Dancing at the Preservation Foundation’s Pan’s Garden for their Young Friends May cocktail bash.

Anyone thinking that Palm Beach rolls up its sidewalks and closes for business after Easter had another thing coming if they had seen the huge crowd gathered in the Preservation Foundation’s ethereal Pan’s Garden last Friday night for their Young Friends May cocktail bash. This annual “friendraiser” also served as the kickoff for the 2008 Palm Sale Project- a major undertaking to put coconut palms back where they belong on North County Road. In many ways, it was like a great big junior prom whatwith its parents (Jean Tailer, Eles Gillett, Liz and John Schuler, Kit and Bill Pannill), teachers (beautiful Pauline Pitt and Jerry Seay, Scott Snyder, Talbott Maxey, John Mashek, Chris and Grace Meigher), and students ... stunning, leggy gals juggling cell phones, drinks and evening bags along with packs of preppy guys in blue blazers nursing beers.

Pan’s Garden.

There spanning the generations and having a grand old time under the palms and the stars: Polly Onet, Robbie Robinson, Laura Evans, Patrick Killian, PFPB’s executive director John Ripley, Stephanie Rockwell, Steven Stolman, Caroline and Jim Freney, Brett Price, architect Michael Perry, Scott Moses, Beth Dowdle, Davis McDuffie, Eric Waldin, Polly and David Ober, Norberto Azqueta, Alex Snyder, Jack Young, Maureen Basse and Bob Bauchman, Davis McDuffie, Norberto Azqueta, Barbara and Michael Crimi and hundreds more.

Barbara and Michael Crimi with Joanne Wagner

Talbott Maxey with Dudley and Peggy Moore

Victoria Amory, David Ober, Polly Ober, and Minot Amory

Alex Snyder and Jack Young

Polly Onet, Patrick Killian, and Eileen McGrath

Kit Pannill, Jerry Seay, and Pauline Pitt

Bob and Maureen Bauchmann, Scott Snyder, and Steven Stolman

Linda Soper, Whitney Bylin, and Susie Dwinnell

Scott Snyder with John and Liz Schule

Tara Tobin with Nevin and Erica Bauman

Ted Cooney, John Ripley, Stephanie Rockwell, and Alexander Ives

Benjamin McFarland and Christina Matthews

Lauren Borman, Joe Carron, and Nikki Breedlove

Grace and Chris Meigher with Talbott Maxey

Talbott Maxey, Eric Waldin, and Pauline Pitt

Linda and Jared Soper

Lucy Webster and Michael Crimi

More from Palm Beach: Birthday celebrations can range from terrific to traumatic. But when the birthday girl is barely thirty-something and the venue is a hip new restaurant, it’s all good. Steven Stolman hosted a lively drinks party for fellow FoundCare fundraiser Liz Quinn in the bar of Palm Beach’s Balthazar clone, Pistache. There: parents Chip and M.A. Quinn, newlyweds Ryan and Meghan Quinn and – awwwww -- a puppy- Liz’s new Cavalier King Charles Spaniel “Dibley,” whose mug adorned the birthday cake. Couldn’t you just?

Liz next to her blown up Invitation.

