THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, April 21, 1995 TAG: 9504190137
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 12 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ERIC FEBER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 60 lines
It's time for Chesapeake folks to don loud Hawaiian shirts and black ties or muu-muus and tiaras for an evening of art and bidding in a tropical setting.
The Portsmouth-Chesapeake unit of the American Cancer Society will present its second annual fund-raising affair, ``Night in the Tropics.''
``We're going to have fun with this one,'' said Kimberly Lee, an American Cancer Society volunteer and one of the event's organizers. ``With this theme, we combine a black-tie affair with a tropical flavor. So men could come in wearing Bermuda shorts with a tuxedo top or women can come in muu-muus and jewelry. We're even going to award a prize for the most creative formal tropical attire. For instance, if someone came dressed as a Tahitian dancer, that could do it.''
Last year's successful event was held at the Woman's Club of Portsmouth.
Lee said the Portsmouth/Chesapeake unit rotates its main fund-raising event each year. This year it's Chesapeake's turn, and the venue will be Grand Affairs, a restaurant/catering service/meeting hall in Chesapeake.
``We felt Grand Affairs had the best ambience,'' Lee said. ``We needed a large enough site to hold our group, the art items and other things to be auctioned and fit our theme. It has a nice environment, and they could easily work with our tropical theme.''
The event will feature a live and silent auction, Lee said. The bidding will be overseen courtesy of professional auctioneer Col. Carl Moulton of Pawns Unlimited.
Many of the things to be auctioned will include personal services, dinners, golf lessons, plants, carpets, furniture, movie tickets, entertainment packages and even a round-trip ticket to anywhere in the continental United States, donated by Shoreline Travel and USAir.
Organizers are especially excited about the original art that will be auctioned, Lee said.. Much of it will come from artists who are cancer survivors displaying their works at an April 30 exhibit, ``The Healing Arts,'' celebrating the opening of the Chesapeake General Hospital Cancer Treatment Center.
``We will have a variety of art work from some well known local artists,'' she said. ``We wanted to do something for either April or May and wanted to tie it in with the `Healing Arts' exhibit.''
Lee said the evening's auction will include works by Mark Carey, Kathy Bogosian, Suzanne Bauer, Donna Walters, Brooks Harris, Kathy Ingram, Mary Anne Katz and Glenda Rose. Other local artists whose work will be auctioned are Mary Britt, Ralph Cowen and Wilbur Chadwick.
Entertainment will be provided by the Bay Youth Orchestra, conducted by Ron McKeon. The orchestra's members attend secondary schools in Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Virginia Beach, Suffolk and the Peninsula.
Proceeds from the event will be used locally.
``They will be used by our American Cancer Society,'' Lee explained. ``The funds will be used for cancer research and education and for services for those battling and surviving cancer and to help their families.'' by CNB