New blog address!

I have moved my blog - The Civilized Life in Sarasota - over to www.debbibenedict.com.  Please visit there for new blog postings.

CANDance 2013

(Editor's Note - I will be relaunching this blog on November 12 with a whole new look, publishing schedule, and added features.  Until then I will be posting sporadically on all things fabulous in Sarasota!)  

Scott George and his chairs, Jackie Rogers and Penny Hill have done it again!  Community AIDS Network's 2013 CANDance was so much fun!  Have you been before?  It really is one of the most entertaining events on the social scene.

Michael's On East ballroom was hot, hot, hot covered in red from ceiling to floor making everyone bask in a nice rosy glow.  The food was quite good ending with a big slab of chocolate cake with a yummy mousse center - the best part, I thought!

A very informative video was shown explaining that the largest increase in new AIDS patients was the senior population - information surely to pique the interest of Sarasota!  They also mentioned they would be opening a new facility in North Port to serve South County residents.

Taxi dances always fill the dance floor in the early part of the evening as "professionals and their clients" (for some reason I always got a kick every time I heard that phrase that night) swung around the dance floor to various styles of dancing, ending in a big twerking exhibition!  Please, you don't even want to know who I saw doing a little twerk!

Michael Klauber did his usual terrific job auctioneering several fun items including a trip to Napa and one to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, adding to the coffers of the evening.

Now for the main event, which was emceed by Bob Trisolini and Bob Nosal.  The celebrity dancers were L,Boutique owner LeeAnne Swor, attorney William McComb, fitness trainer Cinde Carroll, Sonnet Gallery owner Ramses Serrano, philanthropist Wendy Feinstein, Center for Sight's Dr. John Fezza, and Private Physician Services' Eve Caballero.

There were various levels of dancing, but everyone looked like they were trying very hard and put on a good show.  The sexy star of the evening was John Fezza in what looked like a little Fifty Shades of Grey performance.  As a follow-up, he did what couldn't be called anything other than a strip tease and sold his sweaty t-shirt for $1100.  That man has confidence to spare!

Eve Caballero won the "raising the most money" prize and Wendy Feinstein won the popular vote for best dancer.

Others seen were John Mason, Jim Neal and Ron Carter, Michael Zuckerberg, Ken and Peggy Abt, Cindy and Michael Cuffage, Lisa Rubinstein, Pam Daniel and George Augustin, Susan McLeod, Gloria Moss and Jim Helmich, Jim and Bev Marsh, Bill and Elle McComb, Howard Millman and Carolyn Michel, Rick Defuria, Joy Rowe, Renee Sheade, David and Yara Shoemaker, Myrna and David Band, Evan Berlin, and oh so many more.

Development Director Scott George with Dan Denton

Michael Klauber and co-chair Penny Hill

Co-chair Jackie Rogers

Major sponsor Mary Ann Robinson and David Strattard

Judy Zuckerberg and George Kole

Marv Albert and Gerri Aaron

Veronica Brady and Brent Greeno

Terry McKee, Terri Klauber, and Mike Scialdone

Gayle Guynup and Chris Voelker

Dennis Stover and Molly Schechter

Richard Day, Marsha Panuce, and Ray Peper

Charlie Ann Syprett, Rochelle Curley, and Lynette Mancuso

Walt and Deborah Beacham with Phil King

Richard Dorfman and Suzette Jones

Wendy Feinstein

Lauren Walsh and Carol Phillips

The centerpiece

The salad

The dessert

A summer break...

Just a quick note to let you all know I am on a summer break and will resume posting on Oct. 1.  I am going to refine the blog just a bit and launch some new features.  In the meantime, here are a few photos from our summer on my husband's family farm in Michigan:

Our entire family at our niece's wedding on a freezing summer day

With my grandson, Brodie, at the Gilmore Car Museum during our annual Nana Day

My  husband, Jan, showing our granddaughter, Marina, how to drive the riding lawn mower

Moi on the porch of Oakhill, which was featured on the Marshall MI Garden Tour

Another garden on the Marshall Garden Tour, my favorite event of the summer

Community Video Archives' Hall of Fame Luncheon

Four dedicated, fun, and inspiring honorees composed the inductions to this year's Community Video Archives' (CVA) Hall of Fame.  The luncheon, held at Michael's On East, is always a must-attend on the Sarasota social calendar, so of course, I was there!

