rsvp magazine march 2012
DESCRIPTION
RSVP magazine is like no other publication in the city of Memphis. What began as simply “The Society Pages” more than a decade ago has evolved into a monthly review with stunning photography and entertaining, informative stories. See for yourself!TRANSCRIPT
Staxtacular
Cirque du CMOM
Memphi Mid-Winter Ball
St. Jude Red Carpet Bash
Home is Where the Heart is Gala
Grand Krewe of Ennead Coronation
Q&A with Laura Vaughn
M a r c h 2 0 1 2
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CONT
ENTS
12ST. JUDE RED CARPET BASH
Megan Arthur and Beth Buffington
36 GRAND KREWE OF ENNEAD CORONATIONDonna Mikeal and McKay Clark
26MEMPHI MID-WINTER BALLSharon and Walter Wills
38 STAXTACULAR
Mark and Donna Bettison
54HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS GALA
Dave and Edie Leech
48CIRQUE DU CMOM
Mike Roberts and Teresa Hurst
Cover Photo Will and Emma Dickerson
atHome is Where the Heart is Gala
Photo by Don Perry
ContentsMarch 2012
From the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Signature Memphis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10Martha Perine Beard, Memphis Regional Executive of the Federal Reserve Bank ofSt. Louis, takes RSVP into her office.
St. Jude Red Carpet Bash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12Supporters of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital took a road trip to Tunica not togamble, but to raise some dough for the medical institution that turns 50 this year.
StreetSeens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20, 22 & 24He’s proud to talk about the high job placement rate that the Memphis Area Boys& Girls Club Technical Training Center has had the past three years. As a classicalmusic composer, he’s putting a contemporary spin on things. This artist draws“funny.” StreetSeens highlight Joe Sing, Robert Patterson and Lin Workman.
Memphi Mid-Winter Ball . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26“Memphi’s Grammys” was the theme of this year’s annual Mid-Winter Ball hostedby the Mystic Society of the Memphi.
RSVP Room View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30Stephanie Jones shares the decorative tips and inspirations she received while redecorating her “amped-up traditional” living room.
Grand Krewe of Ennead Coronation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36Carnival Memphis season kicked off with the Grand Krewe of Ennead throwing theyear’s first coronation at the U of M Holiday Inn.
Staxtacular . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38This year’s Staxtacular party, “Wine, Dine and Grind,” set records for both atten-dance and fund-raising at the Stax Museum of American Soul Music.
Vox Popular . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44Q&A with the executive director of the Mid-South chapter of the American RedCross, Laura Vaughn.
Cirque du CMOM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48The Children’s Museum of Memphis brought out the glitz and glamour at its annual benefit, themed “Night in Hollywood: A Vanity Affair.”
Home is Where the Heart is Gala . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54One of the city’s newest fund-raisers, the benefit for the FedExFamilyHouse tookover The Peabody for a night filled with celebrity appearances and generous donors.
Onsites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60, 61, 62 & 63Gatherings that have earned an honorable mention.
RSVPhillippi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65Dennis Phillippi candidly looks back on a decade of writing his column.
RSVP STAFF
LIBBY HUFF,SENIOR ACCOUNTEXECUTIVE901.276.7787, EXT. [email protected]
Having worked in advertising and publishing since 2000,Libby decided to try her hand in magazine ad sales by joiningthe RSVP team in 2007. Right off the bat, this free-spiritedMississippi girl fit in perfectly with her new surroundings,quickly rising to become head of the advertising departmentas senior account executive.
CHRIS PUGH,ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
901.276.7787, EXT. [email protected]
Chris has been exercising his talent in the advertising worldsince 1999. He joined the RSVP team in 2009 and broughtwith him a love for laughter and creativity. Originally fromNew Albany, Mississippi, Chris has settled in Memphis andenjoys being active in the fashion community.
PHIL WALLACE,ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE901.276.7787, EXT. [email protected]
Phil, who was born in Flint, Michigan, is the newest additionto the RSVP advertising team. An actor at heart, he hasappeared in many plays in local theaters in Memphis.Currently, Phil performs as historical characters in schoolsaround the country.
MAGGIE GIFFIN,EDITORIAL INTERN
901.276.7787, EXT. [email protected]
Maggie is a recent graduate of the University of Mississippiwith a degree in marketing communications with an empha-sis in magazine publishing. Originally from Jackson,Mississippi, Maggie moved to Memphis to attend culinaryschool in hopes of pursuing a career in both food styling/writing and magazine publishing. Maggie enjoys readingmagazines, cooking and her new position as editorial internat RSVP.
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Volume XVII Number VI
March 2012
P U B L I S H E RRoy Haithcock
E D I T O RLeah Fitzpatrick
C O N T R I B U T I N G W R I T E R SRuth CassinKelly Cox
Jonathan DevinLibby Huff
Dennis PhillippiSuzanne Thompson
A R T D I R E C T O RPatrick Akers
P H O T O G R A P H E R SNathan BerryBaxter BuckRoy HaithcockDon Perry
Steve Roberts
S E N I O R A C C O U N T E X E C U T I V ELibby Huff
A C C O U N T E X E C U T I V E SChris PughPhil Wallace
A C C O U N T I N GRuth Cassin
E D I T O R I A L I N T E R NMaggie Giffin
RSVP Memphis is published monthly byHaithcock Communications, Inc. First class
subscriptions are available for $55.00 per year.Send name and address with a check to:
Haithcock Communications, Inc.2282 Central AvenueMemphis, TN 38104
For advertising information contactRoy Haithcock
Phone (901) 276-7787, ext. 101Fax (901) 276-7785
e-mail [email protected]
W E Bwww.rsvpmagazine.com
For editorial information or to request coverage of an event, pleasecontact RSVP Magazine
one month prior to the event. Call 901-276-7787, ext. 105 or fax to 901-276-7785.
e-mail [email protected] us on
&
RSVP Memphis Magazine
Copyright 2012 Haithcock Communications, Inc.
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Looking back on thewhopping 24 events fea-tured in this issue, I
couldn’t help but notice thatseveral of the party namesalmost seem contradictoryto the unseasonably warmtemps Memphis has beenhaving as of late. Though ithasn’t felt like winter for themost part, our staff mem-bers have attended theMemphi Mid-Winter Ball,Italian Winterfest and thePolar Bear Plunge and ChiliCook-Off (okay, so it wasslightly chilly for that one),and somehow for a secondstraight year, Staxtacularoccurred on a night when it wasn’t unbearably cold, snowingor raining. I mean, I’ve hardly worn my heavy coat, sweatersor gloves, and my fireplace and the outdoor fire pit haven’tbeen used for fear of breaking out in a sweat.
Usually, I’m so sick of ‘Ol Man Winter at this pointthat I’ve started heavily researching tropical travel destinationsand changing out my screensaver of the mountains for animage of any place basked in golden sunlight, but alas, neitherhas crossed my mind. Instead, what I’ve really been focusingon the past month is being content with the present. I mighthave written about this before, but it still seems to be a chal-lenge for this journalist, as I’m always contemplating thefuture at work due to looming deadlines and the need to gen-erate story leads. At home, the same “fast-forward thinking”seems to apply since I can never be satisfied with my décor,leaving me unable to enjoy my surroundings now, in the pres-ent. Probably much can be said for thinking ahead, but some-times if you literally don’t stop and smell the roses, you missout on some of life’s greatest and most fulfilling joys—sittingon your porch and enjoying 65-degree weather on a winter daywould definitely qualify.
Undoubtedly, there are still many times in life whenyou must turn your thoughts to the future, and for good rea-son, like when figuring out a retirement plan or when brain-storming for RSVP’s upcoming Women With Drive special,which will appear in the May issue. As for this issue, my plan-ning brought out the best when it came to pinpointing thismonth’s StreetSeens, Vox Popular and Signature Memphis sub-jects. I feel as if each of the people featured are extremelyunique and inspiring individuals, so read up and enjoy thepresent stories because the next issue will be on stands beforeyou know it. Also, you might not even realize it, but springwill have sprung by March 20.
Leah [email protected]
From the Editor
Photo by Steve Roberts
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Martha Perine BeardMemphis Regional Executive, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Personal hero: My sister.
First concert: Diana Ross.
Favorite author: John Grisham.
Childhood ambition: Flight attendant.
Last book you’ve read: Breaking Dawn.
Favorite album: Any album by Al Green.
Guilty pleasure: Monthly visits to the spa.
One thing you can’t live without: My family.
Where you take out-of-town guests: Rendezvous.
First job: Intern at an accounting firm while in college.
Your mantra: “A job worth doing is worth doing well.”
Stress outlet: Watching a movie or reading People magazine.
Your greatest achievement: Obtaining my education—debt free.
Words or phrases you overuse: “Here’s what we are going to do.”
Movie you could watch over and over again: The Godfather: Part I.
One thing most people don’t know about you: I am a huge Twilight fan.
Historical figure you most identify with: Andrew Brimmer, the first
minority governor of the Federal Reserve System.
Personal hero: My sister.
First concert: Diana Ross.
Favorite author: John Grisham.
Childhood ambition: Flight attendant.
Last book you’ve read: Breaking Dawn.
Favorite album: Any album by Al Green.
Guilty pleasure: Monthly visits to the spa.
One thing you can’t live without: My family.
Where you take out-of-town guests: Rendezvous.
