rsvp magazine january 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
Breath of Life Gala
Sip Around the World
Orpheum Auction Gala
Les Passees Cabaret Ball
Q&A with Katie Kitchin
Breath of Life Gala
Sip Around the World
Orpheum Auction Gala
Les Passees Cabaret Ball
Q&A with Katie Kitchin
J a nu a r y 2 0 1 2
RSVP
4
JANUARY
2012
CONT
ENTS
12ORPHEUM AUCTION GALA
Michael Harless and Micky Clippard
22 STREETSEENAlex Eilers
20STREETSEENAndrea Lacher
30 SIP AROUND THE WORLD
Don Chenault and Denise Wolf
38BREATH OF LIFE GALA
Tony and Jennifer Strafaci
34LES PASSEES CABARET BALL
Lori and Jay Wehr
Cover PhotoTim and Rene Booth
atLes Passees Cabaret Ball
Photo by Don Perry
ContentsJanuary 2012
From the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Signature Memphis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10Dr. John Smarrelli Jr. invites RSVP over to the Christian Brothers University cam-pus for a personal tour.
Orpheum Auction Gala . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12Bidders delighted in the plethora of unique auction items at the Orpheum Theatre’sfestive charity party.
StreetSeens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18, 20 & 22This retired professor is staying busy with the Memphis Astronomical Society. She’shelping instill values in kids through a puppetry class. The Pink Palace Museum’smanager of education has her passport ready for Antarctica. StreetSeens highlightBill Busler, Andrea Lacher and Alex Eilers.
Vox Popular . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25Q&A with the executive director of the Community Alliance for the Homeless, KatieKitchin.
Sip Around the World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30Vino flowed aplenty at the Memphis Botanic Garden for the National KidneyFoundation’s biggest annual benefit.
Les Passees Cabaret Ball . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34Les Passees celebrated its 100th year with an “Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now” theme atHilton Memphis.
Breath of Life Gala . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38The Tower Center was abuzz with supporters of the West Tennessee Chapter of theCystic Fibrosis Foundation.
Onsites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42, 44, 45 & 46Gatherings that have earned an honorable mention.
RSVPhillippi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49The Year in MehHumor columnist Dennis Phillippi takes a look back at 2011.
RSVP
6
JANUARY
2012
Volume XVII Number IV
January 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 DevinJeannie MandelkerDennis 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 SBaxter BuckDon 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 by
Haithcock 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 Avenue
Memphis, TN 38104
For advertising information contactRoy Haithcock
Phone (901) 276-7787, ext. 101Fax (901) 276-7785
e-mail [email protected]
W E B
www.rsvpmagazine.com
For editorial information or to request
coverage of an event, please
contact 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.
RSVP
8
JANUARY
2012
Since this column is beingwritten before Christmas,my mind keeps wander-
ing to the preparations Imust do, like packing mysuitcase and wrapping pres-ents, before heading out oftown on my three and ahalf-hour drive home.Somehow, I’ll find the timeto squeeze in laundry hereand there, an oil change, avisit to my dog groomer,last-minute online shopping(for great deals!), baking myrequested flourless chocolatecake with dark chocolateglaze and so on, but what Ialways forget to include areentertainment options forthe drive, which might be as boring as watching paint dry.
This lack of enthusiasm makes me wonder if I shouldapproach the drive as a road trip because those are alwaysanticipated adventures. Can’t you recall a time when you wereheading to an exciting destination, such as the beach, a skiresort or maybe New Orleans, and how you approached load-ing up the car for those destinations with joy? You might haveeven made a list beforehand and gone to the lengths of includ-ing snacks, games and movies, as well as making a guide forcool rest stops along the way…anything to divert sitting in astuffy car for hours on end. The point is that you came pre-pared because you just couldn’t wait to get wherever you weregoing!
What really constitutes a road trip anyway? Do youhave to be driving a distance greater than 300 miles or bespending the night in a roadside hotel? The answer probablyvaries depending on whom you ask, but most would probablysay that as long as you’re excited about where it leads, thenyou’re on a road trip.
Though she’s flying by plane, Alex Eilers, featured in aStreetSeen on page 22, will be taking the longest trip I knowof in January as she heads to Antarctica to study Weddellseals. Having never been before, Eilers, who is the manager ofeducation at the Pink Palace Museum, has gone through train-ing for her mission organized through PolarTREC and canhardly wait to share her experience with Memphians throughher blog [see article for more info]. Antarctica definitely quali-fies as an adventure in my book, so bring along this issue orvisit her blog during your own road trip and soak in her amaz-ing story.
This issue also comes filled with plenty of inspirationto plan your next getaway. For me, Sip Around the World(page 30) makes me want to visit Napa, and the OrpheumAuction Gala (page 12) always increases my longing to see aBroadway show in New York. Wherever 2012 leads you, mayyou have a blessed journey.
Leah [email protected]
From the Editor
RSVP
10
JANUARY
2012
Dr. John Smarrelli Jr.President, Christian Brothers University/Board Member, Catholic Charities of West Tennessee and the Salvation Army/Member, Shelby County Schools Merger Transition Commission
Favorite author: Malcolm Gladwell.
Stress outlet: Playing competitive tennis.
Guilty pleasure: Blueberry muffin in the morning.
Last book you’ve read: Unbroken by Lauren
Hillenbrand.
Historical figure you most identify with:Abraham Lincoln.
First concert: 98 Degrees with my then teenage
daughter.
Childhood ambition: To play centerfield in YankeeStadium.
One thing you can’t live without: Time spent
with my family.
Movies you could watch over and over again:Shawshank Redemption and Rudy.
Ideal vacation spot: With my wife, Eloise, to any
place in close proximity to ocean water, breezes and smells.
First job: Working in my family’s corner grocery store in
the old days when supermarkets were rare.
Biggest obstacle you’ve overcome: Achieving adegree in higher education as a first generation child of
Italian immigrants.
Where you take out-of-town guests: To athleticevents either at FedExForum or AutoZone Park.
One thing most people don’t know about you:I used to be a lab scientist as a professor cloning genes.
Your mantra: “When you come to a fork in the road,
take it.”—Yogi Berra
Favorite author: Malcolm Gladwell.
Stress outlet: Playing competitive tennis.
Guilty pleasure: Blueberry muffin in the morning.
Last book you’ve read: Unbroken by Lauren
Hillenbrand.
Historical figure you most identify with:Abraham Lincoln.
First concert: 98 Degrees with my then teenage
daughter.
Childhood ambition: To play centerfield in YankeeStadium.
One thing you can’t live without: Time spent
with my family.
Movies you could watch over and over again:Shawshank Redemption and Rudy.
Ideal vacation spot: With my wife, Eloise, to any
place in close proximity to ocean water, breezes and smells.
First job: Working in my family’s corner grocery store in
the old days when supermarkets were rare.
Biggest obstacle you’ve overcome: Achieving adegree in higher education as a first generation child of
Italian immigrants.
Where you take out-of-town guests: To athleticevents either at FedExForum or AutoZone Park.
One thing most people don’t know about you:I used to be a lab scientist as a professor cloning genes.
Your mantra: “When you come to a fork in the road,
take it.”—Yogi Berra
SIGN
ATUR
E ME
MPHI
S
Photo by Steve Rob
erts
RSVP
12
JANUARY
2012
Orpheum Auction GalaSold to the Highest BidderE
V E N
T
Samantha Gibson and Lynley Greer Jennifer and Timothy Curran
Joey and Kelly House Bill Garner and Megan Hill
Susan and Michael Wiegert Howard Manis and Kim Broughton
ORPH
EUM
AUCT
ION
GALA
Stephen Routh, Meredith Wentworth and Liza LivingstonCarolyn Fly and Kanette Rodgers Janine and Joe Lammel
See all the party photos atrsvpmagazine.com Password: RSVP
The lights were blazing hot. The music flowed. The curtain wasraised. But, for once, the Orpheum Theatre wasn’t opening aBroadway musical or a touring act. Instead, the 33rd annual
Orpheum Auction took the stage…and the backstage, and the lobby,and all points in between!
