rsvp magazine october 2011
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
Zoo Brew
Blues Ball
Brooks Avant Garde Party
Phoenix Club Party at the Palace
Q&A with Diana Kelly
O c t o b e r 2 0 1 1
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CONT
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14Blues Ball
Melanie and Rick Rivera
28 StreetSeen
Phyllis Boger
26StreetSeen
Mike Morgan
36 Brooks Avant Garde PartyBob Laurie and Pam Moss
48Zoo Brew
Jessica and Kevin Sanders
42Phoenix Club Party at the Palace
Megan McCullough and Kate Bengal
Cover PhotoGeorge and Nayla Nassar
atBlues Ball
Photo by Don Perry
ContentsOctober 2011
From the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Signature Memphis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10Singer and musician Susan Marshall entertains RSVP at Itta Bena.
RSVP Watch List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12Pull together your fall wardrobe with any of these fashionable belts.
Blues Ball . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14“An Elegant Evening Under the Bridge” was had by all who attended Pat KerrTigrett’s annual benefit for the Memphis Charitable Foundation.
StreetSeens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24, 26 & 28She embraces those who serve MIFA. He’s spreading the word about a sport withan unusual name. This artist is showing off her talent and her leadership skillswithin the local art community. StreetSeens highlight Charlie Nelson, Mike Morganand Phyllis Boger.
Vox Popular . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32Q&A with the president of the Association of Fundraising Professionals Memphischapter, Diana Kelly.
Brooks Avant Garde Party . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36The Brooks Museum of Art hosted a Parisian-themed affair for its Avant Gardepatrons
Phoenix Club Party at the Palace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42Phoenix Club members and guests took over the Pink Palace during a party thatraised funds for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Memphis.
Zoo Brew . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48Beer nerds united at the Memphis Zoo for a fund-raiser that kicked off MemorialDay weekend festivities.
Onsites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52, 53, 54 & 56Gatherings that have earned an honorable mention.
RSVPhillippi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5710,000 Conversations About the Same ThingHumor columnist Dennis Phillippi makes a good case about the boredom behindchoosing where to dine.
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Volume XVII Number I
October 2011
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 SKelly Cox
Jonathan DevinDennis PhillippiSuzanne ThompsonLesley Young
E D I T O R I A L I N T E R NAndrea Stockard
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 EChris Pugh
A C C O U N T I N GRuth Cassin
RSVP Memphis is published monthly byHaithcock Communications, Inc. First class
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Haithcock Communications, Inc.2282 Central AvenueMemphis, TN 38104
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Phone (901) 276-7787, ext. 101Fax (901) 276-7785
e-mail [email protected]
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Call 901-276-7787, ext. 105 or fax to 901-276-7785.
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RSVP Memphis Magazine
Copyright 2011 Haithcock Communications, Inc.
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You know that feelingwhen you just want tohead out of town?
Nothing in particularspurred me to have thisurge, but I knew that thetime had come for me toplan a little weekend get-away to rejuvenate the soul.My only requirements werethat the location had to beless than three hours fromMemphis since it would be ashort trip and also be some-where that I’d never visited.After racking my brain andscanning TripAdvisor.comfor what felt like days onend, I remembered my hus-band saying he’d alwayswanted to go to Petit JeanState Park in Arkansas. Somewhere new? Check. Somewherebeautiful? Check. Somewhere peaceful? Check.
After booking a hotel in nearby Little Rock and gather-ing hiking gear, we headed for our mountain adventure. Dri-ving up the winding road to the park, I knew I was going tolike this place because it would provide an out-of-the-ordinaryexperience and one that would hopefully make for good pic-tures. The park offered both of those things and had pristinegrounds, as well as one of the most picturesque overlooks (atPetit Jean’s Gravesite) I’ve ever seen, to boot. One of thethings I wasn’t prepared for was embarking on the most stren-uous hiking trail imaginable when my husband and I chose todo Seven Hollows Trail. Only four-and-a-half miles long, Ithought, “That’s nothing!” Little did I realize that that dis-tance would take three hours to complete as we had to climbup, down and across numerous giant rocks and ascend somefairly steep paths. For a regular hiker, the trail would haveprobably been a breeze, but not for someone who does most ofher exercise in a gym setting.
Never has seeing a car parking been such a relief as itwas upon completion of that hike, and apparently, I’m a glut-ton for punishment because my physical activity for the daydidn’t stop there. Before comprehending how worn out I was,we headed straight to the boathouse at Lake Bailey and renteda kayak. Another new activity for me, kayaking seemed greatat first, but not so much after 20 minutes, when I decided tocall it quits. All in all, I am proud of engaging in those twochallenging activities, but truth be told, heading home feltequally nice.
Upon my return, I had much to look forward to asparty season has gotten underway here at RSVP. Some of theseaffairs (Blues Ball, Zoo Brew, the Brooks Avant Garde Partyand the Phoenix Club Party at the Palace) are already featuredin this issue, however there’s much more to come with theMIFA “Feed the Soul” Party, Zoomelièr, Chefs’ Celebrity Gala,Merry Marketplace Gala, Art on Fire and the Architects’Halloween Party each taking place in October. Enjoy the goodtimes that are sure to be had at any of these charity events inMemphis…ah, home sweet home!
Leah [email protected]
From the Editor
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Susan MarshallRecording Artist/Singer/Songwriter/Vocal Coach/Owner of MemphismPublishing/President of the Recording Academy® Memphis Chapter
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Personal Hero: My mother. Favorite Memphis musician: ALL of them.Favorite album: “Blue” by Joni Mitchell...brilliant!Things you can’t live without: My husband and my piano.Ideal vacation spots: Sedona, NOLA, Pickwick and Sonoma.Movie you could watch over and over again: The Color Purple.Guilty pleasures: “Law & Order” and mint chocolate chip ice cream.Favorite author: CliffsNotes. His writing style gets to the point of thestory without having to use all those pesky extra words!First concert: When I was 12, my sister took me to the "FramptonComes Alive!” tour in Albuquerque. Where you take out-of-town guests: Stax, Sun, Civil RightsMuseum, The Peabody, Beale and, of course, Itta Bena, where I “serenade”from time to time.Stress outlet: Daily choir practice with my three dogs...we like theHOWLELUJAH Chorus. One thing most people don’t know about you: With the help ofmy mentor, Sara Savell, I auditioned for the Metropolitan Opera when I wasonly 19. I ended up in New York City working Off Broadway as a leadingsoprano with The Light Opera of Manhattan. Your greatest achievement: Recording and performing with amazingworld-class artists and touring internationally playing in famous clubs andarenas have been dreams come true, but I’m most proud of my husband,family and friends.
Personal Hero: My mother. Favorite Memphis musician: ALL of them.Favorite album: “Blue” by Joni Mitchell...brilliant!Things you can’t live without: My husband and my piano.Ideal vacation spots: Sedona, NOLA, Pickwick and Sonoma.Movie you could watch over and over again: The Color Purple.Guilty pleasures: “Law & Order” and mint chocolate chip ice cream.Favorite author: CliffsNotes. His writing style gets to the point of thestory without having to use all those pesky extra words!First concert: When I was 12, my sister took me to the "FramptonComes Alive!” tour in Albuquerque. Where you take out-of-town guests: Stax, Sun, Civil RightsMuseum, The Peabody, Beale and, of course, Itta Bena, where I “serenade”from time to time.Stress outlet: Daily choir practice with my three dogs...we like theHOWLELUJAH Chorus. One thing most people don’t know about you: With the help ofmy mentor, Sara Savell, I auditioned for the Metropolitan Opera when I wasonly 19. I ended up in New York City working Off Broadway as a leadingsoprano with The Light Opera of Manhattan. Your greatest achievement: Recording and performing with amazingworld-class artists and touring internationally playing in famous clubs andarenas have been dreams come true, but I’m most proud of my husband,family and friends.
c h i c k a s a w o a k s v i l l a g e 3 0 9 2 p o p l a r a v e . 9 0 1 . 4 5 2 . 2 3 2 3
L o o k f o r u s o n f a c e b o o k
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CINCHED INCOMPLETE YOUR FALL WARDROBEWITH ONE OF THESE SIGNATURE BELTS.
