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RSVP magazine is like no other publication in the city of Memphis. What began as simply “The Society Pages” more than a decade ago has evolved into a monthly review with stunning photography and entertaining, informative stories. See for yourself!
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M a y 2 0 1 3
MED NightBrooks UncorkedKrewes for KidsPhoenix Club Mardi Gras PartyBRIDGES Screen on the GreenGermantown Charity Horse Show Royal BallQ&A with Dr. James Downing
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CONT
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14BROOKS UNCORKED
Marina and Cmdr. John Bogan
40 KREWES FOR KIDS
Martha and Glenn Carr
26GERMANTOWN CHARITY HORSE SHOW ROYAL BALL
Nancy Douglas and Bobby Lanier
52 BRIDGES SCREEN ON THE GREEN
Donna Davis
62MED NIGHT
Waletha Wasson and Arveal Turner
56PHOENIX CLUB MARDI GRAS PARTYDeAngelo Brooks and Deidra Chapman
Cover PhotoGov. Bill Haslam and First Lady Crissy Haslam
atMED Night
Photo by Baxter Buck
ContentsMay 2013
From the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Signature Memphis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10Jim Meeks invites RSVP to Northwestern Mutual’s East Memphis office.
The Ambassador Series . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12EllistrationsActor Chris Ellis talks about his career, as well as one of his other passions: carica-ture drawings.
Brooks Uncorked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14Wines flowed aplenty during the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art’s second event inthe Memphis Wine and Food Series.
StreetSeens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 & 24This blogger’s been showing Memphians and tourists alike the best of Memphisofferings for four years now. She’s helping refugees find their footing in the BluffCity. StreetSeens highlight Kerry Crawford and Cam Echols.
Germantown Charity Horse Show Royal Ball . . . . . . . . . . .26Woodland Hills Event Center provided the perfect elegant backdrop for theannouncement of the Germantown Charity Horse Show’s queen and princesses.
Vox Popular . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34Q&A with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital scientific director, Dr. JamesDowning.
Krewes for Kids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40The Grand Krewes of Carnival Memphis joined together to celebrate the organiza-tion’s Children’s Charity Initiative.
Onsites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46, 47, 60 & 66Gatherings that have earned an honorable mention.
RSVP Room View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48This Midtown kitchen received a show-stopping renovation.
BRIDGES Screen on the Green . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52BRIDGES opted for a The Wizard of Oz theme for its annual spring benefit.
Phoenix Club Mardi Gras Party . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56Phoenix Club members threw down New Orleans style at the Cadre Building to helpraise funds for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Memphis.
MED Night . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62Supporters of the Regional Medical Center at Memphis came out in full force forthe hospital’s yearly soul celebration at The Peabody.
RSVPhillippi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69PorktasticDennis Phillippi discusses why there’s room for only one barbecue capitol.
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Volume XVIII Number VIII
May 2013
P U B L I S H E RRoy Haithcock
E D I T O RLeah Fitzpatrick
C O N T R I B U T I N G W R I T E R SKelly Cox
Jonathan DevinDennis PhillippiEugene Pidgeon
Suzanne ThompsonLesley Young
A R T D I R E C T O RPatrick Akers
P H O T O G R A P H E R SBaxter BuckDon Perry
Steve Roberts
A C C O U N T E X E C U T I V E SChris Pugh
Kristen Miller
A C C O U N T I N GRuth Cassin
E D I T O R I A L I N T E R NRachel Warren
RSVP Memphis is published monthly byHaithcock Communications, Inc. First class
subscriptions are available for $55.00 per year.Send name and address with a check to:
Haithcock Communications, Inc.2282 Central AvenueMemphis, TN 38104
For advertising information contactRoy Haithcock
Phone (901) 276-7787, ext. 101Fax (901) 276-7785
e-mail [email protected]
W E Bwww.rsvpmagazine.com
For editorial information or to request coverage of an event, pleasecontact RSVP Magazine
one month prior to the event. Call 901-276-7787, ext. 105 or fax to 901-276-7785.
e-mail [email protected]
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RSVP Memphis Magazine
Copyright 2013 Haithcock Communications, Inc.
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RSVP STAFF
CHRIS PUGH,ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
901.276.7787, EXT. [email protected]
Chris has been exercising his talent in theadvertising world since 1999. He joinedthe RSVP team in 2009 and brought withhim a love for laughter and creativity.Originally from New Albany, Mississippi,Chris has settled in Memphis and enjoysbeing active in the fashion community.
KRISTEN MILLER,ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE901.276.7787, EXT. [email protected]
Having worked in print advertising for near-ly eight years, Kristen Miller felt it was anatural fit to join the RSVP team as anaccount executive. Kristen, who lives inArlington with her husband and four chil-dren, loves to cook, fish, watch collegeand Arlington Tigers football, spend timewith her family and advertising, of course.
RACHEL WARREN,EDITORIAL INTERN
901.276.7787, EXT. [email protected]
Rachel is passionate about print mediaand has covered many local events inJackson, Mississippi in the past. Shereceived her Bachelor of Arts in Englishfrom Millsaps College, and in 2011, shemoved back to her hometown of Memphis.She is delighted to be part of the RSVPteam as an editorial intern. She loves writ-ing about all the amazing people andplaces in Memphis, enjoying a great bookand chasing a good story.
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Three things come to mindwhen I think of May:horses, mothers and bar-
becue. I’m sure someonemore clever than I can fig-ure out how all of these arerelated other than the factthat the Kentucky Derby,Mother’s Day and the WorldChampionship BarbecueCooking Contest all occur inthe same month, but untilthat someone comes for-ward, I’m just satisfiedknowing that each is men-tioned in the pages of RSVP.For example, many of ouradvertisers are showing offan array of gift ideas intheir ads that are worth con-sidering for Mother’s Day,while the Kentucky Derbyand the Barbecue Contestare topics respectivelytouched upon in the RSVP Crossword (page 67) andRSVPhillippi column (page 69), which is one of my favoritesto date and laugh-out-loud funny.
Another feature in the mag that completely fills mewith glee is the too cool kitchen seen in the RSVP Room Viewon pages 48 and 50. Not only did the pictures make me stopin my tracks and drool when our photographer Steve Robertssent them over, but I wanted to know how such an eclecticmix of furnishings and design elements could function so flu-idly in a single space, especially in one that usually doesn’tcontain as much personality as other rooms in a house. And,even though I had my own home kitchen redone a couple ofmonths ago, I can still say I have kitchen envy. (It might beworth noting that my mom’s an antique store owner and inte-rior designer back in Nashville, so a passion for home designrubbed off on me somewhere along the way.)
The rest of the issue doesn’t disappoint either, as itboasts a mix of stories focused on completely unique individu-als who are contributing greatly to this city in various ways.First, you’ll meet Kerry Crawford, whose I Love Memphis bloghas become the go-to spot for anyone wanting to know what’shappening in this town, in the StreetSeen on page 22, and twopages later, you’ll get to know Cam Echols, a woman who hasbeen at the forefront of an organization that’s “educating,encouraging and equipping” refugees with the tools they needto become productive citizens in the local community. Mean-while, the Vox Popular on page 34 highlights Dr. JamesDowning of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and hisquest to uncover the genetic mistakes that trigger many child-hood cancers through the Pediatric Cancer Genome Project.Though he no longer calls Memphis home, thespian ChrisEllis, featured in The Ambassador Series on page 12, also hasa story not to be missed, as he sheds light on the people andexperiences that have made him the success he is today.