One of the Orpheum’s largest fund-raising events of the year,the auction, held in mid-November, features hundreds upon hundredsof donated items in both live and silent auctions as guests—also num-bering in the hundreds—strolled through public and not so publicareas of the grand, historic theater. The red plush carpeted and gild-ed-edged lobby, for example, was swimming with antique furniture,fine wines and spirits, jewelry, furs and other luxury items. Tables inthe concession area were laden with gift certificates for health andbeauty treatments, personal training and restaurant packages. Guestscould also stroll up on the stage itself where two cars, the redesigned2012 Volkswagen Beetle and a powder blue 1975 Ford Mustang, werewaiting to hit the road with new drivers. The Ford was to be the prizeof a raffle drawing.
A partitioned area of the up-stage featured many paintings,photographs and sculptures which reflected life in the Bluff City andwere mostly contributed by renowned local artists. A few steps fartherback was yet another avenue of great gifts up for grabs, along with abuffet of catfish beignets, smoked Gouda and bruschetta with tomatorelish. Memphis Dawgs, the downtown hot dog cart, also seemed apopular food choice, as did Lenny’s Subs, on hand with a choice ofhot sandwiches.
Guests arrived wearing everything from crisp cocktail attire toblue jeans and sport jackets, though everyone was prepared to walk. Ittook about an hour to make one full circuit of the entire silent auc-tion until the time finally came to be seated for the live auction,which held all of the drama that audiences have come to expect whensitting in this magnificent theater.
Story by Jonathan DevinPhotos by Baxter Buck
RSVP
14
JANUARY
2012
E V E N
TOR
PHEU
M AU
CTIO
N GA
LA
Jenny and Dr. Gary Earhart
Chuck and Mercedes Treadway
Vicki Howell and Maureen Edwards
Jennifer and Russell Church
Barbara Standing and Kenneth Hudson
Lisa Clark with Larry and Joy Rice Courtney Smith, Lauren Hill and Jenny Ezzell
David and Jan Gould with Tammy and Jim Umlauf Brooke Thompson, Natalie Jones and Holli Kenney
RSVP
16
JANUARY
2012
E V E N
TOR
PHEU
M AU
CTIO
N GA
LA
Stephanie and Ben Jordan
Joi, Payden and Collyn Taylor
Al and Terry Kenney
Janice Champlin and Kathy Loeb
Peggy Hall, Mike Brunson, Les Shockey and Amy Howard
Vicki and George Dunlap
Linda and Andy Kelly
Frances and Mike Smith with Beverly Luttrell
Ken and Karen Isaacman
Jessica and David Anderson Paulette Luker and Michelle Heck
Trayc Sinzheimer and Jeff Spears Ed Galfsky and Jen Byars
RSVP
18
JANUARY
2012
Bill BuslerStarry-Eyed
Bill Busler retired last July from Christian BrothersUniversity after 34 years as a chemistry professor,however he has invested most of his life to another
science, one he won’t stop sharing with interested par-ties any time soon. Astronomy has held Busler’s atten-tion since age 12, and so much so that he recalls theexact date—March 31, 1957—when he became acquaintedwith a group responsible for opening his eyes to celes-tial bodies. That club was the Memphis AstronomicalSociety, and to this day, Busler remains its longest-run-ning member.
He proudly mentions a recent recognition by theMAS, saying, “I got a plaque that says I’m an ambassa-dor for astronomy for my more than five decades of out-standing service.”
Ironically, when Busler accepted his friend’s ini-tial request to attend one of the society’s meetings, hewas a year shy of being old enough to become a mem-ber. The age requirement didn’t stop him though fromattending more meetings, then held at the Pink PalaceMuseum, and meanwhile, Busler and his friend alsostarted learning to use a cardboard telescope boughtfrom Boys’ Life Magazine to spot Jupiter, Orion, the BigDipper and Leo, all recorded in a log book he still has.By his 13th birthday in December of 1957, Busler hadbeen voted in the MAS and began actively participatingin club projects, the first of which entailed getting thePink Palace its original planetarium, now part of anexhibit; coincidentally, Busler would serve as the PinkPalace’s planetarium director from 1972-1980.
With an increasing knowledge of astronomy,Busler found himself recording notes about how tolocate objects in the solar system, and in 1967, he hadcompiled enough info from observations made from sev-enth grade through his post-college years to write a bookfor amateur astronomers. The MAS published that bookand made enough money from sales to fund an observa-tory in Collierville that club members used for manyyears. Busler has since written two more books and isworking on a fourth called An Amateur’s Guide to theCaldwell Objects, which he trekked to Australia for in2006 so that he could find the last objects he needed towrite directions for in the Southern Hemisphere.
“I went to Melbourne, Sydney and Wollongongand gave talks to their astronomical societies inexchange for use of their equipment,” he tells.
Busler and other MAS members, whom there are45 of currently, also regularly hold observation sessionsand give talks on astronomy in Memphis to schoolgroups and at MAS meetings, with the next one onJanuary 6 at 8 p.m. at CBU’s Science Auditorium. Opento the public, this meeting will focus on showing peoplehow to use telescopes, which Busler says are popularChristmas presents.
“You don’t have to be scientifically trained topick up astronomy,” Busler adds, “and it is also a sci-ence where nonprofessionals can make contributions.”
Story by Leah FitzpatrickPhoto by Steve Roberts
STRE
ETSE
EN
RSVP
20
JANUARY
2012
Andrea LacherPuppetry with Purpose
The Muppets might be all the rage on thesilver screen, but for Hutchison School’sthird and fourth graders, a whole new gen-
eration of puppets has taken center stage.Enter the Endeavors Chapel Leadership andPuppetry class, a free after-school offeringthat puts a diverse mix of puppets on thehands of 12 young women to promote litera-cy, theatrics and character building. A hitwith participants from the get-go, the class isnow halfway through its second year and hasbeen instrumental in facilitating studentbonds that had been lacking, according to co-collaborators Andrea Lacher, counselor forthe Lower School, and Noel Brewster, LowerSchool Head.
“At that age [third and fourth grade],students begin narrowing their friendshipbase, so it has been nice to give them an out-let to create connections,” explains Lacher.“We were missing that piece because we don’thave newspaper or sport teams that the stu-
dents have when they’re older.”Adds Brewster, “We noticed girls’
interests after school determined who they satwith at school, so we wanted to build an on-campus program.”
Once a week, Lacher, with assistancefrom third grade teacher Alicia Quattlebaum,meets the class in the Lower School chapel topractice skits centered on a Hutchison girlcharacter trait of the month. Traits followeach letter in the school’s name, and forJanuary, the trait is “courteous.” Studentswill do a table-read and have roughly threeweeks to master a script and work on intona-tion, holding the puppets while they’re read-ing scripts and quickly transitioning out char-acters between acts. Roles include those han-dling and reading for the puppet charactersto script holders and a narrator, and studentscan tweak the scripts a bit if they feel anotherline would be better suited for a character.
“We shoot for eight to 10 skits a year,
and we have two groups that perform—one forthe first and second graders and another forthe third and fourth graders—during chapel,”Lacher says.
By the end of the semester, studentswill write and perform their own skit, whichwill center on being noble—a component of allthe Hutchison character traits touched onthroughout the year. Make no mistakethough; the class is just as much about hav-ing fun as it is about learning positive charac-ter traits.
Lacher relays, “Kids love to role play,and if they can make new friends doing it andin turn take away life lessons, that’s great.Also, our audience in chapel is so into it thatyou could hear a pin drop.”
Watch out Kermit, Miss Piggy andRowlf, you might have some competition!
Story by Leah FitzpatrickPhoto by Steve Roberts
STRE
ETSE
EN
RSVP
22
JANUARY
2012
Alex EilersAntarctic Adventurer
Admittedly hooked on the museum world, Alex Eilerscherishes being an informal educator as the PinkPalace Museum’s manager of education, but that
hasn’t stopped her from preparing to soon step foot innew territory, that of Antarctica. In fact, Eilers begantraining for her expedition to study Weddell seals inAntarctica more than a year ago, when PolarTREC (aprofessional program that gives teachers an opportunityto do hands-on field research in polar regions), selectedher for the mission amongst 250 candidates. Sheembarks on her journey January 6, with an expectedarrival date on the southernmost continent four or fivedays later.
Eilers lights up, “A science continent is allAntarctica is, and lots of research is going on therewhich is fascinating.”