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Blues Ball“An Elegant Evening Under the Bridge”E
V E N T
Jim and Deborah Summers Sam Tweddell and Elizabeth Boone
Sloan Tate and Kory Drahos Mike and Suzie Bowen
Kemp and Anne Conrad Kelsey Loeffel and London Estis
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Ron Olson, Mayor A C Wharton, Sam Samudio, Steve Conley and Mayor Mark LuttrellJimmy Ogle and Knox Phillips Pat Kerr Tigrett and Al Bell
See all the party photos atrsvpmagazine.com Password: RSVP
Glowing, beaming and luminous could all describe any Hollywoodstarlet’s beauty, but the night of the Blues Ball, these adjectivesapplied to a different kind of star—the Hernando DeSoto Bridge.
Twenty-five years has passed since the bridge received a facelift with200 lights added to its arches, so the time had come for an anniver-sary celebration. Fittingly, Pat Kerr Tigrett, who helped raise dona-tions for the bridge lights, hosted “An Elegant Evening Under theBridge” in conjunction with her annual Blues Ball this September.
Around 2,000 Memphians, and even some out-of-towners, ven-tured to River Island (Mud Island) for the special affair and a spectac-ular view of the bridge and the Memphis skyline. Asked to dress inblack tie with an attitude, city chic couture or river rat rags, partygo-ers exercised their freedom in fashion choices to the fullest, arrivingin outfits ranging from satin ball gowns to ripped jeans and t-shirts.Sam Samudio, aka “Sam the Sham,” opted for an edgy ensemble bysporting a bright red tuxedo jacket, a shiny black dress shirt and ablack skullcap with red roses—a look that suited the performer wellwhen he took to the stage to sing a fan favorite, “Wolly Bully.” AndSamudio’s performance was only one of many during a party that fea-tured some of the area’s finest singers and musicians, including AndyChilds, Susan “Honey Mouth” Marshall, Wendy Moten, Di AnnePrice, Preston Shannon, Jason D. Williams and Ruby Wilson. DJRaiford topped off the lineup and didn’t disappoint when he playeddance heavy tunes often heard at Paula and Raiford’s Disco.
Perhaps the biggest moment of the evening came when agrandiose fireworks display joined the Hernando DeSoto Bridge inlighting up Ol’ Man River. As the night sky changed from red to whiteto blue, Sandi Patty could be heard singing the national anthem, witha second rendition of the song sung by The Sanctuary Choir of theNew Olivet Baptist Church. During the fireworks, a regatta ofMemphis Yacht Club members’ boats also took place, much the sameas it did 25 years ago when the bridge was first lit.
In addition to celebrating the bridge, Blues Ball served as afund-raiser for Tigrett’s Memphis Charitable Foundation, which sup-ports causes from the Madonna Learning Center and the MemphisRock ‘n’ Soul Museum to NARAS/MusiCares and the Memphis FireDepartment. Tigrett made a new request this year though for $1,000donations to plant 200 Yoshino cherry trees along Riverside Drive andon River Island in memory of or in honor of benefactors’ lovedones…and to continue to make Memphians proud of their city.
Of the event, Tigrett said, “This was one of my all-time favoriteBlues Balls. The 25th anniversary of our iconic bridge combined withother Memphis icons...our legendary Memphis musicians…was a trueMemphis celebration.”
Story by Leah FitzpatrickPhotos by Roy Haithcock and Don Perry
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E V E N T
BLUE
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Madelyn Gray and Amy Beth Dudley
Buddy and Kate Gaynor Kari Miller with Dr. Gary and Jenny Earhart Deanna Vaughan and Henry Asby Fullmer III
Sarah Jeffries and Brandy Davis Phil and Bridget Trenary Ken McCown and Sara Hall
James and Donna Fox
Marcus Grandberry and Jessica Little
Woodrow and Andrea Brown
John Pellicciotti and Beth Flanagan
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E V E N T
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Bruce and Janie Hopkins with Elizabeth and Steve Thompson
David and Jeanne Simmons
Jon and Ellen Hornyak with Diana and Jody Stephens
Aspen Mueller and Gordon Blum
Lee Warren, Ovul Ince, Nagesh Kamarsu and Rose Carabello Smith
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We prefer to see our patients outside the o�ce.
Get news on latest treatments, network with other patients who share your condition, and tell your story. Visit us online at memphisorthogroup.com.
Saturdays from 9am - noonAt our Germantown Location only. Walk-in clinic. No appointment necessary. Must arrive before 11:30am. Or, schedule an appointment at any of our locations during the week.
Appointment Line901.381.4MOG (4664)3980 New Covington Pike Ste 200 1325 Eastmoreland Ste 260 8040 Wolf River Blvd Ste 100 4816 Riverdale Road
And now... Make An
BLUE
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Mary and Paul Morris
Randy and Ami Austin with Heather and Bob Lundy
Patrick Akers and Kym Clark
Sonja Dowdy and Chris Pugh
Patrick and Deni Reilly with Pat Mitchell Worley
Dan Deloach and Debbie Jo Jacobson
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BLUE
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LLE V E N T
Lance and Traci Denton
Nancy Coffee, Kathryn Perry, Christina Brown and Jill Turner
Sheila and Jim Wilson
Tim and Marta Mitchell
Evan Walker, Rachel Agee, Brandi Jenks and Colby Bowen
Danny and Sharon Sumrall
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BLUE
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Tricia and Doug Weatherford
Curry Weber, Elizabeth Montgomery Brown and Dan Russo
Wendy and Tommy Simpson
Paula Wyatt and Lee Secrest
Arlessia Davis, Jilian McQueen and Lindy Roberson
Brisa Samudio and Brandon Irwin
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Charlie NelsonVolunteer Go-To
For Charlie Nelson, director of volunteers and fund-raising events at the Metropolitan Inter-FaithAssociation, each day at work brings about an
“aha” moment, and it’s no wonder, with the thousandsof altruists she meets. Last year alone, MIFA had 1,459volunteers donate 158,643 hours (the equivalent of 76full-time staff positions) by helping sustain seniors’independence, working with families in crisis and men-toring area youth. However, volunteers aren’t the onlyinspiring figures, as Nelson remembers a particularexperience where MIFA beneficiaries changed her for-ever.
Nelson tells, “The first time I delivered mealsto those less fortunate, I realized what’s important. Imade some major changes in my life after that day.”
She adds that programs like Meals on Wheels(MIFA has nine programs total listed on mifa.org)make you realize that volunteering is not just about theservice you’re doing, but about relationship-building,especially with shut-ins. Referred to as the eyes andears of the organization, volunteers often provide theonly social interaction MIFA clients have in a week,and they’ll also report back to MIFA with emergencysituations, such as when an air conditioning unitbreaks, or make useful suggestions that get implement-ed, like delivering dog and cat food once a month toclients who can’t afford it. Nelson even recalls oneoccasion when a man had been waiting for her to deliv-er his meal so she could call 911 since he’d broken hiship and couldn’t get to a phone.
She says, “I think everyone in some small waycan serve the community; don’t let age or disabilitykeep you from giving back, as we have several volun-teers with disabilities and a broad span of age groups,from children to someone in his 90s.”
To figure out which service capacity best suitsyou, Nelson provides facility tours and a generaloverview of MIFA, located at 910 Vance Avenue, at 11a.m. or 4 p.m. on Wednesdays by appointment. Sheoffers that current volunteers are the best form ofrecruitment though, and encourages Memphians tocome meet some of those “recruiters” on October 6 atthe annual “Feed the Soul” benefit, which she helpsplan at The Warehouse.
MIFA’s “Something Good in Memphis” cam-paign provides another way for would-be volunteers tolearn how others are positively changing the communi-ty. Nelson points out that many times we all hearabout good deeds taking place without knowing theparty responsible, so this campaign strives to makethose everyday do-gooders known. Nominees don’t haveto be affiliated with MIFA, and anyone can nominatesomeone on the MIFA Web site. Select nominees thenhave a picture appear along with a story in TheCommercial Appeal.
