May 21, 2013

Aaron Grossman, Charnella Palaby, Tom and Nancy Sorg. Nancy is the President of the Cincinnati Children’s Cooperative Society, the oldest auxiliary group at CCHMC. 

Walking in the fourth street entrance of the Duke Energy Center, I can’t help but feel like I’m in a giant convention center. Well, that’s because I am. And that’s why I always say the Convention Center is where parties go to die, but in the case of Saturday’s Celestial Ball After Party, the graveyard was thumping in all of its black lit glory.

Judi Meyer and Bob McKie

Late night candy bar free for all

I wish I could have made it for the actual gala, but alas I was a few blocks away at Exhibitionism 3, another party with the unforgettable Joe Rigotti touch. Thus, he’s the one to whom I’ll give the credit for turning the massive (dreaded word) “convention” space into a room worth inhabiting. The theme was prom, but I think “My Sweet 16″ or a Goldberg Bar Mitzvah Bash would have been equally as believable. Either way you slice it, no one was complaining.

 
Cris Collinsworth and his wife leaving the gala      David Hall and Violet Tomlan

The highlights included light up (possibly seizure inducing) bracelets, neon colored fedoras, a candy bar, Framester photo shoot, and more. Tunes were brought to us live by Rumplestiltskin, and I don’t mean the scaly skinned guy on Once Upon A Time. It’s a seven piece band with both female and male vocalists. Although some of the big wigs left before breaking it down on the dance floor (cough… I saw Cris Collinsworth and his wife exit the building upon my entrance), there were plenty of attendees who stayed to get their prom pictures taken and their glow stick cherries popped.

Tom Handloser and Robbin Beall

Winter Myers, Sean Celi, and Dave Sanders

Of course the reason for this fab-U-lous affair is to benefit the children, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital in particular. This year Neil Armstrong, who passed last August, was the hero honored. The money raised will go to support the Neil Armstrong New Frontiers Initiative at CCHMC, which strives to improve care and find cures for pediatric diseases through advanced research. I don’t have an exact figure on the amount raised but from what people were saying, it’s a whole lotta Benjamins.

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For a look at the complete photo album from the evening, please click HERE. 

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