LiZ Quinn with Dibley

Dan Hall and Greg Mermigas

Greg Mermigas and Melissa Parker

Liz Quinn and Scott Kent

Greg Mermigas, Sean Brevak, and Liz Quinn

Liz Quinn, Eric Telchin, and Jack Young

James Goad and Stacey Stolman Webb

M.A. and Chip Quinn

Meg Quinn and Blair Griffin

Roy Rodriguez and Penny Williams

Ryan and M.A.Quinn

Scott Moses and Stacey Stolman Webb

Steven Stolman, Courtney Klahre, and Chad Renfro

Stephen Mooney and Wendell Nuckols

The Joffrey Ballet held its annual Chicago Gala on Friday, May 9. Chicago’s Auditorium Theatre, designed by Louis Sullivan. The evening was a sell-out with 965 guests. The audience was overwhelmed by the extraordinary program of one-hour ballet excerpts included Angelitos Negros performed by the Joffrey Education and Community Engagement Students, Post Cards PasDe Deux, Cloven Kingdom,White Swan Pas De Deux and Return to a Strange Land danced by Maia Wilkins and Willy Shives,  The program concluded with Grand Pas Classique and Tharp’s Waterbaby Bagatelle. JoNan and Robert Graham   Following the performance, guests boarded buses and proceeded to the Chicago Hilton and Towers for cocktails, dinner and dancing. The Hotel’s Grand Ballroom was decorated by a breathtaking Spring décor of white roses, hydrangeas and Casablanca lilies. The dinner menu included a Salmon Appetizer, Beef Tenderloin, a dessert of Mousse with Fresh Fruit. There was continuous dancing to the music of Lynne Jordan and the Shivers. The evening paid tribute to the late Nancy Klimley who was an ardent supporter of the troupe and was the first Joffrey Gala Chair. A toast in Mrs. Klimley’s memory was given by Barbara Levy Kipper. The master of ceremonies was the Joffrey’s new artistic director, Ashley Wheater. Bringing sterling credentials and a brilliant artistic vision, this was Mr. Wheater’s first Gala since arriving in Chicago. The artistic director spent four years with the Joffrey Ballet in the 1980s working with the company’s founders, Gerald Arpino and the late Robert Joffrey. For the past several years, over $1 million was raised at each Gala and in 2008, the Gala raised $1.3 million. These bounties owe their thanks to the many generous friends of the Joffrey. This year’s major underwriters were Harris Private Bank and the premiere Gala underwriter was Alphawood Foundation. Benefactors included the Abbott Fund, William Daley, Grosvenor Capital Management, Huron Consulting Group, JP Morgan Chase & Company, NIB Foundation, Pritzker Family Foundation, Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Ryan and United Airlines. The president of the Women’s Board is Kathleen Klaeser of Glenview. Chairing the 2008 Gala were Liz Sharp and Katherine Swien of Chicago. Members of the Gala committee included Kelly Dettmann, Bonnie Deutsch, Lida Downey, Candace Jordan, Helen Melchior and Amelia Silva of Chicago. From the north shore were JoNan Graham of Barrington Hills, Priscilla Barlow and Ann Kasten of Winnetka, Deborah Beitler of Highland Park and Sandra Deromedi and Mary Jo Basler of Lake Forest. Among the guests were Founder and Artistic Director Emeritus, Gerald Arpino, Maureen and E.B. Smith, Shirley and Patrick Ryan, Ronald Waters, Ramsey Lewis, Zach Lazar, Christina Gidwitz, Ellen and James O’Connor, Patrick and Patsy Callahan.

Liz Sharp, Dr. Arnold Tatar and Marina Tatar

David Horn and Ashley Wheater, artistic director, Joffrey Ballet

Lisabeth Horn and Laurie Bay

Ralph Hughes, Macy's executive with Alexandra, and Anne and Zach Lazar

Kathy Meighan and Leslie Waters

Wendy Chronister and Peter Rogers

Ron and Julie Allen

Feeling the Burn in Mission Hills. After high profile book parties in New York and Palm Beach for Scott Briggs’ debut novel, Feel the Burn, he moved on to his hometown, Kansas City, for yet another glamorous fete although with a more sentimental air. Hosted by Bill and Sarah Crooks along with Rudy Esquivel, the mood was certainly high society as the smart set filled Mr. Esquivel’s magnificent home, located high atop Mission Drive in Mission Hills, Kansas, the city’s most exclusive neighborhood and home or past home to notables such as Henry Bloch, co-founder and chairman of H&R Block, Donald J. Hall, Sr. – the chairman of Hallmark Cards and Ewing Kauffman, the pharmaceutical magnate, philanthropist and former owner of the Kansas City Royals baseball team.

