Brad and Liz Southern Marti Downey, Barrett Sutton
Stephanie Barger, Mary Baker, Kate Stephenson, Tom Wilson
Rodney and Rose Falcon Atkins
Jamie Bryant, Tim Shaw, Carmelle Romain
The last laugh Magic, melody and merriment at Monroe Harding’s Laughter for the Children
A
ccording to Charlie Chaplin, “A day without laughter is a day wasted.” Monroe Harding is doing their part to make sure their supporters spend their days wisely by giving them ample reason to chuckle at the annual Laughter for the Children fundraiser. This year’s festivities were held at OZ, the art-filled space providing a lively and colorful backdrop for an evening of magic, comedy and fun. Fire jugglers lined the path to the back patio as guests arrived, setting the stage for the slew of unexpected surprises ahead. Inside, DJ Aydamn contributed to the convivial atmosphere with a nonstop playlist of upbeat tunes while magician Ryan Shadow confounded the crowd with sleight of hand tricks. Bacon and Caviar catered the casual and delicious fare that was cleverly named after famous comedians. A few of our faves were the Jerry Seinfeld (a mini New York deli-style sammie), the Jim Gaffigan (a sausage and queso hot pocket) and the Will Ferrell (a tasty assortment of bite-sized Christmas treats). Country star Rodney Atkins, accompanied by his new bride, Rose, served as honorary chairman with Rhori Johnston and Tim Shaw acting as the night’s emcees. The party’s main entertainment came from Einstein Simplified, an improv group from Knoxville, who kept the crowd laughing all night. Thanks to questionnaires on the table, guests had a chance to join in on the fun, contributing ideas for the comedy troupe to incorporate into their act. As if that wasn’t enough entertainment for one evening, an animated live auction roused the crowd into a bidding frenzy for items like a week in Ireland or a suite at LP Field, and music from Almost Famous got them up on their feet to dance the night away. It was an evening of melody and merriment, a worthwhile day to benefit foster kids across the Middle Tennessee area.
Lisa Cheek, Co-chairs Bonnie Kearns and Coe Heard
Danielle Morabito, Denton Kanouff
Micah Lacher, Brit Griffin
NANCY FLOYD PHOTOGRAPHS BY ERIC ENGLAND
42 >> JANUARY 2014 | nfocusnashville.com Jim and Jan Ramsey, Tracy and Larry Pomeroy