RSVP Magazine June 2013 by RSVP Magazine

June 2013

GPAC Gala Promise Ball Birthright of Memphis Gala Wild World of Wine and Beer Home is Where the Heart is Gala Memphis Fashion Weekend Preview Party Q&A with Tina Sullivan

CONTENTS

Contents June 201 3

From the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Signature Memphis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Chef Kelly English invites RSVP to his popular Restaurant Iris. Home is Where the Heart is Gala . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 FedExFamilyHouse supporters gathered at The Peabody to raise funds for a home away from home for families whose children are receiving treatment at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital.

12 HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS GALA Emily and John Adams

StreetSeens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 & 22 This man has taken on a new food ministry that will hopefully transform the diets of those living in food deserts. She’s helping enrich the lives of local seniors by bringing the arts to them. StreetSeens highlight Eugene Champion and Meryl Klein.

49 MEMPHIS FASHION WEEKEND PREVIEW PARTY Tate Wilson and Jessica Toliuszis

GPAC Gala . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 New York came to Memphis for one night at the Germantown Performing Arts Centre.

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The Ambassador Series . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 Morgan Cox Snaps to It The long snapper for the Baltimore Ravens talks about football and life thereafter.

Vox Popular . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 Q&A with the executive director of the Overton Park Conservancy, Tina Sullivan.

4 RSVP

RSVP Room View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36 This Collierville playroom offers areas for both adults and kids to enjoy.

24 GPAC GALA Brandt and Julie Maddox

Wild World of Wine and Beer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 Most of the animals might have gone to bed, but their fans were out in full force at the Memphis Zoo.

Onsites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46, 47, 61 & 62 Gatherings that have earned an honorable mention.

52 BIRTHRIGHT OF MEMPHIS GALA Mike and Libby Parks

Memphis Fashion Weekend Preview Party . . . . . . . . . . . .49 The local fashion scene got thrust into the limelight for one special weekend that kicked off at the Alchemy Memphis restaurant.

Birthright of Memphis Gala . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52 Themed “Passport to Mexico,” this benefit drew a festive crowd to the Great Hall and Conference Center in Germantown.

Promise Ball . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57 The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation rolled out the red carpet for guests at Hilton Memphis to help raise funding to find a cure for juvenile diabetes.

RSVPhillippi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65 Wallace Shawn is Coming Right at Me Humor columnist Dennis Phillippi immerses himself in the world of 3-D.

WILD WORLD OF WINE AND BEER Dr. Nakoma Johnson and Michael Johnson

57 PROMISE BALL Janet Callicott and Jody Aitken

Cover Photo Jenny and Nick Vergos at Home is Where the Heart is Gala Photo by Don Perry

Volume XVIII

Number IX

June 2013 PUBLISHER

Roy Haithcock EDITOR

Leah Fitzpatrick CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Kelly Cox Jonathan Devin Dennis Phillippi Eugene Pidgeon Suzanne Thompson ART DIRECTOR

Patrick Aker s PHOTOGRAPHERS

Baxter Buck Don Perry Steve Roberts ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

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Chris Pugh Kristen Miller

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ACCOUNTING

Ruth Cassin EDITORIAL INTERN

R achel Warren 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 contact Roy Haithcock Phone (901) 276-7787, ext. 101 Fax (901) 276-7785 e-mail publisher@rsvpmagazine.com WEB

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 editor@rsvpmagazine.com Follow us on & RSVP Memphis Magazine

R SV P S TA F F

CHRIS PUGH, ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE 901.276.7787, EXT. 103 chris@rsvpmagazine.com

KRISTEN MILLER, ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE 901.276.7787, EXT. 104 kristen@rsvpmagazine.com

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Chris has been exercising his talent in the advertising world since 1999. He joined the RSVP team in 2009 and brought with him a love for laughter and creativity. Originally from New Albany, Mississippi, Chris has settled in Memphis and enjoys being active in the fashion community.

RACHEL WARREN, EDITORIAL INTERN 901.276.7787, EXT. 108 rachel@rsvpmagazine.com

Rachel is passionate about print media and has covered many local events in Jackson, Mississippi in the past. She received her Bachelor of Arts in English from Millsaps College, and in 2011, she moved back to her hometown of Memphis. She is delighted to be part of the RSVP team as an editorial intern. She loves writing about all the amazing people and places in Memphis, enjoying a great book and chasing a good story.

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7 Having worked in print advertising for nearly eight years, Kristen Miller felt it was a natural fit to join the RSVP team as an account executive. Kristen, who lives in Arlington with her husband and four children, loves to cook, fish, watch college and Arlington Tigers football, spend time with her family and advertising, of course.

From the Editor

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hile recently attending my grandmother’s 93rd birthday party, I somehow grew curious of all the things she did for fun in her younger years. Obviously the Internet, iPhones, computers and video games were not invented when my grandmother was growing up in the ’20s and ’30s, so I knew anything technologydriven was out of the question. And, of course, family vacations were likely not feasible either, being that she was one of 11 children and living during a hard economic time in this country, not to mention the fact that transporting so many kids would be a logistical nightmare. Once I finally stopped speculating what possibly could amuse my grandmother as a child, I actually asked her what activities she did, and I was pleasantly surprised to hear that her creativity never allowed for boredom. There were days spent doing backflips into the creek, acting in plays on the town square, practicing gymnastics, dressing up her siblings and exploring the family farm, which included riding on the backs of pigs mind you. Highly amused by her recollections, I began to realize more and more that no matter what crazy ways she found to entertain herself, she always made the most of things—a lesson we could all stand to live by. Though society today has a plethora of entertainment options to choose from, we often find ourselves bored from time to time. I know this to be true from many Facebook posts I see, which leaves me to wonder if people lack creativity or if they simply need a little extra push to get out and explore and engage in something new. Well, look no further friends, because we are never without a list of happenings here at RSVP, and we’re happy to share what’s going on around Memphis in our online events calendar, on our Facebook page and in the pages of the magazine. And, if you’d ever like to suggest an event we might not know about, please feel free to contact us. In this issue, we feature a variety of philanthropic benefits with themes that appeal to different tastes and causes that span the spectrum. Enjoy perusing each and every one, and next time, we hope to see you in the pages of RSVP. Have a great start to your summer!

Editor’s Correction: In Onsite III on page 60 of the May issue, the Junior Auxiliary of Collierville Blue Jean Ball was incorrectly listed as the Junior League of Collierville Blue Jean Ball.

Leah Fitzpatrick editor@rsvpmagazine.com

Chef/Owner of Restaurant Iris, Kelly English Steakhouse and the forthcoming Second Line

Hometown: New Orleans. Your Lucky Charm: Fleur-de-lis. Place You Go to Think: My car. Favorite Song: “Jesus, Etc.” by Wilco. First Car You Drove: 1981 Chrysler LeBaron. Best Memphis Hangout: Earnestine & Hazel’s. Biggest Pet Peeve: People who are not punctual. Favorite Southern Idiom: I’m your Huckleberry. Your Most Annoying Habit: Being overly punctual. Coolest Thing About Memphis: Everything. All of it. Any of it. Best Gift You Ever Received: My education, courtesy of my parents. Your Best Quality: I am both passionate and loyal, sometimes to a fault. Who Would Play You in a Movie: Flounder (Stephen Furst) from Animal House. One Goal You’d Still Like to Accomplish: I’ve yet to learn how to make oysters. That would be cool. Proudest Moment of Your Life: April 2, 2009—Restaurant Iris’ first anniversary and Food & Wine Best New Chef announcement. Who Inspires You: My wife. Seeing the work she does day in and day out, while still welcoming me home with a smile every night is inspiring, to say the least. The Highlight of Your Day: It’s a tossup between coming home to my wife and three dogs and getting to serve both our regular guests and those who we are just getting to know. Favorite Ingredient: Salt. One of the things that cannot be conveyed in a recipe is seasoning. That is was separates “good” cooks from “excellent” cooks; an excellent cook knows how to accurately season with salt. Best Advice You Ever Got: 1) John Besh: Cook every meal like you are cooking it for your mother. 2) Mario Batali: If at any time you do not want to go out into your dining room and talk to your guests—whether it be good or bad— then you should pack your knives and go home.

Photo by Steve Roberts

SIGNATURE MEMPHIS J U N E 2 013 RSVP

Kelly English

EVENT HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS GALA

he annual FedExFamilyHouse benefit, Home is Where the Heart is Gala, was a particularly special one since it also celebrated FedEx’s 40th anniversary. Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam and First Lady Crissy Haslam even took note and came to town to join in the merrymaking, with the governor helping open the ceremony in The Peabody’s Grand Ballroom. Having toured the FedExFamilyHouse earlier in the day, the Haslams saw firsthand why Memphians are proud to have a place that serves as a home away from home for those out-of-town families with children receiving medical care at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital. Of his tour experience, Gov. Haslam said, “It’s a world-class facility…what this house represents is a reason why I’m proud to be the governor of Tennessee.” And to thank the governor for his generosity, a painting has been commissioned of him to hang in the FedExFamilyHouse. Couples Jenny and Rob Carter and Dina and Brad Martin united to co-chair the gala, during which a strong force behind the FedExFamilyHouse was recognized for her tireless work in making the facility a reality. Presented by Brad Martin, the inaugural Susan Graf Volunteer Award went to the award’s namesake, Susan Graf—someone Martin said shows the spirit of the FedExFamilyHouse. Of the honor, Graf said, “We have served over 10,000 families since opening in 2010, but none of this would have happened without volunteers.” Susan’s husband, Alan Graf, added that with the Grizzlies game and five other fund-raisers simultaneously taking place that there were so many other places those in the audience could have chosen to go, but instead they chose to attend the Home is Where the Heart is Gala. Indeed, 500 Memphians came out for the gala, showing their support by bidding high in the live auction on items like a Blackberry Farm getaway, a Washington Redskins football experience and a Caesars Palace vacation. Partygoers also helped fund the FedExFamilyHouse through the “Light Up The House” program, where donations of varying amounts earned patrons a keepsake FedExFamilyHouse necklace that lit up. With bright red glowing necklaces on, patrons enjoyed entertainment by Memphis’ own Jimi Jamison, best known for his days singing with the group Survivor, and Bethany and Kevin Paige, who marked their third year as performers at the event. Raising $452,000 for the FedExFamilyHouse called for a dance party after all!

