PEACH WEEKENDER | AROUND TOWN

Local events put spotlight on France

7/5/2018

Co-chairmen, Susan Park, left, and Kim Kaplan, right, pose for a portrait during the Summer In Paris event at the Inverness Club on Tuesday, June 19, 2018. The Summer In Paris five course French gourmet dinner is to benefit Leading Families Home.

The Blade/Samantha Madar
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French culture was featured for a few recent soirees.

WHITE was the preferred attire for Summer in Paris 2018 presented by Leading Families Home at Inverness Club. The event is always in sync with the worldwide Diner en Blanc of upscale wine and food in celebration of the start of summer in Paris. White flowers by Beautiful Blooms by Jen decorated the affair which started with Champagne and hors d'oeuvres, as the 110 guests shopped the silent auction. The all white five-course dinner with wines to match by Heidelberg Distributing Co. followed. The menu, in French and English, included celery root chips, fontina fondue, goat cheese tartlets, parsnip soup with caviar, and sea bass.

Almond sorbet with candied orange zest, vanilla sponge cake and wine-soaked white raisins with wildflower honey was served during the live auction by Jim Heller. Items included a Key West package, his and her Versace watches, a Put-in-Bay package, a stay in Peter and Valerie Garforth's Brussels apartment, and a white gold and diamond necklace from Barrow's Jewelers.

An estimated $45,000 was raised, according to event chairmen Kim Kaplan and Susan Park. They were assisted by Amanda Beauregard, Taylor Gibbs, Drew Masse, Joe Rosenberg, Anne Urfer, and others.

Thanks go to the guests, who paid $95 each to attend, and sponsors Savage & Associates, Keith and Kathy Tuttle, PNC Bank, Shrader Tire & Oil, Lucas Productions, Marvin Johnson and Associates Inc., K-Limited, Carpenter Assoc Inc., Telesystem. and many more.

Leading Families Home is the combined forces of Beach House and FOCUS to support independence through the transition of households from homelessness to permanent housing through rapid rehousing, education, and employment.

L’ALLIANCE Française de Toledo's 51st annual Dinner Toledo at Sylvania Country Club celebrated its attachment to French culture. Guillaume Lacroix, the general consul of France, was the keynote speaker. It was his first visit to northwest Ohio, and he said he was pleasantly surprised by how welcoming the community had been.

“When it comes to culture and values, the United States and France have stood together for a long time.” Mr. Lacroix said. Noting the commonalities between France and northwest Ohio, he was impressed while visiting with Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz. After such a wonderful visit, Mr. Lacroix said he plans to come back very soon.

While visiting Toledo, the consul general also met with Brian Kennedy, Toledo Museum of Art’s director; Adam Fineske, Sylvania Schools superintendent, and Vicki Donovan Lyle of the Sylvania Schools board of education.

Then Mr. Lacroix drew the winning raffle tickets. Joyce Blanton won the grand prize: two round trip tickets to Paris with two one-week passes to metro and cultural events.

Sponsors included business leaders including Bob Howell of SSOE Group and his wife Barrie, Steve Schult of Gilmore Jasion Mahler and his wife Diane, Renee Goubeaux of the Trust Co. of Toledo, George Hall of TIAMA, and Tom Mackin, Perrysburg mayor.

Several University of Toledo professors also attended, including Frank Calzonetti, vice president of research, and his wife JoAnn; Ruth Hottell, retired chairman of the world languages and cultures department and professor of French; Linda Rouillard, new chairman of the world languages and cultures department, and Thomas Bridgeman, professor of ecology and director of Lake Erie Research Center.

Bravo to Elizabeth Dupuy, Alliance president, and her committee for organizing the event.

Proceeds will be used for scholarships.

Contact her at bhendel@theblade.com or call 419-724-6124.