To each of our loyal readers, I hope you have beenenjoying springtime in Memphis, and I can’t close without giv-ing a big shout-out to MIFA for graciously bestowing the JoeBirch Media Award upon me at the recent MIFA Day ofReflection and Service for RSVP’s coverage of the organiza-tion’s fund-raisers and features on employees Sally JonesHeinz, Charlie Nelson and Arnetta Stanton-Macklin. Theaward was truly unexpected and an honor, and all of us atRSVP want to thank you for the notable assistance you provideto seniors and families in crisis.
Leah [email protected]
From the Editor
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Jim MeeksManaging Partner, Northwestern Mutual/Art Lover/Family Man
Hometown: Paducah, Kentucky.
Your Best Quality: Being driven.
Place You Go to Think: The beach.
Best Memphis Hangout: Beale Street.
Best Dish You Cook: Strawberry cake.
First Car You Drove: Chevrolet Camaro.
Biggest Pet Peeve: People not giving excellence.
Favorite Song: “Beach in Hawaii” by Ziggy Marley.
Who Would Play You in a Movie: James Bond.
Proudest Moment of Your Life: The birth of my chil-dren.
Your Most Annoying Habit: When I want something, Iwant it now.
Who Inspires You: My parents were amazing role models forme to follow.
Best Advice You Ever Got: Always do what’s right, even ifit costs you money.
The Highlight of Your Day: When someone really under-stands what I’m trying to teach.
Coolest Thing About Memphis: The people in Memphisare real (as opposed to fake).
Something You’ll Never Live Down: Everyone seems tohate the fact I have lots of non-gray hair.
Your Lucky Charm: My father’s silver dollar. It was on hiskeychain for my entire life and until he died in 2010. It’s now onmy keychain and the face (image) is completely rubbed off.
One Goal You’d Still Like to Accomplish: To be thefounding member of a trust fund to where we give away all themoney we can to people in need who are less fortunate.
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The Ambassador SeriesBy Eugene Pidgeon
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ELLISTRATIONSIt is another perfect day in Los Angeles.
Or is it? The sun is out. No longer heldin abeyance by the astral censorship of
the ozone layer, the biggest star inHollywood is roaming like a free agentwithout restriction over its cast of minions.But even in sunny L.A., it is not all sushiand tanning butter. There is a populationof Angel-easies who are disappearing intothe seismic fissures of invisibility and thusexpanding the distance between the A-Lister and the non-exister.
This is where Chris Ellis comes in.It is Friday. The weekend has arrived. And,the highways—an arterial infrastructurecoursing through greater Los Angeles—arehopelessly clotted and in need of Lipitor.Yet, while impatient motorists try to cutout of town, Chris Ellis is in the thick oftraffic…delivering Meals on Wheels. Mealson Wheels is the same in L.A. as it iseverywhere else. It is not boutique cateringor film studio craft services.
Poverty is a woeful burden every-where, and L.A., even with its je ne saisquoi is no different. Chris Ellis is quietlydoing his “part” to ease that burden. Notone to gloat, he chuckles, “Yeah, I’m stuckin traffic, delivering Meals on Wheels toladies in Brentwood. I’m just an oldChristian martyr trying to buy my way intoheaven!” He jests, but his remark warrantsa double take. “I’ve actually been doingthis for 15 years,” he says. “I’m the veryguy they can call when they need some-body. I work as much as once or twice aweek or every two weeks.”
The name Chris Ellis resoundswith a relative propulsion of celebrity inMemphis. Even those Memphians whodon’t know him well have seen him onstage or owe him money. All debts anddebtors aside, Ellis by natural inventioncan consume the air from a large room.But, he always brings his own big andwarm light to the table and to the party.
A thespian possessed of a wickedtongue (think Oscar Wilde or the AristideBruant of Montmartre in Paris) Ellis couldhave stayed in Memphis and become big-ger than Elvis, if not portlier. He may havecrafted a nice life frolicking across theclapboards of Theatre Memphis orPlayhouse on the Square. He could alwaysbe found waxing an ever-excessive poet asthe laureate of the P & H Café on Madison
Avenue in Midtown. Alas, Ellis heard the call and heed-
ed it. He is an actor and a movie star. Hehas shared the spotlight and stolen it froma roster of Filmdom’s most formidableplayers. He bewildered Joe Pesci as theaffable redneck antagonist J.T. in MyCousin Vinny. As flight director Clark, hestood with Billy Bob Thornton inArmageddon, improvising a classic line of
the movie to Liv Tyler. Upon learning howher moon rock driller boyfriend, BenAffleck, had not, after all, been vanquishedby the mean little old asteroid, Ellischimes with wry salacity, “Your boyfriend’sback!” If Affleck survived to save theworld, Ellis survived to save the picture.
Ellis has enjoyed a substantial filmcareer. He even has three credits with TomHanks, including Apollo 13, That ThingYou Do! and the Tom/Leo biopic Catch MeIf You Can. Apollo 13, in which he wascast as Deke Slayton to Hanks’ Jim Lovell,was the turning point in Ellis’ career andthe one film he cites as having had themost positive impact on him.
Every Thursday since ThanksgivingDay 1995, Ellis has met with his castmatesfrom Apollo 13 for lunch. “We haven’tmissed a Thursday in 18 years,” he says.At the table, he is often joined by Emmy
Award winner Christian Clemenson and TVveteran Joe Spano, now a regular on theCBS powerhouse “NCIS.” “Joe also offici-ated at my wedding,” Ellis gratefullyacknowledges.
He adds, “There is Andy Wilderfrom ‘Weeds’ and Googy Gress and the restof us who are a little more anonymous!But, we don’t talk about work…we talkabout food.”
One could say that Ellis is also ablessed man. He has a beautiful family.His wife, Crystal, and his 13-year-old son,Johnny Mike, are the centrifuge of hisrather large life force. Though, when ques-tioned if he wants his son to follow in hisfootsteps and be an actor, he cackles joyful-ly, “Oh God, I hope not.”
After working in Hollywood formore than 20 years, Ellis isn’t any morecynically humorous than he was before hecame to L.A. from New York circa 1991.Asked if his audition process has changedin the interim years, he says, “Yes, myaudition process has changed remark-ably…not one bit. Most of the time I riseat the crack of 10 and spend the day wait-ing for the phone to ring!” Thankfully, itdoes. Even so, he laments, “They’re justnot writing parts for old folks very oftenanymore.”
Ellis champions three people whohave been with him from the beginning.“Casting agents David Rubin and DebbieZane in L.A. have really been great. And inNew York, it is time I thank my friendMari for putting me up when I was juststarting out so many years ago. Shedeserves so much credit.”
Maybe this is why Chris Ellis isstuck in traffic on a Friday afternoon deliv-ering meals. In some ways, the gestureserves as gratitude for everything he hasbeen given. How does he keep his headabove it all? He says, “I told youbefore…I’m just an old Christian martyr!”Is that a union or a non-union gig?
Recently, Ellis announced a newrole with his “Ellistrations” project. Thisendeavor features his original silkscreencaricatures and artwork, which will soon beavailable online or by commission. [email protected] for information,and see the actor/artist’s representation ofhimself through the caricature accompany-ing this column. Move over headshots.