First job: Intern at an accounting firm while in college.
Your mantra: “A job worth doing is worth doing well.”
Stress outlet: Watching a movie or reading People magazine.
Your greatest achievement: Obtaining my education—debt free.
Words or phrases you overuse: “Here’s what we are going to do.”
Movie you could watch over and over again: The Godfather: Part I.
One thing most people don’t know about you: I am a huge Twilight fan.
Historical figure you most identify with: Andrew Brimmer, the first
minority governor of the Federal Reserve System.
Martha Perine BeardMemphis Regional Executive, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
SIGN
ATUR
E ME
MPHI
S
Photo by Steve Roberts
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St. Jude Red Carpet Bash“British Invasion”E
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Kristen and Micah Bell Rhonda and Mark Rogers
Amy and Ben Mrva Claudette and Brad Hawkins
Danny and Linda Smith Steve and Whitney Hegedus
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Mary Alice Ruleman, Kevin Meagle, Michelle Heck and Molly ChaneyRobbie and Shibahn Guerre Carrie and Jeff Strang
See all the party photos atrsvpmagazine.com Password: RSVP
The St. Jude Red Carpet Bash helped kick off St. Jude Children’sResearch Hospital’s 50th anniversary in “royal” style at Tunica’sHollywood Casino. Dubbed a “British Invasion,” the affair had
female guests showing off elaborate feather fascinators, made popularby Duchess Catherine of Cambridge, and men donning customEnglish-inspired bowties and white wigs reminiscent of the kind wornby British barristers, judges and parliamentary officials. AttendeeJennifer Jaudon particularly stood out with her sequin “Union Jack”dress.
The theme carried over into the décor as well, with Britishflags hanging high in the banquet room and miniature versions seenon tabletops next to mirrored candelabras and Wayfarer-style sunglass-es with “I Love St. Jude” printed on the neon frames. As for music,the Rolling Stones definitely influenced DJ Mark Anderson’s playlistheard throughout the cocktail hour, during which guests perused aplethora of silent auction items. Some brilliant finds were a “Hope”platter of St. Jude ornaments, a case of wine from Buster’s Liquorsand Wines, a 10-visit package to Dogs Rule Day Care and School anda handbag from local designer Katie Kalsi. Toys were also available tosponsor for St. Jude patients.
After partygoers had settled in and played British dress-up inthe onsite photo booth, they lined up to two extensive buffets for din-ner. In what could be considered a feast fitting for royalty, the menuconsisted of chilled shrimp, oysters on the half shell, crab and citrussalad, lobster salad, grilled lamp chops with mint jelly, tuna cro-quettes, Dauphinoise potatoes and green beans with bacon lardons.Then there was the dessert bar! It featured chocolate tortes, mochatiramisu, strawberry cheesecake, Heath bar chocolate mousse and keylime pie, to name a few of the decadent sweets.
Once attendees were satiated, the mood turned serious as atouching video of St. Jude patients aired to further highlight thebash’s true purpose. Then, Terri Walker of Walker Benefit Auctionsauctioned off big-ticket items and led “Give to Live,” which offeredguests the opportunity to bid at different donation levels to fundpatient services that corresponded with that level. For instance, a$1,000 donation helped provide parent necessities for 20 patient fami-lies, while a $100 donation provided a platelet count test for twopatients and a pair of pediatric crutches.
Helping make the cause a little more realistic, Walker said,“We’re so lucky to have St. Jude in our hometown. Every year, thou-sands of children are diagnosed [with cancer] and you have thechance to save even one, and just think, that one child could be presi-dent.” With those words, the event soon turned from a “BritishInvasion” to a roomful of “Give to Live” donors.
Story by Leah FitzpatrickPhotos by Don Perry
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Stephen Cruzen and Vickie Moffett
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Kathy and Fran Mrva Ricky and Catherine Harris Aaron and Alyson Edwards
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Ricardo and Beba Heros
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Joe SingReadying Youth for the Professional World
Down the street from LeMoyne-Owen College mightstand a lesser-known institution for learning calledthe Memphis Area Boys & Girls Club Technical
Training Center, but the impact this center has on stu-dents seeking job training ranks as monumental. Theonly vocational training facility of its kind in the coun-try associated with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America,the TTC placed 100 percent of its 60 high school grad-uates last year into full-time jobs or part-time jobs withcollege, with the same 100 percent placement rate in2009 and 2010. Executive director Joe Sing, a long-timeBoys & Girls Clubs’ employee in various capacities, hasbeen an instrumental part of the TTC from the begin-ning, helping design its culinary, logistics and automo-tive care programs and seeing the center’s 24,000square foot facility built from the ground up.
“This job appealed to me because you’re tak-ing young adults and following up with them aftergraduation, and the center was a brand new conceptoffering hands-on, job specific training, along with softskills and computer training, on a regularly scheduledbasis,” Sing says.
Opened in 2006, the TTC has had more than1,000 trainees, ages 16-21, come through its doors dur-ing non-school hours. Before any of the trainees areallowed entrance though, they must be enrolled as aBoys & Girls Clubs of Greater Memphis member or bean alumnus, and also pass a background check anddrug test. Outside of membership costs for the Boys &Girls Clubs, no TTC fees are required, but Sing stress-es that rules and regulations, including appropriatedress and punctuality, are in effect just like they wouldbe in a real job. Trainees, who are paid a stipend, canalso expect to spend six hours a week, spread through-out three days, in their respective program and mustpunch in on a time clock.
Sing adds, “One of the most important skillswe do is soft skills—if you don’t have the basis of agood employee, it doesn’t matter what kind of trainingyou have.”
To test a trainee’s performance, evaluations aredone on an ongoing basis, and when the staff deter-mines someone’s ready to enter the workforce, atrainee meets with Tiffanie Grier, the TTC careerplacement director. Sing says a lot of the TTC’s highplacement rate has to do with Grier’s strong relation-ships with area companies, some of those beingKroger, the Memphis Zoo, FedEx, Back Yard Burgersand the Williams-Sonoma Warehouse. The goal is fortrainees to have family-sustaining income by shootingfor jobs that pay $10 an hour, at minimum.
“It takes a lot of work, but I know we’re pro-ducing good employees who have skills companies arelooking for,” notes Sing. “For people to go out and beproductive is why we’re here.”
Story by Leah FitzpatrickPhoto by Steve Roberts
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Robert PattersonUpdating Classical Music
From infancy, composer and musician RobertPatterson already had an affinity for music, begin-ning with Dmitri Shostakovich’s “Age of Gold” bal-
let suite, which his mother said would silence him. Byage 6, Patterson was singing back the nursery rhymeshis mom sang and remembers thinking that anyonecould write those—a foreshadowing perhaps into hiscurrent career. Recalling his youthful mindset, hesmiles, “It [composing] is not as easy as I thought,which I realize as I’ve gotten older.”
His next musical interests were the piano andcello before settling on the French horn, his instru-ment in Central High School’s jazz band. Oddlyenough, he played all the trombone parts on theFrench horn due to a lack of trombonists in the band,but on the plus side, Patterson got a taste of compos-ing when he wrote jazz band charts. He later studiedthe French horn at Oberlin College and Conservatoryin Ohio, and then midway through senior year realizedhe wanted to be a professional composer.
As life goes, Patterson returned to Memphispost-college and “kicked around town with gigs,”played with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra someand developed software for 10 years. Eventually, heearned a doctorate in composition from the Universityof Pennsylvania and studied under George Crumb,regarded by Patterson as one of the most important liv-ing composers of contemporary classical music. Nowwell on his way to having people say the same of him,Patterson has developed an original style of classicalmusic, achieved through consciously melding thesounds of Memphis music into compositions like “Wayof the River” and by focusing on short pieces thatmake a point in less notes that all matter—a modelinfluenced by late composer Johannes Brahms.
Notable honors, including a 2011 TennesseeArts Commission Individual Artist Fellowship, a 2004National Symphony Orchestra Residency Commission,a 1999 University of Michigan Bands Commission anda 1994 International Composition Prize from the Cityof Tarragona in Spain, have also come along the way,and he’s had several pieces performed in foreign ven-ues, with his favorite being Barcelona’s Palau de laMúsica Catalana, where audiences heard “BlueMosaics.”
Memphians are often treated to his work atconcerts by Luna Nova Music, the city’s only chambermusic group outside of an academic setting to play20th century music. He and his wife, Patricia Gray,created Luna Nova in 2002, but Patterson says thateven though she’s the executive director, his workdoesn’t always get on the program. Standing in thechapel at Grace St. Luke’s, he points to its Tiffany win-dows saying they inspired him to write “Windows forChildren,” a piece that did make the cut for thegroup’s Belvedere Chamber Music Festival at thechurch in 2010, but he hasn’t forgotten the lessonlearned from the ones that haven’t left the cuttingroom floor.
“You’ve never become, you’re always becoming;if you think you’ve achieved, you’re over the hill andgone,” says a true contemporary composer.
Story by Leah FitzpatrickPhoto by Steve Roberts
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Lin WorkmanA Character All His Own
One week before opening night of the Mid-SouthCartoonists Association’s “Drawing Inspiration:From Idea to Reality” exhibit (on view through
March 31 at the Banks House Gallery in Hernando),MSCA member Lin Workman looks back on his in-volvement with the 25-year-old group. A multi-talentedartist and self-described funnyman, Workman remem-bers not feeling like he was qualified to join the MSCAin 1989 and makes no joke about the time he was“tricked” into becoming president.
