AROUND TOWN

Parties kick off opera season

9/19/2013
BY BARBARA HENDEL
BLADE SOCIETY EDITOR
  • Kelli-Andres-co-hos

    Kelli Andres, co-host, Chrys Peterson, news anchor at WTOL News 11, and Liz Allen, co-host, at the third annual Confections for the Cure event.

    THE BLADE/BARBARA HENDELL
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    • Unknow man, Sandra Sauder, event chairman, and the Queen of Hearts aka Jenny Creswell an opera singer.
    Unknow man, Sandra Sauder, event chairman, and the Queen of Hearts aka Jenny Creswell an opera singer.

    THE MAD Hatter Party with the Cheshire Cat is slated for Nov. 9 at the Toledo Club. It promises to be a zany evening of fun, food, music, and laughter. Costumes are welcomed and encouraged, but not mandatory.

    The event was announced during a preview "Dinner with the Queen" Aug. 16 at Belmont Country Club. Guests sipped and socialized, then dined on a scrumptious dinner while the Queen of Hearts, the Toledo Opera's resident star Jenny Creswell, made announcements. Auctioned off were two nonspeaking and nonsinging roles in Verdi's Aida to be presented Oct. 4 and 6. The buyers were Traci and Tom Schwann and Paul Manol, who joked about having to wear tights. Alas, he will be out of town, so some lucky soul will need to take his place.

    The fun continued on the veranda with Kelly Broadway and her quartet. Eric Hillenbrand impressed everyone with his strong bass voice and Ann Sanford wooed everyone with her sultry voice. Opera Trustee Alex Heard and his wife, Sandra, and teenage sons Harrison and Oliver danced up a storm.

    Paul Manol He bought one of the auction items that was a non-speaking role in an opera, but can not be there so he gave it to someone else.
    Paul Manol He bought one of the auction items that was a non-speaking role in an opera, but can not be there so he gave it to someone else.

    Seen were Barbara and Bob Bettinger, Dorothy Price, John Moore and JoAnn Smith, Kelly Rectenwald, Shirley and Richard Joseph, Barbara Brown, Clint and Linda McBee, Thomas Winston, Elizabeth Foley and her niece Leah, 12, from New Hampshire, new Guild president Cindy Niggemeyer and her husband, Jack, and Kelly Berry and her mom FiFi, who is the November event's honorary chairman with Ed Hoffman.

    Kickoff event chairman Sandra Sauder was assisted by co-chairman Barbara Baker. Executive Director Suzanne Rorick was there, too.

    Another party in advance of the upcoming Toledo Opera events is tonight at the home of Susan and Allan Block, chairman of Block Communications, Inc.

    TOLEDO Ladies for the Clubs are all set for the annual luncheon Oct. 4 at Inverness Club with guest speaker Kelly Sheehan, a local glass artist. The affair, which benefits the Boys and Girls Clubs, was kicked off with a party recently in the home of Ann Searles, who is the event chairman with Sara Moynihan. Seen were Darla Harbaugh, Susan Morgan, Wendy Gramza, Karen Lucas, Kathie Maxwell, Debbie Joslin and daughter Katherine Joslin, Susie Nowak, and Vivian Moynihan.

    Shari McCague, a breast cancer survivor, sits astride the Komen Race for the Cure themed beach cruiser bicycle that she won in one of the raffle drawings at Confections for the Cure that was held on July 31 at the Toledo Elks Lodge Number 53.
    Shari McCague, a breast cancer survivor, sits astride the Komen Race for the Cure themed beach cruiser bicycle that she won in one of the raffle drawings at Confections for the Cure that was held on July 31 at the Toledo Elks Lodge Number 53.

    KOMEN RACE for the Cure in Toledo is slated for Sept. 29 in downtown Toledo with honorary chairman Chrys Peterson and event chairman Kelly Childress-Keefer in memory of Denise Soto and in celebration of Kelli Andres and the many others who have been touched by breast cancer.

    Kelli Andres, co-host, Chrys Peterson, news anchor at WTOL News 11, and Liz Allen, co-host, at the third annual Confections for the Cure event.
    Kelli Andres, co-host, Chrys Peterson, news anchor at WTOL News 11, and Liz Allen, co-host, at the third annual Confections for the Cure event.

    Many folks hosted events in advance to help raise funds. The third annual Confections for the Cure dessert fund-raiser was July 31 at the Toledo Elks Lodge Number 53. The event raised $2,500 for the Northwest Ohio Chapter of Komen Race for the Cure. Hosts of the fund-raiser were Liz Allen and Kelli Andres.

    THE Press Club of Toledo's 15th annual Touchstone Awards is slated for Oct. 3 at the Toledo Club with guest speaker Jim Tankersley, economic policy correspondent for the Washington Post. He previously worked for The Blade and other newspapers. Cocktails, grazing, and hobnobbing with media and community movers and shakers will be followed by the journalism awards. There will also be community service awards selected from nominees including Lou Hebert, Clyde Scoles, Tom Brady, Dennis Johnson, Edson Whipple, ProMedica and the Falzone family, and Mark Rodriguez. Tickets are $75. For information contact touchstone@toledopressclub.com or call Shaun Hegarty at 419-265-9138.

    A Meet and Greet Mixer with the Press Club is tonight at Forresters On the River at the Docks from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. There is no cost to attend and a cash bar will be available. Don't forget your business cards for a prize drawing and to share with new faces.

    The Press Club's Pressing Issues Professional Development event "The Future of Media" is set for Sept. 27 at 9 a.m. at the Main Branch of the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library. Learn what skills are needed to meet the new challenges. Admission is $10. Students are free with a student ID.