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Brooks UncorkedWines from OregonE
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Bunny Hill-Thomas and Stanton Thomas Nick and Mary Griffin
Meredith Hennessy and Louis Stifter Kye and Beth Lee
Dathan and Tennille Thomas Martha Billions and Stefanie Smith Fisher
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Ironically, the legal drinking age—21—matches the number of yearsthe Memphis Wine and Food Series has been pouring up vino fromnotable vintners stateside and abroad. A fund-raiser for the
Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, the series brought the best ofOregon wines to museum supporters for its latest installment ofBrooks Uncorked, and will keep doing so until the series’ finale, theBrooks Grand Auction on May 11; in the interim, the PrivateWinemakers Dinners and Vin-A-Que will also take place.
Particularly exciting at Brooks Uncorked was the fact that itoffered guests tastings from wineries recognized by Wine Spectator assome of the “Top 20 Oregon Wineries to Know,” a roster thatincludes Argyle, Adelsheim, Chehalem, Cooper Mountain, Elk Coveand Willamette Valley Vineyards. For convenience, Buster’s Liquors &Wines provided a list of featured wines with their respective bottleprices so that guests could keep a record of their favorites. Categoriesincluded American, Old World and New World whites and reds, andbeer, like Brooklyn Brewery’s Sorachi Ace and East India Pale Ale,even made its way into the tasting lineup. A sold-out VIP area alsofeatured special selections for the hardcore oenophile.
Speaking on the variety of tastes available, one Buster’semployee pointed out, “We have 48 wines tonight—12 at each table.”
Additionally, several area restaurants supplied hearty appetiz-ers alongside the tasting stations and silent auction tables that werefilled with many wine-friendly goodies, such as a Jack Binion’sSteakhouse wine cellar dinner for four. Edibles came in the form ofcurry beef empanadas and sushi from Mosa Asian Bistro, pork tender-loin sliders and lemon tartlets from Owen Brennan’s, guacamole andsalsa with chips by Swanky’s Taco Shop and assorted pizza slices fromMemphis Pizza Café, the last of which was located on the museum’sterrace—a spot that turned into dance party central for those lookingto cut a rug. Other participating restaurants were the Brooks’ ownBrushmark Restaurant, Café Society, Cheffie’s Cafe, Cortona, EclecticCatering, eighty3 and the Grove Grill.
The First Tennessee Foundation, whose logo was etched on allof the wine glasses, presented the benefit that museum staffers andmany others will attest has become the “ultimate wine and food tast-ing experience.”
Story by Leah FitzpatrickPhotos by Don Perry
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April and Phillip Stewart
Tate and Melissa Yawn with Karen and Kirk Johnston
Dorothy Brownlee and Geraldine Richardson
Billy and Tiffany Boyd
Taylor Lackie, Catherine Talbot, Carol Ann Jordan and Eli Jones
Jay Thakkar and Courtenay Adams
Lynn and Marsha Phillips
Tom and Constance Conley with Drs. Purvisha and Dharmesh Patel
Chris Pugh and Tiffany Brimhall
Ken Hall and Amy Nash Johnna Tanner and Larry Jones
Derek Richardson and Mary Wilson Michael Hughes and Kelly Robinson
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Christina Vranich and Jessica Toliuszis
Shelly and Chris Burr Mike Meyer and Brenda Fleming Billy and Lizzie Boywid
Mary Hamner and Allen Stanford Adrienne Bailey and Charlie Nelson Caroline Cullum and Retha Moore
Shawn Mosby and Christina Chew
Chey Fulgham and Chris Curle
Alan and Brooke Balducci
Ryan Barnes and Jennings Pitts
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Mike McLaren and Diane Vescovo
Mary Ruth Yates, Amanda Edmundson and Lauren Loeb
Traynor Jennings III and Mandy Shackelford
Lane Molten and Nancy Willis
Erin and Chris Avery, Stacey Brown and Stephanie Drouillard
Nikki Montesi and Emily Long
Erin Johnson and Patrick Newman
David and Bonnie Thornton with Jim and Judy Baker
Joel and Emily Halpern
Chris Stuart and Erin Baker
Amy Beth Dudley, Elizabeth Rouse, Julia McDonald and Sarah Henley
Laurie and Charlie Durham
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Kerry CrawfordPresenting Memphis
Kerry Crawford has a thing for Memphis—we’ve gotthat much from her aptly titled I Love Memphisblog—but what in particular about the Bluff City
inspires the blogger and social media junkie day in andday out to write about it? For starters, Crawford saysthat Memphis has a lot of diverse offerings, includingher beloved sport of roller derby, that can help peoplemake the most of their time here, and luckily, she’snot afraid to try out any other experience that friendsor blog followers suggest and, of course, blog about itto generate awareness. Secondly, she has a knack forfinding the unique and admits, “I seek out the ridicu-lousness, like going in storm drains.”
She adds, “I will not rest until I get to do thethings I want to do. Most things I’ve been able to dobecause it seems I have a magical ‘I know a guy’power.”
A one-stop listing of sorts with tabs entitled“Eat, Hear, Do, See, Love, Meet, Shop and Live,” theI Love Memphis blog has blown up since hitting theonline scene back in August 2009, when the MemphisConvention and Visitors Bureau was looking to create asocial media strategy. Not knowing what direction theywanted to pursue, the CVB asked Crawford to submit aproposal, and the rest is history. As for the blog’sname, Crawford settled on I Love Memphis from theget-go because she felt it was what the city neededthen, though she now says that the dynamics of thecity have changed and that she doesn’t think we need acheerleader so much anymore. Even better than choos-ing the name, Crawford has 95 percent content con-trol, giving her near-limitless freedom in choosing top-ics, which she approaches as a news outlet would, andat any given time, she refers to an ever-growing spread-sheet of 30 categories of what to do next and keeps abucket list on hand as well.
“The live video chat with [Memphis Grizzliesplayer] Tony Allen was a big check off the bucket list,and eating all the cheese at Bari was another,” shenotes.
Other amusing topics that have popped up inher posts, as well as on the blog’s associated Twitter,Facebook, Flickr, Foursquare, Pinterest, Tumblr andInstagram accounts (Though not officially I LoveMemphis branded, the blog also has a presence onYelp, Urbanspoon and Vine.) have included “24 Hoursat the Peabody,” a “Hidden Memphis: Big Daddy’sBowling Alley” pic showing the sign of the formerbowling alley that was once underneath the PoplarPlaza Kroger and “A.S. Barboro Celebrates Tax Daywith Free Beer,” to name a few. Witty and authenticCrawford is, which might be the very reason that ILove Memphis has won the Memphis Flyer’s “BestBlog” and “Best Twitter” awards for three years run-ning. That said, she does welcome guest submissionswith the strict stipulation that they be Memphis relat-ed. Before posting any topic though, she asks, “Doesthis matter to my readership?”
According to the numbers, I Love Memphisseems to, as Crawford points out that the traffic on thesite has grown every year, with an average of 100,000page views a month and more than 10,000 Twitter fol-lowers and 27,000 Facebook likes to boot. MakingMemphis accessible to its citizens seems to be workingfor I Love Memphis, and Crawford importantly injects,“I’ve had a lot of people who have moved here tell methey really dreaded moving here till they read myblog.”
Story by Leah FitzpatrickPhoto by Steve Roberts
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Cam EcholsLifting Up Refugees
As the Refugee Empowerment Program’s programdirector for 10 years, Cam Echols has been at thenonprofit’s helm nearly since a Sudanese refugee
and an American volunteer founded it in 2002, howev-er her role might change in the future, as she revealsthat the ultimate vision for REP is to have refugeesrun it. Until that day comes, Echols, along with herroughly 50 volunteers, interns and two staff members(Liz Jarvis, a youth outreach specialist, and Rwandanrefugee Jules Mucyoweza, a community outreach spe-cialist), will continue to help ease the transition thatrefugees face when they step foot in the Memphis area.