“Greg Cravens [syndicated cartoonist of “TheBuckets”] had been president for a while, and then atone meeting he nominated me and had everyone votebefore I even realized what happened,” he tells.
Workman, whose first paid gig as an artist wasairbrushing t-shirts, ended up serving as president forfour years, followed by nine years as vice president; heand Cravens have now been friends for 20-plus years.Currently, Workman supports MSCA as its webmasterand media director, singing the praises of members’successes as editorial illustrators to those contributingto DC and Marvel Comics, as well as helping facilitatethe new exhibit that MSCA teamed up with the DeSotoArts Council for the first time to host. The partnershipwith Desoto Arts actually came up because ofWorkman’s wedding, which is when the council’s exec-utive director, Vicky Neyman, and Cravens started talk-ing.
He says, “The next thing I knew, we were hav-ing a show! It’s been great though because we have 10members participating, and the point is to show thethought process behind creating a cartoon, illustrationor cartoon page.”
That process is something Workman has be-come familiar with in the “Bat Cave”—his home stu-dio’s name since it’s the only spot his wife, a comicfan herself, lets him keep a Batman collection. Like hissurroundings, Workman’s projects are equally colorfuland include co-creating the Rock 103 logo, creating theweb comic/geek travel blog Have Geek Will Travel andthe web comic Scared Silly, illustrating sketch cards forThe Empire Strikes Back 3-D series and contributing toMSCA anthologies It Came from Beneath the DrawingBoard and Overdrawn and Underwritten. Through theyears, he’s also designed tombstones, painted commer-cial murals and designed the bronze plaques onOverton Park’s Korean War Memorial, but he’s veryproud of co-creating the Bushi Tales comic books.
Inspired by the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,the three-issue series was rejected by Diamond ComicDistributors twice, but after Bushi Tales sold well inco-creator David Beaty’s home-base of Phoenix, Dia-mond picked up all three issues. Locally, Comics &Collectibles has sold 100 copies of each issue, andthere are talks for 12 issues and several one-shot spin-offs. Due to a heavy workload, the series is on thebackburner though, but Workman doesn’t plan onstopping surrounding himself with creatives at MSCAmeetings, held on the first Thursday of each month at7 p.m. at the U of M Garibaldi’s. Anyone interestedcan show up, and who knows, maybe you’ll end up inthe funny pages.
Story by Leah FitzpatrickPhoto by Steve Roberts
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E V E N T Memphi Mid-Winter Ball
“Memphi’s Grammys”
Ginger and Dabney Collier with Kelly and Christopher Lamberson
Shellie McCain and Abe Plough
Jon and Susan Thompson
Ellie and Dr. Tim Bakelaar
Marilyn and Phil Seaton
Christi and Mitch Hitch
Pam and George Sousoulas
Karen and Kirk Johnston
Julie Ellis and Debbie Binswanger
Bright lights and the twinkle of stars highlighted this year’s annualMid-Winter Ball hosted by the Mystic Society of the Memphi,which is affiliated with Carnival Memphis. The ball has been an
annual function since 1935, and the society itself is steeped inMemphis history, dating back to 1871.
One of the first krewe events leading up to Carnival Week,the ball offered an evening of high pageantry and a bit of mystery atthe Memphis Country Club. Outside the venue, a clear night wasdotted by the scintillation of stars, but the foyer of the club wasmuch the same, as an announcer on microphone welcomed guestsby name as faux paparazzi in trench coats and fedoras brashlysnapped photos. Amongst a field of glaring flashes, attendees arrivedin their finest black tie dress. Men wore black tuxes, many with tail-coats, and ladies wore sweeping, floor-length gowns in black, silverand other winter shades. Fashions included everything from lace tofur.
The celebration then proceeded with a cocktail reception,during which partygoers milled about in the hallways and posed formore formal portraits in a small lounge. Across the hall, the soundsof a live band spilled out from a closed salon where honorees await-ed a formal presentation. The country club’s dining room resembledan ice palace of glittering silver from the icicle-like backdrop behindthe raised main table to the tabletops themselves, which were deckedin white linen with silver sequined overlays. Tall glass centerpiecesheld globes containing candles aloft over white calla lilies, hydran-geas and orchids. A lavish six-course dinner awaited the crowd ofabout 300, as did a procession of the six Memphi dukes andduchesses (whose identities had been kept secret for months),including Kay and Neel Gammill, Holly and Paul Craft, Elaine andTrip Spear, Rhonda and Ronald Solberg, Holly and Patrick Crumpand Amy and Joseph Dudek.
While the dukes and duchesses will serve as this year’sambassadors to other Carnival organizations, guests must wait a bitlonger to know the identities of this year’s Memphi king and queen,who will be revealed in separate events this spring.
Story by Jonathan DevinPhotos by Baxter Buck
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E V E N T
Teresa Hurst and Mike Roberts
Jeff and Floy Cole
Dan and Chris Patterson
Wayne and Mary Ann LeeKatie Shannon and Sarah Norton
George and Nancy Klepper
Mary and Bo Carr
Susan Arney and Ted Cashion
Christina and Richard Roberts
Denise and Bob Pugh
John Snowden and John Winford
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Dave and Amy Turner
Billy Daniel and Didi Montgomery
Summer and Cecil Godman
Kim MacQueen and Donna McManusJoanie and Michael Lightman
Walter and Lida Bross
Metcalf and Madeleine Crump
Kay and Jim Liles
Curtis and Rhoda Smith
Tempe and Michael Thompson
Dudley and Sue Deaton
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E V E N T
MEM
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John and Wanda Barzizza with Suzanne and David Brandon
Alyse and Rick Grant, Anne and Carroll White and Pat and Charlie Beech
Launa Brubaker and Christy YarbroAl and Jan Lyons
Linda and Ed GatlinCindy and David Gambrell
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Stephanie Jones may be from Chicago, but she embraced the Souththe minute she met her husband, Epps. Recounting the first timeshe saw him, she says, “I couldn’t believe my eyes. Listen, no-
body in Chicago wears summer suits!” That was 23 years and threekids ago.
Today, the family resides in a 1940s home in ChickasawGardens, where Stephanie also has her “lab.” A decorative painter,she is soon to open a teaching studio and custom workshop inCooper-Young called Me & Mrs. Jones. Her creativity shows in the liv-ing room, with its unusual navy blue walls tempered by crisp whitetrim, a white mantel and a canvas-colored camelback sofa. The storyof how this room came to be reveals both a sweet sentimentality anda re-use/recycle ethic that is in perfect keeping with the times. In-terior designer Selena McAdams, owner of Spruce, was an integralpart of the process.
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In the living room, the Oriental rug came from Stephanie's grandmother, the piano from her parentsand the china from her mother-in-law. A portrait of Epps' grandfather and namesake hangs above themantel. Raspberry red in the rug, china, drapes and accent pillows pulls the room together.
Interview by Kelly Cox | Photos by Steve Roberts
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RSVP: What inspired you to com-pletely redecorate your livingroom?
Jones: Ultimately, it was inspiredby the truckload of furniture thatcame from my mother-in-law inColumbia, Tennessee when shedownsized. I have to give credit tomy interior designer, SelenaMcAdams, because when the truckarrived, there were things in it Ijust could not wrap my brainaround. The sofa was pink andgreen plaid! Things sat a long timein a pile in the middle of theroom, and Epps just finally said,“I give up! Call Selena!” She’scheaper than a marriage counselor.I’m joking, but she was a godsend.The chairs I was going to put atthe curb, she was able to see theirpotential and rework them in neu-tral colors to make them fit.
RSVP: The received knowledgeused to be that if you paint a rooma dark color it’s going to make itlook small. How would you encour-age the person who wants to gothis dark but is afraid to take theplunge?
Jones: I think the new wisdom ondeep colors is that they make thecorners of a room recede, whichcan actually make a room look big-ger. It gives the impression ofmore size because the shadows arethere. Selena convinced me that weneeded a brave color to kick it up.This one is a Benjamin Moorecolor called “Polo Blue,” but weadded black to make it even dark-er. It literally took me two years toget up the nerve to put it on thewalls. Now, I love that in the win-ter it feels cozy, but in the sum-mer, it feels shady and cool.
RSVP: I love that this room has so many aspects of the traditional,formal, Southern living room, but it’s so unfussy, you feel like youcould actually relax here. The whimsical artwork injects a casualnote.
Jones: Thank you! We got so many frames from my mother-in-law,and we decided to use some to display our children’s art. Thosedouble mirrors above the Federal chest of drawers are in the framesthat held her wedding portraits. The Oriental rug is from my grand-mother’s house; the piano came from my parents. We updated theclassic chandelier with round bare bulbs. The man in the oil paint-ing above the mantel is my husband’s grandfather, for whom he wasnamed. This Johnson Brothers Dorchester china came from mymother-in-law, too—she laughs that I have it displayed because atone time these were her everyday dishes! But, this china and therug have a wonderful raspberry red color that we extended to thedrapes.
RSVP: The little draw-ing of the dachshund,is that a portrait ofyour dachshund?
Jones: It’s not actuallyher, but it’s so her! It’s a linocut by Hugo Guinness. He puts hisoriginal art in vintage frames. This one’s a little beaten-up and oldand missing some of its gilt, but it’s what I love. It’s an item withcharacter.
