Last year’s party raised money for another family through Make A Wish, and their pre-auction presentation reminded us of all the good the Friends Foundation and Make A Wish are doing in the world. Their touching segment was one of the many highlights of the party. And boy was it a party.r
The Good. Allow us to be honest. In going over the potential for the evening on the ride to Loews, we thought there was a good chance that the Doug Segree Band would be “The Good.” And they were great. They got the party started—and kept it going. When do they not rock the house?
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But immediately upon arrival, we realized that writing about “The Good,” wasn't going to be that easy. There were plenty of other things to consider. Like Drew Hudson's bowtie. Nailed it. If we were to name a “Best Dressed” of the evening, he’d be it. (Or did we in fact just name a night’s Best Dressed? There’s a first for the Towne Socialite! Kudos, Drew!)
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Then there was Rick Foster's performance as honorary amateur auctioneer. We can imagine the hours he spent behind closed doors in his office, poring over YouTube videos and watching profressional auctioneers in action to prepare. Do they make how-to auctioneer books on tape? Maybe he downloaded a how-to podcast or two. It was awesome. And what a trooper. Live auctioneering is no easy feat and it takes a lot of guts to do it in front of a crowd. We tip our hats to you, sir.
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Then there's Michael Cuches skill for name recognition—which we later learned was second only to his air guitar. (Special thanks to Doug Segree for his ability to draw out those hidden talents.)
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And these are only the board members and friends of the Foundation we talked to at length. So in a fit of indecision we’re calling “The Good” of this party its personality. The board members are all close friends and it shows. The atmosphere was so fun—and the people genuine and super friendly—you couldn’t help but want to get involved. We plan on it!
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The Bad. The word on the street, (and by “on the street,” we mean, "in the atrium"), was that the party was smaller than it had been in previous years. And while you wouldn’t have noticed, what with plenty of people pumping positive energy into the room and having a great time, we know “smaller” translates to lower ticket sales, and that’s a shame. The people are wonderful, the party is stellar, and the cause is absolutely worthy. We hope to see the event grow, and perhaps even exceed previous years’ attendance.
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The Delicious. Hello, potato bar. There are few things tastier than a mashed potato bar—and Loews puts on a great one. While there was no shortage of dining options to choose from, this particular one had us going back for more. After all, there are no carbs in philanthropy, right?
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All in all, we can't wait for next year's party. Hope to see you there!