For this experience, Eilers shed her comfortablerole of educator and became a student, as she knewnothing about Weddell seals when she was selected. Tofind out more about the species and her purpose in thismission, she headed to PolarTREC headquarters inFairbanks, Alaska last February and received training onthings like satellite phone use, what extreme weathergear to bring and how to maintain a trip blog on thePolarTrec site, which anyone can follow by going topolartrec.com and clicking on upcoming expeditionsbefore she leaves and on current expeditions once inAntarctica. The goal of the project is to get rubber IDtags in between seals’ flippers and glue 20 satellite tagsto their heads to keep track of yearly data, in addition totaking claw, whisker and fur samples to know the seals’diet. The satellite tags will only remain on the sealsthrough October, when another team comes to removethem, and will measure the salinity and temperature ofthe water and how far the seals live below the ocean sur-face since they have been known to dive more than2,000 feet.
“Seals haul out on the ice, so we will go to thosespots to try and get the tags on, and because they don’thave any land-based predators, they have no reason to benervous,” she says.
Along with three principal investigators (Dr.Jennifer Burns of the University of Alaska Anchorage,Dr. Daniel Costa of the University of California SantaCruz and Dr. Eileen Hofmann of Old Dominion Univer-sity), a videographer and two or three graduate studentswill accompany Eilers. She will stay in a dorm atMcMurdo Station, which is about 850 miles away fromthe South Pole, and maintain daily journals until sheleaves on February 20. While there, Eilers also promisesto mail all the pre-stamped postcards turned in to thePink Palace drop box before January 5 from the U.S.post office in Antarctica for those wanting a mementowith the McMurdo Station postmark, and of course,she’ll share her research in an upcoming Pink Palaceexhibit.
“I hope to raise awareness of what is going ondown there with the sciences, and if I could inspire astudent to go into a related field, that would be epic!”she beams.
Story by Leah FitzpatrickPhoto by Steve Roberts
STRE
ETSE
EN
RSVP
24
JANUARY
2012
Phentermine, Adipex, Ambien,and Other PrescriptionMedications Available
Cordova MedicalClinic
(1 block east of Corky's)
Fastest Weight LossClinic In Town!
Lose Weight
Now OfferingLipotropic Shot $25Helps with weightloss!
Walk-Ins WelcomeNo Appointment NecessaryMonday-Saturdaywww.cordovamedical.com
30-day supply of phentermineavailable in clinic for only $25
RSVP
25
JANUARY
2012
Vox PopularQ&A with Katie Kitchin VO
X PO
PULA
R
RSVP: In what capacity did you being working with the homelesswhen you moved to Memphis a few years ago?
Kitchin: I started out as a consultant. I was looking specifically atfamily homelessness when I first got here, and then, because I haddone a 10-year plan to end homelessness before, the City ofMemphis approached me to work on that project.
RSVP: How does the Memphis homeless population compare withothers you’ve worked with?
Kitchin: If you look at the rate of homelessness as compared toother cities our size, we have a low rate. The bad news is that peo-ple tend to get stuck when they become homeless, so the length oftime people spend being homeless in Memphis is longer than inother cities.
RSVP: Is there any direct cause for peoplebeing homeless longer in Memphis thanin other cities?
Kitchin: A big piece of why people arehomeless longer in Memphis is becausewe have a very heavy investment in transi-tional housing, which tends to lengthenthe stay that people spend homeless, andnot enough investment in permanenthousing. Part of what we’re trying to dowith the 10-year Action Plan to EndHomelessness is to piece together a struc-ture so that instead of a safety net wherepeople fall in and get stuck, we become atrampoline where people bounce off. Basically, it entails things likedealing with the street homeless, who very few people are dedicatedto engaging with, and connecting them back into housing. You real-ly have to have a coordinated and concerted effort to do that, but asa result of not having this kind of an effort until recently, we havepeople who have been out on the streets 10 years and even 19 years.I just met a gentleman, who we just got into housing two weeksago, that had been on the streets for 19 years. It’s just hard onceyou’ve been out there for so long to find your way back.
RSVP: What kind of progress is being made in regard to the 10-yearAction Plan to End Homelessness?
Kitchin: Most of our goals are five years, so we don’t even have towait 10 years to see a lot completed. We have 18 strategies, andwe’re already making progress on 15. It’s not easy, and I’m not
going to claim that everything is fig-ured out and that we have funding todo it all. But, at least we know so muchmore than we ever did before abouthow to be successful. Barring massive economic upheaval, I thinkwe’re building the right ladder. The implementation of this planstarted with my hiring and with the city appropriating funding.
RSVP: What do you think the general public’s biggest misconcep-tion is about the homeless?
Kitchin: I think that if you just look at the numbers, most peoplethink of the homeless as people who are pushing shopping carts,mentally ill or addicts, and while there are certainly many homelesspeople who are in that category, that’s about 10-15 percent of the
population. The vast majority—the 80-pluspercent—are people who are homeless forless than 30 days; these people usuallylost their job or are in a series of brokenrelationships, and they wind up spendinga few nights in a shelter and then moveon. I think what came back overwhelm-ingly as we interviewed homeless peoplein putting the plan together was theywant jobs. Work is the most importantthing for their own sense of self-worth. Ithink the second biggest myth is that peo-ple choose to be homeless, that it’s alifestyle. After all these years, I’ve nevermet a person who’s made a consciouschoice to live like that. The general publicmight be surprised to also know that 25
percent of our homeless population is made up of children.
RSVP: What are the responsibilities of the Community Alliance forthe Homeless?
Kitchin: We’re really a convener that tries to maximize the resourcesin Memphis and Shelby County to fight homelessness. We makesure our programs and agencies have the best information and toolson how to be successful. We basically work on behalf of the city andcounty to make sure we have a strong response to homelessness andput the different players together from homeless people themselvesto the agencies and government and faith-based organizations.There are 170-plus agencies in our network, and that can be every-one from a community soup kitchen to Memphis Union Mission.
RSVP: What details can you share about the upcoming homelesscount?
With winter upon us, the executive director for the Community Alliance for the Homeless, Katie Kitchin,can’t help but think about the 200 unsheltered citizens who will be exposed to the elements on the coldestnights of the year. Recognizing that there could be unknown people without shelter, Kitchin hopes to as
accurately as possible nail down the number of both the county’s unsheltered and sheltered homeless populationduring the annual homeless count scheduled later this month. These numbers help the alliance properly assessthose in need so that it can coordinate efforts with its vast network of public and private agencies to end home-lessness in Memphis and Shelby County. RSVP editor Leah Fitzpatrick met with Kitchin at the alliance’s down-town office to learn the finer points of the homeless count and to hear how the Mayors’ Action Plan to EndHomelessness is coming along. Kitchin stresses, “I just want to remind people what a unique time this is forour country and that so many people are closer now to homelessness than ever have been before.”
Photos by Do
n Pe
rry
RSVP
28
JANUARY
2012
VOX
POPU
LAR
Kitchin: It will be January 18, and we actuallyphysically count from about 5 a.m.-7 p.m.throughout the entire county. This is unfortunate-ly our best opportunity to know how many peopleare homeless in Memphis. Homelessness by itsvary nature is so transient with the hundreds ofpeople that are unsheltered or in abandonedbuildings. You can’t keep an ongoing count ofhow many people go in and out of those types ofsituations, so our best effort is to gather a hun-dred volunteers and to canvas the entire commu-nity and make sure that we represent the need asbest we can. That includes all the people stayingin shelters, as well as the hundreds who areunsheltered. It takes a massive coordinated effort,and we do look for community volunteers, whowe train. Volunteers get assignments that are geo-graphically based and a time slot that they cover.People who are already engaged in working withhomeless people, for example, people who dosoup kitchens through their church, are great vol-unteers for us because they already know where tofind people, but that’s certainly not a prerequi-site.
RSVP: How receptive are the homeless to volun-teers during the count?
Kitchin: I think it’s a challenge because with thestreet population and the shelter population,there’s a lack of trust, so we have to overcomethat. I don’t know if that gets better year afteryear, but I guess they’re more used to us coming.There are some people who are frustrated that wecount them year after year and they’re still home-less. For some of them though, that winds upbeing the first step in their path to housingbecause we know of housing resources.
RSVP: What are some of the things you hope tolearn from this year’s count?
Kitchin: We’ve had a lot more housing unitsbecome available this year, so I want to see theunsheltered numbers go down. There are basically2,000 people homeless on any given day, and 200of them are unsheltered, so that’s about 10 per-cent. In many cities, the unsheltered populationis about 20-30 percent, so that 10 percent speaksto the strength of our partnerships and numberof nonprofits that commit to do this work.