RSVP: How would you describe your style?
Jones: Oh, that’s hard! I love incorporating pieces that have hadsome life but have a meaningful connection to me in some way,and looking at old things with fresh eyes. I think I would call it“amped-up traditional.”
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Left: The mirrorsabove the chest ofdrawers are in theframes that heldEpps' mother'swedding portraits.
Below: Bold, com-plementary colorsdominate one of aseries of interiorstill lifes by artistEllen Calvin ofColumbia,Tennessee.
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GRAN
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E V E N T Grand Krewe of Ennead Coronation
“Route 66”
Patti Russell, Dr. Richard Raichelson and Ellen Barry
Mike and Gail Huey
Ann Newell and Joyce Hufford
Debbie Halbrook and Barbara Baker
Dot West and Mickey Ryan
Dee Stephens and Jim Woods
Donna Mikeal and Walt Henley
Dr. John Rada and Llana Smith
Jimmy McGarrity and Linda Dalton
The splendor and pageantry, for which Carnival Memphis hasalways been known, kicked off this season with the Grand Kreweof Ennead Coronation. Ennead is one of the 10 Grand Krewes of
Carnival Memphis, and it has become somewhat of a tradition forEnnead to hold the first of the coronation balls.
“Ennead has had the first coronation for a long time–morethan a dozen years; it’s our 81st year,” said Ed Galfsky, executivedirector of Carnival Memphis. “They have been a great supportgroup for our children’s charities.”
Prior to the presentation of the royal court at the U of MHoliday Inn, a cocktail reception was held. Several buffet tablesladen with offerings such as stuffed mushrooms, miniature quichesand sausage and shrimp shish kabobs were set up around the room.A tureen of warm chocolate sat by a pineapple tower covered withfresh fruit to satisfy sweet tooths. And, staying true to the “Route66” theme, members and guests did get their kicks later in the pro-gram by dancing the night away to the music of the band Natchez.
As always, royalty from past years were recognized, and lastyear’s Ennead king and queen, Bud Cowgill and Marta Vinzant, gavea moving speech before the 2012 court was presented. “Dancin’Dan” Tucker was the flagman and happened to be perfect for the jobsince he has a reputation of dominating the dance floor. EllenPatrick, the 2012 Ennead chairman, introduced the dukes andduchesses, and afterward, she revealed this year’s king and queen:King Ennead the 22nd, Richard from the House of Raichelson, andQueen Sahara the 22nd, Julie from the House of Eaves, who thentook their places on their thrones.
The Carnival Memphis president, John Phillips IV, and hiswife, Paige, were among those who attended the coronation, whichis only one facet of Carnival Memphis as the 10 Krewes of CarnivalMemphis work throughout the year to raise money for different chil-dren’s charities. The 2012 charities include the Jubilee Schools, BoyScouts of America’s Scout Reach program for the Raleigh-Frayserarea and School Advocates for Vision in Education.
Story by Suzanne ThompsonPhotos by Baxter Buck
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Dr. Rodney Olinger and Susan Hanlon
“Dancin’” Dan Tucker and Marta Vinzant
Ellen Patrick and David Brockman
Mike McNeer and Barbara BensteinJerry Brigman and Barbara Patronis
Bob Laurie, Tammie Wingfield and Walter Padgett John Barzizza, Jo Anne Qualls and Cary Beane
Andrew Anderson, Carolyn Mayo and Joe Chamoun Mary Pat Custer with Buddy and Patti Russell
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TACU
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E V E N T Staxtacualar
“Wine, Dine and Grind”
Mike Conley, Tish Towns and Darrell Arthur
Tom Ball and Wendy Holtz
Rhonda and David Porter
Katie Kellogg and Stephanie Anderson
Kylie Broadbent and Cody Peck
Lionel and Angie Hollins
Dona and O.J. Mayo
Cristina Blesa and Marc Gasol
Suzanne Gehringer and Zach Randolph
The Memphis Grizzlies traded their game faces for party faces to“Wine, Dine and Grind” at this year’s Staxtacular party. TheNBA franchise, along with some 500 music and basketball loving
philanthropists, teamed up to set a record for attendance and fund-raising at the Stax Museum of American Soul Music.
Guests and players mingled under a disco ball and in halls sur-rounded by legendary albums while munching on fare provided bySimply Delicious Catering. Staxtinis, Shaft on Draft by Boscos andCoke floats were poured at the bar. Grizzlies Coach Lionel Hollins,Stax legend David Porter and a slew of fans danced to the DMPBand and the Stax Music Academy students’ incredible performanc-es. At the same time in L.A., lengendary Stax players The MemphisHorns were receiving the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award fromthe Recording Academy.
To ensure great music keeps coming from Memphis, guestsand online bidders competed to win silent auction items, including apair of white patent leather ‘70s platform disco shoes (hand paintedwith images of Rufus Thomas by Kyle Taylor), a diamond heartnecklace of black and white diamonds donated by Robert IrwinJewelers and portraits of Otis Redding and other Stax artists paintedonsite by Jamond Bullock. During the live auction, one lucky guestwon two courtside seats next to the Grizz bench and a suite at theWestin with a winning bid of $4,250. Another high bidder will enjoya dinner and wine tasting with NBA All-Star Marc Gasol and eightfriends at Spinidini (sold at $3,000).
Thanks to the presenting sponsor, SunTrust, this soulshakin’ party raised more than $120,000 to benefit music programsand mentor young people in the Stax Music Academy. Hopefully,this kind of success will carry over to the rest of the Grizzlies’ sea-son. Now, that would be Staxtacular!
Story by Libby HuffPhotos by Don Perry
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STAX
TACU
ALAR
E V E N T
Kevin and Beth Clawson
Rep. Steve Cohen and Laurie Stark
Wade Rhea and Sam Young
Michael and Tamara WhiteCorey and Maria Miller
Ellie, Katharine and Bubba Taylor Jim Maddox, Mary Louise Carrick, Matthew Heffington and Alyson Bauer
Erik Henneghan and Amanda Morris with Laskeka and Deano Orr Natalie Pierini Garber, Rudy Gay, Elizabeth Montgomery and Aislynn Rappé
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E V E N T
Eileen Kuo and Nathan Till
Faith Shipp and Jacqueline Hollins
Leah and Chaney Nichols
Steve and Chris MartinKaren and Kirk Johnston
Carol and Mike Duffy
Alicia Dean and Mike Pugliese
Kenny and Nicole Williamson
Tiffany Banks and Catrina Bowens
Camille Wright and Lisa Moore
Gary and Cequita Gilles
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Meredith Brown and Adam HargroveJanice and Winston Gipson
Linton Kilpatrick, Libby Lucchesi, Adam Exelbierd and Basma and Tony Lucchesi
Gary and Beth York with Camie and Clay Kegel
Beth Flanagan, Frank and Allyson Dyer and Toni Bolland
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Rachelle, Renita, Martha and Reginald Rogers
Marino, Jennifer and Carolyn Hardy
Gloria Clark and Ethel PayneRyan and Sarah Jones
Emily Larson and Cate MillerAllen Chapman and Robbin Childress
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Meredy Carnahan, Rob Norcross, Juan Sanford and Lucy Park
Sean Kelly II, Alicia and Sean Kelly and Josh McMillon
Sheryl Stockton and Kim Jameson GardnerDan and Rachel Henderson
Alexa Wolfe and Jonathan RudnerAja Kimrey and Nick Letterly
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Vox PopularQ&A with Laura VaughnVO
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RSVP: How do you stay up-to-date with what’s going on in the sixcounties that the Mid-South Chapter of the American Red Crossserves?
Vaughn: I have a phenomenal team. When I say team, it’s not justthe people who are considered Red Cross employees—it’s also thevolunteers we work with. Of course, we have Tipton, Fayette,Shelby, Tunica, DeSoto and Crittenden County. We have volunteersin each county whom we check in with constantly and who keep usabreast of things that are going on. We have relationships with theemergency management systems in each county, so if there’s a firein an area and they need our help, they give us a call no matterwhat time of night it is and away our volunteers go. The Mid-Southarea is such a close-knit community anyway, so even though theremay be miles between us, you just know what’s happening.
RSVP: What are some ofyour most immediate goals?
Vaughn: One of our biggestgoals right now is buildingour volunteer capacity in allof our counties. We trulycould not do what we doand provide the huge arrayof services we do at allhours of the night if itwasn’t for our volunteers.We don’t have very manypaid staff. It’s our volun-teers who make this organi-zation work, so one of theways we’re trying to in-crease our volunteer capaci-ty is through more volun-teer orientation classes,which we’re trying to domore of at volunteers’respective locations. Forinstance, I was in Atoka onSaturday morning at achurch talking to 35 peoplewho wanted to be readywhen the time comes to have their church serve as a shelter.Actually, another initiative we have right now is having more shelteragreements readily available, so that if we do have a widespread dis-aster, we have even more places to shelter people. What that in-volves is not only having an arrangement with a particular churchor business, but we have to have shelter teams that we have trainedwho will know how to manage the shelter. It’s definitely a processand a 24/7 commitment, so part of our goal in the next two years is
to “Join the 1,000”—our campaign torecruit 1,000 volunteers during thenext two years.