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Home is Where the Heart is Gala Benefiting the FedExFamilyHouse

T Stefanie Schwegman and Amy Dixon

Nik and Alma Puri

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See all the party photos at rsvpmagazine.com Password: RSVP

Gov. Bill Haslam and First Lady Crissy Haslam

Story by Leah Fitzpatrick Photos by Don Perry

Robert and Kristina King

Mark and Karen McGough

Dina and Brad Martin

Pitt and Barbara Hyde

Brad and April Britt with Marisa Arriaga and Jeff Smith

Gwen Smith and Jimi Jamison

EVENT HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS GALA

Chris and Senator Mark Norris

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Jack and Marilyn Belz

Frank Rogers and Michelle Connors with Rebecca and Jim Matthews RSVP

Dennis Reber and Maggie McDonald

Darrin and Michelle Hope

Jon McCullers and Lauren Mitchell with Aimee and Tom Brabyn

EVENT Karen and Robert Udovich

Kristy Street and Stephen Gipson

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Barry and Sharon Greenberg

HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS GALA

Jerry and Karen Ferguson

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Carol and Mike Duffy

Angela Wehmeyer and Rebecca Yeung

Christina Moran and Christine Wilson

Madonna and Billy Bond

EVENT HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS GALA

Tonya Newsom and Karen Foley

Rawleigh and Julie Martin

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Sonja Dowdy and Heather Smith

Dr. Shirley Raines and Robert Canady

Clay and Casey Tidwell

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Tom and Robin Watson

Rachel and Anise Belz

Hal and Courtney Stansbury

Larry and Dianne Papasan

Michele and Jeff Maddock

Rebecca Belz and Sam Fargotstein

EVENT HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS GALA

Tracy and Ryan Jones

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Bill and Jeanine Watts

David and Leigh Ann Walters with Marty and Ann Griffin RSVP

Clay and Tabitha Casey

Lisa West and Clare Myers

Jason LaCroix, Bob Bennett and Jane and Ben Amaba

EVENT Deidra and Michael Stansbury

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Marianne and Cory Hartquist

HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS GALA

Richard Smith with Philip and Sarah Spinosa

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Kay Redes, Mark Pender and Retha Moore

Angie Deupree and Misty Stampe

Lori and Steve Jones

STREETSEEN

Eugene Champion Driving a New Food Outreach Effort

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arked temporarily in a warehouse donated by General Plumbing on Broad, a retired MATA bus is receiving an unusual makeover, namely one that entails a colorful paint job depicting fruits, vegetables and musicians, as well as a retrofitted interior with shelving and refrigeration. The seats, save a few, are gone for good reason. As Eugene Champion, a deacon who serves as the executive director of Saint Patrick Community Outreach, explains, this 45-foot bus is being transformed into something the city’s never seen: a mobile food market. Dubbed The Green Machine, the bus starts making stops this spring at 15 community facilities in lowincome neighborhoods with limited fresh food access. Several Memphians got a sneak peek of it during the unveiling and dedication at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church the first Sunday in May, and Champion, who will help with the day-to-day management of The Green Machine, couldn’t have been more proud to give tours of his church’s newest food ministry—an effort he’s well versed in seeing as he has developed and managed St. Patrick’s Food Ministry programs for more than a decade. In fact, he won the Mid-South Food Bank’s Excellence in Public Service Award for the ministry last year. St. Patrick Community Outreach wasn’t the only entity involved in bringing the mobile food market to fruition however. Community leaders from the Vance Avenue Collaborative, with the assistance of MATA, Healthy Memphis Common Table and the University of Memphis Graduate Program in City and Regional Planning, also helped work on the bus for 18 months. Then there were several students from Hollis F. Price Middle College High School on the LeMoyne-Owen College campus who did some of the painting. A collaborative effort The Green Machine is, but Champion stresses that the identification of this need actually came out of the people who live in food deserts themselves. “I have more empathy for what the people are going through because I’ve lived where there are only smaller stores—everything is canned, salty and fatty,” he tells. “And until my mom was 14, she had never been to a grocery.” Aiming for The Green Machine to operate yearround, Champion says the mobile market will head out five days a week offering five sections of as much locallysourced produce (and a few dairy products) as possible stocked by Easy-Way, which will sell the products at competitive prices, and that it will introduce many to vegetables they’ve only heard about, naming eggplant as a great example. A big screen TV on board will add an educational component to the mix, showing customers how to prepare produce they buy. And, students from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center have volunteered to help with nutrition and health education. Fund-raising is still ongoing for the effort, but Champion has no qualms about The Green Machine’s success, chiming in that MATA has offered another bus if needed in the future. More importantly, he says the mobile market should demonstrate that people in food deserts want to buy fresh fruits and vegetables, which will ultimately improve nutrition and reduce obesity in Memphis. Perhaps thinking how things might be different if he had had access to a mobile food market earlier in life, Champion says, “A lot of illnesses are born out of poor nutrition; I have hypertension, diabetes and kidney disease.” This revelation provides even more reason why he’s ready to move full speed ahead with The Big Green Machine. Story by Leah Fitzpatrick Photo by Steve Roberts

STREETSEEN

Meryl Klein Keeping Seniors Active with Art

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hereas one might normally head to the Dixon Gallery and Gardens or the Orpheum Theatre for exposure to the visual and performing arts, the senior population in Shelby County doesn’t always have the option of traveling to those venues. That doesn’t mean those aged roughly 65 and older wouldn’t enjoy doing so, and as pointed out by Meryl Klein, the founder and executive director of Creative Aging MidSouth, the socialization component that comes from attending arts-related happenings is quite beneficial for this group. She says, “People who remain social maintain their physical skills for a longer time than those who don’t, and there are studies, with some out of the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center [in Chicago], to prove it.” After going back to school at Miami University to earn a master’s degree in gerontology, which is the study of the biological, psychological and social aspects of aging, Klein decided to do something herself to enhance seniors’ cognitive and social well-being. Out of this aspiration grew Creative Aging Mid-South, a nonprofit that incorporated in November 2003. In early ’04, Creative Aging received tax-exempt status, and by the end of that year, the organization was doing small showcases for activity directors of places where seniors live and/or meet. Klein began programming in earnest in 2005, with 250 arts programs offered that year to seniors. Fast-forward to 2013, and Creative Aging will bring an estimated 600 programs, inclusive of workshops (think fused glass, poetry, creative writing, painting and weaving, to name a few) and high quality performances by paid local artists to about 4,000 seniors in 54-55 facilities that range from independent living communities to those providing care to elders with medical issues. There is no cost for these programs either. “We reach each person a minimum of 12 times a year,” says Klein, “and I have calculated that annually there are about 52,000 encounters with seniors through our programming. And for those wondering if a visit matters to someone with dementia, it does. A cool fact is that the feelings elicited by a visit to a patient with dementia far outlast the memory of that visit.” The first program Klein ever did for seniors was actually for dementia patients in Cincinnati, where she previously worked as the executive director for the Arts & Humanities Resource Center for Older Adults. She scheduled an actor to do an Abraham Lincoln melodrama, which 35 minutes in included the Gettysburg Address. Klein remembers hearing a lowfunctioning female patient start reciting the address with the actor, and has been forever amazed by that moment. She goes on to say that what the brain can do is amazing, offering up another instance of proof when she talks about a stroke victim who couldn’t speak but was able to sing with some Creative Aging vocalists. Participants don’t just sit in the wings though, as many show off their own skills in the “Artists’ Showcase” and the Creative Aging Variety Show, the latter of which is scheduled for July 28 from 3-5 p.m. at Kirby Pines Retirement Community. Seniors audition for the showcase, and those selected in the past have wowed Klein with their diverse talents and the way they engage their audience. Last year, pianists, vocalists, comedians, a ballet dancer and a hula dancer all shared the spotlight. “I call what we do happy geriatrics—it’s amazing the way things move people,” Klein smiles. Story by Leah Fitzpatrick Photo by Steve Roberts

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EVENT

GPAC Gala

GPAC GALA

“A New York State of Mind”

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Lynn and Kevin Foley

Pat and Larry Scroggs

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ew can put on an event like the people at the Germantown Performing Arts Centre do each and every year with aplomb. When guests arrived at this year’s GPAC Gala, they were directed to the side entrance of the theater, where they strolled by an area that represented Central Park, in keeping with the theme, “A New York State of Mind.” On the way to the door was a street vendor, who offered partygoers a bite of wood-fired pizza, and, as always, when they reached the door, patrons of the arts were greeted with a smile and a glass of sparkling wine. As attendees strolled in, they began their journey on a tour through New York City. Silent auction items lined the wall, and there was a separate room representing the Diamond District, sponsored by Mednikow. After people had plenty of time to peruse the myriad selection of silent auction items, they proceeded into the theater and onto the stage, where four different stations were positioned around the tables. Each of the stations reflected a bit of New York life, including the smoked salmon bagel bites and mini hot dog bar on Broadway, chicken satay with spicy Thai sauce and Szechuan style shrimp skewers from Chinatown, caramelized pork belly sliders and Balthazar pommes frites from SoHo and caprese skewers along with Rao’s baked ziti, which represented Little Italy. Joyce Cobb entertained the crowd before Dr. Jorge Calzada, chairman of the board, offered opening comments. This year, Pat Smith was presented with “The Chairman’s Award,” an accolade given to a member of the Germantown Performing Arts Guild who has done outstanding work. Sandy Goldstein was honored as this year’s “Patron of the Arts.” After the awards, a live auction was held, and auctioneer Jeff Morris got the crowed fired up to bid on trips, jewelry and other luxury items. After the bidding wars ended, Joyce Cobb took the stage again, along with singer Gary Johns and instrumentalists Tim Goodwin, Tom Lonardo and Tony Thomas. Though the group had no formal name, they were dubbed “The Manhattans” at the gala, a moniker they said just might stick. This fund-raiser is one many people look forward to all year long. “I always come,” said Tommie Pardue, long-time devotee of the arts. “It’s one of the social events of the season.” See all the party photos at rsvpmagazine.com Password: RSVP