RSVP: Is the local homeless population increas-ing or decreasing?
Kitchin: It increased significantly last year [2010].That’s not obviously a Memphis problem. That’sa national problem. When you have double digitunemployment, you can expect homelessness toincrease. I think the really interesting thing thathappened was family homelessness only increasedby 2 percent because we really reshaped how werespond to family homelessness, and single home-lessness went up more than 20 percent.
RSVP: What was the purpose of the ProjectHomeless Connect initiative that was launched
last September?
Kitchin: Basically, it’s a one-day event where webreak down all the barriers to having housing. Ifsomeone is homeless because they don’t have anID, Social Security income or don’t know how toapply for housing, we put all those pieces togeth-er so they can start the process to get back intohousing. We had more than 1,000 people who arehomeless participate. We sent buses to soupkitchens and places homeless people congregateto transport them to the Memphis Fairgrounds.At the event, there was that great partnershipwith the 70-plus agencies all working together totry and change people’s lives, but the most amaz-ing thing was that one-on-one with the volun-teers—every homeless person who walked throughthe doors was paired with a community volunteerfor the day. A homeless person really appreciatessomeone hearing his or her story and recognizingthat homelessness is as unique as the individualsare who become homeless.
RSVP: What were some of the successes thatcame out of this initiative?
Kitchin: I think the ID issuance was a big suc-cess. The guy I told you about who was homelessfor 19 years said he was so proud of his ID cardwhen I found him again recently. When you havenothing, just a simple ID card can be so mean-ingful, and there were just a million little storieslike that where people’s lives were touched. Thedental work that was going on was very valuableto people who needed it, and the UT College ofDentistry and the Bellevue Baptist dental vanwere just heroes. They just rolled up their sleevesand served as many people as they could, not tomention the barbers. Even though housing wasthe most important focus, the little things likethe Mary Kay lady who was giving beauty treat-ments to homeless women showed people werespected them. FedEx was also incredible andsent over 300 employees to the event to partici-pate. The volunteer participation says more aboutthis community than anything else because wedid this brand-new thing that no one had heard ofand hardly anyone had heard of me, but 1,100volunteers from individuals to large corporationsjumped in with both feet.
RSVP: Are there plans to do another ProjectHomeless Connect event?
Kitchin: We’re going to now do it twice a year,with the next one in July. We’re not sure aboutthe location because we’re reassessing where weshould be. It’s a big challenge to fit that manypeople and those types of services into one place.There are only a handful of places to do it, butwe have to be cognizant of costs and accessibility.
RSVP: What are some of your most immediategoals for 2012?
Kitchin: A real immediate goal is centered aroundcreating pathways from the street to permanent
RSVP
29
JANUARY
2012
VOX
POPU
LAR
housing for those people whohave been out there five, 10and 19 years. A second priorityrelates to policy. There wasstimulus funding that wasavailable for a short time, andthat’s how we reshaped thefront door to the family home-
less system, so we’re workingaggressively to try to continuethat when the stimulus fundsexpire in May. We’ve been run-ning a 24-hour hotline that’sresponded to 40,000 calls forhelp. We know the communityneeds these resources, so wejust have to find a way to makeit happen. I have confidencebecause when the right thing ispresented, this is a communitywho responds.
RSVP: If you could share oneof your most inspiring storiesabout working with the home-less, what would it be?
Kitchin: I still get a Christmascard from a guy who is aVietnam veteran and who hadbeen homeless close to adecade. He was one of thosestreet alcoholics that everybodygave up on, and no one wantedto take a risk and put him intohousing. When he became amember of the community, hestarted the most amazingreconnection with his familyand just showed a huge level ofpersonal compassion for otherpeople. He became a leader inhis neighborhood by helpingkids victimized by gangs. Notonly was he ready to behoused, but he is such a com-munity asset now, when beforehe was someone I got regularcomplaints about in city hall.
RSVP
30
JANUARY
2012
SIP
AROU
ND T
HE W
ORLD
E V E N
T Sip Around the World Wine Tasting for the National Kidney Foundation
Nikki Aaron, Cynthia McMullin and Cecilia Conine
Angela Moon and Jan Taylor
Nusret Horozovic and Natalie Dellinger
Ricky and Patricia Ford
Audrey and Mark Page
Bahar and Mehdi Abesi
Pearl and Dave Pollow
Laura and Nicholas Scott
Jessica Tartera and Will Muller
Though vintners throughout the globe lovingly perfected the winesavailable for tasting at Sip Around the World, the majority ofevent attendees hailed from right here in the Bluff City. Eager for
the National Kidney Foundation of West Tennessee’s 17th install-ment of Sip, 1,200 wine enthusiasts gathered early outside theMemphis Botanic Garden despite the chilly temps and long line.
Once IDs had been checked and complimentary glasses werein hand, guests knew the wait had been worth it thanks to the 100wineries that occupied stations throughout the venue. Even moreastounding than the number of wineries were the number of avail-able wines, which came to more than 300 from Argentina, Austria,California, Chile, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, New Zealand,Oregon, South Africa and Spain, to name a few wine regions repre-sented. Just as intriguing as the tastes were the stories behind thegrapes, with one very intriguing process heard at Table 11 in refer-ence to the Italian-made Bolla Amarone ’07, priced at $44.99 a bot-tle.
“The grapes are dried for four to seven days on straw mats,so the wine is expensive because of the process, but cheap for a vari-etal,” the pourer told.
The festivities also included special features like a VIP tent,where Chef John Bragg of Circa restaurant paired cuisine with aselection of luxury wines in the Champagne lounge, and the newlyadded “Wine and Food Pairings” tent, which had three wine stationsflanked by tables with creative appetizers from Just Catering. Notonly was this tent a hit with foodies and wine lovers alike, but itboasted a volunteer who happily shared his true reason for beingthere.
“I wanted to volunteer for the Kidney Foundation because Ihad a friend who had a kidney transplant—that’s what woke me upand made me want to volunteer,” said Stanley Reives.
The NKFWT’s mission to prevent kidney and urinary tractdisease, as well as to increase the availability of all organs for trans-plantation, again came to the forefront when patrons were encour-aged to bid on silent and live auction items. Playing to the theme,items from a Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse dinner for two with wine(a $300 value) to a wine tasting extravaganza for 12 in your homedonated by Kirby Wines & Liquors (an $800 value) were offered tothose wanting to broaden their palates even further. So, once again,no one could say he or she wasn’t given the opportunity to “siparound the world” or in the comfort of home thanks to the manydonors, including presenting sponsor Athens Distributing Company,who continue to make this event one of the largest wine tastings inthe state.