Echols says that 250-300 refugees actually relo-cate to Memphis each year, with REP currently servingaround 400 refugees of 20 different nationalities, manyof which are represented in the paper flags that appearin the group’s headquarters in the Center forTransforming Communities in Binghampton. Withflags of countries like Afghanistan, the DemocraticRepublic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone,Tanzania and Vietnam hanging high in a classroom,one begins to wonder what the stories are behind thepeople who fled these places. REP’s program directorthen mentions that not only have many of its clientsbeen living in camps that regulated when they couldeat, see the doctor, etc., but now they are experiencingpost-traumatic stress disorder and are facing challengeswith obtaining education, jobs, housing and trans-portation.
“There are lots of unspoken things refugees aredealing with when they come here...like how to dealwith issues of anger because of the things they’veseen,” she relays.
Echols would know since throughout her tenureshe’s seen about 5,000 refugees grace REP’s doors toparticipate in after-school tutoring, ESL classes foradults, pre-GED preparation, the youth summer pro-gram, leadership training and cultural acclimationseminars. REP also offers advocacy services, in-schoolsupport for students and provides translators for adultsand kids. With REP beginning as an after-school pro-gram for 12 kids, it continues to be particularly invest-ed in the successful incorporation of refugee childreninto the school system, which makes sense whenEchols explains that the 10,000 refugee students inlocal public schools have been placed into grades basedon age, rather than by skill level.
She says, “It’s very difficult for those refugeesof high school age, as they have to cram eight or nineyears of American education in.”
Wanting to focus on starting a refugee newcom-er school through REP, Echols’ desire to hand over theorganization’s leadership reins to refugees in comingyears becomes clearer. While funding remains an issuein launching the school, REP plans to go ahead andtake a small, albeit vital, step in the right direction byplanning to home-school two refugee families’ childrenthis fall. Why Memphians should care about this effort,as well as REP’s other ones, is a no-brainer for Echols.
“What we do betters the Memphis communi-ty,” she says, “and by volunteering to help newlyarrived individuals, you’re given an opportunity toshow the world how great Memphis is since theserefugees talk to their family members all around theworld.”
Story by Leah FitzpatrickPhoto by Steve Roberts
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Germantown Charity Horse Show Royal BallEquestrians Unite for Unveiling of Queen
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Ryan Badgley and Alex Tatum Richard Vollmer and Grace Anderson
Alex Huggins and Chandler Grace Michael Mayor Sharon Goldsworthy and Tempe Chancellor
Evan Michael and Reagan Keppen Priscilla Veazey and Joey Bland
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Robert Schutt, Catie Wilcheck, Lindsey Cayce and J. Morgan HarterBenjamin Gallagher and Sophie Tatum Jan McGaughey and Amy Beth Dudley
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About 500 people packed the ballroom at Woodland Hills for the2013 Germantown Charity Horse Show Royal Ball. Equestrianenthusiasts, family and friends of the princesses and queen, as
well as supporters of the event, which has been a cornerstone of lifein Germantown since 1948, came together to celebrate the presenta-tion of this year’s royal court.
Music from a string quartet drifted through the room as guestsenjoyed cocktails and noshed on hors d’oeuvres served at a buffet thatincluded bruschetta, spinach dip, fried wontons and sun-dried tomatocream cheese-topped crostinis. Once everyone settled at their tables, ahunt horn sounded to signify the beginning of the presentation of theprincesses and queen. All eyes were on the semicircular staircases oneach side of the ballroom, as they anticipated the appearance of thefirst of the 24 princesses. The young ladies who were introduced rep-resented a variety of equestrian groups as well as community organiza-tions, such as Pegasus of Germantown, the Germantown Arts Allianceand the Kimbrough Woods Home and Garden Club.
The princesses, all wearing white evening gowns, walked down thestairs on the arms of their fathers while emcee Steve Conley told thecrowd about each princess’ activities and interests. At the foot of thestairs, their escorts awaited and accompanied them to the center ofthe stage. Next came the crowning of the queen, Cameron MarieKawell, who entered the room while Conley read an impressive list ofher accomplishments. The crowd erupted in laughter as Conley con-cluded the queen’s introduction with a sentence that began “In herspare time,” and then exclaimed, “She has spare time?” After thequeen made her remarks, she and the princesses met their fathers fora dance.
The group joined family and friends at their tables for a dinner ofsalad, beef filet and chicken served with potatoes and asparagus, anda dessert of coconut or chocolate cake was available to satisfy thosewith a sweet tooth. Following dinner, more guests hit the dance floorto the tunes of Front & Beale. A special performance by IRISOrchestra musicians finished out the night’s festivities. The actualGermantown Charity Horse Show will take place June 4-8 and willraise funds once again for the Exchange Club Family Center.
Story by Suzanne ThompsonPhotos by Don Perry
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Brandon and Lori Miller with Wendy and Riley Bartlett
Brynna Bartlett and Joseph Ramsey
Cristy Thrasher with Sharon, Tim and Luke Donovan
Christine Stephens and Marty Coleman
Katie Cresap, Brooke Powell and Bailey Cash
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Robyn, Mary and Rachel Peete Lida Kruchten and John Buttross
Amy Rainey and Martin Makowsky Camille Cowart and Josh Shearin
Paula and John Buttross Kim and Ben Williams
Maggie Maples and Charlotte Nichols Albert Markle and Lillie Kay Mitchell
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Ann Elizabeth Vollmer and Doug Dertien
Alexandria and Eddie Lyle Donna and Pat Hoffman Gia Kawell and Haley Gould
Garner Lesley and Trey Keppen Matthew Seay and Kelsey Kennedy Eva Wehr and Tommy Peeler
Anna Taylor and Kate Valk
Cassandra Moriarty and Lori Wehr
Andrew Youngha Lee and Rebecca Ellen Siciliano
Queen Cameron Kawell and George Kawell
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Charles, Ella, Logan and Angela Herrin Kim Leonard and Jeff Box
Michelle Byrd with Jenny and Jessica Haste Marti and Russell Kruchten
Aimee and Paul Turner Pam and Jack Michael
Michael Brennan and Mary Catherine Brennan Karen and Jim Williams
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Gene Nunez, Steve and Erika Cobb and Jordan Perry
Kim Michaelson, Tracey Carruthers, Christian Hettinger and Phillip Lawson
Ben, Anne and Gary Blevins
Leah Hodgkiss, Erin Kalb and Ron and Karen Goss
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Vox PopularQ&A with Dr. James DowningVO
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RSVP: I know you were recently nominated for TIME magazine’s“The World’s 100 Most Influential People” list, so what does thisnomination mean to you?
Downing: It was a big surprise. I didn’t know about it, and I walkedinto the CEO’s office for a meeting, and he said, “Congratulations,”and I said, “For what?” There was a time about a year ago where wetalked to the people at TIME about the Pediatric Cancer GenomeProject, and we’ve talked to them about a variety of other thingsthrough the years. I think they selected the Pediatric CancerGenome Project as one of the top 100 discoveries made in the lastyear, so I think they understood the importance of it. To me,there’s a story in theimportance of St. Jude,that a private institutiondid what normally onlygovernments do. I thinkmy nomination is reallyjust as the front man forthe organization and thisproject within the organi-zation. So, we’re hopingwe get in the final 100 andthat that story can get outas a way to acknowledgethe efforts of everyonehere. Memphis should beproud of this.
RSVP: How did thePediatric Cancer GenomeProject come about?