Scott Briggs and Sharon Hoffman

Heather and Millie Paxton

Mr. Crook’s crew from his restaurant, Yia Yia’s, headed by chef Marc Valiani, provided hors d'oeuvres and lemon drop martinis, which kept the gathering fueled as they flipped through the pages of Mr. Briggs’ novel – a thinly veiled roman a clef about his years as a personal trainer to many of New York’s high society. On hand to ask Mr. Briggs just exactly what was fact and what was fiction in his fast-paced, eye-brow raising novel were Kansas Governor, Kathleen Sebelius (rumored to be on the short list for Obama’s V.P.), the Honorable Gary Sebelius: Jackie and Lynn Johnson, the hosts Bill and Sarah Crooks, Rudy Esquival and Larry Killham, Howard Froman, Millie Paxton and her daughter, Heather; Dr. Dan and Patsy Triplett, Jim Blair, Liz Hjalmarson, Charles Ferruzza, Robert and Shirley Briggs, Susan Moorefield, Tracy Garcia, Elise Cooper, Ann Cooper, Dawn Maxwell, Guillermo and Holly Guillen, Chris, Becky and Ashley Haring, Dr. Doug and Joni Triplett, Ken and Leisha Barry, Mitch and Deanne Glock, and Bill Woltkamp.

Dr. Dan Triplett, Rudy Esquivel, Patsy Triplett

Hon. Gary Sebelius, Sarah Crooks, Scott Briggs, Gov. Kathleen Sebelius

Lt. Col. John Hinck, Howard Froman, Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, Rudy Esquivel

Jackie Johnson, the Honorable Gary Sebelius and Kansas Governor, Kathleen Sebelius.tif

Guillermo&Holly Guillen

Jim Blair

Liz Hjalmarson and Bill Crooks

Houston, Texas – May 12, 2008: Legacy Community Health Services celebrated their 10th anniversary with this year’s gala: A Celebration of Legend and Style for Legacy. This year’s chairs were the spectacular trio of Pat Breen, Bob Devlin and Sue Smith. The elegant soiree was held at Neiman Marcus-Houston Galleria. Notable Houstonians seen at the glittering event included, Katy Caldwell, Legacy Executive Director; Cynthia and Bucky Allshouse, Dr. Walter and Linda McReynolds, Kimberly and Frank Delape, Lynn Wyatt, Merele Yarborough, Ginger and Jack Blanton, and Diane Lokey Farb.   Lynn Wyatt Legacy honored a legendary Houstonian, Jeanie Kilroy, with the 10th Annual Jerry D. Bartee Humanitarian Award in recognition of her extraordinary philanthropic spirit and tremendous support of Legacy Community Health Services. The Award was named for Jerry Bartee, who took on the daunting task of bringing to light the importance of helping those who could not access quality healthcare. He believed in the mission of Legacy Community Health Services and worked to ensure Legacy’s growth in order to meet the increasing healthcare needs of the greater Houston community. Legacy Community Health Services is a full service Federally Qualified Health Center that provides comprehensive, primary healthcare services to all Houstonians in a culturally sensitive, judgment-free and confidential environment. Each year Legacy provides low-cost or no-cost primary healthcare services, all on a sliding fee scale, to over 20,000 Houston area men, women and children who would not otherwise have access to quality healthcare. Legacy operates from three Houston area clinics and has an onsite Walgreen’s pharmacy at its main clinic location. Legacy employs a full-time staff of physicians and healthcare professionals who provide services that include specialized care for men and women, podiatric care, family planning services, eye care, psychiatry, and wellness services including physical therapy, personal training and nutrition services, as well as specialized healthcare for HIV/AIDS. Legacy also conducts community outreach activities that promote various health issues to underserved communities and operates the Legacy Advocacy Project, which advocates at the city, state and federal levels for fair and effective healthcare related policies.

Bob Devlin and Liz Zarupa

Diane Lokey Farb

Alaina Schuster

Chree Boydstun

Cynthia and Anthony Petrello

Danielle and John Ellis

Debra and Mark Grierson

Edward Sanchez

Ginni and Richard Mithoff

Jack and Ginger Blanton

Judith Oudt and Monsour Taghdisi

Pat Breen and Sue Smith

Kimberly and Frank DeLape

Sue Smith, Pat Breen, Bob Devlin, and Jeanie Kilroy

Rudy Avelar and Bobby Vee Cooney

Merele Yarborough

Tim Connolly and Jan Carson

Dr. Walter and Linda McReynolds

Bruno Brady, Kathryn, and Jeff Smith

Cynthia and Bucky Allshouse

Lorraine and Ed Wulfe

Linda McReynolds and Jeanie Kilroy

Harry and Cora Sue Mach with Judi and Jack Holmes

Katy Caldwell and Dr. Scott Sawyer

Photographs by Scott Kent (Quinn); Phyllis Hand (Legacy).