Looking up at the giant “Something Good inMemphis” sign hanging in MIFA’s entrance, Nelsonreminisces, “I wasn’t even looking for a job when thisone came open, not to mention that I didn’t evenknow about MIFA when I was growing up in a housingproject in the city. Now, MIFA has turned out to be thelongest place I’ve ever worked.”
Story by Leah FitzpatrickPhoto by Steve Roberts
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Mike MorganPickleball Ambassador
Standing on a court at the Owings Life EnrichmentCenter (part of Germantown United MethodistChurch) with what appears to be a small paddle and
a wiffle-type looking ball, Mike Morgan gears up for apickup match of a sport that combines components oftennis, badminton, racquetball and ping pong. Calledpickleball, the name throws some off at first, but oncenewbies try it, Morgan says most quickly forget anyconfusing food connotations the name might suggestbecause they’re having too much fun playing the easy-to-learn, fast-paced game.
Morgan says, “I like to think of the game asping pong on steroids!”
A volunteer ambassador for the US PickleballAssociation in the Memphis/Shelby County area since2006, Morgan leads demonstrations and clinics for thesport anywhere within his region where someone hasinterest, but he started developing his own enthusiasmfor pickleball seven years ago after getting hooked on itwith his wife, Alice, during a vacation in Florida. Whenhe came home, he began playing at the GermantownUnited Methodist Church, then the only facility intown available to play his new pastime. Today, about40 members of the Germantown Pickleball Group playat the church on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays,with competitive players on the courts from 8-10 a.m.and others from around 10 a.m. until noon, and onTuesday evenings from March until November from6:30-8:30 p.m.
“Anyone can show up to play with us, andcourt three is open for beginners, who can use ourequipment to learn,” Morgan relays.
More local places have since opened their doorsto pickleball, which is played on outdoor courts inareas with more favorable year-round weather. Groupsnow play on Thursdays at the Bert Ferguson Commun-ity Center from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. and at BalmoralBaptist Church from 6:30-8:30 p.m. The White StationChurch of Christ offers open play on Fridays from 9a.m. until noon, and the YMCAs at Schilling Farmsand Olive Branch have courts as well.
Picking up momentum here, pickleball datesback to 1965, when Joel Pritchard and Bill Bell invent-ed a game for their families on Pritchard’s old bad-minton court in Washington state. They found a perfo-rated plastic ball and made four wood paddles, andthen began volleying the ball over a badminton net.After seeing that the ball bounced well on asphalt, theylowered the net to 36 inches—the net height at the side-lines in today’s version of the sport. The Pritchards’cocker spaniel, Pickles, often ran away with the ball, sothe game became pickleball.
Morgan credits John Struthers as the grandfa-ther of pickleball in Memphis, where the sport has a20-year presence. Because it’s played inside in thisarea, Morgan says pickleball has been somewhat invisi-ble, but that’s quickly changing with an increasing fanbase and player recognition, including the 13 localplayers who took home 18 medals at the TennesseeSenior Olympics State Finals in July.
Story by Leah FitzpatrickPhoto by Steve Roberts
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Phyllis BogerWesternizing the Batik Technique
Atransplant from Connecticut, Phyllis Boger not onlybrought her free spirit when she moved to Mem-phis in 2003, but also her diverse artistic talent—
something that’s suited her well in a city she praisesfor having a widespread art scene and quality galleries.A painter with the Fountain Art Gallery, Boger hasbeen making her mark on canvases, including somecreative media like plastic body forms, since childhood,and even teaches plein air (outside) painting classes inItaly. However, she’s broadened her interests throughthe years into monoprints, collages and the unusualart of painting on silk, a skill for which has made herstand out among local artists.
“I might be the only silk painter in Memphis,”she shares.
Now an instructor of silk painting classes atthe Memphis Botanic Garden every 12 weeks, Bogersays she became fascinated with this type of art whenan aunt brought home batiks from Sri Lanka. Promi-nent in Asian, and sometimes African, cultures, batiksare cloths traditionally colored by using a manual wax-resist dyeing technique and are used for clothing orbanners. Intrigued by the technique, Boger decided shewanted to “Westernize” it by making batik more of anart form, rather than a craft. She began by applyingmore painterly subject matter to silk fabrics and fram-ing them just like she would her paintings. Two yearsago, she exhibited her silk paintings for the first timeat Christian Brothers University.
A referential artist, Boger needs a sense ofplace or feeling before she goes to work and makes noqualms about painting what she knows. For her silkdrawings, an inspiring force has been American glasssculptor Dale Chihuly, whose influence is clearly evi-dent through Boger’s bold use of color and swirling,almost whimsical forms. Inspiration can also arisefrom one of her many artist friends, of which she hasmany thanks to her roles as vice president of theMemphis Germantown Art League and president ofArtists’ Link, a group of 95 artists that welcomed herinto the local artist community shortly after she movedhere.
She tells, “I’d been here only 10 days and wastrying to adjust when I met Jeannine Paul at Michaels.She was giving a demo and invited me to an Artists’Link meeting.”
When Boger showed up to that first meeting,she felt at home, immediately enjoying the comaraderieamong the artists and the noncompetitive nature ofthe members, who exhibit as a group. Soon thereafter,she joined, meeting every third Monday of the monthat 6:30 p.m. at Jason’s Deli on Highland with thegroup, comprised of everyone from a photographer oftrain graffiti to a professor of medieval history at theUniversity of Memphis.
Perhaps she’ll expand her repertoire withanother style of art in the future, but until then, she’shappy keeping company with artists as unique as herworks.
Story by Leah FitzpatrickPhoto by Steve Roberts
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Vox PopularQ&A with Diana KellyVO
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RSVP: How long have you been in AFP Memphis?
Kelly: Almost five years. I started not long after I took this position[manager of institutional development at the Medical Educationand Research Institute], and I had no fund-raising experience whenI took this position. With this job, I do operations, marketing, PR,fund-raising and special events.
RSVP: What led to your involvement with AFP Memphis?
Kelly: I knew a few people in the organization, and Bob Plunk atMethodist invited me to come to one of the meetings. It seemedlike a good way to get indoctrinated and network with people andfind mentors who could answer my questions and help me. Havingno fund-raising experience, I felt like I needed to have a way to edu-cate myself about it. AFP has alot of conferences and educa-tional opportunities that helpedme learn more about fund-rais-ing and development in general.The benefit of AFP is that theyprovide great educational oppor-tunities not only locally, but atthe national level. We just hadour annual conference and hadabout seven or eight speakers,some from outside of Memphis.The program is comprehensive,and people can attend whateveris meaningful to them becauseeveryone has a slightly differentniche, even though they mightall be fund-raising. About 117members attended that confer-ence, and, you know, it’s goodto have something locally andnot have to travel with the economy the way it is. Each month, wealso have a luncheon on the Christian Brothers University campus,usually in the Thomas Center, and have a speaker come talk aboutvarious subjects. It could be ethics, special events or grant funderscoming to talk about the state of grant funding in the city. Theluncheons appeal to a broad audience and are open to all our mem-bers, and even if you aren’t a member, you can come to our lunch-eons and hear the program. Guests have to pay a little more for theluncheon than a member, but hopefully if they come and get a lotout of it, then they’ll join. Our Web site [afpmemphis.afpnet.org]will allow you to see what the subject matter is and allow you tosign up. The next luncheon will be October 6 at CBU from 11:30a.m.-1 p.m., and the speaker will be Robert Sharpe of the SharpeCompany, who will speak on planned giving.
RSVP: What are the requirements forsomeone to join AFP?