Downing: A little over fouryears ago, we said it wastime to go to the next leveland to do really a base-pairresolution—let’s justsequence the entiregenome of cancers and really find out what’s going on. The technol-ogy had become available, but the cost was still incredibly expen-sive. The federal government though had a big cancer genomesequencing project called The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), andthey were starting to apply this approach to adult cancers, but theyweren’t going to apply it to pediatric cancer. It just wasn’t a highenough priority to them, so we started to think that we needed todo a pediatric project. We came to the conclusion that really weshould do it—roll up our sleeves, use our resources, lead the project,do it independently with private dollars and do it quickly.
RSVP: Didn’t some of those on board for the project attend a retreatto discuss the matter?
Downing: Yes, we set up a retreat somewhere around December
2009, or maybe the next January, and85 percent of our faculty came to theretreat. We put on seminars about thefield, and I got up and presented a straw dog of what the projectmight look like. We had one faculty member get up and say what’sgood about it and another one say what’s bad about it. The nextmorning we came back and went into more detail, and in the end,the faculty was overwhelmingly in support of it. We spent severalmonths planning it and decided to do it in collaboration with theGenome Institute at Washington University in St. Louis; there arethree major sequencing centers in the world, and one of them hap-pens to be in St. Louis. Then, we put it together and went to our
board, and in relativelyshort order, they approvedthe project. It was $65million, with $55 millioncoming from St. Jude and$10 million put inthrough Wash U’s founda-tion or donors. We said wewere going to start thisproject and finish it inthree years, and we weregoing to sequence 600pediatric cancers and dowhole genome sequencing.The Cancer Genome Atlaswasn’t doing wholegenome sequencing; theywere still doing partialsequencing. And, we weregoing to do 600 matchednon-tumor tissues fromevery single patient so wecould analyze them. At thetime we announced it,only a single human can-cer had been sequenced,and yet we said we were
going to do 1,200 genomes—600 tumors, 600 non-tumors.
RSVP: Did any problems arise once the project got under way?
Downing: When we started the project, we had tremendous logisti-cal problems to handle. What tumors are we going to sequence?How are we going to extract the DNA? What additional data do weneed on those samples? How do we get the samples up to Wash Ufor the whole genome sequencing? How do we set up an infrastruc-ture at Wash U that can handle our samples? How do we analyzethat data? It’s a massive amount of data, so it’s hard to even movethat data through the Web. There are no tools to analyze the data,so we had to develop our own tools. One of the key decisions wemade up front was that we’d generate the whole genome sequencedata on the tumor and the non-tumor tissue, and then Wash U and
Throughout his nearly 30 years working at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Dr. James Downing has helda number of roles, from starting out as what he calls a “glorified postdoc” to becoming the chair of thedepartment of pathology and now the hospital’s scientific director, but perhaps no role could prepare him
for his time in the spotlight as one of TIME magazine’s nominated individuals for its “The World’s 100 MostInfluential People” list. When RSVP editor Leah Fitzpatrick interviewed Downing in his office on the St. Judecampus, he checked to see how the online voting was going to confirm his spot on the list, smiling and saying,“I think we’re still beating Hillary and Bill [Clinton], and David Bowie is right behind me.” Though the resultsfor the TIME list won’t be announced until April 18, which falls after press time, Downing will most certainlyhave focused his thoughts back to the Pediatric Cancer Genome Project, an effort he leads that is helping shednew light on cures for some of the most aggressive childhood cancers. According to Downing, “This is a foun-dational effort for the world that really will influence a lot of research in the future on pediatric cancer, but itis also influencing research on adult cancer and on other diseases. One of our investigators used info from theGenome Project to make discoveries on Lou Gehrig’s type diseases and accelerate his research.”
Photos by Don Perry
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their informatics team, whichis probably 50 people strong,would analyze it, and we wouldanalyze it completely independ-ently. So, we would get on callwith a computer hook-up andask each other what we foundand compare that. Then, wewould go into another step andgo back to the tumors, andevery lesion we found, wewould go validate it. The firsttumor we analyzed, theysequenced it and said they got13 mutations, but we got 12mutations. When we comparedthe list, there was only onegene in common. All the restwere false positives and werewrong, and we were able toshow that through the valida-tion. We next started modify-ing our algorithms and ourcomputational tools and devel-oping new tools, which wemade publicly available. I guessthe other thing was I wonderedif we were actually going tofind anything. My worst night-mare was that we wouldn’t findanything of interest, nothing ofbiologic or clinical interest,nothing that would actuallyhelp the children. Addressingthat, it’s been more successfulthan we possibly could haveanticipated. Every tumor welooked at, we gained new fun-damental insights. Some arejust insights to help us under-stand what might be drivingthe tumors. Some are actuallymarkers that help us to get bet-ter prognostic information: Isthis a good or bad tumor?Some are direct targets fortherapy, and some there areagents already available for andwe can start moving those intomodels and then clinical trials.The second big worry was thatwhen we make a discovery, arewe correct? We spend a lot oftime when we get a finding try-ing to see if we can prove thatit’s wrong, and if we can’t,then it must be right.
RSVP: I know the project helpswith discoveries in some of themost aggressive childhood can-cers, so can you specify someof those?
Downing: You know, our goalwas 600 tumors, and we actual-ly finished in February of thisyear with 700 tumors and didit under cost. We focused onthe three major categories oftumors that children get,which are tumors of the blood,with acute lymphoblasticleukemia (ALL) being the mostcommon cancer by far that wesee in the pediatric population,brain tumors and then solid
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tumors. We really shot for 200 brain tumors, 200 leukemias and200 solid tumors, so we have cancer center programs focusedon studying those specific kinds of tumors. The leukemias wefocused on are sort of the bad actors. You know, if I had comedown with ALL when I was a child, I would have had less thana 5 percent chance for a cure. A child walks in today, and it’sabout a 90-plus percent chance for a cure. Ten percent of thekids though are still dying, so those are the ones we focused on.We focused on a particular type of ALL, but there are severaltypes of ALL that are rare and decrease patients’ chances. Wefocused on a certain type of acute myeloid leukemia, again rare,but the children do very poorly. In the brain tumors, we focusedon the major subtypes of brain tumors. One subtype, a diffuseintrinsic pontine glioma, today has a 95 percent chance ofdeath if you have that tumor. We have a 5 percent chance for acure, so we focused on that and sequenced that.Medulloblastoma, one of the most common types of pediatricbrain tumors, is something we did a very important study on.
We are looking into ependymoma, another type of brain tumor,and made a major discovery on that which should be submittedfor publication in the next several weeks. In the solid tumors,we looked at retinoblastoma, neuroblastoma, osteosarcoma andrhabdomyosarcoma, so a lot of the sarcomas we see in the pedi-atric population.
RSVP: What has been one of the most exciting outcomes of theproject?
Downing: I think the most exciting outcome of the project hasbeen that it’s brought together researchers from very differentbackgrounds and focuses. In an organization like this, we havefundamental scientists who are working on fundamental prob-lems of cell biology, biochemistry, structural biology and infec-tious diseases that aren’t really related to what we see in theclinic. They’re much more foundational efforts. We have clini-cians who are taking care of patients and are worried aboutwhat they see in the clinic every single day and how to advancethat. Then, you have translational scientists who are bridgingthat gap. This project has brought those three groups of peopletogether like nothing I’ve ever seen before. We make a discoveryin pediatric cancer that is chosen by the clinicians and thetranslational researchers, so they’re very interested in it andknow what’s needed in a clinical perspective. But, we have thisnew observation that we don’t know what it does in a biologicalsense, so now the basic scientists jump in. It’s the ability ofthis broad look to define the landscape of mutations that’s actu-ally serving as the ground layer of a whole new wave ofresearch, which will advance our understanding of cancer sothat we can better treat these children. Another important thingwas that we made the data publicly available. It’s one of themajor databases of genomic data available in the world, and itcame from a single institution in Memphis.