Chris Pfahler chaired the event for the seventh (!) time and Judy Fiala was once again the emcee.  The grande dame of the day though was CVA president and founder, Annette Scherman.  What a wonderful gift she has given the community by producing this treasure trove of local history.  She mentioned at the luncheon that there have been over 16,000 borrowings for CVA videos over the years.

Isabel Norton, a long-time community volunteer, Nate Jacobs, founder and artistic director of Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, Janice Zarro, Women's Resource Center's Executive Director, and Charlie Huisking,  retired from a long career as the arts and entertainment writer for the Herald Tribune, were the the 2013 class of inductees.  Of course, these brief descriptions are just the tip of the iceberg of the accomplishments of these four.  Each one has been a true leader in our community for many, many years and I am honored to be friends with most of them.

I love to see the video snippets of each inductee.  The childhood photos especially are usually "ahhh" inducing and usually the teenage photos are good for a little chuckle, as hairstyles are always, ahem, interesting!

One of the best things about this luncheon is that it always runs on time.  You are in and out within an hour, but it does not feel rushed.  If you have a flexible schedule, there is also plenty of time afterwards to mix and mingle, as most stay around and chat for at least another hour.

Others seen in the crowd were Lydia McIntire, Gayle Guynup, Larry Thompson, Wendy Resnick, Richard Storm, Renee Pastor, Eva Slane, Roberta Hamilton, Beth Knopik, Pam Truitt, John Horne, Dr. Donal O'Shea, Roberta MacDonald, Bob Turoff, Robin Serbin, Lee Peterson, Susan Featherman, Betsy Kane Hartnett, Kim Githler, Laurey Stryker, Carolyn Spizzirro, Audrey Coleman, Anne Garlington, Marjorie Peter, Betsy Bagby, Dr. Henry Porter, Mary Anne Servian, Iain Webb, Barbara Zdravecky, Nancy Roucher, Scott Atkins, Flori Roberts, Roxanne Joffe, Karin Gustafson, Michael Saunders, Ron and Rita Greenbaum, and oh so many hundreds more.

Annette Scherman and husband, Bob Drohlich

Judy Cuppy, Janice Zarro, Carol Green

Nate Jacobs (with Betty Schoenbaum on the side!)

Helen McBean and Charlie Huisking

Isabel and Randy Norton

Joel Ellzey and Sally Schule, with Jane Smiley, seated

Kim Wheeler, Heather Clark, and Jennifer Guendjoian

Kimberly Bleach, Susan Buck, and Paul Hudson

Sen. Bob Johnson and Dennis Stover

Dannie Sherrill, Phil Delaney, and Laura Spencer

Shirley and Jim Ritchey with Dorothy Stuart

Renee Hamad and Phil King

Deb Knowles, Susan Jones, and Margaret Wise

Art Wood and Sarah Pappas

Kay Kipling, Pam Daniel, and Ilene Denton

Roxie Jerde and Alice Rau

Tom and Annette Dignam

Peggy Wilhelm and Barbara Collins

Hillary Steele and Scott Anderson with Debbie and Larry Haspel

Pedro Reis and Dolly Jacobs Reis

Christine Jennings, Julie Leach, and Will Little

Debra Jacobs and Marjorie North

Merry and Stan Williams

Veronica Brady, Lisa Rubinstein, and Bruce Rodgers

Wendy Surkis and Lois Stulberg

Brad Baker and Sandra Terry

Linda DesMarais and Carolyn Michel

Joan Kindred, Victoria Brown, and Linda Higginbotham

Moi and Kelley Lavin

The centerpiece

The entree with a pile of chicken hidden underneath the salad leaves

The dessert, some kind of toffee mousse - one of my favorites at MOE