Phil Cannon and Cindy Brock

Story by Suzanne Thompson Photos by Baxter Buck

Tim and Melanie Brahm

Sharon and Edwin Thorpe

Teresa and Forrest Owens

Bob and Susan Baker

Ed and Ginny Brundick with Jennifer and Paul Chandler

Karen and Dr. Jimmy Klemis

EVENT GPAC GALA Lacy and Tripp Washburn

Valerie and Jeff Morris

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Pamela and Kevin Mack

Liz and Rouben Simonian

Ericka Gunn-Hill and Brandon Hill RSVP

Dava Dickson and Jordan Dobberstein

Linda and Jim Lloyd

Leslie and Alper Cetingok

Sally and Rocky Janda

Porter and Alexa Robinson

Bonnie and Knox Everson

EVENT GPAC GALA

Joan and Tad Foote

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Dr. Jorge Calzada and Lynn Calzada

Tommie Pardue, Chris Brubeck and Deni Hirsh RSVP

Greg and Elizabeth Laurence with Jocelyn and Kinton Collins

Diane Turk, Ann Parberry, Beth Washington and Debbie Baker

EVENT Donna and Roy Cohen

Jack and Margaret Briscoe

Preston and Karen Dorsett

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GPAC GALA Emily Capadalis and Tom Love

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Chris and John Krosnes

Janet and John Golon

Susan and Greg Gilluly

Kavita and Sandeep Samant

THE AMBASSADOR SERIES

The Ambassador Series By Eugene Pidgeon

MORGAN COX SNAPS TO IT

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When Cox signed with the Ravens, the regular NFL draft had already concluded. However, it is better to be signed later than never. “The contract I signed was different from the one most rookie players will sign,” Cox explains. “My deal was for a one-year contract—the league minimum. Some rookies will sign for three or four years…it just depends on how your agent works the deal.” Sports positioning, like any other

Photo by Lauren Cox

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f you are nearing the age of enlightenment and your attention spans a little further than the last installment of “American Idol,” you may still have an open account at the memory bank. Without doing the Google Search and Rescue side-step, close your eyes, click your heels and make a withdrawal. Try to remember where you were and what was occupying the headlines on Saturday, April 26, 1986. One event would forever brand an indelible scarlet letter into the 116th day of the year. It was truly a date to live in infamy. An explosion at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in the Ukraine region of the former USSR unleashed hell on earth, with consequences so profound that now more than a quarter of a century after the fact the causes and effects of the disaster are still being calculated. Thus, on April 26, 1986 while an apocalypse of fire and brimstone was consuming the Soviet Union, Morgan Cox was making his earthly, albeit quieter, debut in Collierville. Although his family heralded his arrival joyfully as a gift of the heavens, he was received into this world with a considerably less conflagrant fanfare than what might attend the furor of a Level 7 nuclear meltdown. Let Chernobyl be danged because 27 years later no one would argue that Morgan Cox is now a man on fire. His light burns brightly and without his ever having had to glow green in the dark. And for the love of God, Morgan Cox does play a mean game of football. There is a Super Bowl victory ring to prove it. As an Academic All-SEC honors graduate of the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Cox was a walk-on special teams player for the Volunteers. He was a firststring long snapper for three full seasons from 2007-2009. On May 6, 2010, Cox was signed by the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent. He replaced Matt Katula in the starting position of long snapper just a few weeks before the beginning of the 2010 season. On February 3, 2013, Cox helped the Ravens secure the national championship when they won Super Bowl XLVII against the San Francisco 49ers at the Super Dome in New Orleans.

intensely competitive endeavor, can be a cut-throat nightmare. Yet, surprisingly, there was no bad blood shed between Cox and Katula when he replaced the six-year veteran. “He was a great long snapper,” Cox assures. “I have always admired Matt, and we are still good friends to this day. But, I was competing for the job against him.” As challenging as playing in just a regular season game must be, the pressures associated with an appearance in the Super Bowl have to be immeasurably more oppressive. Still, Cox takes it all in stride, saying, “If you make it to the postseason, it is a lot different in terms of who is competing. In the regular season, you are lobbying for a play-off spot. And if you get to the play-offs, you are playing for a much bigger prize. The stakes get higher, and the

pressure is much greater…and the reason we get paid…is to make it to the Super Bowl.” So, what exactly is a long snapper? For one thing, a long snapper is used only for field goals, extra points and punts. Cox clearly interprets the responsibilities of his position when he says, “The regular center at most will only make a five-yard snap to the quarterback. I will snap the ball eight yards back for field goals and 15 yards for a punt.” There is also a considerable difference in physical size between a regular center and a long snapper. “Our center last year outweighed me by about 60 pounds,” Cox surmises. “A lot of people will equate the long snapper with the center, but it is a completely different position. The only similar relationship is that both players throw a ball through their legs.” Football has been very good to Morgan Cox. His place in the Ravens lineup is secure for now. His place in Ravens history is secure for the ages. But if it all fell apart for him on the field tomorrow, Cox would barely miss a beat. He has his priorities off the field in order. A newlywed, Cox also possesses a Bachelor of Arts degree in finance and a master’s in sports management, achieving both from UT Knoxville. As a devout Christian, Cox spends his spare time in service to others. The Collierville Food Pantry is one of the many charities to benefit from the humanitarian efforts made by this local success story. Cox humbly submits, “I do not have a single charity I support…my mission, I believe, is to help all people who are in need. I’ve worked with the Special Olympics, and I really support a program called Best Buddies. There is a chapter in Nashville, but we are trying to establish one in Memphis. Best Buddies helps intellectually and developmentally disabled people to have friends and to not feel so alienated.” How does he maintain his Christian journey as a public figure in a society possessed of a more secular sensibility? He says, “My wife helps me to stay accountable, as do my friends and family. And, my faith in God continues to keep me grounded.” Are you listening Chernobyl?

VOX POPULAR

Vox Popular Q&A with Tina Sullivan

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RSVP: What are those things you feel like you’ve accomplished already with the Overton Park Conservancy, and are there any new goals you now have in mind since you’ve been here a year?

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Sullivan: When I started, my goal was really to figure out how to access and cultivate the people who were already actively supporting the park—how to get them involved in the conservancy’s work and to get the conservancy and those park users to share information and combine efforts. The park has a long history of people working for the park, advocating for the park, keeping it up, picking up litter, so I knew these park supporters existed. Our challenge has just been to get them moving with the conservancy, and I think we’ve done that pretty well. The Team Overton Park program, which is a very structured volunteer program, allows us to have good communication with those volunteers, sometimes daily. As the park grows in popularity and more and more people visit—Overton Bark has already shown us that people really want to come here and the Rainbow Lake Playground is going to bring even more people here—we know that we’re going to have to find a place for everyone to park. So, that will be a challenge over the next couple of years. We’re trying to encourage people to access the park in ways other than driving in, so to do that, we have to make it welcoming for pedestrians and bicyclists. Our next slate of projects will include improving those access points and making them welcoming. RSVP: How is the conservancy’s management of Overton Park different from when the City of Memphis was managing it? Sullivan: Well, the conservancy is able to access sources of funding that the city couldn’t access, so we’re able to have a more aggressive schedule with the landscaping and the cleaning crew. The big difference is in how the park looks. People tell us every day that the park has never looked better. The second major difference is that people are starting to learn how to contact the conservancy— they’re starting to become familiar with the conservancy. They can contact us with ideas, suggestions, things they want to see and things that need attention. I think that allows people to feel this engagement; it gives them a sense of ownership and connection when they have access to the people who are working in the park. We try to make sure that the people who are using the park have influence on how we make decisions about the park. RSVP: What are some of Overton Park’s standout features in your opinion?