RSVP: What phase of the Pediatric Cancer Genome Project areyou in now?
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Downing: We’ve just decided tostart a second phase of theproject this month [April]. It’s$30 million over two years, andthere are two focuses of thesecond phase. One of the focus-es is discovery. We won’t gener-ate a lot more sequencing, butpart of it is there are three mil-lion base pairs, and the part ofthe genome that sits as a blue-print for making the body isabout 5 percent of the genome.Ninety-five percent of thegenome used to be called junkDNA, but we now know that’snot junk DNA and that it’sDNA that plays a critical rolein regulating how the otherparts of the gene are expressedand made into proteins. Now,one of the issues is how to findmutations in that old junkDNA. All that DNA sequence isthere in our database, but therules aren’t even built to figureout how to look at them, so thesecond phase will let us buildthose rules. The second compo-nent of the phase revolvesaround how medicine shouldmove forward in this personal-ized medicine approach. If apatient comes into St. Jude,should we sequence theirtumor and take some normaltissue from them to sequenceit the day they walk in? Wouldthat help us better develop atherapy approach for that spe-cific child? Would that give usinformation on how they’regoing to respond to the drugswe give them? Would it give usinformation on whether wehave to worry about them get-ting certain infections? Wouldit give us information on whatthe long-term consequences ofthe drugs might be for the indi-vidual patient? I think every-one in the field sort of says,“Yes, that’s what needs to bedone.” We’re going to set up aclinical laboratory at the insti-tution that will allow us tostart doing that on every singlepatient beginning in January2014 for a one-year period. Thegoal will really be about how doyou do this, and what’s theright way to do this. We won’tbe using that information totailor their therapy, but we willinclude it in our research pro-tocol so it will give us thistremendous new data. The ulti-mate goal of this would be tosee if we could actually do thison every child in the U.S. Ifyou could do it on every childin the U.S., I think it wouldhave a massive acceleratingeffect on our ability to makeprogress against pediatric can-cer.
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Krewes for KidsBenefiting the Carnival Memphis Children’s Charity InitiativeE
V E N T
Carrie Howell and Nicole Robbins Kirk and Karen Johnston
Pat and Donna Hoffman Beth and Sam Bomarito
Walker and Jennie Robbins Walter and Lida Bross
KREW
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Sara and Kevin Adams, Katherine and John Dobbs and Kim and Johnny PittsCindy and David Gambrell Joanie and Michael Lightman
See all the party photos atrsvpmagazine.com Password: RSVP
It seemed like half the city’s residents were at the Memphis BotanicGarden during the fifth annual Krewes for Kids. All 10 of the GrandKrewes of Carnival Memphis got together for this blowout fund-rais-
er, which featured nearly 300 silent auction items. According to EdGalfsky, executive director of Carnival Memphis, the event surpassedeveryone’s expectations.
Galfsky said, “It was incredible. This year’s was by far the mostsuccessful. We’ve never had anything quite like it.”
As soon as the event got under way, the Soul Shockers took thestage, giving dancers a chance to get moving right away. During onebreak, auctioneer Jeff Morris worked his magic and got the crowd bid-ding on trips, artwork and a collector’s item–a guitar signed byMemphis music legends Isaac Hayes, Jim Dickinson, David Porterand Sid Selvidge. The final live auction item, a ride down Beale Streeton the Boll Weevils’ bus during the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, fetched awhopping $3,100.
Many guests participated in the wine pull, and for a $20 dona-tion, they selected wine from a group of wrapped bottles, adding a lit-tle mystery to their purchases. It took quite a while to browse thesilent auction offerings, which included gift baskets filled with anyand everything imaginable. Flying lessons, scuba lessons and a ride ina flight simulator also were up for grabs. Galfsky said his only regretwas that he was too busy to place his bid for a Grizzlies package henoticed before the event began.
The main room was lined with tables that were filled with dishesfrom some of the city’s notable eateries, including Jim’s Place, Pete &Sam’s, Interim Restaurant, Automatic Slim’s and many others. Forthose with more down-home tastes, Gus’s World Famous FriedChicken, Hog Wild Barbecue and Memphis Dawgs served up their sig-nature dishes. Malco Theatres even provided a popcorn cart so guestscould nibble throughout the night. Galfsky said providing such a vari-ety of food was a little challenging, but the goal was to have a little ofsomething for everyone, which could not have been accomplishedwithout the generous donations of so many restaurateurs.
Members of the Carnival Memphis krewes outdid themselvesthrowing this shindig, and showed off just how much they “party witha purpose.” All the funds raised during this Carnival year will go tochildren’s charities: Perea Preschool, the Ronald McDonald House®Charities of Memphis and the YWCA.
Story by Suzanne ThompsonPhotos by Don Perry
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Buddy and Lanetta Lanier
Charles Humphreys, Bill McMurtray and Jerry Michie
Karen and John Davis
Chantal and Jeff Johnson
Rob and Rebecca Jolly with Matt and Melissa Saenger
Ronald Kent and Gwenn Evans
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David and Peggy Everson Bob and Eve Gammon
Mace Gearhardt and Kathy Sapp Odette McKenzie and Lorenzo Brown
Sandy and John Brewer Jay and Allison Morris
Martha and Mike Hess Gabrielle Lucchesi and Julian Prewitt Jr.
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Amber Roettgen, Jeff Box and Kim Leonard
Angie Stewart Forester with Chuck and Mary Stewart
Lizzy Newton, Will Aldridge and Lizzy Holt
Larry Maddox with Weezie and Margaret Steffner
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James and Melinda Liles
Michelle and Todd Brown with Donna Melton and Ed Galfsky
Natalie Brown and Matt Swoboda
Jennifer and Lance Kruchten
Cindy Hawthorne, John McCormick and Anne Wesberry
Robin Poston and Joseph Gordon
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ONSITE Onsite I
Sevee Patterson and Mimi Wilson
Heath Burns and Brenda Buckman
Steve Vescovo and Pat Lawler
Tom Bandler, Sara Estabrook, Leeanne McDonald and Leslie Portis
Christy, Leisa and Brooxie Davis
Cathy and Gary Draper with Mary Kaye Welch
Shari Walker, Steve DeVore and Stacey McKnight
Breanna Dixson, Shani Patterson, BreAnna Boyd and Kim Adams
Dalton Reeves, Anna Williams, Karen Mayes and Keith RobertsBarb Poier, Carol Martin, Carol Duffy and Donna McManus
Betty Green, Mei-Ann Chen and Nancy Lou Jones
Deanna Vaughan, Asby Fulmer and Patty Calvert
Barbara Jones Perkins and Lydia Gaillard
Mystic Krewe of Pegasus Mardi Gras Ball
No Mardi Gras celebration iscomplete without beads and, ofcourse, costumes. The nearly 10-year-old Mystic Krewe of Pegasus,considered to be the only officialMardi Gras krewe of Memphis,did not disappoint this year. Thecharitable organization held itsannual Mardi Gras Ball, themed“Fire and Ice,” at MinglewoodHall, and it was a party repletewith a parade of feathery ensem-bles, an abundance of beadsbestowed on costumed bacchants,music, drinks and a zest fit for afirst-class carnival celebration.Each year, the krewe chooses tohonor and raise funds for a chari-ty, with this year’s benefactorbeing Mid-South Spay and NeuterServices. Kym Clark of WMC-TV5 served as the celebrity emcee,and guest entertainment was pro-vided by Miss Gay TennesseeAmerica 2012 Suzy Wong. AshlynTyler and Shayne Rachels werecoronated as Queen and KingPegasus X, both of whom willchoose the honored charity fornext year’s season. “Our annualMardi Gras Ball is the big celebra-tion here in Memphis,” saidRodney Brown, president of theMystic Krewe of Pegasus. “It’s achance for people to give moneyto a good cause and to celebratein a large-scale Mardi Gras partystyle.”