RSVP: How can Memphians learnabout the different volunteer opportu-nities available with the Red Cross?
Vaughn: The best thing for anyone to do is just to give us a call[(901) 672-6374] and ask for Wanda Doyle, who is our volunteerservices manager. Wanda can get you in the system because we dohave a volunteer application; we’re just very cautious. Volunteerswill then go through a volunteer orientation class to learn aboutwhat opportunities do exist, so we can partner them with an areathat they’re going to enjoy. We even have a volunteer career progres-
sion, so if we have individ-uals who someday wouldlike to go on national orinternational disaster relief,we can help structure atraining path for them toget them where they’re cer-tified to do those things.We currently need volun-teers to help us with PRand marketing because wewould like to start back ourannual newsletter andthings like that. We needvolunteers that can help uswith our disaster reliefefforts, like volunteers whohelp fire victims in themiddle of the night or arewilling to be on a shelterteam. Those are peoplewho aren’t necessarilybeing called upon everyday, but are ready and will-ing to help when the timecomes. We also need volun-teers to help us raisemoney. Obviously, our vol-
unteers who are in the trenches doing work are crucial, but withthat being said, we also have to have our financial dollars to providethose services. We, as an organization, don’t receive any govern-ment funding, even though we provide very high-level services backto the community and adhere to all the FEMA and TEMA guide-lines. The only way we are able to provide shelter, food and comfortkits, as well as teach all the classes to help people “prevent, prepareand respond” to emergencies, which is the second part of our mis-
Laura Vaughn became the executive director of the Mid-South Chapter of the American Red Cross just threemonths ago, but she already says, “This job truly has changed my life, and it makes you realize that theworld is so much bigger than yourself. There really are so many people out there who need the help and
assistance of others, so I’m just blessed that I get to do that for a living.” Asked by RSVP editor LeahFitzpatrick what the Red Cross means to its clients, Vaughn responds, “We give them hope, faith and supportduring a time when they feel like everything is gone, and it doesn’t matter who you are, we’re going to helpyou.” That being said, March marks American Red Cross Month, so get to know the invaluable services provid-ed by the local chapter through Vaughn’s informative answers featured below.
Photos by Don Perry
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sion, is through fund-raising dollars.
RSVP: How much money does it take annually to run this chapter?
Vaughn: A lot, and honestly, it depends on what disasters have hap-pened. We’re not just raising money for the immediate, but for thefuture as well. For instance, we spent more than $450,000 last fiscalyear just on fire victims, which came to almost 845 families. Wemade sure those 845 families had shelter, food and clothing, and wepartnered with other organizations and referred them out. Say some-one lost their glasses or all their medications, we have nurses thatliterally rotate on call each week just to help these families to call alltheir doctors and get their prescriptions for them. It’s a lot morethan people think, and these people who help are volunteers. Aboutfour times the cost of what we spent on fire victims is the amountwe need in a year to operate our chapter, so you’re looking atupwards of $2 million a year because we don’t only respond to fires.
RSVP: Have you or anyone in your fami-ly ever been through a disaster where theRed Cross helped out?
Vaughn: I have not, but let me tell youwhat happened this past Saturdaybecause it put what we really do into per-spective. I was out shopping and got totalking to a sales rep at a store. Sheasked what I do, and I told her. Then,she ran back to her station and cameback with an American Red Cross busi-ness card, which was a business cardfrom one of our volunteers. The manwho gave her the card had helped herabout eight months ago when her par-ents’ home burned to the ground. Shesaid he was the first one on the scene tohelp her parents, and she didn’t knowwhat they would have done or where theywould have slept that night since shewas gone. It made me realize that that’swhat we do: We make sure people aren’t sleeping outside on thesidewalk and that they have a few days to get their feet grounded.When we respond to a fire, we have an entire packet that we give toour fire victims, and it tells them what our mission is and all theagencies that we work with, like where to get their eyeglasses. Wealso have client services here, and we have a lady who does nothingbut works with the clients. So, we do things such as help providecounseling to these families, not to mention the whole Services tothe Armed Forces and Families division that we have. Last yearalone, we did “Get to Know Us” campaign presentations to morethan 4,800 troops, and we provided communications and other sup-port services to more than 1,500 military service members and theirfamilies.
RSVP: What is the most common disaster that the Red Crossresponds to in this area?
Vaughn: Fires, which are actually the number one disaster in thewhole country. We’re obviously a large city and have a very populat-ed county, so with a high level of population like that, you’re goingto have an increase in the number of fires. That’s one reason whywe’re not just about responding to disasters, but about education aswell. We have a safety house trailer that’s parked out back that’s anamazing tool, and we had more than 1,600 children who wentthrough that last year to just learn how to prevent, prepare andrespond if there’s a fire.
RSVP: I know the Red Cross also offers educational training to com-panies, so how would a company set up a class for its employees?
Vaughn: There is a fee involved for classes, however our volunteerorientation classes are free. Let’s say we have a company that wantstheir employees to become CPR certified, we do have to pay for alicensed instructor to teach the class, so that’s why there’s a feeinvolved. Really, a company would just need to call us. Our entiresecond floor is the Health and Safety division, and Amanda Clark[(901) 672-6381] is over that division and is the one who can workwith people in regard to getting their company scheduled to come inhere. Right now, we teach classes on Tuesdays and Fridays, but we’rehere on Saturdays sometimes. We really just work with whoeverneeds to come in.
RSVP: What do you most want Memphians to know about the Mid-South Chapter of the American Red Cross?
Vaughn: I tell people all the time thatanother one of my initiatives coming inhere is making sure people know what wedo. It sounds so simple, but I think some-times we are so busy providing servicesthat we forget to make sure people reallyknow what we do in this community andhelp them realize what it would look likeif we didn’t exist. Where would the classescome from? Where would the fire re-sponse come from? You know, a lot ofindividuals don’t even know that werespond to fires. They think of the Ameri-can Red Cross with the military and withthe classes, but do they really know thatthe fire department calls us in the middleof the night? This chapter in particular isalmost 100 years old—it started in 1917.The logistics, location of the chapter andthe fact that we sit on a fault line makeus one of the most vital and importantchapters in the country, which is why we
have to ensure that we are ready when the time comes, more herethan anywhere. We’re a pathway for hurricane evacuations and havea huge incidence for fire, so for the Mid-South Chapter to not beprepared just is not an option. Also, we have a Blood Services divi-sion, which is located in Arkansas, that provides more than 40 per-cent of the blood used in Memphis hospitals.
RSVP: Since March is Red Cross Month, can you share some of theprogramming going on in conjunction with that?
Vaughn: One of the programs that we’re doing in conjunction withthat is kind of a grassroots fund-raising program. We’re asking vol-unteers, staff, board members and anyone else to help us promoteRed Cross Month by helping us raise $1,000. They can call us direct-ly to sign up to be a “hero” for the American Red Cross. This is anational campaign that everybody puts a different twist on in eachmarket. Here in our market, we give them a fund-raising packet, andthere are different opportunities they can use to raise their moneyonline—we make it as easy for them as possible. Then, we’ll end theprogram with a nice reception to recognize our heroes and to simplysay “thank you.” I’m our first hero, so staff members are notexempt from this at all [laughs]. I’ve agreed to raise my $1,000because I need the Red Cross whether I work here or not becauseyou never know at any given time when disaster is going to hit. Keepin mind that 91 cents of every dollar raised at the American RedCross goes directly back to services, and the rest is used for operat-ing expenses.
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Cirque du CMOM“Night in Hollywood: A Vanity Affair”E
V E N T
Jay and J.J. Keras Leigh and Wes Butler
Bethany and Joel Scoggins Pooja and Kushal Shah
Christy Muller and Stacey Flowers Maria Carter and Jeremy McDaniel
CIRQ
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Janie Lowery, Cindy Dobbs, Erica Anderson and Alison BartonCathy and Jeff Harris Paul and Amanda LeMay
See all the party photos atrsvpmagazine.com Password: RSVP
Just in time for Oscar season, Cirque du CMOM premiered “Nightin Hollywood: A Vanity Affair” at the Children’s Museum ofMemphis. A record-breaking 800-plus glittering guests and CMOM
celebrities walked a red carpet ringed with paparazzi to enter the star-studded bash. A who’s who of CMOM celebrities included Katherineand John Dobbs, Kirby and Glenn Floyd, Kim and Johnny Pitts andKathy and Dick Hackett.
Inside, there were 30-foot posters of cinema’s most famousfaces, a larger-than-life ice sculpture of the Oscar statue, replicas ofRodeo Drive storefronts, DJ Mark Anderson, a bourbon bar, a carica-turist and even a walk on the wild side with a Skid Row area of streetmusicians and (temporary) tattoo artists. The invitation encouragedcreative attire with the suggestion to “Pick A Decade, Pick A Star,Bring Your Vanity, Show Us Who You Are.” Wes and Leigh Butler werepitch-perfect in their inspired homages to the stars of Gone with theWind. Wes cut a dashing figure as Clark Gable. As Vivien Leigh, Leighwas wrapped in a feather boa and wore...well, scarlet of course.Commendably committed to character, Mr. Butler carried a 1939 SAGcontract in his breast pocket. Appropriately, the Butlers were spottedhanging out in “Ciro’s,” a tented area made to resemble the iconic1940s-era Hollywood hangout. Kaleb Brown, partying with his wife,Angie, and friends, Juli and John Hurdle, flashed forward a fewdecades with his Hollywood avatar: the unbuttoned, mustachioed andsunglassed look of a 1970s Tinseltown producer. Juli and Angie, whochaired the event’s online auction committee, kept it glamorous withleopard print and rhinestones.
