Tampa Bay Heart Ball
Five-time heart attack survivor and former Vice President Dick Cheney flew directly from First Lady Barbara Bush's funeral to the Tampa Bay Heart Ball, invited by American Heart Association executive cabinet member Kathleen Shanahan, his former chief of staff. They joined cardiologist Dr. Debbie Rinde-Hoffman, director of Tampa General Hospital's heart transplant program, for a serious Q-&-A during dinner that ended humorously when Cheey was asked about his heart donor. "Could be a Democrat," he quipped, to which Shanahan speculated, "Could be a Russian."
Ken and Jenny Jones and Todd and Karen Wanek teamed up to chair the 60th anniversary gala Saturday, enlisting Sen. Aaron Bean to auction 10 exceptional experiences, getting such bids as 30,000 for a Bahamas weekend via private jet for five couples and 35,000 for a Toyoto Camry Hybrid donated by Morgan Auto Group; his dad Ron Wanek bid 2.5 million, including an anonymous 50,000 challenge matches from Lauren and Tom Pepin and Penny and Jeff Vinik who all sent their support in absentia.
Sunday in the Arts
Las Damas de Arte, an invitational club of artists and collectors, hung its 33rd Sunday in the Arts exhibition, opening with a preview fundraising party April 8 to continue funding grants and scholarships. Scarfone/Hartley Gallery director Jocelyn Boigenzahn hosted the group's strong showing of 150 artworks in all media except video. Each artist may show up to three pieces - from jewelry to photorealism to abstracts - and must donate a portion of their sales, said president Carol Gaynor as guests mingled over hors d'oeuvres from Doormet and music by KPVibes.
Fashionollia
A nautical Anchor's Aweigh theme at the 69th Fashionollia luncheon saluted the 200th anniversary of the U.S. Navy and treated the Tampa Woman's Club to a top deck Dillard's cruise wear promenade with special guest models including Ria and Sam Diasti and Nikki and Lance Ferrell. WFLA-ch. 8 anchor Gayle Guyardo described each outfit, dedicating the annual fundraiser to her late mother, Joann Guagliardo, who ran the fashion show for many years.
Dolores McIntosh emceed for chairwoman Sylvia Reeves; president Christine Bonaventura welcomed the overflow crowd of 260 women at the Tampa Yacht Club on April 14. The club has donated more than $700,000 to various local and international charities through the years.
Tampa Bay Choice Affair
"When you wrestle with your conscious and lose, you actually win," said Dr. Willie Parker, chairman of Physicians for Reproductive Health and Tampa Bay Choice Affair luncheon guest speaker. Parker cited civil rights icon Martin Luther King as his inspiration for reconciling his faith and southern upbringing with his reproductive justice advocacy, emphasizing "truth and facts matter" and "compassion is the most important value."
"Never take health care rights for granted," cautioned U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, joining 400 highly motivated women, a few dozen men and Planned Parenthood of Southwest-&-Central Florida CEO Stephanie Kight at the sold-out April 10 fundraiser at the Bryan Glazer Family JCC.
---------------