Photos by Don Perry

f you haven’t visited Overton Park in a while, you might be amazed by the transformations that have taken place or are set to do so, including the much-needed renovation of the Rainbow Lake Playground, a bike path and plaza for the East Parkway entrance, the removal of privet debris from the Old Forest, the visible presence of Team Overton Park volunteers, 400 new trees planted and the renovation of the formal gardens. All of these positives have come about thanks to the management of the year-and-a-half old Overton Park Conservancy, of which Tina Sullivan oversees as its executive director. Celebrating her one-year anniversary with the nonprofit last month, Sullivan admits the OPC accomplished so much in its first year that the staff had to work hard to keep what it did reasonably condensed in the group’s first newsletter. “It’s been a great year!” Sullivan says, and RSVP editor Leah Fitzpatrick couldn’t agree more, as she interviewed the executive director across from another popular addition, the Overton Bark dog park. In order to continue with the park’s upswing, Sullivan knows that more awareness needs to be generated about the benefits of the park to the city and invites everyone to come out to the Greensward for the park’s first-ever family festival, A Day of Merrymaking, scheduled for June 8 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

Sullivan: First of all, it’s very old; it’s 111 years old. It was designed by a notable landscape architect [George Kessler] who was a protégée of the architect [Frederick Law Olmsted] who designed Central Park. So, just the design of the park itself is notable, and it hasn’t changed a whole lot in 111 years. You know, there are historical things that have happened here, like with the Citizens to Preserve Overton Park stopping I-40—that was a major historical event—and Elvis played one of his first public performances at the Levitt Shell. The Memphis Brooks Museum of Art opened here in 1916. We have the oldest continuously operating golf course in this area. That history and that enduring design make the park unique, and it also reflects the Memphis cultures because we have art here with the Memphis College of Art and the Brooks Museum and music here with the Levitt Shell and the drum circle that meets every Sunday, for instance. Part of what we’re trying to do is simply highlight all the great stuff that’s happening and been happening regardless of the conservancy’s presence. We’re trying to get people to talk to us and share their stories and photos about the fascinating things going on through the Overton Park Stories project. RSVP: I understand that the conservancy funds the park’s upkeep through city tax dollars and private investments, but in 2015, will the funding from the city taper off? Sullivan: We have two different sources of funding from the city. One is an annual operations allocation, and that will happen every year throughout our contract with the city, which is for 10 years. Then, there is a capital allocation for four years in a decreasing amount each year, so 2015 will be the last year for that. RSVP: What are ways then that the conservancy is planning to urge the public to give donations to preserve Overton Park’s future? Sullivan: Everyone who visits the park and who uses the park should be a member of the conservancy. I kind of consider it like a gym membership, but it’s only $25 a year. If you’re running on the trails or if you’re using the playground or the dog park, then we hope you appreciate what the conservancy is doing and are willing to support that financially. Our challenge, of course, will be to reach everyone with that message. We’re working on our signage program now. RSVP: I have heard that the conservancy is working on better security in the park, so what are some different ways it’s trying to do this?

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Sullivan: The Team Overton Park program is one way…we talked to the Memphis Police Department quite a bit, and their advice was to try to make sure we had more of a positive, visible presence in the park, or more people who looked like an extension of OPC—having people wear Team Overton Park tee shirts that say “Volunteer” on the back. If we can recruit enough volunteers that there are a few of those here all the time, then people who are visiting the park feel safer because they feel like there’s somebody they can go to and that they know how to answer questions or know what to do if there’s something that needs to be reported. But, it also sends a message to anybody who’s looking for opportunities to do something bad that they’re being watched. If one of our Team Overton Park volunteers sees someone who appears to be scoping out cars in the parking lot, then they know they should call the non-emergency police number and also report that information to us. That information includes the date, time, what the conditions were like and what the suspicious person looked like so that we can start to compile information, and if we start to see trends, we can report those trends to MPD. That’s already worked once. We’ve been able to report some information to MPD that MPD did not have and that no one else had reported, and that came from one of our Team Overton Park volunteers. We’ve also installed security cameras, and there will be one installed at the East Parkway Playground when we install new restrooms over there. Those feed into the Real Time Crime Center, so they’re being monitored by MPD. RSVP: Before the conservancy even launched, didn’t people meet at MCA to say what elements they wanted the park to have going forward?

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Sullivan: That was part of the Speak Up! campaign, and I was actually one of the volunteers in that campaign. We were surveying people online, and a few of us were walking around with clipboards asking people to take a sur32 vey. We asked people what they liked about Overton Park, what they wanted to see improved and whether they would support a conservancy. When people gave their answers for what they wanted to see, that list became our list of projects for the first five years. We’ve just been slowly ticking items off that list, including an improved playground, a dog park, restrooms and making the park cleaner and safe. We’ll probably do another survey next year just to reconnect and see what the next round of great ideas will look like. RSVP: I know the new Rainbow Lake Playground set to open this summer was planned with Overton Park in mind, so can you explain how it accomplishes that? Sullivan: So, it’s a unique setting—it’s adjacent to the Old Forest, this 10,000-year-old forest. We drew inspiration from the forest and pulled that into the playground design, so what you’ll see are natural materials, natural colors and elements that are designed to look like something you might see in the forest. For example, the concrete tunnel [The Big Green Mound designed by Bernhard Meck] is shaped to look like a fallen log that’s been covered over with earth. Then there’s a little outdoor room that’s shaped to look like a tree trunk that’s been cut off. The [playground] surface is wood fiber mulch instead of the primary color rubberized surface. The playground is based on the idea that kids naturally like to explore in nature, and we hope that as kids age out of the playground that the next step for them is to explore the Old Forest. We also will have some of those unique Overton Park elements, such as a drum circle in the playground and the National Ornamental Metal Museum metal sculpture that will function as a musical instrument, which references that art and musical heritage that you find here in Overton Park. RSVP: What specifically are the renovations being done to Rainbow Lake Playground that people might want to know about? Sullivan: First of all, we expanded the footprint. We are adding some big elements that are designed to give kids that sense of adventure,

so there’s the climbing structure that’s a series of platforms and ramps so kids can get lots of movement in. There’s the cargo net that the kids have nicknamed the “Spiderwebs.” Then, there’s The Big Green Mound, and there are just elements that are interactive and bring kids together. The Mighty Oak is the outdoor tree trunk room, and it will have building blocks in it. I’m actually pretty excited about the hammock swings myself. There will be chess tables, and I really hope those lead to some intergenerational play. I learned chess from my grandmother, so I’m hoping that the grandparents in our community will come out and teach kids to play chess. RSVP: Why do you feel these renovations were necessary for the playground? Sullivan: Well, the old playground hadn’t been renovated in more than 20 years. We had to take down a couple of swing sets because they were rickety, and it wasn’t going to last much longer in the state it was in. My overarching goal for the park is to really create that community gathering place, so that means we have to create amenities that are going to draw people in and bring new users to the park. RSVP: Another big project the conservancy is working on is a bicycle path and plaza for the East Parkway entrance. Can you share some details? Sullivan: This will be another example of Overton Park celebrating its artistic heritage, as the local metal artist Tylur French is designing the entry gate. This is part of a larger project, the Overton Broad Connector project that will bring people off the Greenline, down Tillman, down Broad Avenue on the protected cycle track, and then they’ll cross East Parkway and enter the park. When they enter the park, they’re going to have this grand arrival with this metal sculpture made with bikes. It’s really honoring the emerging bike culture in Memphis. There will be a plaza there after they pass through that’s styled to look like a bike sprocket, and it will be shady there with seating and a water fountain. Then, there will be a hard surface connector trail that will take cyclists to the internal paved park roads. Right now if you sit over there for any length of time, you’ll see cyclists riding across the grass. RSVP: Do you feel like Memphians are starting to see the potential of Overton Park since these most recent projects began? Sullivan: I think people feel proud and are starting to value the park more. They’re definitely talking about it more—I get e-mails all the time from former Memphians about the improvements. We’re in the middle of wonderful development happening within the area, and I feel like Memphians are reinvesting in the middle of the city. This puts pressure on us to keep up with the pace and with the quality of what’s going on, and I want that momentum to continue—it’s what drives our frenzied pace. RSVP: Can you share with me what activities will be taking place during Overton Park’s A Day of Merrymaking on June 8? Sullivan: Well, we’re looking for ways to do things with the Brooks Museum and its education curators, so they’re going to be at the event doing an art zone with some type of interactive arts and crafts, as will Art Center Memphis and Front Porch Art. We’ll have a music stage for the Mighty Souls Brass Band and our headliner, John Kilzer, as well as a storytelling stage, where several people, including Willy Bearden, will be telling stories. I think we’re going to have a health and fitness zone. The YMCA is hosting a kids’ zone where we’ll have kids’ games and activities. Val Russell and her aerial performance troupe, Valeria’s Wings, will be bringing in this European street fair vibe, and we’re carrying that theme throughout the event. We’ll have food trucks, and then we’ll be celebrating the one-year anniversary of the Hollywood Feed-sponsored Overton Bark, so they’ll have a huge area with a dog agility course and dog-friendly vendors. See overtonpark.org/a-day-of-merrymaking for more info.

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Interview by Kelly Cox | Photos by Steve Roberts he playroom in the Brown family’s home strikes just the right balance between whimsy and sophistication. Tucked into one corner is a turret-like “secret hideaway” complete with a child-sized access ladder and its own privacy drapes. Alongside this fanciful feature is an adult-friendly window seat with toile lumbar pillows and brass library lamps wall-mounted for reading. Custom-made, jute-colored curtains can be drawn to separate the gambrel-ceiling media room that extends from one end of the play space. A Greek keyinspired, dentil edge on the valance of these curtains, as well as broad, mint-green stripes on the playroom walls, suggest the enchantments of a circus big top…without being over the top. With three children ranging in age from teenaged to under 2 years old, it was a challenge to create a family area that is truly for the whole family. But working closely with interior designer Heidi Dawson, Jennifer Brown was able to realize a completely custom space that will accommodate the couple (which includes her husband, Stacey) and their children as they grow.

T Top: The family room has just enough whimsy to be playful without sacrificing style. The Greek key trim on the custom curtains suggests a carnival big top. A "secret nook" in the corner recalls a fairytale turret; accessed by a child-sized ladder and boasting its own drapes, this spot is perfect for giggling between best friends. Above: Separated from the family room by heavy blackout curtains, the windowless media room is a great place to chill out. Dimmable theater-style wall sconces and a commodious sofa set the mood, while a low-profile entertainment center with plenty of storage keeps clutter at bay.