Story and Photos by Lesley Young
Youth Villages Soup Sunday
What’s better than hot soup on acold day? Well, how about morethan 25 soups prepared by someof the city’s tastiest eateries andserved up all in one place to ben-efit the Youth Villages’ Mentor-ing Program? Yes, the 24th annu-al Youth Villages Soup Sundayagain filled FedExForum withsoup-seekers and Sunday fun.From beer cheese soup by BardogTavern (People’s Choice winnerfor best soup) to lobster andshrimp bruschetta by The HalfShell (winner for best specialtyitem) and strawberry layered cakeby All American Sweets (winnerfor best dessert), there were plen-ty of flavors to savor. Entertain-ment included bouncy inflatablesfor the kids, a Konica Minoltaphoto booth with AntonioAnderson and Rockey the Rockin’Redbird shaking a leg to theMemphis Doctors Dance Band.For those in the know, the mezza-nine-level Souper Party offeredspecial menu items from OwenBrennan’s, Felicia Suzanne’s andPhillip Ashley Chocolates, as wellas cooking demonstrations, asilent auction and “adult bever-ages” like the Cran-Bellini-Tini.And, for those wishing to dine inthe sunshine? Outside, a fleet offood trucks.
Story and Photos by Kelly Cox
Memphis Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Gala
In 2010, Memphis was designat-ed the food hunger capital of thecountry according to a surveyconducted by Gallup and theFood Research Action Center.The Memphis Academy ofNutrition and Dietetics, anorganization of local registereddieticians, decided to combat theproblem and gather the troops.The group, which includes pri-vate practice, community-based,educational nutritionists and culi-narians who promote propernutrition and diet by workingwith various organizations in thecity such as hospitals and theMemphis VA Medical Center,recently held a fund-raiser in aneffort to raise awareness of foodinsecurity in Memphis, as well asraise funds for the MetropolitanInter-Faith Association, or MIFA.Inviting friends, colleagues andother advocates, MAND threw aparty, “Eat Right to FightHunger,” at the Calliope EventRoom that included cocktails,music performed by the 1-900Band, a silent auction and, ofcourse, food. L’École Culinairepartnered with MAND to offerfood stations and quite thespread for an evening of style,fun and purpose. Angie Wallick,a registered dietician, member ofMAND and gala chair, said, “Wewanted to put something togeth-er to make our organization morevisible in the community, makefood awareness a priority andraise money for MIFA. A familywho receives meals from MIFAimproves their nutrition status,keeps them in the home and outof the hospital.”
Story and Photos by Lesley Young
Memphis Symphony League’s Valentine’s Day Celebration
Love for the Memphis SymphonyOrchestra’s conductor, Mei-AnnChen, was in the air during theMemphis Symphony League’sValentine’s Day Celebration atthe Memphis Hunt and PoloClub. Before the luncheonbegan, guests mixed, mingledand browsed silent auctionitems, but their attention soonturned to Dr. Randall Rushing,who sang “Maria” from “WestSide Story,” substituting “Mei-Ann” for the song’s title. He wasjoined by his wife, Beth, for aduet, and Victor Asuncion pro-vided piano accompaniment. Asthe group enjoyed lunch, mod-els, wearing clothes provided bySeriously FUN! Apparel, movedbetween the tables. Later on,Chen spoke about the power ofmusic connecting people, some-thing she said she has knownsince age 10, when she firstdecided to become a conductor.
Story and Photos by Suzanne Thompson
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ONSITEOnsite II
Jessica Necaise, Allison Steward and Karen Shanahan
Ashley Utley Walker, Rick Leet and Casey Tansey
Ashley and Jonathan Cullum
Gray Bowles, Ashley Compton, Jamie Kidd,Rebecca Bowers and Lauren and Chad Wilgenbusch
Midge Weinberg, Denise Fabian, Debby Stephens, MaryLawrence Allen, Debbie Compton and Diane Leopold
Diana Brewer and Kynlon Sherrill
Bob Leopold and Kevin Kent
Pat and Hill Massengill with Nancy Barnhart
Buzzy Hussey, Elizabeth Duncan and Hal Brunt
Lt. Colonels Mark and Carolee Israel, Phil Reed and Billie Jean Graham
Joanna Foster, Tiffany Brimhall and Elizaeth Rouse
Lindsey Osborne and Andrew Williams
Brad and Lauren Spicer
Wine for Wishes
Those passionate about the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of the Mid-South, specifically the Make-A-Wish of the Mid-South’s AssociateBoard, opted to spread theirenthusiasm about the cause withothers by throwing a fun-filledfund-raiser called Wine forWishes. Festivities transpired atthe Cadre Building, a beautifulspot brimming forth with partygo-ers ready to sample a variety ofsensational food and wine pair-ings presented by A MoveableFeast. Adding to the ambiancewas a performance by the popularWill Tucker Band, and the silentauction also captivated guests’attention with tempting items,including courtside tickets to aGrizzlies game, four rounds ofgolf at Spring Creek Ranch, giftcertificates to local dining estab-lishments, spa packages, vacationrental packages to either thebeach, the mountains or the riverand a wedding coordinator pack-age. One hundred percent of pro-ceeds will help the local Make-A-Wish chapter grant wishes to chil-dren dealing with life-threateningmedical conditions.
Story by Leah FitzpatrickPhotos by Chris Pugh
Maternal League of Memphis Art Exhibition and Reception
It’s not often that an art exhibitis created to benefit mothers andbabies, but that’s just what theMaternal League of Memphis’ ArtExhibition and Reception did, asthe group used the opportunityto emphasize its fight againstinfant mortality through SIDSprevention. Longtime artist MaryLawrence Allen, who is a formerMaternal League of Memphispresident, provided the art forthe show that was appropriatelythemed “Art with a Heart forMothers and Babies.” Held in theKroc Center, the exhibit ofAllen’s 36 works remained on dis-play throughout the entirety ofMarch, with nearly all proceedsfrom sales going back to theMaternal League, a volunteer-runorganization often noted for itsLayettes of Love program, whichprovides more than 500 layettes ayear to families in need.
Story and Photos by Leah Fitzpatrick
Young at Art Art and Soul Party
A Memphis-themed night was instore for the more than 150 peo-ple who turned up for the DixonGallery and Gardens’ Art andSoul Party. The institution’syoung membership arm, Youngat Art, hosted the party to giveits members an after-hours peekof the “Present Tense” exhibitthat highlighted works by localartists from the past decade.Some of the featured artists guestcurator John Weeden selectedpieces from included HamlettDobbins, Pinkney Herbert,George Hunt, John McIntire,Pixy Liao, Veda Reed, LamarSorrento, Andrew Williams andNJ Woods, to name a few of the80-plus talents. Keeping with thevibe of the gathering, organizersset up a Raiford’s style dancefloor and secured Southern farefrom One & Only BBQ and sweettea and lemonade fromMcAlister’s Deli, in addition togetting live entertainment fromthe Delta Cats and an Elvisimpersonator. Guests also had agreat time playing with the giantfatheads of the Grizzlies playersthat were part of a raffle, whichinadvertently shed light on othercool parts of Memphis culture,like Sun Studio, which had twopasses up for grabs. To stay up todate on Young at Art’s futurehappenings, check out thegroup’s Facebook page.
