, Daisy, married Jamie Tolles Sept. 19 at the Presbyterian Church in Lake Forest, Ill. with a reception for 300 at the Wood’s home. Guests from Sarasota included Cassandra and Norman Shea and their daughters, Dr. Roger Shea and his family, Margaret Wise and Kim Githler.