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RSVP: Speaking of solutions, how did you prepare for the clutter problem? Jennifer: Storage is hidden everywhere! There are pull-out drawers under the window seat, shelves under the dust ruffle of the little secret hideaway. The closet was sort of a weird walk-in situation that we changed up so that the kids have a creativity nook, and then you open up this separate small door in the wall to access more storage. Since I have my home office in this room, I had pullout drawers made to house the printer and everything.

Heidi: It’s light and bright without being too feminine. The teal trim of the curtains ties right in with the toile, and the mint green on the walls we pulled from the fabric that we used to cover the corkboard behind Jennifer’s home-office computer. RSVP: Moving into the media room, I love these dimmable sconces on the wall. They really impart the feel of a movie theater.

RSVP: What informed your choice of fabrics and colors? Heidi: Durability was a big consideration. And, I tend to love white, but white wouldn’t have been the most sensible option over time. So we went with really natural neutrals. This is heavy linen on the window seat and armchairs—it’s the correct weight for kids jumping!

Jennifer: I know! Heidi has sold me on the idea that all lights should be dimmable. There’s tons of storage in this room too, but it’s so low-profile you hardly notice it. And, the flat-screen at eyelevel I think is really intimate and kid-friendly.

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RSVP ROOM VIEW Jennifer: These were custom-made by Jim Nabors of Fabric By The Square in Collierville. They’re very heavy, and, of course, I knew my children were likely to be swinging from them like Tarzan in the jungle, so Jim took steps to further anchor the construction at the top. On the media side, they have blackout fabric, and their weight actually blocks a lot of sound, too. They frame the space, and they’re a great solution for what could have been an awkwardshaped room.

Jennifer: I knew there would be dirty feet, but everything’s treated and maintained by Fiber-Seal of the Mid-South, so it’s not a big deal. Also, we started this project when my 3-year-old daughter was a year old. And then along came her baby brother, so we wanted a gender neutral color scheme.

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RSVP: Walking in, the curtains to the media room really set the tone and draw my eye. Tell me about them.

Left: One wall of the playroom serves as a home office for Jennifer. A corkboard covered in fashionable fabric puts the fun in functional, while twin sconces keep it bright. Above: The playroom closet was turned into a creativity nook that can be closed away when not in use. Jennifer has plans to add a mirror for playing dress-up to the children's art board and bookshelves. The giant plush giraffe is a favorite of Jennifer's toddler son. Below: Dixie, the family dog, appears to be color-coordinated with the playroom fabrics, which were chosen with an eye toward durability. The neutralhued, heavy linen upholstery is treated by Fiber-Seal of the Mid-South for easy cleaning.

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Wild World of Wine and Beer A Roaring Good Time

Corey and Ashley McCullough

Debbie and David Newsom

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ith rock band Kid Ego playing Toto’s famed ’80s song “Africa,” the vibe of the zoo’s annual Wild World of Wine and Beer benefit was definitely relaxed for this crowd of animal fanatics. Many sporting their spring ensembles for the first time this year, partygoers embraced the mild temps, as did some of the zoo’s delightful inhabitants, which came out for a special show-and-tell this night. For starters, there was an Eastern indigo snake, a hawk and a screech owl being taken throughout the courtyard by zoo staff. “Calvin” the skunk held his own on one of the silent auction tables, coincidentally next to his paw painting that resembled a cluster of flowers. While animal presenter Lindsey Bock told intrigued onlookers about the 4-year-old skunk, one noticed that lots of silent auction artwork had been created by other zoo creatures, including a sea lion brush painting by “Andrew” named “Night Swim,” a penguin footprint painting by “Nymphadora,” an elephant footprint painting courtesy of “Tyranza” and a giant panda paw painting by “Ya Ya.” Bock smiled at guests’ reactions to the one-of-a-kind selections and said, “We get creative!” Many other items were up for bids that pertained to the animal theme, but none were so unique as those that originated from the animals themselves. The fun didn’t stop with bidding though, as 35 wines and six specialty beers were up for sampling thanks to a generous donation by Southwestern Distributing. Grouped into categories by region, wines came from California and Oregon stateside and also from Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, Germany, Italy, New Zealand and Spain. Meanwhile, the brews were sourced from Brooklyn Brewery and Ghost River Brewing. To help wash down the beverages, the zoo’s own Lancer Catering provided pick-up nibbles like chips and salsa, and King Cotton Meats amassed a long line for those wanting a taste of its various flavored sausages, from Cajun smoked and King Keilbasa to original smoked and cheddar. AutoZone presented the 15th annual Wild World of Wine and Beer, an event that happens to be the zoo’s largest annual conservation fund-raiser. Proceeds help support the Conservation Action Network, which engages in local and global conservation research.

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Brad and Sarah Morris

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George and Kelly Methvin with Kristin and Michael New

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David Branch and Jill Maybry

Alan and Joy Adams

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Ave Maria Silent Auction and Concert Series

GreenShoe Gala

Josephine Circle Luncheon and Fashion Show

Paws for Art

Ave Maria held its 12th annual Silent Auction and Concert Series at the Siena Performing Arts Center at St. Agnes Academy. Country legend Crystal Gayle was this year’s performer, with more than 300 fans pouring into the building for a chance to hear the award-winning singer and raise funds for the residents of Ave Maria Home. Prior to the concert, guests sipped on spirits and munched on heavy hors d’oeuvres provided by the St. Francis of Assisi’s Knights of Columbus, which included shrimp cocktail and tortellini kabobs among the delicious fare. The silent auction was also well under way as partygoers bid on a plethora of exciting items such as a FedEx fight simulator session, artwork by Rena Chiozza, painted wine glasses decorated by Ave Maria residents and U of M football season passes, to name a few. Some items up for grabs in the live auction were a purse of cash filled with more than $300, a one-week stay in Sandestin worth some $1,200 and a genuine Amish quilt. Although, nothing could quite top the excitement of Crystal Gayle entering the small auditorium, sweeping the floor with her iconic long hair and sparkling under the stage lights in her glittery ensemble while remarking that it’s “so wonderful that you have a community that comes together and makes things happen.” The petite singer’s large voice had people shaking and grooving in their seats all night long. More than $78,000 was raised for Ave Maria residents.

Having one of the most beautiful parks in the country at your disposal makes it easy to throw a party, and that is just what Shelby Farms Park Conservancy did with its annual GreenShoe Gala. Set up against the backdrop of a setting sun over thousands of acres of stunning land, the green-tie optional event encouraged everyone to wear their best green spring attire. With the Memphis weather cooperating for once, many took their cocktails outside to enjoy the pleasant weather and magnificent view, while others mingled inside and took a moment to place their bids on the silent auction offerings. Laura Adams, the conservancy’s executive director, proudly noted that what made this event so special was the fact that “it’s happy memories, happy people, for a very special cause.” More than 165 attendees enjoyed a three-course dinner made by Jimmy Gentry’s Paradox Cuisine that included smoked duck, seared tuna, beef tenderloin and a dessert of either chocolate-chocolate macaroons or a white chocolate crémeux. Ken Kincaid of 98.9 FM emceed, and Andy Childs provided the night’s entertainment.

For 90 years, the Josephine Circle has been helping young people in the community by financing up to 15 interest-free college loans per semester and awarding scholarships, and in order to help do this, the nonprofit hosts the annual Josephine Circle Luncheon and Fashion Show. Josephine’s only fund-raiser for the year, the event draws upwards of 600 attendees year in and year out to see the latest chic ensembles and looks from the boutiques of Laurelwood Shopping Center, a perennial sponsor. This year, the event was held at Hilton Memphis and seemed particularly “star-studded” with its tribute to the movie Casablanca and “As Time Goes By” for a theme. Before the runway show launched however, guests took in the sights at the numerous silent auction tables, which were open a couple of hours before the lunch part of the program. Event proceeds help Josephine stay true to its mission of “keeping the lamp of knowledge shining brightly.”

The Human Society of Memphis & Shelby County held its Paws for Art reception and live auction in Suite 6 of The Shops of Saddle Creek. Featuring artwork from local artists as well as some very special pieces created by the Humane Society’s “animal artists,” this exceptional event helps the Humane Society raise funds for the center to go toward things like a safe place for animals to recover, nutritious food and veterinary care for hundreds of abused, abandoned and injured animals. Housing an average of 300 animals at a time at the Humane Society’s center, the funds generated will also help facilitate successful adoptions for the animals. Guests enjoyed a large selection of beer and wine and delicious food from Ciao Bella while they made some hard decisions about which pieces to take home with them. As the live auction began, attendees put their money down on several unique pieces, and seeing as more than $6,000 was raised alone from the 50 guests in attendance, everyone went home with something they loved. The knowledge that all the money went to our furry Memphis friends made every art selection that much more special.

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Debbie Newsom, Jonathan Steenerson and Leah Walker Jen Andrews and Rashana Lincoln

Pat Massengill and Kelley Morice

Skeet Haag, Crystal Gayle and Frank Gattuso

Misty Tapp and Sonya Cochran

Iris Coetzee, Jeanette Coetzee and Willie Brooks

Elaine Levine and Bari Eiseman

K.C. Griffin and Kaisa Marshall with “Annie”

Steak N’ Burger Dinner

Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary Founders’ Day Luncheon

Women Against MS Luncheon

U of M Tigers Men’s Basketball Banquet

Though other Boys & Girls Clubs across the country host the popular Steak N’ Burger Dinner fundraiser, the ingenious concept where kids eat steaks while adults dine on hamburgers originated with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Memphis back in 1972. Having raised more than $6 million locally since its inception, the dinner always attracts notable philanthropists, who are encouraged to interact with those the BGCM serves during the dinner. This year, Markova Reed of News Channel 3 emceed the affair, while Florida State University’s legendary football coach Bobby Bowden was the featured guest. Youth of the Year were honored during the festivities at Minglewood Hall, with Tavina Malone announced as the 2013 winner. Guests also recognized many of those currently in the chapter’s Technical Training Center program, as members like Brieanna Neely and Dimitra Golliday served Italian bruschetta they learned to make at the center during the VIP hour in the 1884 Lounge.

