Scene & Heard

Boost for Haiti
JoAnne Kuehner is pumped—and flush. Her beloved Hope for Haiti, the charity she helped found two decades ago in Naples, raised a whopping $350,000 at its annual gala in March at the Jubilee Center in Naples. “I am thrilled,” Joanne told me. “People in Naples are soooo generous.” For me, the plus was a return to my roots. I sat next to the owner of Gertrude Hawk Chocolates. Anybody who grew up in the Northeast probably remembers the gourmet chocolatier. Did I beg for samples? I’m not telling.

Hometown Hottie
We sure had a dash of hunk power at the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure at Coconut Point in March. Hometown hottie James Denton, the sexy plumber on the ABC hit show Desperate Housewives, showed up as honorary chair of the event and had the ladies in the crowd of 10,000 swooning from the get-go. He joined me on live TV during the walk and posed for pictures with all who asked. Denton’s mother, Mary Jean Woolslair, was a Fort Myers native who was crowned Queen of Edisonia back in the ’50s and died of breast cancer five years ago. Denton’s cousin, Johnny Sheppard, well-known philanthropist and community leader, welcomed him to town with some good old Southern hospitality. Local housewives and many, many others would second that welcome for a good cause … and were just plumb thrilled with his charm.

Stepping Up
Bids were flying and the place was jumping at the Southwest Florida Wine & Food Fest in February at Miromar Lakes Beach & Golf Club. Whoosh … a five-year-old’s artwork went for $20,000. Wham … Daryl and Teri Isaacs paid $27,000 to party at the Playboy Mansion. By the time it was over, the take came to $930,000, topping last year’s total of $750,000. Most of the money raised goes to The Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida in Fort Myers. Kudos to Dave and Cheryl Copham, trustees of both this festival and the Naples Winter Wine Festival, for recruiting their NWWF colleagues to attend and bid so generously. My job for the afternoon was to convince the crowd to drop donations into my hat, which was then auctioned off to the highest bidder. Dr. Wilson Bradshaw, president of Florida Gulf Coast University, tossed in a four-year scholarship, and Dr. Stephen Prendiville donated a full facelift. A tip of my hat to them and all the others who made the night
so memorable.

Mission Hero
The launch was A-OK as astronaut Capt. James Lovell recounted his days as the commander of Apollo 13 for guests at the Neighborhood Health Clinic Block Party in February. In words and pictures, he took the audience into space to feel the exhilaration and the dangers of the pioneering mission. Guests dined on delicious, down-to-earth fillet, yet felt transported to another place by the futuristic dining room fashioned out of the maintenance bays at the Naples Luxury Imports dealership. What a trip it was.

Paris Bound
Jay and Patty proved to be “Bakers and Shakers” yet again as they stepped up with a cool $100,000 to win an auction lot to benefit the Children’s Museum of Naples at the home of Scott and Simone Lutgert in February. The prize delivered a heady immersion into the ultra of fashion scenes: five days in Paris with luxury accommodations, access to exclusive runway shows during Fashion Week and a visit with designer Valentino Garavani at his mansion. “A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Simone calls it. And guess whose fine hand was behind this deal? Our very own Marissa Hartington, BFF of the renowned Valentino. Model citizens, those Bakers.

Buzz and Drama
They turned out 850 strong at the Shelter for Abused Women & Children “Wings of Hope” luncheon at The Ritz-Carlton beach resort in February—and guests got more out of their $300 tickets than they could have hoped for. They received watches from Marissa Collections, and the new Brand President of Chico’s, Cinny Murray, brought along a Chico’s necklace for every guest. There was plenty of excitement at the opening of the gift bags, and it was a hoot watching people at my table, such as Martha Fligg and Denise Cobb, trying on their necklaces and trading for favorites. They weren’t cheap, either; mine had a price tag of $88. The elegant Ms. Murray also donated a $15,000 Chico’s shopping experience for the live auction. It was live and lively, thanks to the vivacious auctioneer Shirlene Elkins, who teased those dollars out of bidders with the moves of a pro. The keynote speaker, actor/author/ football star Victor Rivas Rivers, touched the crowd with tales of the childhood abuse he suffered at the hands of his father. Quite a plateful—all this—for one lunch at The Ritz.

Fighting Hunger
Jack and Shelley Blais think big and act big. Winter residents of Fort Myers, they’ve put $50 million into finding a cure for cancer. And they’re looking to wipe out hunger, too. At the annual Sam Galloway Soup Kitchen benefit in March, the couple donated a whopping $500,000 to the Community Cooperative Ministries Soup Kitchen, a charity co-founded by Sam himself. The sold-out Soup Kitchen event at the Ford dealership drew a record-breaking crowd of 650 people and raised more than $800,000.

Heat’s On
Undaunted by the cold, the Conservancy of Southwest Florida’s Magic Under the Mangroves gala in March was hot, hot, hot. The Cap d’Antibes site at Pelican Bay was transformed into an eco-friendly paradise with earth-friendly décor, sustainable materials, low-energy lighting, recycling and waste reduction. Native plants and a few strategically placed heaters added to the ambient atmosphere in the tents. Mayor Bill Barnett and I turned on the heat a bit, too, for the auction part, and guests came through with a record-breaking $400,000. The highest bid: $23,000 for a Miami Dolphins experience. Several team members joined Bill and me on stage to push the cause. I like our team—B & B—doin’ business for charity. Let the good dollars roll!

Sad Note
Our prayers and sympathy go to Bill and Nancy Lascheid, whose daughter, Suann Sims, passed away unexpectedly earlier this year. The founders of the Neighborhood Health Clinic in Naples have dedicated their lives to providing healthcare for the uninsured
working poor.