Story by Leah FitzpatrickPhotos by Don Perry
See all the party photos at rsvpmagazine.comPassword: RSVP
RSVP
31
JANUARY
2012
E V E N
TSI
P AR
OUND
THE
WOR
LD
Suzy Bell, Lee Anne Kasper, Tonya Wells and Elizabeth Henderson
Lee and Amy Filderman with Mike and Marsha Underberg
Nick and Kimberly Sowell with Lesley and Wes Poole
Paula Ivory, Yarnelle Waller, Palacia Knox and Laschelle Jones
RSVP
32
JANUARY
2012
SIP
AROU
ND T
HE W
ORLD
E V E N
T
Martha Rotzoll and Whitt Mitchell
Amanda and Bill Bannister
Petya Kirilova-Grady and Kyle Grady
Kate Pera and Jackie CooneyAndrea and David Harano
Johnny Starks and Brenda Sansone
Amy Miller and Kelly Blakely
Cissy and Steve Roberts
Denice Perkins and Michael Detroit
Sylvia Pegues and Kimberly Pegues
Deanna Voss and Melanie Tuncay
RSVP
33
JANUARY
2012
E V E N
TSI
P AR
OUND
THE
WOR
LD
Amy and Henry Linderman with Glennys Bryant
Suzanne and James WaideNancy Imre and Al Owings
Holly Greene and Foster TannerMelissa Sandlin and Jennifer Cobb
Brent Bousson and Dana PhiferTivisay Briceno and Matt Monaco
�e Curtain Exchange of Memphis418 Perkins Ext(Laurelwood Place)901-767-4055
Like us @ �e Curtain Exchange of Memphis for free design tips
In Stock, handmade in the USACustom drapery in just 3 weeksCurtain hardware & accesoriesDesigner bedding made easyBlinds/Shades/ShuttersDesign consultation
In Stock, handmade in the USA
In Stock, handmade in the USA
In Stock, handmade in the USA
Design consultationBlinds/Shades/ShuttersDesigner bedding made easyCurtain hardware & accesoriesCustom drapery in just 3 weeksIn Stock, handmade in the USA
Design consultationBlinds/Shades/ShuttersDesigner bedding made easyCurtain hardware & accesoriesCustom drapery in just 3 weeksIn Stock, handmade in the USA
Designer bedding made easyCurtain hardware & accesoriesCustom drapery in just 3 weeksIn Stock, handmade in the USA
Like us @ �e Curtain Exchange of Memphis
901-767-4055(Laurelwood Place)418 Perkins Ext�e Curtain
f f d
for free design tipsLike us @ �e Curtain Exchange of Memphis
901-767-4055(Laurelwood Place)418 Perkins Ext
MemphisofExchange
Like us @ �e Curtain Exchange of Memphis
for free d
for free design tips
RSVP
34
JANUARY
2012
Les Passees Cabaret Ball“Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now”E
V E N
T
Karyn Whittington and Dena King Cindy and David Gambrell
Sarah Buechner and Frances Gatlin Bobby and Janette Krauch
Jim and Jessica Robinson Lisa Geater and John Roebuck
LES PA
SSEE
S CA
BARE
T BA
LL
Sadie Krauch, Taylor Gatlin and Mallory CashColquett and Sara Van Dyke Andrea and Jimmy Cash
See all the party photos atrsvpmagazine.com Password: RSVP
With the exhausting work of the annual Les Passees StockExchange consignment store behind them, members and guestsof the group were ready to party at the Hilton Memphis. The
2011 Les Passees Cabaret Ball, themed “Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now,”celebrated the work of the 100-year-old organization, which tirelesslyworks with children’s charities throughout the Mid-South.
“It’s always been a group that supports children’s advocacygroups,” says president Jessica Robinson.
This year, Les Passees raised more than $150,000 for its cur-rent projects: the Harwood Center’s pre-school and the Les PasseesKids on the Block Puppet Troupe. The “peer puppets” are taken intoschools around the city, and each program is tailored for an age-appropriate audience. The puppets talk to one another about issuesschool children grapple with, such as bullying, and demonstrate waysto resolve problems in a healthy productive way. Last year, the troupepresented programs to more than 25,000 local students.
With these causes in mind, event guests offered bids on silentauction items that included a variety of jewels provided by JamesMiddleton Jewelers, lavish gift baskets and gift certificates for dinnerat eateries like Rain. King Fur representatives were on hand and dis-played jewelry from a recent trunk show featuring I. REISS collection.After strolling through the silent auction offerings, partygoers wereseated at tables draped with black linen and black chair covers accent-ed with hot pink satin bows. The décor reflected a ‘70s theme, whichwas evident in large vase centerpieces filled with hot pink Gerberadaisies and topped with silver disco balls.
Once guests sat for dinner, the “Living Ads” were presented.The tradition started in the 1920s, when young debutantes dressed incostumes to represent their sponsor organizations. For example, backthen, Sadie Alexandria Krauch, sponsored by American Snuff Co.,would likely have been wearing an outfit resembling a snuff caninstead of the elegant white evening gown she wore this night to theblack-tie event, explained her grandmother, Janette Krauch. The twoother living ads presented were Taylor Ashby Gatlin and MalloryNicole Cash, also dressed in flowing white gowns.
Next came a dinner of mixed greens, filet mignon, salmonsteaks, potatoes and asparagus, as well as a dessert of lemon custardcake. Then, the band Doctor Zarr’s Amazing Funk Monster took thestage and entertained the group with disco music befitting thetheme…can’t you hear “Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now?”
Story by Suzanne ThompsonPhotos by Don Perry
RSVP
35
JANUARY
2012
LES PA
SSEE
S CA
BARE
T BA
LLE V E N
T
Amanda and Josh Dill
Jeff, Mary and Sexton Mitchell
Michael and Tammi Harper
Don and Michele Glosson
Marley Bennett, Parker Hubbard and Payton Anton
John and Wanda Barzizza
RSVP
36
JANUARY
2012
E V E N
TLE
S PA
SSEE
S CA
BARE
T BA
LL
Amy and Donnie Thweatt
Kacie and Stephen Cooper Lexie and Taylor Gatlin Eric and Teresa Theiner
Starr and Jennifer Cheshier Lisa Parish and Michael Gates Julie and Kevin Stonebarger
Mary Cathryn White and Evan Rogers
Joni and Michael Lightman
Amy and Jonathan Capoccia
Ashley and Bryan Krauch
RSVP
37
JANUARY
2012
E V E N
TLE
S PA
SSEE
S CA
BARE
T BA
LL
Libsey and Scot James
Patricia Cook, Sally Gentry, Jere Gerard and Connie Johns
Mary and Dick Ashmun
Deanna Vaughan and Henry Asby Fulmer III
Bryan and Leslie Darr with September and Bob Eason
Drs. Anca Pop and Bradford Waters
RSVP
38
JANUARY
2012
BREA
TH O
F LI
FE G
ALA
E V E N
T Breath of Life Gala Benefiting the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
Laura Harris, Dr. James Eason and Claire Eason
Ashley and Shan McAllister
Christie and Scott Lawhorn
Laurita and Darryl Jackson
Kim and Kevin Humphries
Katie and Jay Fik
Virginia and Fred Tavoleti
Hollywood Evans and Sonja Currie
Cynthia Brewer and Tammy Case
The Breath of Life Gala, hosted by the West Tennessee Chapter ofthe Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, seemed a breath of fresh air forMemphis partygoers. Spread throughout the entire Tower Center
on the 33rd floor of Clark Tower, the event was choreographed soguests could move freely from room to room. Cynthia Brewer, execu-tive director of the West TN Chapter, said she forwent a formal din-ner and kept the program short and sweet to maximize interactionamong 180 attendees.
The evening began with attendees sampling pumpkin pâtéand spring roll hors d’oeuvres among silent auction items displayedin the Skylight Ballroom, where a breathtaking view of East Mem-phis filled the floor-to-ceiling windows. Illuminated by icy blue light-ing, the room’s focal point was a sparkling blue and white Christmastree that included two glass Christopher Radko-designed ornaments:a teddy bear and a snowman, each adorned with a red rose. A num-ber of auction items also featured roses, which have a special signifi-cance for CFF since children who suffer from this disease often callit “65 Roses®”—a phrase far easier for them to pronounce.
Tables were laden with a dazzling array of silent auctionofferings, but the granddaddy auction item of all was a 1997 CustomRoad King motorcycle with a 96-ci S&S engine. Custom painted withthe stars and stripes and featuring chrome everything, the motorbikewas built and donated by Luke Leatherwood of Hustler Machine.Like many at the event, Leatherwood has been personally touched byCystic Fibrosis, losing a close friend to the disease two years ago.
Dinner was served in the Tower Room, where three food sta-tions provided ample food for a grazing dinner of Italian antipasti,jumbo shrimp and grits and beef tenderloin topped by Gorgonzolamashed potatoes. WMC-TV 5 anchor Joe Birch served as emcee andintroduced the honoree, Dr. James Eason, the program director ofthe University of Tennessee/Methodist University Hospital Trans-plant Institute. Kevin Spiegel, the hospital’s CEO and many othermedical colleagues, turned out in force to honor Dr. Eason.Although many Memphians are aware Dr. Eason led the surgicalteam for Steve Jobs’ liver transplant in 2009, few realize that Dr.Eason helps many cystic fibrosis patients who suffer ancillary dam-age to their lungs or liver.
Guests stayed until 11 p.m., either dancing to the music ofthe Party Planet band or relaxing in the quieter Tower Centerlounge. Ms. Brewer offers that the event and auction raised “a lot ofmoney,” but the Road King motorcycle remains unsold. “Please leteveryone know the motorcycle is still available,” she said.
Story by Jeannie MandelkerPhotos by Don PerrySee all the party photos at rsvpmagazine.com
Password: RSVP
RSVP
39
JANUARY
2012
S I N C E 1 9 9 5
Advertising in RSVP Magazine places your messagebefore an active, affluent market of
Mid-Southerners who desire the best in quality and service.
