Girl Scouts Women of Distinction
What perfect timing for the Girl Scouts of West Central Florida to celebrate five exemplary bay area women on International Women's Day, March 8. The 850 guests at the annual Women of Distinction luncheon learned all about Hall of Fame inductee Liana Fernandez Fox and honorees Lissette Campos, Chloe Firebaugh, Stefanie Goforth and Sallie Parks via video, then got to listen to scout Ashanti R. talk about mentorship at Camp CEO and CEO Jessica Muroff announce the in-school Rising Diamonds outreach program will receive the proceeds that day, more than 240,000 for scholarships.
GalaRE
Artists, collectors and exhausted-but-happy Gasparilla Festival of the Arts organizers celebrated the winners of the 48th outdoor exhibition at the annual GalaRE awards party at the Tampa Museum of Art. Seeing the variety and quality of the finalists displayed in one spot made the show of 250 exhibitors even more impressive. Guests got to meet and chat with the artists and juror Rene Paul Barilleaux before discovering Pane Rustica's artful buffet and Zebra Stripes danceable music on the terrace.
Chiselers Market Preview Party
"Call it philanthropy shopping," said Chiseler member Jackie Walker readying for the masses of bargain seekers swarming the annual Chiselers Market that busted the record for OPS (Other People's Stuff) donated, sorted and sold to fund restoration of the University of Tampa's historic Plant Hall.
Chiselers and supporters started the night prior at the Auction Preview Party on March 9 where guests pay twice the price for anything that might be gone the minute the market opens. Party patrons enjoyed Dennis Pupello's band and bid at a silent auction of the "cream of the crop" of carefully culled artwork, jewelry, collectibles, rare books and more, like the antique typewriter Karen Wells was delighted to find.
Honorary chairman Dick Greco mingled with the cocktail crowd, missing his wife Linda who was ill. Next year the Chiselers celebrate their 60th year of devotion to the 1891 Tampa Bay Hotel.
-------