Patricia Barnes, the talented founder of Sister Schubert’s Homemade Rolls, enchanted nearly 400 members and guests of the Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary Founders’ Day Luncheon with her inspirational story behind her bread empire, which produces about nine million rolls a day. She was even on hand before the luncheon began at the U of M Holiday Inn to sign copies of her second cookbook, Cast Your Bread Upon the Waters. Auxiliary member Judy Sisk pointed out that $5 from every sale of the book will go toward the Salvation Army, with the remainder of proceeds to benefit Sasha’s Home, a Ukrainian orphanage that the Barnes Family Foundation helped establish. Emcee Marybeth Conley of News Channel 3 put Barnes’ charitable efforts best when she said, “Today’s speaker reflects the spirit of rising to serve.” “Rising to Serve” happened to be the motto for the event, an occasion that also highlighted two SALLIE (Service and Love Lasting in Eternity) winners with Libby Pritchard and Carol Wolf.

For a seventh year, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society MidSouth Chapter offered guests of the Women Against MS Luncheon a familiar sight with beautifully decorated cakes at each table. Donated by area bakeries and restaurants, the cakes have been a popular feature at this luncheon, as has been the Vendor Alley, set up an hour before the event commences at the U of M Holiday Inn for patrons to peruse items like U.S.made purses from Kindred Spirit Style in Cooper-Young and ultimate veggie dips and easy-made cookies from Rosemark Easy Meals. Live auction goodies, including a Florida vacation rental and U of M memorabilia, were up for grabs as well, the latter item befitting of the fund-raiser since Melissa McFerrin, U of M’s Women’s Basketball coach, served as the special guest speaker. Marybeth Conley of News Channel 3 held court as the emcee of the affair, which included a fashion show sponsored by the Shops of Saddle Creek.

The luminaries of local college sports were shining brightly at the 2013 U of M Tigers Men’s Basketball Banquet, which was sold out again this year. The event kicked off at the U of M Holiday Inn starting with a reception that included a meet and greet with the players and music of the brass section of the school’s marching band, the Mighty Sound of the South Marching Band. Master of ceremonies Dave Woloshin, who has been the voice for the Tigers for a decade, introduced the players before dinner was served, and afterward, Coach Josh Pastner delivered a speech and players shared highlights of the winning season. The Memphis Tigers Rebounders Basketball Club sponsored this fund-raiser for the U of M Men’s Basketball program.

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Dr. Barry Phillips, Harold Byrd, Josh Pastner and Bobbie Byrd

Brieanna Neely, Jason King and Dimitra Golliday Patricia Barnes and Hilda Mullen

Rebecca DeRousse, Sherry Bramucci, Marybeth Conley and Michelle Collis

Judy and Leland Gupton

Janice Penny and Judy Sisk

Kelly Benson, Lauren Phillips and Jillian Szymanski

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Steve White, Jake McRae, Charles Griffin, Fred Smith and Zac McRae

Gail Mitchell, Pat Sexton and Mary Ellen Chase

Laurel Lee and Shannon Wray

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Star and Matt Hawks

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Regina Dickerson and Tanieka Carter

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Sarah Hasher and Darmon Dotson

emphis Fashion Weekend had a strong showing its second year due to more designer collections to present, official Saturday boutique events and two additional parties, with the Memphis Fashion Week Preview Party helping kick off the whole shebang. Held at the popular Alchemy Memphis restaurant in Cooper-Young, the party attracted a host of VIP ticket holders, models, fashion-forward Memphians, stylists and designers, including those nationally known like Annie Griffin and Hilton Hollis, in addition to several involved in the Emerging Memphis Designer Project, like Regina Dickerson, Sarah Hascher, Star Hawks, Jobe 88 (Nick Hall and Aharon Thomas) and Karen Krog. To get guests in the spirit of MFW, Alchemy concocted a signature drink—the Alchemy Fashion Week Cocktail made of blueberry puree, fresh lemon juice, cane sugar and a choice of either rum or vodka—and also poured Bellinis of partygoers’ choice, with mango, strawberry, peach or pear for options. Bow tie entrepreneur Moziah Bridges might have been too young to try the beverages, but he more than gladly showed off his custom Mo’s Bows neckwear creations during the party, even donning a red and white gingham bow tie himself to complement his blue seersucker blazer. Asked where he got his trendy wood frames, Bridges said that Eclectic Eye had loaned them for the occasion. Some of the models, who stood as still as statues atop podiums, also sported trendy eyewear from Eclectic Eye, a MFW sponsor alongside retailers that included Heather Cosmetics, Kittie Kyle, Lavish Boutique, Oak Hall and Southern Couture. Credited for creating MFW to help facilitate the growth of the fashion industry in Memphis, Abby Phillips serves as director of the event and was on hand during the preview party to welcome old and new faces alike and to introduce them to established and upand-coming designers. Happy about the turn-out despite the threat of rain outside, Phillips mentioned that all the runway shows, which took place the following night at the Cadre Building and on Saturday at Memphis College of Art’s Rust Hall, were already sold out. Elizabeth Rouse, the chief operating officer at ArtsMemphis, attended each of the MFW gatherings as well to thank guests for making a difference in artists’ lives through their support of MFW, which gave a portion of proceeds to both ArtsMemphis and the Emerging Memphis Designer Project, a program that afforded 14 local designers the opportunity to see their looks modeled on the catwalk at Friday night’s show. Fashionable giving is the new cool, so stay tuned for next year’s MFW by checking out memphisfashionweekend.com.

Farrah Kyle, Brandee Loving, Keri Jamison and Katy Murphy

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Hitting the Catwalk for Charity

MEMPHIS FASHION WEEKEND PREVIEW PARTY

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Memphis Fashion Weekend Preview Party

Hilton Hollis and Terri Murphy

EVENT MEMPHIS FASHION WEEKEND PREVIEW PARTY J U N E 2 013

Joanna Weaver and Peggy Weaver

Nina Versnel and Beth Elzemeyer

Cheryl Smith and Jessica Smith

Dana Webb and Shally Pender

Chad Johnson and Jazmine Settle

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Betsy Rudorfer and Sara Harrison

Kacy Maxwell and Traci Hamersen

Annie Griffin and Shibahn Singh

Renea Medlin and Stephanie Stroupe

Lauren Carlson and Maggie Carlson

Kim Galloway and Laioya Nash

EVENT Kenyona Chaney and Shanette Renea

Jeff Elzemeyer with Nancy and Joe Finch

Madison Miller and Adair Smith

Camille Tull and Brittany Jones

MEMPHIS FASHION WEEKEND PREVIEW PARTY

Elly Deyhle and Mark Awdeh

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Hunter Boros, Carly Boros and Kristen Miller

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Caroline Cremerius, Lea Patterson, Tina Patterson and Alexis Cremerius

Nick Hall, Aharon Thomas and Jonathan Underwood

Dominique Chaney, Michael Lopez and Tramica Morris

Danielle Carr and Karen Krog

Isabelle Blais and Morgan Sanko

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BIRTHRIGHT OF MEMPHIS GALA

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Birthright of Memphis Gala “Passport to Mexico”

I Noreen and Jim Sdoia

Jessica Hardesty and Vicki Hardesty

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t wasn’t yet time for Cinco de Mayo, but organizers of this year’s “Passport to Mexico—Experience the Fiesta!” just couldn’t wait another month. The annual gala benefiting Birthright of Memphis brought the flair of hot sauce, tortillas and cha-cha-cha to a north of the border crowd in mid-April. About 200 guests made their way on a sunny evening to The Great Hall and Conference Center in the heart of Germantown to enjoy Latin food, drink and dance. Most wore colorful casuals in reds, blues and bright prints, though some donned business suits for the evening. Inside the venue, hot summery colors flowed freely throughout the decorated room, with anything that would stand still decked out in turquoise, gold, hot pink, lime and lavender. Partygoers took in the sight while perusing tables of silent auction items, including tempting treasures like jewelry, wine and spirits, original art, luggage, toys and vacation packages, such as a one-week stay at Pickwick Pines Resort. As for the dinner tables, they were laid with white linens and towering centerpieces of colorful daisies, which sprouted from the tops of wine bottle and dipping sauces. An equally exciting live auction followed a buffet style dinner of Mexican favorites, catered by Salsa Cocina Mexicana restaurant, with plenty of cerveza alongside. But by that time, guests were ready for the evening’s headliners, Fred Astaire Dance Studio, to take the floor for intricate footwork of their best salsa dancing. Feet were tapping under the tables throughout, and cries of “Olé!” were common. The festivities settled briefly for recognition of volunteers like Lisa David and Eugenie Nickell, whose tireless work the past year has supported Birthright’s mission to “provide non-judgmental support to girls and women who are distressed by an unplanned pregnancy.” The crowning moment though arrived when one lucky guest won an Andréa Candela diamond bracelet from James Gattas Jewelers. It’s not every day that one of those falls out of a piñata!