Kelly: Well, AFP is very much commit-ted to ethical fund-raising, so in order to join, you have to agreeyou’ll do the right things in fund-raising, and there’s a code ofethics you have to sign. What it does is really raise the professional-ism of that profession. People in fund-raising need to make surethey’re doing the right thing for their donors and for each other.AFP International is the overall governing body, with chapters allover the world, in countries such as Canada, Mexico, Egypt, China,Indonesia and Singapore. Then, AFP International has strategicalliances with fund-raisers in seven other countries, includingHolland, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil,
Kenya and Germany. When wehave international conferences—this year, it’s in Vancouver—atleast 15-20 of us from theMemphis chapter will go. Wedo have a couple of scholar-ships that the chapter awards,as well as AFP International, topeople who have never been orto those from an organizationthat is maybe too small toafford to send someone. Lastyear, we also started a diversityscholarship program to pay formembership for the local chap-ter, and Goodwill Homes wasthe first recipient of that andgot to send one person as amember.
RSVP: How many differentorganizations are represented in the local AFP chapter?
Kelly: We have 165 members, and there are several organizationsthat have several members, so I’d say at least 140-150 organizationsare represented in AFP. The majority of the organizations are non-profits, but we do have a few business members who work with non-profits and some consultants who work with nonprofits. Again, it’sall related to that nonprofit effort.
RSVP: What has been your biggest challenge as president of AFP?
Kelly: Well, I think you want to increase your membership, and youwant to provide quality educational opportunities. Really, I wouldn’tsay it’s a challenge; it’s an opportunity. Making sure you’re giving
As president of the Association of Fundraising Professionals Memphis chapter, Diana Kelly says she’s learnedmore about the field from the organization’s membership and programming than from any book on thetopic, and she has a lot of those in her office. With a presence in the Memphis community for more than 25
years, AFP has not only become a beneficial resource for Kelly, but for hundreds of locals working in the non-profit world who dedicate their lives day in and day out to making the lives of others better. RSVP editor LeahFitzpatrick met up with Kelly at the Medical Education and Research Institute, where she works as the manag-er of institutional development, to gain insight about AFP’s upcoming National Philanthropy Day® CrystalAwards Luncheon and to hear why the organization is more important than ever to its members during anuncertain economic climate.
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members what they expectfrom their membership is alsoimportant, and I think we’vedone that this year. We’ve hadsome fabulous programs and alot of talented people in thechapter who have put togethera lot of great speakers. Theother thing is the networkingopportunities—we have a littlebit of time before every lunch-eon when the group can inter-act and meet other people inthe field. Knowing what’s outthere has been a huge benefitto me, as well as learningabout what other people aredoing and the great fund-rais-ers in the city. For example,the new Le Bonheur Children’sHospital was a huge fund-rais-ing effort, and they were ableto come and present theirstrategies and what they did.It’s a great way for people tosay, “Yeah, that could work forme,” or “That’s a great idea.”Then, since the economy gottougher, it’s become relevantto hear what the state of fund-raising is from people.
RSVP: Do you feel like a major-ity of fund-raising professionalsin Memphis are aware of AFP?
Kelly: I think so. I thinkthough that sometimes the ex-pense holds some people backif they’re in a small organiza-tion, but they can still attendthe luncheons and pick andchoose what they’ll benefitfrom, from a programmingstandpoint.
RSVP: How does the local AFPchapter compare to others?
Kelly: We are very favorablycompared to other chapters.We are a nice size for our city.We have been consistently wellrun, and membership has beensteadily increasing. We are aTen Star chapter, which meanswe have satisfied all therequirements to achieve that.It’s a designation you have towork toward, and we have beena Ten Star chapter for manyyears. Our chapter actually cel-ebrated its 25th anniversarylast year, and the internationalorganization, as of last year,has been in existence for 50years.
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RSVP: What are some of thedifferent services AFP offersto its members?
Kelly: There are all kinds ofresources from InternationalAFP on the Web site. You cango in and learn everythingfrom ethics to how to runyour chapter. If you’re aboard member, it gives youresponsibilities to tools youmight need and forms forscholarships. It’s a prettycomprehensive Web site, andyou can chat with other mem-bers. There’s even a blog. Occasionally, we do a survey to seewhat our membership is interested in and try to develop pro-gramming around that. AFP International puts together audioconferences of different subject matter, and as a chapter, youcan choose what you want to participate in and offer that. Weoffer about 10 of those conferences a year to our members freeof charge. We have a newsletter that is emailed to the member-ship monthly, and we try to include upcoming events in that.Also, on our Web site, there are jobs posted in the nonprofitworld.
RSVP: Does AFP ever have a hand in developing legislationfavorable to philanthropy?
Kelly: Sometimes, we’ll write letters and things like that, but forthe most part, that’s done by AFP International if there’s newlegislation coming up that would make it difficult for nonprof-its. Pretty much, that’s part of what our dues go for, which is todo things on a global basis that maybe individuals would havetrouble doing at a local level.
RSVP: What is the purpose of the Every Member Campaign2011?
Kelly: It’s an annual campaign, and we do two things with that.The AFP Foundation requests donations from our membershipto be able to further their cause and to provide scholarships andthings like that that they would do at the international level.Then, we have the membership campaign that focuses on bring-ing in new members each year. What we chose to do this yearwas to make it ongoing and not make it a specific period oftime, but each month focus on welcoming guests.
RSVP: What are some best fund-raising practices you can sharewith our readers?
Kelly: I would say to keep your promises to your donors andprotect their interests. I think if you take care of your donors,then everything else kind of falls into place. Also, you need tofollow ethical principles, and it’s really important to be profes-sional.
RSVP: What are some highlights of the National PhilanthropyDay® Crystal Awards Luncheon coming up November 29 at theU of M Holiday Inn?
Kelly: Well, we’ve got some great winners, including Duncan-Williams Investment Bankers (Outstanding Corporation); SusanSchadt with ArtsMemphis (Outstanding Executive Leader);Linda Jackson-McNeil with BRIDGES (Outstanding Fund-raisingExecutive); James McGehee with McGehee Realty and
Stacy’s Hallmark La Baguette Bakery & Bistro
Pelli’ Aesthetics Seize the Clay
Ella Hair, Inc.
Primary Care Specialists Pier 1 Imports
Fountain Art Gallery JM’s Beautiful You Maternity
Kelly Beers Salon Mrs. Post Stationery
Just for Lunch 7th Avenue
Jimmy Graham Interior Design David Johnson Designs
Lisa Mallory Interior Design Kittie Kyle
More T.H.E.R.A.P.Y Poppies
A. Shaw Jewelry
3092 Poplar Ave. (next to the main public library)
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Development Company(Outstanding Philanthropist);Shannon Brown, senior vicepresident and chief humanresources officer of FedExCorporation (OutstandingVolunteer Fund-raiser);Michael and Bette Arndt withEmergency Mobile Health Care(Spirit of Philanthropy); andCaesars Entertainment (Part-ners in Philanthropy). Anotherthing we do is give out Youthin Philanthropy awards eachyear, and they’re done separate-ly from the luncheon, eventhough they’re recognized atthe luncheon. We give out twoawards in that category: onefor an individual and one for agroup, and they are nominatedthrough the schools. It’simportant for us to bring youthinto the philanthropy realmearly on, and we actually go totheir schools before they getout at the end of the year andusually present the awards atan assembly. The awards canbe given to a student at anyschool in the surrounding area,but typically they’re given tohigh school kids because thatage group seems to be themost involved with philanthro-py.
RSVP: How are nominationsgathered for the CrystalAwards?
Kelly: Our two fund-raisingexecutive leadership awards[Outstanding Fund-raisingExecutive and OutstandingVolunteer Fund-raiser] have tobe nominated by a member,but all other award recipientscan be nominated by the com-munity. We get a nice group ofnominations of very good qual-ity, and we have a committeewho reviews those, with someof the committee members whoare AFP members and otherswho are not.
RSVP: What do you think peo-ple would be most surprised toknow about AFP Memphis?
Kelly: I think how dedicatedthe members are and howmuch those professionalsenable organiza tions to do forthe community. Memphis is avery giving community.