More Than 120,000 Readers
Average Household Income. . . . . . . . . . .$147,000 per year.
58.16% have HH incomes greater than . $75,000 per year.
Female Readers . . . 59.2% Male Readers . . 40.8%
Marital Status . . . . . . . . . 62.2% married
Home Owners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81.3%
Education: Attended/Graduated College plus . . . . . .83.0%
Have Post graduate degree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21.6%
88.6% . . . . Purchased a Product or Visited a Store due
to Advertising in RSVP.
42.6% . . . .Traveled Abroad during the past year.
52.% . . . .Eat out at least 3 times per week.30,000 copies delivered monthly throughout
the Affluent Shopping Areas of Greater Memphis
From Harbor Town to Collierville.
For Information onHow to put RSVP to Work for You
Call 276-7787
RSVP
40
JANUARY
2012
BREA
TH O
F LI
FE G
ALA
E V E N
T
Marcus Cummings and Ashlee Omar
Judy and Winn Stephenson
Karren Williams and Sharon Avery-Fields
Abraham Gonzales and Tina SandovallLee Anna Hungerford and Judith McGee
Jamie Patterson, Eric Robinette and Jill Powelson Katie Fowlkes, Jodi Beth Roberts, Whitney Church and Liz Wilder
Elizabeth and Luke Leatherwood Shirley and Scott Terral with Jackie and Frank Holeman Kevin and Judy Spiegel
RSVP
41
JANUARY
2012
i t ’ s j a z z !
wumr.memphis.edu
ja z z ! i t ’i t ’ i t ’i t ’ s s j a z z ! ja z z ! ja z z !j a z z ! ja z z ! i t ’i t ’ i t ’ s s j a z z ! ja z z !j a z z ! ja z z !j a z z ! ja z z !
or underwriting information, call 90or underwriting information, call 90isit us online at
Fisit us online at V
c l a s s y
or underwriting information, call 90
c l a s s yor underwriting information, call 90
c l a s s y.memphis.edu
c l a s s y.memphis.edu
c l a s s yisit us online at wumrwumr.memphis.eduisit us online at
c l a s s y
c l a s s yor underwriting information, call 90
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
c l a s s yc l a s s y
60
RSVP
42
JANUARY
2012
Four Seasons/Memory, Inc. “Lunch with Katie”
Four Seasons/Memory, Inc.,a support group for thosefighting Alzheimer’s, held aluncheon at the UniversityClub last fall to presentKatie Smythe with theWoman of AchievementAward. As the founder, CEOand artistic director of theNew Ballet Ensemble andSchool, Smythe has con-tributed greatly to the city’sartistic offerings, but sup-porting efforts to endAlzheimer’s remains a causedear to her heart since hermother, Katherine HindsSmythe, was diagnosed withthe disease. During the occa-sion, NBE dancers NoeliaGarcia Carmona and ShamarRooks performed, and mod-els donned winter stylescourtesy of Seriously FUN!Apparel.
Story and Photos by Leah Fitzpatrick
Clay Smythe, Katherine Hinds Smythe and Katie Smythe
Mary Jane Criss, Wanda McDonald and Grace Bartee
Art for HopeThe First TennesseeFoundation presented the10th annual Art for Hope,benefiting Hope House, atthe Memphis BotanicGarden just in time forholiday shoppers. Morethan 75 area artists partic-ipated by selling one-of-a-kind works from uniquepottery by Barbara Oliveand colorful fish paintingsby Julia Baker Bell toartist Ken Lecco’s “AHand of Hope”—smallpaintings depicting HopeHouse children’s handswith flowers growing outof them to represent thebeauty of the children’ssmiles. Guests could leavewith gifts knowing that 40percent of the purchaseswent to help childreninfected or affected byHIV/AIDS.
Story and Photos by Leah Fitzpatrick
Methodist Cancer Center LuncheonAcademy Award-winning actor Michael Douglas made his first trip toMemphis a memorable one as the keynote speaker for the MethodistHealthcare Foundation’s 10th annual Cancer Center Luncheon.Before a sold-out crowd at The Peabody, Douglas spoke about his bat-tle with tongue cancer (previously reported to the press by his publi-cist as throat cancer) and confirmed that he is almost a year out fromtreatment. WMC-TV 5 anchor Joe Birch moderated the question andanswer portion with Douglas, who told, “You have a bond whensomeone with cancer comes and looks at you in the eyes.” Dr. SylviaRichey, a medical oncologist and hematologist with presenting spon-sor The West Clinic, added to that sentiment when she said, “You’reall here today because you’ve been affected by cancer—you may be asurvivor, caregiver or know someone with it.”
Story and Photos by Leah Fitzpatrick
ONSITE
MFM Harvest CelebrationFor the Memphis Farmers Market Harvest Celebration, held inNovember at Central Train Station, local chefs used ingredientsfrom the MFM as an integral part of small dishes. Some offeringsincluded fresh tamale pie from Felicia Suzanne’s, mac and chessewith country ham by Interim and brisket (from Neola Farms)spring rolls prepared by Rizzo’s Diner. Refreshments came courtesyof Republic Coffee, Ghost River Brewing and United Distributors.Market supporters gave many silent and live auction items, like adinner for eight in your home by restaurateur Mac Edwards of TheElegant Farmer, for the fund-raiser, and Don Putnam Photographyeven set up a backdrop for guests to have their pics made for $10donations.
Story and Photos by Leah Fitzpatrick
Laura Finley and Amie Breazeale Emilee and Brandon Herrington
Onsite I
Allison and Trevor Yant, Ken Lecco, Betty Dupont,Jennifer Pierotti and Ed Galfsky
Dr. Jerry Heston, Dr. Pat Flynn, Amy Doville and Debbie Desrochers
Andy and Elisa Hill, Charlie and Mickey Schaffler, Kelly Jo Graves and Lara Scott Michael Douglas
*Deadline for submissions is January 10, 2012. No exceptions.Weddings must have taken place between December 1, 2010 and December 31, 2011.
RSVP Magazine Introduces
OUR FIRST-EVER WEDDING ISSUE
Please visit rsvpmagazine.com forcomplete details.
Now accepting wedding submissions for theFebruary 2012 issue of RSVP.
RSVP
44
JANUARY
2012
ONSITE Onsite II
Opera Memphis Season Premier Gala
Opening night for “Tosca” was a three-actaffair beginning with the Opera MemphisSeason Premier Gala, which includedChampagne and an Italian supper servedunder an elegant canopy erected next to theOrpheum Theatre. Act II took pace duringintermission with a Champagne and dessertreception in the theater’s Broadway Club,and the evening’s final act included an exu-berant cast party enjoyed by all.
Story and Photos by Jeannie Mandelker
Tool Box BashThe 10th annual Tool Box Bash, presented by Valero Memphis Refinery,adopted a “Where Mardi Gras Meets Memphis” theme. For Habitat forHumanity of Greater Memphis’ biggest fund-raiser of the year, BRIDGESwas transformed into a carnival of masks, beads and boas, with jazz bythe Sunday Traffic Brass Quintet drifting down from the mezzanine overthe expansive silent auction. Beer, wine and Southern cocktails like bour-bon iced tea flowed courtesy of Athens Distributing Company, whileDraper’s Catering, Alfred’s on Beale and Delectables Catering &Company supplied a spread of Crescent City (and Bluff City) favorites.Later came king cake, a live auction, the crowning of the Mardi Grascourt and red hot music by the Soul Shockers.
Story and Photos by Kelly Cox
Maximus ElevenusMemphis Music Foundation supporters rocked out ‘80sstyle with over-the-top wigs, Spandex tights and faketattoo arm sleeves to watch a screening of cult classicSpinal Tap at The Warehouse. The foundation’s partyof the year unfolded on November 11 (11-11-11), a datethat had been declared by Spinal Tap fans worldwide asMaximus Elevenus in honor of the band’s chief song-writer and guitar player. Drink specials, including“Spontaneous Combustion” and “The Stonehenge,”played to the movie’s theme, as did models whoappeared in fashions from Laurelwood ShoppingCenter. Story and Photos by Leah Fitzpatrick
WE Consign Preview PartyOne of the oldest nonprofits in Memphis, theWoman’s Exchange continues to “help others tohelp themselves” by hosting fund-raising eventslike the WE Consign Preview Party. Held in theWoman’s Exchange Gallery, the sale offers thepublic hundreds of quality finds from area con-signors, who contribute items from beautifulplace settings and oil paintings to mink coats andmarble-topped end tables. Items change daily asthey’re sold, and the sale will remain open untilFebruary 29 at the group’s gallery at 88 Racine.
