R S V P / ORANGE COUNTY : State-of-Heart Affair : Caribbean-Themed AHA Bash Lures 400 Party-Goers
Dancing palm trees, high-energy entertainers clad in Caribbean costumes and a tropical feast helped make those attending the Heart to Heart Gala feel like vacationers on an island paradise.
“Jamaican My Heart Beat” was the theme of American Heart Assn. benefit, a calypso-style dinner-dance that turned the Newport Beach Marriott into a colorful oasis and attracted more than 400 party-goers. The $250-per-person gala was expected to net more than $140,000 for the Orange County division of the AHA, which fights heart disease and stroke through research and education.
Tropical Heat
Many guests took the request for “tropical black-tie” attire to heart. Men showed up in tuxedos with cummerbunds and ties festooned with palm trees, pineapples and other island motifs. Some women sported tropical flowers in their hair and gowns the color of fruit--a welcome respite from the somber all-black evening wear of the past winter season.
“We wanted lots of bright colors and fun food,” said Nadine Wilck, who cochaired the event with her husband, Tom.
Committee member Scott MacGowan helped give the ballroom a tropical flavor, decorating the stage with towering cutouts of dancing palm trees, covering tables in colorful lame fabric and choosing fruit-and-flower centerpieces.
“We wanted it to be campy and tropical, but with an elegant twist,” MacGowan said. “We didn’t want any fake ficus trees with twinkle lights.”
Calypso Beat
Dinner was a tropical feast of black bean soup with cilantro, asparagus salad, Jamaican jerk chicken, marinated grilled shrimp and tropical fruit sorbets. Guests were entertained by Sapadilla, a steel drum band, and the New York City-based dance troupe, Le Masquerade World Fantasy Performers.
One of the members of Le Masquerade wore a Carmen Miranda outfit, complete with fruit-laden headpiece, and all danced to tunes such as Barry Manilow’s “Copacabana.” The dance troupe got guests’ hearts pounding as they pulled people from their chairs onto the dance floor.
“It’s intimidation,” said Heidi Miller, a past event chairwoman, sporting a strapless evening gown with a festive white flounce. “They drag you onto the dance floor and don’t let you go.”
Other faces in the crowd: Gary Hunt, executive vice president of the Irvine Co., who received the association’s first-ever Legacy of Leadership Award for his support of the AHA; Michael Soussman, who accepted a Legacy of Life award on behalf of OrNda Healthcorp; emcee Jim Dale; Samuel Goldstein; Steve and Anne Moreau; Bob Kinsman; Robert Burns; Richard Butler; Davidand Donna Janes; Roman and Pat Bowser; Steve Roush; David Abrahamson; Tony Wagner; Donald Chou; Mel and Edie Tonkon; and Debbie Nielander.