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Brooks Avant Garde PartySummer SoiréeE
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Mona and Bill Sappenfield Nancy Wood and Laura Charbonnet
Candice Young and Stephanie Drouillard Jimpsie and Warren Ayres
Stephen Laws and Erica Farmer Randy and Laura Tims
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See all the party photos atrsvpmagazine.com Password: RSVP
“Chez Brooks,” better known as the Memphis Brooks Museum ofArt, felt more like a Parisian nightclub than a museum duringits annual Avant Garde Party. Always the highlight of the sum-
mer for Brooks members and their guests, the gathering had adopteda French theme to coincide with the institution’s current exhibition,The Impressionist Revolution, and the vibe was très magnifique!
As patrons walked across the museum’s veranda, they werequickly transported into Bohemian Paris thanks to a strolling accor-dion player and a plethora of performance artists, who painted anabstract painting while roller skating on top of a giant canvas. Inside,a replica of the Eiffel Tower set the scene in the rotunda, as did a bal-loon artist, a stilt walker and a mime standing atop a podium. Deeperinto the museum, more entertainment options abounded with a dress-up photo booth, where attendees could choose to disguise themselvesin masks, tams, boas or fake mustaches; a large canvas on the terracefor guests to splatter paint; music by the Iguanas and the Magic Kids;and two tree reading stations.
Though he wouldn’t reveal the finer points of his tree readingexperience with the Amazin’ Grayson, Avant Garde host committeemember Shannon Morgan did say, “With my tree reading, I was goingwith Abstract Expressionism.”
Libations and hors d’oeuvres also were in keeping with thetheme and packed a punch with their presentation. From ice shotsnamed “Paris, Je T’aime” (mango vodka and peach maitilde),“Bizou” (Sprite, pineapple upside down cake liqueur and grenadine)and “Melon Fou” (lemonade and watermelon liqueur) to Absinthe-laden concoctions mixed up in the Absinthe Room, which cast aghoulish glow on guests due to all the green-colored light bulbs, therewasn’t a shortage of French-inspired cocktails. The party wouldn’thave been complete though without savory French fare, such ascrepes of goat cheese, ratatouille and chicken, a charcuterie andcheese display and macaroons.
Partygoers toasted to the exhibition, as well as to the arts inthe local community and abroad, by coming out for this affair, whichcontinues to deliver a new, or avant garde, experience for patrons yearin and year out.
Story by Leah FitzpatrickPhotos by Nathan Berry
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Charlie Nelson, Lisa Robinson and Tawanda Knight
Alpha Lyons and Vesna Milojevic
Clavette Bullard, Amy Greer and Tarsha Moore
Daniel and Sherrill French
Fred and Judy Palmer with Linda and Jerry Phillips
Lee Woodru� is the third presenter in the Crittenden Regional Hospital Foundation’s annual speaker and
dinner series. Woodru� serves as a home and family contributor to ABC Good Morning America. She received national acclaim for leading her family’s journey of recovery after her husband, ABC World News Tonight co-anchor Bob Woodru�, was critically injured by a roadside bomb while covering the war in Iraq in 2006. She shared her life lessons and experiences from this in her New York Times best-seller, In an Instant.
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Rivers Powers, Thomas Whitehead, Lana Zepponi and Beth Wiedower
Brian and Holly Coleman with Mikki and Darrell Cobbins
Shannon Morgan, Caren Nichol, Alison Barton and John Campbell
Lisa Brown, Glenda Owens, Rita Lara and Anette Askew
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Jeff and Rebecca Krida
Jessica Toliusziz and Abby Elzemeyer Emily Dickerson and Chris Pugh Rosalyn Delequexe and Daniel Chang
Milton and Maggie Lovell Melinda and Sean Sanders Mark Jordan and Pat Mitchell Worley
Virginia and Will Sharp
Anne Davis and Jenifer Alvarez
Aneta Dziemianczyk and Andre Fowlkes
Shanea and David McKinney
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2160 Spicer Cove / Memphis, TN 38134 / (901) 213-3266
Luxury Class Specialist
ICON recommends onlyoriginal equipment manufactured (OEM) parts. Find out why, and experience the ICON di�erence
at iconcollision.com.
“I always recommend ICON. �eir service is really great, and my GMC Yukon looks just like
it did the day I bought it.”
Customer Jay Fletcher (right) with ICON President Tim Russell
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E V E N T Phoenix Club Party at the Palace
Benefiting the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Memphis
Rachel McAteer, Lindsay Pate and Aaron and Louisa Munn
Paul and Laura Yacoubian
Lindsey and Casey Cade
Renee Dearmond and Gordon Conway
Derick Garner and Mary Alice Ruleman
Jon Pointer and Brennan Trezevant
Sarah Coplin and Dan Taylor
Neil Townsend and Katie Casey
Allison Rogers and Calvit Ratcliffe
On a cooler-than-usual Memphis night under a blanket of stars,supporters of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Memphis hadthe chance to party like royalty at the palatial setting of
Memphis’ most famous manor, the Pink Palace. The function,dubbed Party at the Palace, was this year’s rendition of the PhoenixClub’s summer fund-raiser, which can be added to the group’s otherannual parties including its Mardi Gras celebration and others. Inits second year, the Party at the Palace brought in more than 800guests, with 700 buying their tickets in advance.
“We were as happy as can be with the turnout,” said theevent chair, John Collier. “This party has really grown over the pastcouple years and has become a signature event for the Phoenix Club.It raises a lot of money for an excellent organization–the Boys &Girls Clubs–but it is also a really fun party.”
Paul and Janet Hayden drove from Olive Branch just to see‘80s cover band U.S. play. “We came for the band,” said Janet. “It’svery pretty here. It’s the first time I’ve been [to the Pink Palace].”Paul added, “We just moved here [from Jackson, Mississippi].”
Emily Simpson, who attended with her then-fiancé, DerrickSimpson, said, “It’s awesome; I’m excited,” with Derrick chimingin, “I just joined [the Phoenix Club] three months ago. They dosome really good work.”
Beverages were provided by 901 Tequila, the Silly Goose,Swanky’s Taco Shop, Dan McGuinness and Budweiser of Memphis,and a hot dog stand provided for late night snacking. The eventraised close to $10,000 for the Boys & Girls Clubs.
“That’s not bad for a flip-flop and tank top event,” said theclub’s president, Nathan Walters.
Story by Lesley YoungPhotos by Nathan Berry
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Hunter Utkov, Megan McDonald and Alex Snyder
Jessica Moran, Brittany Montgomery and Mallory Nations
Brynn Hernandez and Wes ReadRachel Lightman and Mallory Lightman
Ben Leatherman and Vaughn StewartLacy Thomason and Amanda Lewis
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Erin and Michael Nunn
Allen Myers and Rachel Mullen
Emily Hill and Dan Bayne
Paul Crook and Susan MahoneyMallory Raffensberger and Sam Podesta
Tiffany Miracle, Zac McRae, Christina Oppenhuizen and Melissa Turner Sarah Akins, Aubrey Sanders, Huxley Brown and Anna Yauger
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Reed Bowen, Cooper Hopkins, Chad Cunningham, Robyn Gerber and Tommy Sneed
Dory Sellers and Grace RussomBrittany Meeker and Hunter Wolcott
Athena Granger and Jermaine HarrisBryson Neal and Kelli Hobbs
Mary Alice Porter and Will WallmeyerBryce Davis and Katherine Veazey
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WRCSThe First and Last Name in Quality Services Provision
WR Community Services LLC.2600 Poplar Avenue, Suite #405, Memphis, TN 38112
Founded in 2007
WR Community Services provides Homemaker, In-Home Respite,Personal Care Attendant and Assistance Services.
Email: [email protected]: 901-325-7997
Fax: 901-325-7998 or 877-322-7998
Providing Quality Care forthe Elderly and Disabled
throughout Tennessee.