Anyone attempting to follow a Hollywood diet would havebeen sorely tempted by the likes of Cafe Society, Circa, Interim andGigi’s Cupcakes. More than 30 restaurants provided irresistible,Southern-steeped offerings. Uptown Grocer dished up crawfish étouf-fée over creamy grits, and roller-skating ingénues purveyed dirty friesfrom Southern Revival that were deliciously dolloped with gravy,cheese and green onion. Tim Frandsen and Dr. Helen Lee, who relo-cated to Memphis from Southern California, enjoyed the slider bar,which featured lobster sliders from Felicia Suzanne’s and wild mush-room sliders from The Brass Door, among many other riffs on thepopular edible.
For their sponsorship, IBERIABANK, International Paper andDobbs Management were named “Best Picture,” “Best Screenplay”and “Best Actor,” respectively. Cindy Dobbs and Janie Lowery co-chaired the event that many are already looking forward to nextFebruary, as CMOM’s largest annual fund-raiser changes its themeyearly.
Story by Kelly CoxPhotos by Nathan Berry
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E V E N T
CIRQ
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Jana and Trip Tayloe
Virginia and Fred Tavoleti
Katherine and John Dobbs
Drs. Brooke and Dan Dishmon
Stacey Hussey and Donna Van Hoozer
Amy Raines with Travis and Lindy Carr Barbara Canerdy, Richard Hackett and Kim Jay
Jatin and Dimple Kumar with Drs. Purvisha and Dharmesh Patel Courtney Allen, Anne Jones and Stefanie Smith Fisher
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OME V E N T
Maurice and Sonja Butler June James and Patricia Daugherty
Billy and Margaret Babb Stacey Park and Valerie Shimko
Drs. Karen and Jimmy Klemis Marla and Patrick Pennington
Jim and Niki Shaheen Joe and Renea Linton
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E V E N T
CIRQ
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Jim and Amy Whittington
Jane and Cliff Hunter
Sarah and Philip Spinosa
Tammy Oliver and Chip Baine
Michele and Jorge Salazar
Lisa and Buddy Cater, Misty and James Stamper and Megan and Brett Grinder Jack and Lindsey Daniels with Michelle Blount and Joe Fracchia
Rob Joyner, Sam Jenkins, Rebecca Dow and Van Weinberg Don Maxwell, Laura Smith and Keri and Philip Wright
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HOME IS W
HERE
THE
HEA
RT IS GA
LAE V E N T Home is Where the Heart is Gala
Benefiting FedExFamilyHouse
Trent Luckinbill, Molly Smith, Hilary Swank and Allison and Richard Smith
Clay and Casey Tidwell
Anise and Ron Belz
Kim and Lee Gibson
Rex and Johnnie Amonette
Rick Patterson and Carolyn Martin
Tony and Ginger Graves
DeAngelo Williams
Allie Olson and Sara Burnett
We’ve all heard “If you build it, he will come” by now from Fieldof Dreams, but if you replace “he” with “they,” the saying couldapply to Memphis’ own FedExFamilyHouse. Located across from
Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, the facility envisioned by Mem-phian Susan Graf has become the closest thing to home for numer-ous families whose children receive treatment at Le Bonheur. Tokeep such a facility running for years to come and free for familieswho stay there, FedExFamilyHouse supporters organized the secondHome is Where the Heart is Gala in late January at The Peabody.
Though it’s one of the city’s newest fund-raisers, the galadidn’t fail to attract notable attendees like two-time Academy Award-winning actress Hilary Swank and Carolina Panthers running backDeAngelo Williams, a former U of M football player. Swank wasactually a guest of movie producer Molly Smith, who hosted theparty along with her brother, Richard Smith, and his wife, Allison.Prior to dinner in the Grand Ballroom, partygoers savored theopportunity to meet the evening’s special guests during a receptionheld in the beautifully appointed Continental Ballroom. FedEx exec-utives, including Alan Graf and Fred Smith, were also among theranks.
As the dinner hour drew near, the crowd, which swelled to420 people, shifted to the Grand Ballroom for more imbibing, feast-ing, bidding and heartfelt moments. The dinner setup was such thatguests could mingle throughout the room as they made their way tovarious food tables that featured options from beef tenderloin withhorseradish sauce on rolls to a salad station where you could addyour own lentils, marinated cucumbers and chickpeas. Bethany andKevin Paige entertained from the stage, where they performed oldfavorites like “Walking in Memphis.” By 9 p.m., guests were biddinggenerously on items such as the “Super Bowl 2012 Experience”(sold at $14,000), an autographed football, limo ride and dinner atJack Binion’s Steakhouse with DeAngelo Williams (sold by Williamsto two people for $8,500 each) and a “Movie Set Spectacular” pack-age inclusive of signed memorabilia from Something Borrowed and aset visit to the soon-to-be filmed Beautiful Creatures (auctioned offby Swank and Molly Smith to two people at $18,000 a piece).
The agenda concluded with a “Light Up the House” auction.During this portion, guests watched a video showing how much theFedExFamilyHouse meant to Laurie and Josh Gray when theirdaughter, Lizzie, was at Le Bonheur. Laurie urged, “We hope youhelp us keep the lights on for families who may not live close by toLe Bonheur.” Pretty soon, the room was aglow with illuminated, redheart necklaces proudly worn by all the women and men who gavethe FedExFamilyHouse donations, which totaled nearly $300,000 bynight’s end.
Story by Leah FitzpatrickPhotos by Don PerrySee all the party photos at rsvpmagazine.com
Password: RSVP
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HOME IS W
HERE
THE
HEA
RT IS GA
LAE V E N T
Valerie Morris and Jennifer Himes
Kathryn and Jim Gilliland
Josh, Lizzie and Laurie Gray
Howard and Beverly RobertsonBridget and Chris Middleton
Alan Graf, Carol LaRocca, Madonna Bond and Al LaRocca Kristian Conway, Mike Lauderdale and Danny Washburn
Parul Bajaj, Jessica Little and Jeff Smith Anthony and Kimberly House with Kevin and Kim Humphries
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E V E N T
HOME IS W
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LA
Penny Register Shaw with Tom and Lauri Holland
Yvonne and Petrick AdamsMolly Fitzpatrick and Tracy Long
Chuck and Mercedes TreadwayAndy and Ashley Pratt
Laura Cofield and Jane AmabaSarah and Tom Lopez
Pam Less, Pam Ward and Karri Morgan
Steve, Mary, Michele and Ryan Ehrhart
Erin Wichtoski and Rebecca YeungTatyana and Shvet Rawla
Dr. Alexander and Leslie FelizDenise McGuire and Dana Dowdy
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HOME IS W
HERE
THE
HEA
RT IS GA
LAE V E N T
Allison and Arthur Smith
Lauren Hill and Lauren Plyler
Tracy Moore and Sarah Little
Sandi and Joel TracyAutumn Leaf Goerke and Glenn Goerke
Barbara and Tim Pratt
Randy and Amy Langston
Steve and Jeanne Mosakowski
Donna Glenn and Billy Bond
Linda Taylor and Renee Horne
John and Gina Jackson
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ONSITE Onsite I
Ave Maria Wine Tasting and Art ShowThe third annual Ave Maria Wine Tasting and ArtShow, held at the Ave Maria Home, featured art-work provided by a variety of local artists, someof whom included Lisa Balton, Rena Chiozza,Linda Lucchesi and Mary Pera. SouthwesternBeverage Distributing provided the wine, andthere were plenty of hors d’oeuvres along withhomemade desserts. Frank Gattuso Jr., who hasworked as executive director at the Ave MariaHome for 17 years, says they hold the event onthe premises for a good reason. “People get tocome to Ave Maria to see what we are all aboutand, at the same time, have a little fun,” Gattusoexplained.
Story and Photos by Suzanne Thompson
Smiles for Life GalaThe crowd was all smiles at the Memphis DentalSociety’s Smiles for Life Gala, a benefit for the ShelbyCounty Drug Court Foundation that was held at theMemphis Country Club. A lavish main buffet was filledwith heavy hors d’oeuvres including skewered fresh moz-zarella balls and halved cherry tomatoes, miniature crabcakes and deviled eggs topped with caviar. Guests alsonoshed on treats from tables scattered throughout theroom, each filled with different fare such as beef tender-loin, and a macaroni and cheese bar with toppings likelump crab meat and lobster. A large mound of cocktailshrimp was centered in the bar area, where guestsenjoyed the club’s signature lacquered bacon. TheMemphis Icebreakers, a six-piece band decked out in red,provided lively entertainment.Story and Photos by Suzanne Thompson
Icognito Art Gala and Silent AuctionA group of more than 80 Mid-South artists went “incognito,”wearing masks and other festive attire, at the Icognito Art Galaand Silent Auction benefiting the Memphis Botanic Garden (alsothe event venue). Almost all the art was done on 10-inch by 10-inch canvases provided to the artists, and all the works wereunsigned. The idea was to encourage people to purchase artbecause they love it, not just because they love a certain artist.During the silent auction bidding, radio personality TomPrestigiacomo, accompanied by pianist Rene Koopman, delightedthe crowd by crooning tunes.
