Georgette's Holiday Fashion Show
Media personalities, a giant Christmas tree and Elvis danced down the runway; walking or strutting is absolutely not allowed at Georgette's annual Holiday Fashion Show. The boutique's 29th benefit for St. Joseph's Women's Hospital aimed this year to help buy a perinatal ultrasound machine. WTVT-Ch. 13 anchor Kelly Ring emceed the hour-long show Dec. 1 for co-chairwomen Brenda Sproat and Heidi Gonzmart and a sold-out, 700-plus audience at the Hilton Tampa Downtown.
Models rocking sporty to sexy styles and a wedding gown finale included radiologist Tracy Halme, Virtual Market 360 vice president Dave Reynolds and WFLA-Ch. 8 and Great 38 anchor Jenn Holloway, now recovered from an auto accident. Boosting proceeds to a very jolly $160,000 were Lori Kosloske's bid for the Evening in Spain package with limo ride to dinner at the Columbia, dance lessons and a wine basket. And Laurice Hachem's bids for both the Continental Wholesale Diamond gems and the Kenny Chesney concert/Keith Urban guitar.
Bowties-&-Clutches
The men get handsomer, the women more beautiful at every Bowties-&-Clutches bash staged by the Fashion Movement, led by brothers Lacey B. and Tony E. Smith. The international style night lived up to its late night See-and-Be-Seen reputation, starting quietly and packing the Vault by midnight Dec. 1. The party pulsed with bowtied and bedazzled dancers enjoying DJ David Luckain Jr., catering by C.W.'s Gin Joint and an artwork by Anna Schmerhorn displayed in the bank vault itself.
The auction closed at 1 a.m. (shoes, jewelry, bowties) and absolutely no one wanted to leave when the clock struck 2 a.m. For the sixth year, the fashion visionaries chose Friends of Joshua House as the beneficiary of the bash, to provide for the foster children sheltered there.
Jack in the Park
The next best thing to watching a New York Yankees game might be meeting Special Olympics athletes and playing blackjack at the Jack in the Park benefit in the Bull Pen Club overlooking the diamond at Steinbrenner Field. Husband and wife emcees Walter Allen of WTVT-Ch. 13 and Natalie Taylor of WFTS's Tampa Bay's Morning Blend admired the venue and the view with 300 supporters rallying for special athletes with intellectual and developmental disabilities who train and compete in Hillsborough County year-round. Thanks to volunteers, there is never a fee for soccer, swimming, gymnastics, bowling and a dozen other sports.
Seven friendly blackjack tables opened as guests munched burgers and doughnuts from Datz and Legends Hospitality appetizers Dec. 1. Then, play turned serious with nine finalists, until lucky Scott Pritchard won the grand prize, 7-days aboard a Norwegian Cruise Line.
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