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Charlie Apple, John Edwards, Cameron Robbins, Aaron Portis and Patrick O’Leary
Jennifer Gordon, Ashley Powell, Rachel Brocato and Daniella Shoshan
Sarah Phifer and Jenna MolinskiKate Morrissee and Meredith Parker
Will Mosby and Elizabeth McRightChristen Marzula, Brad Holobaugh and Ginger Hauser
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Jennifer Gardner, Mandy DeVore, Mary Leavitt Allison, Brittni Wrentmore and Natalie Chamoun
Jennie Frierson, Leah Singh and Sarah Stimson
Jessie Wilks and Steve HuttonPatrick Colbitts and Lauren King
Andrew Warner and Lindsey McInnisMelanie Crosby and Sarah Vimmerstedt
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E V E N T Zoo Brew
Beer Central
Sarah Veazey, Cathy Clark, Tracy Dougan, Ashley Bryant and Mandy Caldwell
Whitney Bell and Daniel Butts
Janna Tacker and KC Gordon
Wanda and William Jackson
Katie Clark and Jon Hodge
John McNeil and Emily English
Corey and Maria Miller
Alam Sharifi and Dane Smith
Yashira and Damon Willis
Every year, the Memphis Zoo transforms itself into the city’slargest biergarten for one night of sipping, singing and eventuallyhowling at the moon. The Zoo Brew offers something stout for
whatever ales you.On a sultry night in early September, thousands braved
humidity worthy of a Tennessee Williams play to wander the manypaths inside the zoo where kiosks, 44 in all, handed out double shot-sized cups of beers from around the globe. From Germany there wasFranzikaner Hefe Weiss or Spaten’s Oktoberfest or Dunkel. Thosestill celebrating Memphis in May’s honored country of Belgium gota taste of Lindeman’s Strawberry Pomme, Kriek Cassis and PecheFramboise. Irish stouts were well represented with Murphy’s,Beamish and O’Hara’s. Equally as popular though were Americanboutique beers like Vermont’s Woodchuck Hard Ciders, Oregon’sRogue Porter and Chateau Rogue and California’s Self-Righteous andArrogant Bastard Ales.
A party band playing Elvis to ‘80s hits welcomed guests insun dresses, shorts and t-shirts and kept the beat alive while beergo-ers danced their way through beer lines. Most arrived in groups andenjoyed comparing their Taj Mahal Lagers with their Hop WallopPale Ales under a starlit sky. While the animals had already retiredto bed, the beautifully landscaped exhibits brought the intimacy of aShakespearian magical forest to the event as guests relaxed onbenches alongside spectacular water features or in groves of shrub-bery. Keeping the environment in mind, the thousands of bottlesopened for the party were all recycled by the zoo’s Green Team.
Burgers, hot dogs, nachos and pretzels were available forpurchase, but this crowd arrived well-steeled for a night of Pilsners,ambers, lagers and even some closer-to-home selections fromMemphis’ own Ghost River Brewing and Nashville’s Yazoo BrewingCompany. Brew newbies were delighted as well.
Said one guest between sips of the British Young’s DoubleChocolate Stout, “This is something I could get used to.”
Story by Jonathan DevinPhotos by Baxter Buck
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Rob and Sonnet Booth with Chris Bauer
Irina and Jeremiah McGuire with Audrey and Romania Islad
Ashley and Josh VickeryLogan Swanberry and Sachi Watkins
Nolan Chantara and Alex MaxtedJacerlyn Callin and Kelly Toney
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Ashley Ward and Valerie Smith
Wendi Travis and Ryan Harmon
Stephen Owings and Shea Noblett
Melissa Woods and Freddy Hays
Scott Vannucci and Beth Woodall
Michael and Illysa Wertheimer
Shanti and Chris Bradley
Taylor Wilson and Cynthia Wilson
Kathryn and James Simpson
Stacey and Ashley Spriggs
Dr. Erin Amini and Dr. Anna Biggers
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E V E N T
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Sarah Little, Anna Mary Jordan and Linda Tummins
Machala and Patrick Gilbert with Inga Fors and William Gilbert
Allison and Chuck GraybealChris and Irina Ollar
Colleen McDaniel and Jeanine AbellKelsey Panitz and Jon Michalik
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Nancy Jenning, Cory Shepard and Megan Davis at Christmas in July
Nicole Fox, Larissa Nusser and Michelle Rappaport at WAMS Luncheon
ONSITE Onsite
Emily Garrett and Taunya Stewart at WAMS Luncheon
Bryan Ellis, Janie Cox and Neil Callaway at AutoZone Liberty Bowl Golf Classic Pairings Party
Rashana Lincoln with Alex and Akia Wiley at The Great Wine PerformancesChristy Whittington, Jeff Scott and Sara Guice
at AutoZone Liberty Bowl Golf Classic Pairings Party
The Great Wine Performances WAMS LuncheonChristmas in July AutoZone Liberty Bowl Golf Classic Pairings Party
Midtown was abuzz with Tony Award-winning shows,or at least characters from 10 of them, at Playhouse
on the Square’s Great Wine Performances. This popularfund-raiser offered theater supporters a variety of winesfor sampling at stations throughout the venue, and ateach one, guests could guess the play represented bythe character at the station for a chance to win a prize.Luckily, non-theater buffs had a shot at winning as wellsince clues could be gathered for small tips, or dona-tions. Southwestern Distributing supplied the libationsfor the occasion, with nibbles provided by MarcySiebert Catering and Lucchesi’s.
Women united for a fifth year to lend their sup-port to the National Multiple Sclerosis Mid-SouthChapter at the Women Against MS Luncheon. Held atthe U of M Holiday Inn, the WAMS Luncheon offeredattendees an inspirational program that featured guestspeaker Larissa Nusser. Diagnosed in 2000 with MS,Nusser, a yoga teacher from New York, co-created “YouCan Do It Yoga for MS” DVDs for those with MS tohelp in their battle against the disease and encouragedguests by saying, “Being happy every day can give youthe power to transform your life.” Kym Clark of WMC-TV 5 emceed the event, which kept to tradition by fea-turing beautiful cakes (donated by area bakeries) thatdoubled as centerpieces and prizes for guests withbirthdays closest to May 25.
The searing heat outside seemed the appropri-ate backdrop for the fourth annual Christmas in Julyevent held at Lexus of Memphis. Vendors sold itemsthat would be perfect under any tree, from handcraftedjewelry to toys, homemade soaps and lotions, with salesbenefiting the Down Syndrome Association of Memphisand the Mid-South. Food, music and a performance bya young adult Down Syndrome dance troupe, CompanyD, added to the festivities.
The Pairings Party, held the night before thetee-off of the 17th annual AutoZone Liberty Bowl GolfClassic, featured cocktails and a silent auction, followedby a buffet dinner and live auction. Andy Childs provid-ed music as guests bid on many golf-related items, aswell as crystal dog bowls, season tickets to Playhouseon the Square, a behind the scenes tour of theMemphis Zoo and a painting from local artist DebbieCrawford. National Association of Auctioneer Hall ofFamer John Roebuck, sold 11 luxury items, including aFedEx flight simulator experience for four and a vaca-tion package to Vail, Colorado. Tournament proceedsbenefited St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Story and photos by Leah Fitzpatrickand Suzanne Thompson
Marisa Gullion, Kia Robinson, Molly Polatty and Amy Beth Dudleyat The Great Wine Performances
Lynda Dionne, Nancy Murphy, Suzanne Culpepper, Mike Murphy and Toney Dionneat Christmas in July
Cyndii Jo Hartley and Katherine Whitfield at The Great Wine Performances
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Darlene Winters, Janet Ticer and Bob Winters at Shelby Farms Full Moon Mixer
Natalie Martin, Stacy Smith and Jessica Renton at Rock for Love 5 Kick-Off
ONSITEOnsite
Kate Mauldin and Jonathan Kirkscey at Rock for Love 5 Kick-Off
Agnes Lindner and Susan Fondren at Forain After Dark Soirée
Major Rhea Dawn Woodcock, Arlene Southern and Joan Alperinat Salvation Army Bridge and More
Josh Throndson and Sarah Long at Forain After Dark Soirée
Forain After Dark Soirée Salvation Army Bridge and MoreRock for Love 5 Kick-Off Shelby Farms Full Moon Mixer
Memphians gathered at the Dixon Gallery and Gardensto enjoy the sold-out Forain After Dark Soirée with
Anthropologie. Guests assembled outside the HughesPavilion to nab a spot in front of the runway and toenjoy a Champagne tasting and hors d’oeuvres, such astomato basil knish and raspberry chocolate truffles.After an hour of mingling, Nadia Fares, store managerfor Anthropolgie Memphis, presented a fashion showwith local women of all ages sporting the store’s flirtysummer skirts and blouses, classy going-out dresses andvintage work attire. Afterward, an Anthropologie totebag and gift bag from Bare Escentuals, which gaveaway free makeovers to every guest at the show, wereraffled off. Viewers then went back inside to mingle aslocal vocalist Grace Askew performed fun and bluesymelodies.
Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary membersjoined together at the Germantown United MethodistChurch, Owings Life Enrichment Center, to playbridge, enjoy a box lunch provided by Panera Bread andpartake in the “White Elephant” sale of donated books,jewelry, picture frames and other household items tosupport the Salvation Army. More than 200 partici-pants enjoyed the Bridge and More event, which alsoincluded door prizes, table prizes and high-score bridgeprizes. The Women’s Auxiliary supports many outpostsof the Salvation Army, including the Purdue Center ofHope, Adult Rehabilitation Center, Emergency FamilyShelter and the Single Women’s Lodge.
The Church Health Center’s Rock for Love 5benefit concert kicked off its largest year for local musi-cians and supporters at Ardent Studios with free barbe-cue, chicken sandwiches, hors d’oeuvres and plenty ofwine and beer. Music lovers attended the kick-off tomingle and prepare for shows hosted by the Hi-Tone,Shangri-La Records and The Gazebo on August 18-21.Local bands, such as The Subteens, Bryan HartleyIndustries and Star & Micey, to name a few, donatedtheir time and energy throughout the week to spurfuture support for local music and raise funds for theChurch Health Center.
Shelby Farms Park Conservancy members ven-tured to the park to enjoy food, beer, wine and livemusic during the Full Moon Mixer, sponsored by GhostRiver Brewing. The conservancy celebrated its support-ers of the new Shelby Farms Greenline by having a raf-fle for bicycles, riding lessons and athletic equipment,while bike rides took place on the new Greenline trailand a slideshow for park and Greenline users aired inthe outside yurt. The Near Reaches and DJ DavidPickett provided music, and Shelby Farms stickers, t-shirts, water bottles and other items were available forpurchase as the park advertised the Greenline HalfMarathon on October 2.
Story and photos by Andrea Stockard
Grace West and Nancy Masterson at Salvation Army Bridge and More
Linda Hibbitt, Dione Jarred, Amy Moore and Kimberly Moore at Shelby Farms Full Moon Mixer
Ginger Chapman and Carolyn Luttrell at Salvation Army Bridge and More
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Desiree Thomas, Donald Thomas and Pam Scott at Total Woman of VIRTUE Affair
Adrianne and Anthony Brown with Brent DeLatteat Summer in the City Fiesta
ONSITE Onsite
Renee DeGutis, Dave Harris, Ruth Grant and Lisa Harris at Summer in the City Fiesta
Eddie Robinson, Debbie Yeager, Bill Mitchell and Heidi MacPhersonat Bracket Bash
Cheryl Charles and JoAnn Irelandat Susan G. Komen Survivor Luncheon
Alex Turner, Brittany McDonald and Alyana Lewis at Bracket Bash
Summer in the City Fiesta Bracket BashSusan G. Komen Survivor Luncheon Total Woman of VIRTUE Affair
The ninth annual Summer in the City Fiesta savedMemphians from simmering in the city by hosting a
backyard-style gathering in the cool confines ofChickasaw Oaks Village. This casual, come-as-you-areparty raised awareness for Volunteer Mid-South, theregion’s full-service volunteer action center, and washosted by the group’s wonderfully welcoming president,Brent DeLatte. Just For Lunch catered scrumptiousMexican eats, while Stinky Gringo margaritas flowedthanks to Delta Beverage Group, as well as beer andwine from Southwestern Beverage Distributing. AndyTanas provided the tunes. An event where you can wearyour madras shorts to the taco bar before scoring silentauction deals on everything from fine tequila to Pilatesand massages? Si, por favor!
The kick-off for the Boys & Girls Clubs ofGreater Memphis 12th annual Tennis Invitational washeld at Lexus of Memphis, and the party was just whatit claimed to be: a bash. Bracket Bash featured manysilent auction items, as well as a live auction conductedby radio personality Tom Prestigiacomo. Spirited bid-ders vied for a variety of trip packages, seats for anational tennis competition and a pamper packagefrom Mona Spa and Laser Center. The tournament andrelated festivities raised $155,000 for the local Boys &Girls Clubs.
Hundreds of breast cancer survivors celebratedat the annual Susan G. Komen Survivor Luncheon,sponsored by Sandra and Jack Jones and the family ofthe late Dottie Jones, at the U of M Holiday Inn. Forthis occasion, Chef Edward Nowakowski prepared achoice of three lunch entrees, and throughout theluncheon, guests enjoyed presentations from a varietyof women offering advice on fashion, makeup, healthand fitness.
The U of M Holiday Inn also hosted the BeFound Virtuous Ministries’ biggest event of the year,the Total Woman of VIRTUE Affair. Founded byQualice T. Seymour, Be Found Virtuous Ministriesoffers self-esteem and character-building sessions forwomen in the community. This year’s honorees wereChristina Fanning, Yvonne Richmond, VanessaHarrington and Michelle Tate.
Story and photos by Kelly Cox and Suzanne Thompson
Alyssa Throckmorton, Billie White, Tracy McFall and Melissa Lewisat Susan G. Komen Survivor Luncheon
Christina Fanning, Yvonne Richmond, Qualice Seymour, Vanessa Harrington and Michelle Tateat Total Woman of VIRTUE Affair
De’Erica Thompson, Felicia Thompson and Mittie Carey at Total Woman of VIRTUE Affair
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i t ’ s j a z z !
wumr.memphis.edu
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c l a s s yisit us online at wumrwumr.memphis.eduisit us online at
c l a s s y
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c l a s s yor underwriting information, call 90
c l a s s y.memphis.edu.memphis.edu
c l a s s y j a z z !c l a s s y j a z z !j a z z !j a z z !c l a s s y1 6058-27-6
c l a s s y.memphis.edu.memphis.edu
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60
passion has a price
to purchase tickets visit operamemphis.org
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Mark and Laurie Sutton at The Help Benefit Screening
Dr. John Duckworth, Grace Swaney and Barbara and Dr. Gerald Billionsat Living Awards Benefit
ONSITE Onsite
Vicki and Bill Weber with Artez Campbell at Living Awards Benefit
Maxine and Randy Engel at Adapt-A-Door Auction
Jack Leavitt and Karen Swolensky at Art of Caring
Michelle Koeppen, Carol Drake and Katheryn Brown at Adapt-A-Door Auction
Living Awards Benefit Adapt-A-Door AuctionArt of Caring The Help Benefit Screening
Throughout the year in Memphis, there are certainindividuals and organizations who quietly make
extraordinary things happen in the health and faithfield. Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare was there tohonor them by hosting the Living Awards Benefit. Inits 30th anniversary, the awards banquet was held atThe Peabody, with a reception in the ContinentalBallroom and dinner in the Grand Ballroom. Honoredat this event were the Rev. Jerry F. Corlew as an inspir-ing individual in faith and health; Drs. S. Terry Canaleand Bill C. Weber as inspiring physicians in faith andhealth; The Church Health Center for its communityrole inspiring faith and health; and Dr. Bob Waller, for-mer president and CEO of the Mayo Clinic inRochester, Minnesota, for lifetime achievement inhealth.