Story and Photos by Suzanne Thompson
American Cancer Society VIP DinnerThe American Cancer Society held an elegant VIPDinner at Restaurant Iris in advance of its annualZodiac Ball, to be held on March 24. Sponsors, ACSstaff/advisory board members and Dr. SandeepSamant, who will be this year’s honoree at the ball,attended the affair. LifeLinc Anesthesia sponsored theevent that had Chef Kelly English delighting partygo-ers’ palates with culinary creations including a duckconfit grilled cheese sandwich served with a Creolemustard sauce or an oyster salad for starter dishes, fol-lowed by choices such as trout almandine with whippedcauliflower, shrimp and grits or boneless spare ribs. Atrio of fresh sorbets or Chef Kelly’s “Granny’s BreadPudding” were offered for dessert.
Story and Photos by Suzanne Thompson
Matthew John and Jeanette Guido with Belynda and Judge Tim Dwyer
Angela and Cannon Parkerson with Ron and Dr. Pat Speck
Mary Pera, David Dahler, Wanda Duke and Marilyn Dilworth
Eileen Ritt, Frank Gattuso Jr., Sarah Cronin and Lisa Yarbro
Ann and Sam Beach with Phyllis Boger Anne Enochs, Betsy Bird and Bonnie Orange
Monica Sonnier and Tom Bucciarelli Miriam Drenning and Wes ClarkDr. Sandeep and Kavita Samant
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ONSITEOnsite II
Taste for a CureTaste for a Cure 2011 offered an evening of cocktails and net-working at Jack Robinson Gallery for those supporting the contin-ued efforts of breast cancer research and treatment. This commu-nity-organized affair featured former “American Idol” contestantLil Rounds, among other performers, and another Memphisfavorite: barbecue by Corky’s BBQ. Fox 13 anchor Darcy Thomasserved as the mistress of ceremonies for the event that raisedfunds to assist in awareness and research of breast cancer toorganizations that work year-round to help combat the disease.
Story and Photo Submitted
Agape Heartlight GalaAgape Child & Family Services hosted its annualHearlight Gala, themed “Extra-Ordinary,” at theHickory Ridge Mall, chosen as a host site sinceHickory Hill is one of three communities (othersare Whitehaven and Frayser/Raleigh) that Agapeserves via its Powerlines Community Network.The event featured Ron Hall, co-author of thebestseller Same Kind of Different as Me, a novelthat tells about Hall’s life-changing journey witha homeless man, Denver Moore, and the “Extra-Ordinary” relationship that changed them both.Loretta McNary and Josh Ross emceed Heart-light, which attracted nearly 1,000 attendees whocontributed more than $330,000 to Agape.Story and Photos Submitted
Bookalicious LuncheonMore than 200 women, the majority of them mothers, attended ShelbyCounty Books from Birth’s Bookalicious Luncheon to support an importantcause: increasing kindergarten readiness by providing books to children. Co-chaired by Weetie Whittemore and Mary Trotz, the event took place at theRacquet Club of Memphis and included a fashion show by The Pink Door.Mayor A C Wharton, who helped launch Books from Birth locally, spokeabout the program, which provides a new book each month (from birththrough age 5) to every child in the program at no charge. The luncheonraised more than $20,000 for Books on Birth to continue its service to32,000-plus children in the program.
Story and Photo Submitted
Celebrity Waiters NightLocal celebrities donned their aprons at Buffalo Wild Wings in Cordovato kick off the 21st annual Ronald McDonald House® Radiothon. CalledCelebrity Waiters Night, the occasion drew a crowd ready to be served byMemphis rapper “Lil P-Nut”; Cleveland Browns running back, SuperBowl champion and Horne Lake High School graduate Brandon Jackson;Fox 13’s Tom Dees, Valerie Calhoun, Lauren Johnson, Greg Coy, MearlPurvis, Ed Echols and Darcy Thomas; WREG’s Markova Reed and AustenOnek; ABC 24’s Cameron Harper and Mark Walden; Action News 5’s JoeBirch; V101’s Stormy Taylor and Angela Jackson; WREC 600’s TonyaPowers; and Mrs. Tennessee International 2011 Mary-Marsha Riley.Bryan Senter earned first place in the wing-eating contest, followed byPhillip Bailey and Eric Stevens.
Story and Photos Submitted
Andy and Katina Gaines, Marka Cross Bennett and Marian Bacon
Andy Gaines, Mayor Mark Luttrell and David Jordan
Cheryl Pigues, Lil Rounds, Carolyn Taylor, Darcy Thomas and Laquita Jones
Nora Capwell, Mary Trotz, Ramona Springfield, Weetie Whittemore and Mayor A C Wharton
Darcy Thomas and Stormy TaylorBenjamin “Lil P-Nut” Flores and
Mary-Marsha Riley
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Literacy is Key: A Book &Author Affair
Reading may be a skill takenfor granted by many, but notfor those who seek the servic-es of Literacy Mid-South, anonprofit helping ShelbyCounty adults and childrenachieve literacy throughworkshops, classes and one-on-one tutors. In essence,Literacy Mid-South helpschange people’s lives bothpersonally and professionally,as evidenced when one of thenonprofit’s clients, Ms.Beverly, spoke at the Literacyis Key: A Book & AuthorAffair. Hosted in conjunctionwith the Memphis AlumnaeAssociation of Kappa KappaGamma Fraternity, whichhas a philanthropic focus ofliteracy, the event unfoldedat the U of M Holiday Innwith guest authors LisaPatton, Ace Atkins and KimEdwards signing books andUrsula Madden of WMC-TV5 emceeing.
Story and Photos by Leah Fitzpatrick
Kim Edwards, Ace Atkins and Lisa Patton
Hillery Efkeman, Kevin Dean and Sarah DiNicolantonio
Gold Tag Gold HeART Kick-OffIn lieu of the Le BonheurClub’s monthly member-ship meeting, the groupgathered at the Harring-ton-Brown Gallery to kickoff the annual Gold TagDrive with a Gold TagGold HeART Party. Theoccasion brought outmembers and guests for anight of socializing, doorprizes and bidding onstriking artwork by DannyBroadway, Rose Harring-ton-Brown, Julie Lamb,Connie Pride, LaurenWildrick and N.J. Woods.Keeping with the theme, acrystal heart was offeredin the silent auction, anda large cake decoratedwith a heart helped satisfyappetites, as well asremind guests to pick uptheir Gold Tag packets toget started on raisingfunds for Le BonheurChildren’s Hospital.
Story and Photos by Leah Fitzpatrick
Chocolate FantasyTwenty-seven years later, Memphians aren’t tired of chocolate judg-ing by the turnout at the ever-popular Chocolate Fantasy at OakCourt Mall. A huge undertaking by the National Kidney Foundationof West Tennessee, the fund-raiser ranks as a chocolate lover’s para-dise, all made possible by numerous vendors who donate food itemsboasting every kind of chocolate concoction. For instance, CiaoBella’s executive chef, Jonathan Steenerson, opted to make 1,500tiramisu martinis that had shots of coffee in the stems and ediblepurple orchids on top, while Wade & Company offered chocolate-cov-ered kettle chips. Other participants included The Pie Folks, BrownBaguette Bakery and Café and Makeda’s Homemade Cookies, toname a few.
Story and Photos by Leah Fitzpatrick
ONSITE
Italian WinterfestThe Racquet Club of Memphis provided the backdrop for ItalianWinterfest, with nearly 900 guests filling the indoor courts. Held tobenefit the Ave Maria Home and the Catholic Education ScholarshipFund, the party was such a resounding success last year, organizersTony Barrasso, Angelo Lucchesi and Sam Bomarito came back withan even bigger event this year. Local Italian cuisine offerings were inabundance for the hungry crowd, who enjoyed favorites fromColetta’s, Frank Grisanti’s, The Italian Rebel, Pete and Sam’s, An-drew Michael Italian Kitchen and Garibaldi’s Pizza. Getting everyoneinto a Mediterranean mood, DJ Mike Spano spun tunes and Barrassoplayed his accordion, while a live auction with Joe Birch of WMC-TV5 brought out many generous bids. Superintendent of Schools for theCatholic Diocese of Memphis Dr. Mary McDonald, and Ave MariaHome director Frank Gattuso, were both on hand, expressing theirsincere appreciation for the community support shown.Story by Ruth CassinPhotos by Roy Haithcock
Tony and Bonnie Barrasso, Angelo Lucchessi and Dr. Mary McDonald
Charlie and Kye Bargiachi
Onsite III
Lauren and Scott Daughtry
Sandy Morgan and Bonnie Hollabaugh
Danny Broadway with Greg and Carol Weidenhoffer Bonnie Mathews, Courtney Magbeeand Joseph Barringer
Michael and Camille Massey
Jonathan Steenerson
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ONSITEOnsite IV
Amanda Hayes and Lynne Shultz
Colin and Jamie Bailey
King and Queen Pegasus VIII, Paulette Harness and Mike Divoky
Rachel Militana, Jennifer Vallor and Blake Morrison
Linda and Judge James F. Russell, Amy Weirich and Bill Gibbons
Lisa Gill, Jennifer Himes and Lucie Brackin
Tom Dees andAnwar Gartrell
Nancy Taylor and John Kingsley Jr.