Story and Photos by Leah Fitzpatrick
Roland Jeancharles and Sheila Noone Dwayne Spencer and Lisa Wheeler
Ned and Karen Canty Bonnie and Knox Everson John and Lain Ryder
Dean Deyo and Rita Wood Jason Rothschild and Eric Harris Marcela Pinilla and Catrina Guttery
Kathy Smith, Susie Richmond, Jean McSwain and DeeDee Laughlin
Diane Reddoch, Carolyn Dobson, Laurie Monypeny and Scottie Cobb
Ruth Link and Nora Boswell
RSVP
45
JANUARY
2012
St. George’s Antiques ArcadePreview Party
The preview party forthe 40th annual St.George’s EpiscopalChurch AntiquesArcade boasted a crowdpacked to the rafters.Shoppers browsedthrough items from 22antique dealers with atrue arcade of offerings,from furniture and finechina to rugs and ster-ling silver. A dinnerbuffet was served atseveral seatings from 7-8:30 p.m. Patrons ofthe arts who purchaseddinner tickets weretreated to prime ribserved with horseradishsauce and a medley ofasparagus, mushroomsand sugar snap peas, aswell as a choice of sev-eral desserts.
Story and Photos by Suzanne Thompson
Creative Aging Mid-South Artists’ ShowcaseThe Great Hall at the Germantown Performing Arts Centre becamea hub of art, culture and entertainment during the 2011 Artists’Showcase benefiting Creative Aging Mid-South. Residents ofTrezevant Manor, Alzheimer’s Day Services of Memphis and KirbyPines, which are all facilities served by the organization, createdmuch of the artwork for sale at the silent auction. Guests alsoenjoyed a buffet set up in stations, including dinner entrees, asmoothie bar and desserts, and featured blues greats Ruby Wilsonand Joyce Cobb, both of whom wowed the crowd after dinner.
Story and Photos by Suzanne Thompson
ONSITE
Signature Chefs AuctionThe 2011 Signature Chefs Auction was everything you would expectfrom a gathering of the finest chefs in Memphis—and more! Led byChef Erling Jensen, who served flank steak with wild mushroomsand fingerling potatoes, the event featured 19 other eateries thatjoined in to treat March of Dimes’ supporters. Small servings ofsumptuous dishes abounded, with Sweet Grass serving butternutsquash and rabbit ravioli, The Grove Grill doling out chilled mapleGranny Smith apple soup with cranberries and walnuts and Circaplating up crawfish beignets. After guests ate their fill of these deli-cacies, bidders vied for items like a trip to Las Vegas, a trip to theGrammys and a sunset tapas party hosted by Erling Jensen during alive auction.
Story and Photos by Suzanne Thompson
Irene Smith with Anthony and Kim House Sonya and Reginald Porter
Onsite III
Ann and Sam Beach
Randolph Reeves, Ryan Godbey and Tony Henderson
Karen and Clyde Blount with Melinda Russell
Jami and Frank Gattuso Catherine and Charles Harris Laura Sperry and Thea Waggener
“A Sondheim Celebration” SoireeTheatre Memphiskicked off its openingnight production of “ASondheim Celebration”with a soiree prior tothe performance. Forlucky ticket holders ofthe sold-out show, liba-tions flowed and theyenjoyed a dinner buffetof a salad of mixedgreens and walnuts,salmon with creamcheese and capers,corn souffle, warmyeast rolls and slicedbeef tenderloin servedwith horseradish sauce.Following a movingperformance, featuringsongs composed byStephen Sondheimfrom a variety ofBroadway musicals,dessert and Cham-pagne were served.Proceeds benefitTheatre Memphis’artistic programs.
Story and Photos by Suzanne Thompson
Greg and Carol Fletcher
Deborah Wilson with Linda and Glenn Rosse
RSVP
46
JANUARY
2012
ONSITE
WEVL Trivia TournamentFor more than 35 years, WEVL 89.9 FM, Memphis’ only independ-ent, all volunteer radio station, has garnered a large and faithfulaudience with its excellent programming covering a wide range ofmusic genres. In late fall, the station took over Minglewood Hall tohost its newest fund-raiser–a trivia competition. A great turnout of26 teams participated and excitedly vied for the top spot, and manyguests also bid in a silent auction that included goodies donated bythe Orpheum Theatre, GPAC, Flashback, Pete & Sam’s, BB King’sand Huey’s.
Story by Ruth CassinPhotos by Roy Haithcock
Shelia Moone and Melissa Hanson
Tiara Tea Society Grand Dame Tea
The spirit of good will was inthe air at the Tiara TeaSociety Grande Dame Tea,which featured the inductionof Carol Prentiss as the 2011Grande Dame. The eventtook place at the U of MHoliday Inn, where a host oftea members, friends andassociates of Prentiss weregreeted by the sounds ofharpist Melodie Moore andflutists Tiffany Kelly andNorma Hamon. ValerieCalhoun of Fox 13 Memphisserved as mistress of cere-monies, with Mayor A CWharton as the keynotespeaker. Prentiss was award-ed gifts by three of the eightgirls (Morgan Shaw, SavannaChappell and CeniyahDotson) in dire situationsaround the world that thesociety has helped.
Story SubmittedPhoto by Christina Trask
Savanna Chappell, Carol Prentiss, Ceniyah Dotson,Mayor A C Wharton and Morgan ShawLouis Meyers and Judy Dorsey
Onsite IV
Estella Greer, Elliot Perry and Latoria Parker Heather Johnson, Sally Aldrich and Dee Flood Jim Duncan and Buzzy Hussey
Grizzlies Foundation Partner BreakfastThe Memphis Grizzlies Charitable Founda-tion donated $370,000 in new grants toMemphis nonprofits during the annualGrizzlies Foundation Partners Breakfast atBenjamin L. Hooks Central Library. Grizzliesgeneral manager and vice president of bas-ketball operations Chris Wallace, Grizzlieshead coach Lionel Hollins, Grizzlies play-by-play announcer Pete Pranica and local ownerand vice president of the Grizzlies Founda-tion board of directors Elliot Perry attendedthe event, which highlighted the addition oftwo new charitable organizations, FacingHistory and Ourselves and AGAPE Child &Family Services, to the foundation’s circle ofyearly grant recipients.
Story SubmittedPhoto by Joe Murphy/NBAE
Thomas W. Briggs Award DinnerJim Duncan, executive director of theMemphis Botanic Garden, received the 2011Community Service Award from the ThomasW. Briggs Foundation, Inc. at the group’sannual Award Dinner at the Dixon Galleryand Gardens. Since 1985, this award hasbeen given to highlight the work of a localMid-South organization in the field of com-munity service. Its purpose is to recognizean individual whose creativity, effort, com-mitment, professionalism and exceptionalinitiative have enabled the organization toexcel in its special mission.
Story SubmittedPhoto Submitted
Red Slipper Auction PartyBefore golfers hit the greens at WindykeCountry Club to play in the Red SlipperGolf Tournament, they kicked off the festivi-ties by coming out for the Red SlipperAuction Party the night before. Held at thehome of Anne and Vince Boberski, the partyfeatured the auctioning off of caddies tocater to players. Proceeds benefited theMethodist Hospice Residence.