Before you throw out that old door, you mightwant to think about repurposing it for MemphisHeritage’s Adapt-A-Door Auction…a Barcelona chair, acurio cabinet and a children’s game were just some ofthe ideas local participants came up with. Held at theorganization’s headquarters in historic Howard Hall at2282 Madison Avenue in Midtown, this year’s eventincluded burgers from the Slider Inn and BardogTavern, an open bar, a snack table and lots of artisticeye candy. All proceeds from the auctioned doors bene-fit Memphis Heritage, a nonprofit founded in 1975 topromote historic preservation.
Much like Baptist Memorial Health CareFoundation’s programs and services, the Art of Caringhas become a wonderful example of how much a com-munity can do when it comes together for a cause. Inthis case, the community is that of artists, who donatepieces to an auction that raises funds for BaptistTrinity Hospice and the Kemmons Wilson FamilyCenter. Held at the University Club, the benefit drewseveral hundred attendees, who bid on silent auctionitems from artists like Lauren Ricks, Mimi Dann, GregGustafson, Pam Cobb and Peggy Drinkard. Emcee RonChilders of WMC-TV 5 also drummed up bids for theevent’s first-ever live auction, which featured threesplatter paint paintings created by children at CampGood Grief.
The Malco Paradiso recently hosted a privatescreening of one of the summer’s hottest films, TheHelp, for the benefit of the RISE Foundation. In atten-dance were special guests Millicent Bolton and FloRoach, both of whom starred in the movie. Gale JonesCarson and TaJuan Stout Mitchell helped organize thebenefit for RISE, a nonprofit born out of a need tohelp public housing residents become financially self-sufficient.
Story by Leah Fitzpatrick and Lesley YoungPhotos Submitted and by Leah Fitzpatrick
and Lesley Young
Sally and Max Shelton with Stevie Phillips at Art of Caring
Gale Jones Carson, Mayor A C Wharton and TaJuan Stout Mitchell (Standing); Millicent Bolton and Flo Roach (Sitting)at The Help Benefit Screening
Karen Smith, Lauren Ricks and Barbara Ricks at Art of Caring
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By Dennis Phillippi RSVP
HILL
IPPI
10,000 CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE SAME THINGAstudy I recently read about in my den-
tist’s office waiting room found thatlong-term couples who dine out have an
average of eight restaurants they choosefrom and rarely go anywhere else. Honest-ly, I was surprised it was that many.
Me: “What do you want to eat?”My wife: “I don’t know. What do youwant?” My wife and I have had that con-versation at least once a day for the last 26years.
After the initial exchange, which isexactly the same, every time, we proceedto go through our list of choices: pizza,barbecue, Mexican, sandwiches, fast foodor…well, actually, that’s pretty much it. Allof this happens while driving aimlesslyaround our little section of Midtown,knowing that regardless of the currentdirection of the car, it can be redirected toone of those places without substantiallychanging the driving time.
In a city with easily hundreds ofbarbecue places, we go to precisely two,because they’re roughly equidistant fromour house, and we know the owners ofboth. The Mexican restaurant is maybe,maybe, a tenth of a miles farther from ourhouse than our pizza choice, and the sand-wich place is even closer. Given enoughtime, on a nice enough day we could easilywalk to any of these choices. We don’t, butwe could.
The conversation doesn’t necessari-ly end once a decision about destinationhas been chosen because once faced withthe menus we know by heart, we’ll eachmake a half-hearted effort to consider devi-ating in some way before we order thesame thing we get every time we go to anyof these. I was glad to see that studybecause while we knew we were lazy onthis one, now we at least know everyoneelse is too.
We hear about people who drive allthe way Downtown, a five-minute drive forus, or God forbid, way out east, to eat.They go to check out every new place sin-gle people are talking about and get thething their friends raved about. The lasttime we did that I ended up choking downthree bites of rabbit in a place in Collier-ville. I still wince at the thought.
Here’s the thing about food: Des-pite the fact that I love to cook, I don’treally care anything about eating. Serious-
ly. I say all the time I’d be perfectly happyif I could just take a pill and have eaten.It’s my culinary flying car vision of thefuture. Sure, I’ve really, really enjoyed eat-ing, but for the most part, it’s just some-thing I want to have already done, likegoing to the gym, or washing my car. Oneof those last two I never do.
On the other hand, my wife lovesfood. It’s not unusual for us to be eatingone meal and have my wife bring up thetopic of what we’re having at our next
meal. She thinks about food all the time,sort of like I think about sports. If both ofour brains are idling, like say, waiting fora train to pass, and you ask us what we’rethinking about, those are the top of thehit parade for each of us. Try this: Nexttime you see my wife, ask her what she’sthinking about. I bet it’s dinner. Mean-while, I’m wondering if the Angels cancatch the Rangers in the West. It’s justhow we’re wired. My beautiful, fit wifesays all the time if she hadn’t married methat she’d weigh 300 pounds. Thank Godshe married me. The world doesn’t need afat suit version of my wife.
This doesn’t relate solely to diningout. The same conversation happens ifwe’re cooking at home. The only differenceis that when deciding on dinner at home,we have to take an inventory of whatingredients we have to make something
that could be called a meal. This is be-cause when we are at the grocery store, wemay deliberately purchase the materials forone meal we settled on after a spiritedround robin of “Well, we haven’t had taconight in a couple of weeks,” but then webuy staples that may or may not constituteanother meal. “Let’s see…we have eggs,but no bacon, chicken, but it’s frozen, left-over burgers from a week ago, and…ah…let’s just go out.” This is the point where Iask the old standby, “What do you want toeat?” and get the response, “I don’t know,what do you want?”
On Monday nights, I usually cookdinner for us, as well as a couple offriends, and for years, I struggled with themenu on my own. In the beginning, I wasa big show-off, making complicated thingslike chicken cordon bleu or spaghetti andhandmade meatballs. After a while, thisgot to be too burdensome, so I arbitrarilyassigned our friend Dana to choose themenu. The problem with that is that I hadgotten all of them addicted to these ridicu-lous meals, and that’s what she alwayschooses. Not once has she said, “I don’tknow, how about cereal?” This is why in alot of other areas I’ve decided to set thebar as low as possible.
There is the one area where I dohave a ravenous appetite, but refrigeratorgrazing after a few cocktails is a differentcolumn. That’s more of a “You won’tbelieve what I’ll eat if I’ve been into thewhiskey” kind of column.
I’m happy for those of you wholove food. Once, years ago, for reasons thatare none of your business, I had to do around of steroids. Didn’t gain an ounce,but ate all the time. I got to feel like whatnormal people must feel like. I’d clean myplate at a restaurant and then, inevitably,ask if they had cake. It was really fun, butwhen the medicine stopped that did too.Man, was my wife mad. I think she wantsme to be as juiced as Barry Bonds so shecan eat like Kirstie Alley. Tough luck onthat one.
Dennis, thanks for serving up a hefty doseof your wit this month…and for makingthe staff at RSVP hungry enough to devourscarily old leftovers in the office fridge. So,“What do we want to eat tonight?” Probab-ly a bottle of Rolaids.
There is the one areawhere I do have aravenous appetite,but refrigerator
grazing after a fewcocktails is a
different column.
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A Special “Back-to-Back” RehearsalRSVP
AST
1970
Musician René Koopman, who played percussion with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra in September 1970, snapped thisphoto during an afternoon rehearsal at Ellis Auditorium for a Duke Ellington concert. Vincent de Frank, founder and musical
director of the Memphis Symphony Orchestra from 1960 to 1984, is shown playing the cello with the famous Duke Ellington onpiano. Koopman made a large print of this photograph that still hangs at the Memphis Federation of Musicians on YoungAvenue.
PHOTO COURTESY OF RENÉ KOOPMAN
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.
*Deadline for submissions is November 30, 2011. No exceptions.Weddings must have taken place between December 1, 2010 and deadline.
RSVP Magazine Introduces
OUR FIRST-EVER WEDDING ISSUE
Please visit rsvpmagazine.com forcomplete details.
Now accepting wedding submissions for theFebruary 2012 issue of RSVP.
