SOCIAL LIGHTS/SALLY GERAK An Evening for Starfish Family Services
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1. Donna and PNC’s Ric DeVore of Bloomfield. 2. Sponsors Bob (left) and Susie Citrin with their son / board and event chair Jonathan Citrin and Nicole Antakli of Birmingham. 3. Gold sponsor / board member Phillip Fisher (center) of Bloomfield with his daughter Amanda (left) of Birmingham and his wife Lauren. 4. Jim (left) and Suzanne Bologna of Birmingham and Peggy Krug of Commerce. 5. PNC’s Boyd Pethel and his wife Jan of Birmingham, Dennis Pheney of Farmington Hills and SFS CEO Ann Kalass of Northville.
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Beyond Basics’ Come Together for Children
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3 1. Gary and Beyond Basics co-founder Joanne Wagerson of Bloomfield. 2. George Blaha (left) of Troy, Ethan Gross of W. Bloomfield, Dr. Clara Smith of Detroit and Pam Good of Birmingham. 3. Linda Orlans (left) of Birmingham with Thirkell students Ciara Cade and Keith Hightower of Detorit. 4. Mike and Annette Dul of Bloomfield. 5. Jack Krasula (left) of Bloomfield and Ira Jaffe of Farmington Hills. 6. Holly Hunt (left), Denise Marks, Susan Sohn of Bloomfield and Diane Zane of Birmingham.
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Band of Angels’ Starry Night Gala
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1. Band of Angels founder / CEO Cynthia Hutchison and her husband Joe of Rochester Hills. 2. Cathy and John Roberts of Bloomfield. 3. Lisa and Andre Pidun of Bloomfield.
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DOWNTOWN
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Lovett Hall the same night as the abovementioned event. For eight years, Beyond Basics volunteers have been working with students and teachers at Thirkell Elementary in Detroit and it was among the top-ranked in the recent Excellent Schools Detroit report. No wonder there was a standing ovation for its principal, Dr. Clara Smith, when she received the Education Hero award from BB board chair Ken Gross and BB co-founder Pam Good. Other honorees applauded were Josh Linkner, Karen O’Keefe, and David and Jackie Ellis. Many in the crowd sported blinking lapel stars, symbols that they had donated $300 to support a student for 12 months. And Dan Stall garnered $45,000 in the short live auction that followed the awards portion of the program. Combined with the silent auction ($11,000), the event proceeds totaled $175,000 which will help BB conduct writing, publishing and art programs in addition to getting low performing children reading at grade level in six weeks. Band of Angels’ Starry Night Gala Cynthia Hutchison founded Band of Angels in 1994 to increase awareness and opportunity for individuals with Down syndrome. This year its annual Starry Night Gala fundraiser attracted 160 to the Townsend for auction bidding, dinner, dancing and a program. Hutchison began the latter by noting that young people with Down syndrome “…work harder to sit, crawl, stand and talk than their peers. And yet they face each day of school and work with vigor and joy and perseverance. They are our inspiration.” A video of Owen Grosser’s miraculous basketball shot that went viral on You Tube and speaker 22-yearold Abby Loy verified Hutchison’s declaration. Loy, a community college student, presented “The Truth about Down Syndrome.” She received a standing ovation when she concluded with the wish to be an inspiration to others. Thanks to sponsors, the silent auction ($10,000), live auction bidding conducted by Charles Wickins ($28,000) and a gift from the Knights of Columbus, Starry Night 2013 raised $65,000. Karmanos Cancer Institute Dinner Proud workers escorted the 550 guests down hallways into the gigantic guts of the General Motors’ Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Center for the 31st annual Karmanos Dinner. For the social hour, folks gathered at stand up tables or in comfortable lounge groupings. Many checked out the glistening display of the diamond pave cuff bracelet Tapper’s donated for a raffle that raised $20,800. Static displays of a quirky, moss-covered Chevy Volt and the edgy 2014 Stingray Corvette convertible both attracted lots of attention, for different 06.13