Tee Gonda and Lisa David

Eugenie and Art Nickell

Story by Jonathan Devin Photos by Baxter Buck See all the party photos at rsvpmagazine.com Password: RSVP Mary and Bob Shearin

Jose Ibarra Jr. and Karen Ibarra

Cathy Booth and David Massey

Jerry and Marietta Murphy with Bill and Jessica Fredrick

Mary and Alan Gho

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Kathie Heirigs, Terry Heirigs and Sharon Fowler

BIRTHRIGHT OF MEMPHIS GALA

Elizabeth Bardos and Scott Hamblen

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Rachael D’Addabbo and Sarah D’Addabbo

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Monsignor Victor Ciaramitaro and Reba David

Tom and Virginia Scherer

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Mark and Diane Griffin

Ann and Jim Ammons

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Deacon Jeff Drzycimski and Beth Drzycimski

Peter and Mary Anne Giannini

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Promise Ball

PROMISE BALL

“Rolling Out the Red Carpet for a Cure”

Nicole and Landon Williams

Bill and Jaymie Salley

Dr. Kishore Arcot and Uma Arcot

Kemp and Anne Conrad

Simone Golden, Kenny McCain, Kendall Kinler and Hannah Williams

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Mark and Leigh Guthrie

Jeff and Stacey LaRusso

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Austin and Page Baker

uests at the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation’s 2013 Promise Ball stepped off the escalator on the bottom floor of Hilton Memphis right onto the red carpet. A faux brick wall that led to the registration table was plastered with marquee-style posters, which continued the Hollywood theme of “Rolling Out the Red Carpet for a Cure.” Elegantly clad young people, all diagnosed with juvenile diabetes, directed guests toward the silent auction. The Southeast Ballroom was filled to the rafters with items, so many that they were divided into categories that included “Just for Her,” “Just for Him,” “Just for Kids,” “Dining” and “Sports and Fitness,” and as guests mixed and mingled before dinner, Chuck Stewart played a grand piano outside the main ballroom. Throughout the venue, black and white posters decorated the walls, which featured some of those with juvenile diabetes dressed as 20th century movie stars and celebrities. Of course, one was photographed as Elvis, while others played look-alikes for Dorothy Dandridge, Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Rita Hayworth, John Wayne and a dozen more famous faces. Inside the main ballroom, the band Y’allternative entertained guests before a video played that was made by FOX13 TV personality Darrell Greene, who acted as emcee. He has type 1 diabetes, and in the video, he described the challenges of living with the disease. As guests started their meals with a salad, John and Judy Aiken, chairs of this year’s Promise Ball, were announced, and John crooned “The Greatest Love” as the couple made their way to the stage. The record crowd of more than 400 people enjoyed a dinner of pepper-crusted beef tenderloin and cumin-scented tilapia with tomato sage relish, roasted potato hash and a vegetable panache. A dessert trio of chocolate-covered berries, cappuccino panna cotta and lemon mousse tart completed the meal. A live auction followed dinner, and by the time the night was over, JDRF had raised more than $320,000. Charles and Barbara Salvaggio were presented as the 2013 Living and Giving Award recipients, and special entertainment was provided by Breyannah Tillman and Kortni Washburn, who performed as the JDRF West Tennessee Youth Ambassadors and came out holding signs displaying messages of hope for a cure. One girl held a sign that read “So no one else has to lose a best friend to type 1 diabetes,” which brought tears to the eyes of many. Story by Suzanne Thompson Photos by Don Perry See all the party photos at rsvpmagazine.com Password: RSVP

Gina and Matt Weathersby

EVENT PROMISE BALL

Joshua Boss and Ariel Parker

Blake Hughes and Catrina Curtis

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Anthony and Nikki Travis

David and Beth Pickler

Dan and Darlene Culhane

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Al and Sally Perry

Hallie Ross and Janet Callicott

Elizabeth Griffin and Dena Dourisseau

Stacey and Darrell Green

Brandon and Kate Bogard

Elizabeth and James McIngvale

EVENT PROMISE BALL Kashif Latif and Zoya Latif

Lloyd and Shannon Finks with Valerie and Greg Smith

Barry and Susan Norton

Beth and Gray Carter

Tish Pembroke, Tobi Merschat and Sara Coates

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Samantha Tweddell and John Pellicciotti

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Roberta and Jim Hefley with Mary Stewart

Tony and Vickie Smith

Brian and Kim Brown

David and Ginny Szalay with Melissa and Jason Manuel

Amy Golden, Ashley Chiozza and Lauren Glassman Stimac

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Al and Jan Lyons

Chris Chu and Amanda Vann

Charlie and Annie Bechtel

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Ashley and Raymond Ford

Bob and Gail Churinetz with Summer and Cecil Godman

Dr. Nick Gavrizi with Whitney and Grant Joiner

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Raymond and Jackie Clift

Nick and Jenny Vergos

Donna and Kyle Hosp with Valerie Caden and Will Freeman

Sisa Wang, Angela Harrington, Charles Cashion and Patti Cherry-Cashion

Mark Parker and Annabeth Cavaneau with Courtney and Bryan Smith

Forget-Me-Not Trivia Night

Grand Krewe of Ptolemy Coronation

Royal Society of Queen Bees Wine and Cheese Party

“Taste of the Season”

Though Halloween is a long way off, many of the 300 participants at the eighth annual Forget-MeNot-Trivia Night dressed up to compete, some taking a cue from the “A Night at the Movies” theme. The event, held at Christian Brothers High School’s Heffernan Hall, benefited Alzheimer’s Day Services. Because it began early in the evening, members of some teams brought a picnic supper, and pizza was available for purchase. To sweeten the night, homemade desserts were for sale, and those who purchased individual pieces were sent away with slabs of cake and wedges of pie. Brother Ignatius Brown emceed, or “directed,” the competition, which was fittingly sponsored by Malco Theatres.

The Grand Krewe of Ptolemy, one of the 10 Grand Krewes of Carnival Memphis, held its coronation ball at the University Club, and although it was a stormy night, the spirits of the partiers were not dampened. King Sorter XIII, Ricky Harris, and Queen Cleo XIV, Vickie Moffett, were presented Carnival-style, complete with proclamations from both the county and city mayors. After the ceremony, revelers hit the dance floor and danced the night away to the tunes of Super 5.

Sheffield Antiques Mall in Collierville was abuzz with activity during a party thrown by the Royal Society of the Queen Bees. The group was formed in 1998, and members are all past and present queens of Carnival Memphis and its 10 Grand Kewes. The Queen Bees provided hors d’oeuvres, wine and beer, and mall owners threw in frozen margaritas. To add to the fun, those who found a yellow card somewhere in the mammoth space, which boasts row after row of antiques and collectibles, won a door prize.

The Germantown Community Theatre announced its new season with a wine tasting and entertainment benefit. Termed “Taste of the Season,” the evening incorporated both a sneak-peek and a contest where each wine station featured a character from an upcoming play who offered clues to that play’s title, which could be guessed for prizes. For example, Nichol Pritchard appeared in character as an airline stewardess where a Napa Valley red blend called “High Flyer” was being poured and offered clues aimed at revealing the title “Boeing Boeing.” This season, each of the plays being performed has either been taken from a motion picture or made into one. Seven tasting stations in all led theater-going oenophiles ultimately right up onto the stage, where the prosecco was as dazzling as the spotlights. Later, the evening’s previews combined movie clips with live action for a dynamic experience.

Story and Photos by Suzanne Thompson Story and Photos by Suzanne Thompson

Story and Photos by Suzanne Thompson

Micah and Ruthie Layman with Dr. Greta Coger Ricky Harris and Vickie Moffett

Ken Cope and Martha Flowers

Rocky Janda, Mayor Sharon Goldsworthy and Brent Davis

Rachael Simmons, Sara Rogers, Caroline Jones, Ashley Riney and Marjorie Porter

Bill and Patti O'Flaherty

Cindy Collier, David Gillespie and Willa Hunt Walker Stahnke and A.J. Northrop

Mary Stewart, Kelly Acree, Tiffany Brimhall and Chuck Stewart

Cindy Middleton, Ed Stevens and Nancy

Dianne Rhea and Lisa King Jackie Flaum, Jon W. Sparks and David

Elizabeth Winn, John Pellicciotti, Susan Crowson, Linda Gattas, Beth Owen and Bobbie Shanks

Clay Anderson and Jennifer Walker

Judith Johnson, Tony Kelly, Cynthia Talley and Steve White

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Story and Photos by Kelly Cox

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JoAnn and Al Walton

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Art for Art’s Sake Auction

NEXUS Leadership Luncheon

Lifeblood Awards Luncheon

Women of Achievement Awards

It was a beautiful day in the neighborhood as residents, friends and fans of Cooper-Young streamed into Young Avenue Deli for the annual Art for Art’s Sake Auction. An extensive silent auction boasted goodies from homegrown businesses that included Stone Soup, Sweetgrass and Goner Records. Meanwhile, live bidding on work by featured artist Karen “Bottle” Capps, Alex Warble, Mollie Riggs and others was anything but silent, as auctioneer Ric Chetter managed the cheerfully raucous competition. The unique character of CooperYoung has long made it a beloved neighborhood and an increasingly popular destination. Proceeds from the auction benefited Cooper-Young beautification efforts, including the Trestle Solar Project. This project will green up the signature Cooper Street trestle-mounted sculpture that serves as an unofficial gateway to the neighborhood by replacing the existing lighting system with solar-powered LED bulbs.

The Memphis Mentoring Awards were announced earlier this year during the fourth annual NEXUS Leadership Luncheon at Second Presbyterian Church. Bill Courtney, entrepreneur and star of the Academy Award-winning documentary Undefeated, served as the keynote speaker for the affair, during which the following award recipients were announced: Girls, Inc.-Outstanding Mentoring Organization/ Nonprofit; Renardo Baker-Outstanding Male Mentor; Kimberly Grantham-Outstanding Female Mentor; and Sally Pace and Jonathan Watkins-Outstanding NEXUS Mentors. Since 2003, NEXUS continues to strive to bring forth principle-centered leaders by offering monthly mentoring and interactive teaching sessions.