Story SubmittedPhoto Submitted
RSVP
47
JANUARY
2012
AFTE
R HO
URS After Hours
A photo collage of the latestbusiness happenings
Holiday Open House at Happi-Stores
Holiday Open House at Avanti Skin Center of Collierville
Saundra Messenger Trunk Show at Kittie Kyle
Open House at Dermatology Realm
Holiday Open House at Mona Spa & Laser Center
Carol and Richard Holley with Kyle Holley at Happi-Stores
Shirley Riley, Meloney Bramlett and Sandra Oursler at Happi-Stores
Jennifer Black, Ashley Williams, Denise La Force and Teresa Wilkesat Dermatology Realm
Brenda Lorenz, Diane Turk and Debbie Baker at Dermatology Realm
Kristi Biggert, Kate Gassaway and Jeannie Mallett at Avanti Skin Center of Collierville
Marianne Morgan, Robin Ashworth, Meredith Novarese and Rani Cochranat Avanti Skin Center of Collierville
Gina True and Mary Jackson at Dermatology Realm
Angela Harris and Rose Graham at Dermatology Realm
Saundra Messinger and Cindy Gambrell at Kittie Kyle
Sherry Chimenti, Julie Saxon and Carol Furr at Kittie Kyle
Suzanne Abebi and Mona Sappenfield at Mona Spa & Laser Center
Lindsay Saylor, Perry Patterson and Silvia Membrenoat Mona Spa & Laser Center
RSVP
48
JANUARY
2012
AFTE
R HO
URS After Hours
A photo collage of the latestbusiness happenings
Patina Style Book Signing by Brooke and Steve Giannetti at Amy Howard
Holiday Party at the Memphis Hunt and Polo Club for Crye-Leike East
Rotary Club Holiday Party at the Racquet Club of Memphis
Brooke Giannetti, Amy Howard and Steve Gianneti at Amy Howard
Jill Cohen and Dr. Kris Leventhal at Amy Howard
Mindy Roberts, Neely Carter and Kristy Barton at Amy Howard
Ann Price and Gwen Driscoll at Amy Howard
Gail and Nick French at Crye-Leike East
Tom Kimbrough, Steve Brown and Dick Leike at Crye-Leike East
Carol Stout, Fontaine Taylor and Janie Hopkins at Crye-Leike East
Angie Kirkpatrick, Bill Butler and Sarah Scoggin at Crye-Leike East
Phyllis and Reginald Jones, Lata and Vijay Surpuriya and Pat and Neil Sherman at the Racquet Club of Memphis
Alla Olswanger and Nathan Lubin at the Racquet Club of Memphis
Ella and Bruce Minkoff, Inky and Phil Aronoff, Barbara andJim Dupree and Ceylon Blackwell at the Racquet Club of Memphis
Tom Davis and Steve Bearman at Crye-Leike East
RSVP
49
JANUARY
2012
By Dennis Phillippi RSVP
HILL
IPPI
THE YEAR IN MEHAh, 2011. When
we look in therearview mirror
of history will weeven remember theyear that justpassed? I called arandom selection ofmy friends, or atleast people whosenumber I have andwho happened to
pick up, and asked them what was thebiggest thing that happened in 2011. Mostof them spent the whole call trying toremember if specific things happened inthe last year. The Japanese tsunami/earth-quake? Check. Big story, but honestly, notthat big a story here. We’re Americans andwe like to focus on things that directlyaffect Americans. I mean, if it didn’t affectAmericans, did it really even happen? Iknow that sounds callous and maybe a lit-tle insensitive, but hey, I’m an American.
One friend was adamant that thewhole Occupy this or that movement wasthe most important thing that happened,but he’s an unemployed bond trader, so ofcourse he thinks that. I’m very ambivalentabout the Occupy thing. I’m happy for allthose unemployed people having some-where to go, and some friends to hang outwith, but they seem to be shouting a lot ofdifferent messages, mainly at one another.It’s great for people with a lot of time ontheir hands to be able to make signs andcome up with self-important hand ges-tures, but really, do they think anyonethey’re protesting actually cares? It’s likewhen people get it in their heads to notbuy gas on a specific date. Yeah, that’llshow them, because your car is suddenlygoing to stop running on gas. Protestingbig company’s bad behavior is like beingupset that people will pay hundreds of dol-lars to get a good seat for a Celine Dionshow. The people involved do not carewhat you think and aren’t going to altertheir behavior because of your opinion. Noone who is making money is going tochange a thing, and no one spending aludicrous amount of money on somethingstupid wants to hear your thoughts on thematter.
There are probably a lot of peoplewho have been paying attention to the
Republican contenders slapping each otheraround trying to get the nomination, butI’m not one of them, and I doubt you areeither. This is getting to be like the NBAfor a lot of people—they’re just not goingto pay attention until the play-offs. ThatHerman Cain getting in a splashy messwith a couple of women from his past wasmildly diverting, but Herman Cain?Really? Did anyone think that was actuallygoing to happen? I can’t tell these candi-dates apart, even when they’re a differentgender or race. They’re all saying the samething, and it’s hard to get noticed whenyou’re all saying the same thing. It’s like
trying to get Phish to notice you in thecrowd by wearing a tie-dye tee shirt anddreadlocks. Call me when the debatesstart.
It seems to me that one of thebiggest changes of this year is suddenlyeveryone seemed to have one of those com-puter tablets. People everywhere are sud-denly absorbed in whatever is taking placeon a larger screen than their phone, whichis what everyone was looking at last year.Plus, a lot of my friends have started get-ting e-book things. And, these are bookpeople—people who said they would neverget one of those things, but then someonegave them one, and now they’re surpris-ingly okay with them. Trust me, I’d beexactly the same type of hypocrite if some-one dropped $200 on a gift for me.
Sports-wise, it was a pretty blahyear. The Packers won the Super Bowl.Sigh. I don’t really care. The Cardinalswon the World Series, and as a Cards fan,
I was thrilled, but then they lost AlbertPujols, so that’s a push. Connecticut beatButler in the NCAA final. It wasn’t theTigers, so I don’t care. Tony Stewart wonthe NASCAR Sprint Cup. Don’t get mestarted on him.
Oh yeah, and there was that royalwedding. Sorry, I mean that Royal Wed-ding. Prince William married that KateMiddleton girl and apparently we were allsupposed to care. He’s going to be kingeventually, right? Or are they going topack in this whole royalty thing whenElizabeth II hangs them up? There was atime when I guess I may have cared a tinylittle bit about this, but it’s hard to imag-ine. This is a perfect example of the thingspeople care about that completely baffleme. The Royal Wedding was roughly onpar with who wins the TV singing shows,or the TV weight loss shows, or the TVdancing shows. Not only do I not care, Ican’t get a satisfactory explanation out ofthe people who do as to why they do. Ifyou can’t give me a straight answer aboutwhy you care who wins a talent show, thenI’m not going to watch it. The same peo-ple who watch those shows, and theWedding, are the ones who bombard mewith requests for things I don’t think Ihave on Facebook. What we really need todo is hook up the Occupiers with the reali-ty TV watchers. They’re all bored and lone-ly, and now they can be bored and lonelytogether.
On a brief, serious note, this willbe remembered as the year a group ofcrazy brave Navy SEALs got Osama binLaden. It was a weird, conflicted feeling tofind myself cheering for the death of some-one else, but cheer I did. Honestly, I’mstill cheering a little bit. Sure, there arelots of others out there who want to harmus because we’re Americans, but this guydid and our military got him. You knowwhat? 2011 was a pretty good year after all.
Dennis Phillippi, thanks for summing upthe events, fads, movements and politicallandscape of 2011 in just under 1,000words. You met the challenge of condens-ing an entire year into one page, howeverwe’re not so sure we’ll meet the challengeof turning off reality TV or our Kindleswhen editing your future columns, whichhopefully won’t be “meh.”
Trust me, I’d beexactly the sametype of hypocrite
if someonedropped $200 ona gift for me.
RSVP
50
JANUARY
2012
Snow DayRSVP
AST
1963
The above picture serves as a fond reminder of the fun two sisters, Rosie Wedaman and Grace Kreager,had while enjoying probably the last snow of the spring of 1963. Bundled up in their cool weather
gear, the girls stand in front of their Midtown home on Sledge Avenue.
PHOTO COURTESY OF ROSIE WEDAMAN
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.
RSVP Wedding IssueFebruary 2012
We invite you to be part of the first RSVP wedding issue. This special feature will showcase weddings from across the Mid-South and will be the premier publication for honoring that very special day.
Take advantage of this unique opportunity to market your services to the most desirable consumer the Mid-South has to offer. In addition to the print version of RSVP, your ad will also appear in the RSVP Online Digital Magazine, which is hot-linked to all client web sites and e-mail addresses.
30,000 Print circulation….Over 120,000 readers. RSVP Online Interactive Digital magazine available across the entire USA. The largest circulation magazine in the Mid-South since 1996.
Average Annual Household Income $152,000 Female Readers 62%
Purchased a product or visited a store due to advertising in RSVP 88.6%
Space & Art Deadline January 16, 2012
LIMITED SPACE AVAILABLECALL 276-7787 x101