Jeremy Slater, Chuck Miller and Chris Miller
Donna Golladay, Kimberly Golladay, Anna Wheeler andTheresa Stewart
Pegasus Mardi Gras Ball
The Mystic Krewe of Pegasus Memphisbrought the carnival spirit to MinglewoodHall with its ninth annual Mardi Gras Ball.This year, the ball’s theme was “Guys andDolls–Hollywood’s Golden Age.” There wereguys dressed as dolls, dolls dressed as guysand guests just dressed to the nines, lettingtheir inner celebrities shine. A fantastic floorshow featured song, dance, 10-foot featheredheaddresses and, of course, plenty of MardiGras beads flying through the air. WMC-TV5’s Kym Clark emceed the evening with spe-cial guest Kirby Kolby. Pegasus, whose mottois “Unity and Diversity for Charity,” chose todonate event proceeds to Mid-South Spay &Neuter Services, a nonprofit dedicated toreducing pet overpopulation through aware-ness and affordable spay/neuter services.
Story and Photos by Kelly Cox
Association for Women Attorneys Banquet
In its 32nd year, The Association of WomenAttorneys Banquet and Silent Auction attract-ed 170 guests to the Racquet Club ofMemphis to honor Amy Weirich. Weirich,who is the first female to become ShelbyCounty District Attorney General, receivedthe Marion Griffin-Frances Loring Award forher professional accomplishment and wascongratulated by Mayor A C Wharton, whomade a surprise appearance at the banquet.Leah Hillis and Lisa Gill co-chaired theevent, where it was also announced that theAWA scholarship fund had increased to$7,500—up $500 more than last year.Scholarship recipients included RebeccaBobo, Laura Smittick-James, Jessica Sullivanand Melissa Tillilie.
Story and Photos by Leah Fitzpatrick
Polar Bear Plunge and Chili Cook-Off
More than 500 people gathered at the MudIsland River Park for the 2012 Polar BearPlunge and Chili Cook-Off. Despite a coldand dreary day, enthusiastic attendees cametogether to take the plunge in support ofSpecial Olympics Greater Memphis. “Wehad a great turnout,” the director of SpecialOlympics Greater Memphis, Lisa Taylor,exclaimed. The day began bright and earlywith 54 teams competing in the cook-off,and as polar bear and princess clad plun-gers ventured from table to table tastingchili, a pizza-eating contest took place onstage. Following the competitions and tast-ings, plungers lined the cobblestone pathgoing to the Mississippi River. Leading thepack of plungers was FOX 13’s Tom Dees,who remarked, “Being the lead plunger isboth an honor and a toilet item.” The PolarBear Plunge and Chili Cook-Off raisedaround $50,000 for Special OlympicsGreater Memphis.
Story and Photos by Maggie Giffin
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AFTER HO
URS After Hours
A photo collage of the latestbusiness happenings
Carol Peretz Trunk Show at Kittie Kyle
Champagne & Cake Event at Chickasaw Oaks Village
Christmas Open House at South House Fine Jewelry
Rita Lara and Carol Peretz at Kittie Kyle
Pat Petrie with Mickie and Steve Nabersat South House Fine Jewelry
Marge Snipes and Amy Hyneman at South House Fine Jewelry
Billy and Margaret Babb with Anne Winegardner and Pat Tannerat South House Fine Jewelry
Kaki Valerius Smith and Suzanne Lax at Kittie Kyle
Shibahn Guerre and Molly Crosby at More Therapy
Jean Johnston, Myrna Halpern and Courtenay McAlisterat Kittie Kyle
Tracey Maulden and Lisa Lewisat South House Fine Jewelry
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By Dennis Phillippi RSVP
HILL
IPPI
A DECADENT DECADEIt recently came to
my attention thatI have been writ-
ing this column formore than 10 years.Believe me, I am asstartled as you are.While I love gettingthe occasional com-pliment about it atthe grocery store,let’s not kid our-
selves. It doesn’t really make sense. Whyon earth would this magazine hire, andthen continue to employ, a snarkyhumorist in the back of a shiny glossyperiodical filled with pictures of prettypeople at fancy galas? Honestly, I have noidea.
No one even seems to rememberhow it started. Through the years, I hadwritten much the same kind of thing forother magazines, but they were more gen-eral interest kind of publications wherehaving a satire column had a hint of logicat least. I’ve talked to the publisher andthe editor at the time I was hired, andnone of us have any clear idea of how thiscame about. It’s like time skipped a coupleof beats and suddenly I’d been writing thisfor a couple of years and no one seemedmad about it, so they kept letting me doit.
In the time that I have writtenmuch more than a hundred of thesecolumns, I have received almost no angrymail. In fact, I once wrote a column, “ACorrespondent’s Correspondence Despond-ence,” about the fact that no one everwrote me at all. Even in this age of socialnetworking, instant messaging and thelike, I still almost never get any communi-cation. What I do get, as mentionedbefore, are people in the grocery store whosay nice things. That, or the much moredisconcerting comment, “I read your col-umn in RSVP.” I get that a lot. Naturally,I’m happy that people are reading themagazine and this column in particular,but “I read your column in RSVP” givesno indication whether or not you liked thecolumn. The fact that you say you read itdoesn’t tell me if it made you laugh.That’s always been the attempt here. It’salways been about trying to make youlaugh. Whether it’s been about making fun
of people’s phony outrage at a mom whosprayed her kid at a car wash, mockingthis country’s obsession with TV talentcontests or ruminating on my week-oldhangover from my first trip back to NewOrleans after Katrina, it’s always been inthe hope that someone out there will get achuckle at the dentist’s office.
In fact, I’d like to take a momenthere to thank the world’s waiting rooms.For one thing, there’s a pretty goodchance that’s where you’re reading this.One of the places, along with the grocerystore, you can usually count on finding acopy of RSVP is in a waiting room. Thedifference is that the one in the grocerystore isn’t going to be three or four yearsold. Also, I have gotten a ton of columnideas from things I’ve read in other maga-zines in waiting rooms. Magazines of a
certain stripe fill space with surveys, andsurveys are always a good jumping offplace for making fun of things. There’salways some scientific crank asking peopletheir opinion on this or that, and people’sopinions on this or that are usually dumbenough to squeeze a thousand words outof.
If you’ve read this column in thepast, you know that I have also made quitea bit of hay out of telling you and every-one else how to raise your children. As mywife and I haven’t got children, we thinkwe are particularly suited to the task. I amalways glad to remind parents that theirprecious snowflake should probably get ina fight, fall off a bike or climb a tree atleast once. I’m happy to point out thatyou are raising a generation of weenies.Through the years, I’ve also often usedthis space to address situations where over-reaction mania and children have inter-sected, such as when the hero mom hosedher kid at the carwash, or when thisschool or that horribly knee-jerks because a
kid has the audacity to have an opinionother than the one espoused by the institu-tion, which, by the way, is the job of theschool. Teaching children that they needto develop opinions other than the onesespoused by others is the school’s job.Failing that, we will raise a generation ofnot just weenies, but weenie sheep.
Many of you may have noticed thatas a longtime sports fan and reporter, Ihave also used this space to try to influ-ence Memphis’ opinions on certain as-pects of athletics. That’s a fancy way ofputting that I have crammed my sportsopinions down your throats and takenadvantage of this platform to do some per-sonal ax grinding against individuals insports with whom I have a beef. BobHuggins, John Calipari, Michael Vick anda long parade of others have been excoriat-ed here, even though they are all complete-ly unaware of it’s having happened. Noneof those dudes read society magazines.
Not that I, armed with my GED,and my kid-free household, and my generalnumbskulledness, ever believe that I haveany business telling anyone how to livetheir lives. I’ve always hoped that readersrealized that the very act of my doing sowas an effort to point out that you shouldnever, ever follow the direction of somewriter in a magazine, anyone on televisionor the radio for that matter. Our agenda isnot to make your life better. Our agenda isto produce our work in a timely manner soour editor, and I’ve had lots of thosethrough the years, will stop e-mailingabout long-elapsed deadlines. We, in themedia, love you, but we’re just trying notto get fired like everyone else.
I hope to write this column foranother 10 years, and in that time, I vow,here and now, to do even less researchthan I have in the first decade. Because Icare. And I have deadline.
Dennis Phillippi, oh how we adore ourfavorite humor columnist after 10 years! Ithas been one for the records working withyou and getting to know your idiosyncra-sies, like pushing deadlines to the finalsecond and swerving at us with your redhot rod of a car when you spot us out inCooper-Young. Don’t worry, you’re stillkeeping us laughing, and for that, wethank you.
In fact, I’d like to take a moment here to thank the world’s
waiting rooms.
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D. Canale Fruit and Produce BoothRSVP
AST
1930
D.Canale & Company exhibits their goods at the Mid-South Fair in 1930. The Mid-South Fair was originallycreated as a place for area farmers, tradespersons and businesses to showcase their finest livestock and
products. While it has grown in its attractions and audience, the Mid-South Fair remains heavily rooted in itsagricultural beginnings through livestock, creative arts, talent and other related contests and exhibitions.
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE MID-SOUTH FAIR
If you have a past photo you would like to share with RSVP readers, please contact Leah Fitzpatrick at 276-7787 ext. 105or e-mail the photo and caption to [email protected]
All photos will be returned promptly.