Organizations, corporations and individuals were recognized for their voluntary efforts in 2012 to promote and support blood donation in the community as part of the fourth annual Lifeblood Awards Luncheon. Todd Demers of News Channel 3 emceed the luncheon held at Hilton Memphis, while Karen Carter, a national spokesperson for America’s Blood Centers whose life was forever changed when her daughter was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer and relied on her community’s donations of blood components to survive, served as the keynote speaker. Winners in the Group of the Year categories included the following: International Paper-Corporate; Concorde Career CollegeEducation; Temple Israel-Faithbased; MLGW North Service Center-Government; Baptist Memorial Hospital–MemphisHealthcare; University of Memphis-Newcomer of the Year; Bob Bryant of Johnson & Johnson Health Care Systems-Richard “Dick” Benson Community Service Award; Baptist Memorial Health Care CorporationLifesaver of the Year; and Norma Oliver of Brown Missionary Baptist Church-Volunteer of the Year.

The 2013 Women of Achievement Awards celebrated National Women’s History Month in March at the U of M Holiday Inn. Shelby County District Attorney General Amy Weirich hosted the 29th annual awards reception on March 3. Honorees for 2013 were the following: Dr. Jane WaltersSteadfastness; Judy WimmerVision; Karla Davis-Initiative; Chelsea Boozer-Courage; Felica Richard-Determination; and Susanne Scruggs-Heritage. Deborah Clubb is president and a founder of Women of Achievement, which was created in 1984 to honor the “extraordinary women who have made Memphis and Shelby County better through their lives and accomplishments.” The next Women of Achievement Awards will be the 30th anniversary reception on March 30, 2014! Mark your calendar now for this historic event, and visit womenofachievement.org for further details.

Story and Photos Submitted

Story Submitted Photos by Andrea Zucker

Story and Photos by Kelly Cox

Deborah Harrison and James Armfield Karen Carter and Todd Demers Josephine and Ric Chetter

Heather Hunt and Jonathan Watkins Kelly Terry and Larry Hilbun

(Back) Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich, Elizabeth Dang, Modeane Thompson, Dr. Phyllis Betts, Judge Paulette Delk, Summer Owens, Lori Spicer Robertson and Deborah Clubb; (Front) Jane Walters, Judy Wimmer, Karla Davis, Chelsea Boozer and Felica Richard

Dan Spector and Mollie Riggs

Ron Kirkpatrick, Judy Vandergrift and Pat Primrose

Jeni Stephens, Sally Pace and Amy Beth Dudley

Keith Hughes and June Kendall

Dr. Lisa Jennings and Jocie Wurzburg

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1 Dispose of 17 6 What children learn 10 Expression of surprise 13 God 24 15 Dried-up 29 16 Knock off 32 17 Roman emperor 35 18 Supplication 19 Communication Workers of 44 45 America (abr.) 49 20 Chilled 22 Fedora (2 wds.) 52 24 Greg, Peterʼs and 56 Bobbyʼs dad 63 26 American Association of 66 Retired Persons (abbr.) 28 Employ 29 Common womanʼs name 30 Pa to Opie 31 Mr. Flinstone and Mr. Sanford 32 Imp 33 Slaps 34 Romance 35 Contains to oxygen 37 Leaf used for pies 41 Time zone 42 Wild pig 43 Color

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AFTER HOURS

After Hours A photo collage of the latest business happenings RS Antiques Grand Opening

Mimi Taylor, Semmes Humphreys and Heather Ann James

Jayne Frank and Dr. Robin Stevenson

George Klein Appreciation Day at Bud Davis Cadillac

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Photo by Jim McCarter

Pink Door and Tri-Delta Benefit for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

George Klein and Mayor A C Wharton

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64 Shannon Feamster, Samantha Sefton, Caroline Reel and Alexandra Harlan

Ray “Nain” Pressgrove, Kim Koehler and Scott Farrar

Laser Aesthetics Open House

Southern Grace Grand Opening

George Klein, Bobby Cline, Raneal Cline and Jeff Waddell Mike and Martina Ashmore

Kasey Acuff and Jennifer Pittman

Shannon Smith, Liz Wiedeman and Jessica Wright

Beth Condy and Dr. Martha Sanford

Rosie Crawford, Paul Smith, Kay Smith, Ted Beasley, Doris Beasley and Susan and Willie Hollinger

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By Dennis Phillippi

exactly one movie that was not in 3-D, and that was because my nephew and I misread the paper and got to Spider-Man too late to see it in 3-D. Boy, it would’ve been a lot better in 3-D. I had heard about, but never seen, movies that weren’t shot in 3-D having the effect added on after shooting, and had heard that it was a less than satisfactory experience. Then, the nephew and I went to see Jurassic Park in 3-D. Holey magoley. Both of us had seen the dinotastic relic more times than we could count, but seeing it in the new 3-D made for a completely new experience. This movie, fully 20

Trying to use the flimsy strip of cardboard that comprised the 3-D apparatus over my massive spectacles was akin to trying to cover a middleaged man with a Speedo swimsuit; many have tried, but very few have succeeded. years old, was a revelation. Everything you remember about the movie is infinitely better in 3-D. Every frame was enriched remarkably. Scenes we’d seen a hundred times on TV had us jumping out of our seats all over again. For weeks after, all we could talk about was what other movies that weren’t originally in 3-D we now want to see in 3-D. Just imagine for a moment seeing Raiders in 3-D. From the opening sequence you’d be transported. Here is how the conversations went between my geek friends and me: “Oooh ooh…the giant rock rolling at you.” “No, wait, the airplane propeller…” “I’ve got it; John McClane going out the window with the fire hose wrapped around his waist.” See, just like that we devolved into the many, many movies and scenes in movies we now want to see in 3-D. That’s how all of our conversations go. But, think about it: Neo and that agent guy fighting in the subway station; Luke Skywalker’s

TIE Fighter going into the gully on the Death Star; Air Force One barely making it off the ground in Independence Day; and Superman flying out of the Fortress of Solitude the first time. The list is endless. By the way, if you’re unfamiliar with all of those references, I have no idea how you’ve made it this far into this piece. There are still plenty of good reasons not to go see movies in the theater, most of which involve other people going to theaters to see movies. Amazingly, there are still people who talk during movies. Well, not around me there aren’t, at least not for long. There are also people who don’t seem to realize that everyone behind them in the theater can see their phone when they get it out during a movie to social network that they are watching a movie in a theater. If you were at a recent afternoon showing of Iron Man 3 in 3-D, and you were looking at your phone when a loud voice rang out from 20 rows behind you telling you to put away your phone, that was me. I’d worry about admitting this in print, but the ovation I got in the theater reassures me that I needn’t worry. Oh, and I’ll tell you this: For the rest of the movie, no one got out their phone. Yes, concessions are overpriced. Yes, admission is more expensive than I ever thought I’d pay to see a movie. And, yes, the commercials we are forced to endure, even though we are paying customers, are maddening, but trust me, it is all worth it when the Hulk smashes things in glorious 3-D. The blabbermouths and armrest takers and tweeters all become meaningless when the Enterprise starts shooting photon torpedoes. At this point, I really have no interest in seeing non-3-D movies, so if the Hugh Grants and Sandra Bullocks of the world want my money, they better start making romantic comedies with lots of nifty 3-D shots in them. Honestly, I’m so hooked at this point I’d go see the 3-D rerelease of My Dinner with Andre.

Haha, we’d love to see Wallace Shawn coming at us too, maybe in The Princess Bride though instead of My Dinner with Andre. Can’t you see his Vizzini character extolling his dizzying intellect and inconceivably losing to Westley in the Battle of Wits, all in 3-D?

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hen I was a kid, there was a brief frenzy of 3-D movies hitting theaters. These were all horror movies with lots of pitchforks and other pointy things being jabbed toward the camera so that they appeared to be thrusting out of the screen. Apparently, it was a primitive but effective effect. Unfortunately, when I was a kid I wore glasses that were literally glass, with thick lenses and frames that would’ve done a cartoon owl proud. Trying to use the flimsy strip of cardboard that comprised the 3D apparatus over my massive spectacles was akin to trying to cover a middle-aged man with a Speedo swimsuit; many have tried, but very few have succeeded. It wasn’t until a couple of years ago when I went to see the unlikeliest of 3D movies, Hugo, a sweet fable of a boy living in the walls of the Paris train station in the 1920s that was directed by, of all people, Martin Scorsese, that I got to experience the new form of 3-D filmmaking, and it changed my viewing habits forever. Hugo didn’t feature explosions or people in supersuits or anybody flying. While there were plenty of vertiginous shots that took advantage of the technology, the immersion of 3-D into a realistic world was the perfect introduction to the new 3-D. This wasn’t just my first exposure to 3-D, as I took along my then 10year-old nephew to see it. During the movie, I worried that it might be too slow or too esoteric for him, but afterward he was just as staggered by the third dimension as me. If you haven’t been to see anything in 3-D since the resurgence of the format, I can’t urge you strongly enough to do so. A friend and I were discussing this the other day and both came to the conclusion that the extra money you pay for 3-D is worth every cent. In fact, we both agreed that the price for 3-D is a better value than the price of a regular old 2-D movie, largely because we are both addicted to 3-D now. Since seeing Hugo, I have seen

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WALLACE SHAWN IS COMING RIGHT AT ME

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School Days

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ith schools soon letting out for summer, Mildred Houser remembers the wonderful times she shared with her classmates at Idlewild Elementary School. Houser is pictured above in the schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fourth grade class in May of 1936. PHOTO COURTESY OF MILDRED HOUSER If you have a past photo you would like to share with RSVP readers, please contact Leah Fitzpatrick at 276-7787 ext. 105 or e-mail the photo and caption to editor@rsvpmagazine.com All photos will be returned promptly.