Black Tie & Tales 4.9.15

+ A Fair Legacy Fares Well
Spring seems to bring out the creativity in Sarasota event planning, and a fine example is “A Fair Legacy — Luncheon in the White City.” The April 1 benefit was for Historic Spanish Point museum, the home of the legendary Bertha Palmer, who was the president of the Board of Lady Managers for the 1983 World’s Colombian Exposition in Chicago. The fair was nicknamed “The White City” for the predominant color of its buildings and because the first mass scale use of electric power made it much cleaner than earlier expositions.

This luncheon was conceived and implemented in-house under the leadership of Executive Director John Mason. His team of staff and volunteers pulled out all stops; they set vivacious Victorian tables with centerpieces evoking the fair’s Great Ferris Wheel and they modeled period costumes. Fine arts lecturer Baila Miller spoke on the exposition’s contributions to American Culture. Michael Klauber auctioned items including a private tour of the Chicago Art Institute. A paddle raise funded restoration of one of Palmer’s secret gardens. Another found 50 takers at $150 each for a high tea at Ping Faulhaber’s gardens on Casey Key.

Among the 120 guests: Sumner and Irene Bagby, Paul and Jenni Hudson, Art and Peggy Wood, Cornelia Matson, Pauline Joerger, Jennie Famiglio and Margarete Van Antwerpen.

+ Tidbits
Not every luncheon is a benefit! … Still, you can’t blame the Sarasota ladies who asked “What organization is it for?” when they replied to the invitation to a “Spring Fling Luncheon” that came from Anne Virag and Marilyn Shuman. But the ladies threw a picture-perfect party at the Sarasota Yacht Club to thank their guests for their friendship and support especially over the last three years since their husbands died just days apart in April 2012. The lunch was perfect in every detail from the flower-themed tables with color-matched toppers and cupcakes for dessert to the hostesses’ floral print dresses. Among the fortunate friends: Gerri Aaron, Karen Bernstein, Judy Bloch, Veronica Brady, Joan Castellani, Nancy Eisenstat, Ilene Fleischmann, Sydney Goldstein, Malvie Lewis, Sylvia Pastor, Marjorie Sayers, Helen Sherman, Phyllis Steingard, Lisa Walsh and Sally Yanowitz …

Sweet surprise … Forty Carrots Family Center threw quite a party at its Firefly Gala March 28 — but got quite the boost when featured performer Bret Michaels had so much fun that he personally donated $10,000 from his Life Rocks Foundation. “We had no idea the donation was coming! That has never happened at Firefly Gala before. We were thrilled! We were also so honored when we saw the post about the event on Bret’s Facebook page, where he has 1.7 million fans. The tour manager found me well after the show to say they really enjoyed playing for our guests and appreciated the way they were treated and they’d come back any day,” reports Minta Getzen …

Black Tie family is growing ... in the best possible way. Stephanie Hannum and her husband, Max, will welcome their first child, a girl, this summer. Stephanie has been an Observer mainstay for eight years and presently edits this column and handles the papers’ sponsorship of local events from her new home in Atlanta. She and Max recently relocated there when he accepted a position as director of human resources for Eagle Rock Distributing Co. ... Won’t she be a beautiful bride? ... Black Tie Editor Heather Merriman announced April 2 that she is “marrying my best friend.” That would be long-time beau Tim Saba. One thing is sure: she will be a beautiful bride … Farewell, sweet lady … With the death of Alisa Kretzmer last week, the community has lost a knowledgeable and passionate supporter of virtually all the arts … who also relished a lively round of Rummy Cube. BT extends our condolences to her devoted husband, Ernie.

+ Black Tie Affair
The Fairytale Ball ‘Crystal Palace’
Benefiting: Children First
When: 6:30 p.m. Saturday, April 25
Where: Michael’s On East
Chairs: Leslie and Alan Jones, Nola and Larry Hietbrink and Jo and Stan Rutstein
Tickets: $200
Call: 953-3877, Ext. 124.