Story and Photos by Leah Fitzpatrick
Kroc Center Donor Reception
Before the Salvation Army KrocCenter officially opened its doorsto the public on February 23,some of the center’s majordonors got a first look at the fin-ished facility during the KrocCenter Donor Reception, heldthe Thursday night before open-ing day. The 100,000-square-footundertaking boasts arts, educa-tion, recreation and worshipareas that serve to bring diversecommunities together under oneroof. Of the project’s comple-tion, Arthur Oliver, chairman ofthe Kroc’s advisory board,exclaimed, “I want to welcomeeveryone to what is a long-await-ed and great day for theSalvation Army!” Followingtours of the space, CaptainJonathan Rich handed out donorgifts of artistic wire trees fas-tened in beds of moss—meta-phors for the strong roots thatdonors are placing in the com-munity. A special award, dubbedthe Others Award, was bestowedupon Steve Nelson, who was saidto have volunteered, on average,about 80 hours a week duringthe Kroc’s construction. Lt. Col.Mark Israel said, “We give youthis award because you put oth-ers before yourself.”
Story and Photos by Leah Fitzpatrick
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Eighteen years ago, Marty Acree and Mac Gardner built their
Mediterranean-style villa into the sweep of grand homes along a
wooded Midtown Avenue. But, inside the style is anything goes!
The eclecticism of their style ranges from fairly formal to contempo-
rary casual, and every color in the rainbow has its place.
However, when it came to their kitchen, which is open to a
living area and patio doors to the poolside, a few functional needs
proved to be the catalyst for a room-wide facelift. “Creativity is sel-
dom idle,” says Jackie Glisson of justadecorator.com, who took on
the four-month challenge, which involved tearing out a bar and
replacing and repurposing much of the cabinetry.
RSVP ROOM VIEW
Top: Acree and Gardner were fearless in choosing stainless steel for their trapezoidal kitchen barcounter. Though steel picks up its own patina of scrapes and scratches through the years, decoratorJackie Glisson said it can develop its own artistic personality while providing the functionality of ahigh-traffic party kitchen. Above: The subtle charm of milk glass tiles isn’t lost on visitors to thehomeowners’ kitchen. The long slender tiles blend into white painted walls, however they still lend awarm iridescence. Glisson said he wanted the room to be contemporary, but not cold.
Interview by Jonathan Devin | Photos by Steve Roberts
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RSVP: Why did the homeowners decide to make a change?
Glisson: After they’d lived in the kitchen for a while, they discov-ered what they were missing. And, it was time for a change. Weadded a double oven, but then there was the question of “well,where do we put the microwave?” Then, they decided to just go forit. Now, it’s almost like a chef’s kitchen, and Mac is an awesomechef.
RSVP: It looks like they wanted to create a real stunner with thebar.
Glisson: The most striking piece is the backlit green onyx. It’s aPakistani, two-centimeter green onyx. It came from Triton StoneGroup in Southaven. It’s opaque enough that light can shinethrough it. This is the first piece I’ve done with it. Since then I’vedone vanity tops, and it’s nice to have them underlit, but you’vegot faucets and fixtures and things that impede the view. In thiscase, it’s like a piece of art.
RSVP: Was the choice of bar stool based on the onyx?
Glisson: Yes. They’re very contemporary Lucite stools. The thing Ilike about them is that they don’t impede the view of the onyx.They’re a version of the saddle seat. Then, we had this trapezoidalstainless steel bar with the elliptical leg custom made.
RSVP: Were they worried at all about taking care of the stainlesssteel?
Glisson: The stainless steel was an element they were good with.Some people are apprehensive because of the scratch factor, butthey were okay with that look. It just becomes an element of thedesign. It’s extremely durable and antibacterial.
RSVP: So, no crystalteardrop chandelier forthis kitchen?
Glisson: No, they have amobile instead. I thinkwe were out shoppingone day, and we cameacross it at Flashback.The modern sconcescame from Flashback aswell. They are hugeentertainers and party-givers. There have been 150 people in this space.
RSVP: What did they choose for the countertops?
Glisson: The countertops are Italian black granite with a river-washfinish. The unique thing about the tile is that it’s milk glass tile. Ifyou’re going to do white tile, you would typically just do ceramictile, but I like the depth and interest that the glass has. And, wepainted the walls to match the tile. The custom cabinet piece forthe microwave was not there. There was a piece of furniture. Weconstructed it for their microwave, which is a drawer microwave.Then, we repurposed the doors. The cabinet doors are sycamorewood imported from France. The wood in the room is a mix ofblond maple and green sycamore.
RSVP: It looks like any color scheme could work in this house.
Glisson: The teal and orange [in the sitting area] are perfect coun-terbalances for the green and gold. Particularly, the burned orangeblends a real warmth. Contemporary can sometimes be cold, but Idon’t think you have a cold feel in this room.
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Left: The homeownerschose a sheet ofPakistani green onyxwith its naturallycloudy grain of shad-owy purples and bluesto create a stunningbacklit facing for theirnew kitchen bar. Arow of transparentLucite bar stoolsmakes guests com-fortable withoutobstructing the view.Below: A custom-builtsideboard and stain-less steel shelvesreplace a furnituresideboard to housesome of Gardner’s col-lection of 150 sun-glasses. The Italianblack granite counter-top mixes pleasantlywith emerald greenFrench sycamore cabi-netry, which has bothvertical and horizontalgrains. Gold trim andmodern canvassconces set thescene.
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BRID
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E V E N T BRIDGES Screen on the Green
“The Wizard’s Ball”
Dylan G-Bowley, Kendall Britt Jr., Virginia Pilgrim and Travis Bradley
Melissa Wolowicz and Chaka Conway
Cynthia Ham and Jeff Sanford
Brian Johnson and Kimberly Ovitt
Greg and Sharon Kraus
Trudy Tyler and Rikki Anderson
Jessie Walker and Christopher Wiley
Rick and Elizabeth Ferguson
Chance and Jessica Carlisle
Though a tornado didn’t come through town, some 300 partygoerswere still “off to see the wizard” at the BRIDGES Center duringits annual Screen on the Green benefit, which raised more than
$40,000. Themed “The Wizard’s Ball,” the event drew a convivialcrowd of BRIDGES supporters, many of whom opted to dress astheir favorite Wizard of Oz character. Unfortunately, no one came asToto, but there still was a good showing of other characters from theflying monkeys and Munchkins to Dorothy and the Wicked Witch ofthe West, a character BRIDGES CEO and president Cynthia Hamembraced, even going to the lengths of dying her hair green.
Amazingly, the entire facility had been transformed to reflectthe movie’s notable settings. At the entrance, a rotating tornadomade of dark tulle was positioned behind Dorothy’s bicycle, whichhad a stuffed animal that resembled Toto sitting in a basket, and upahead, a signpost with arrows pointed to Oz, Munchkinland, theLion’s Den, Emerald City, the Poppy Field and Kansas. As one guestprepared to follow the Yellow Brick Road decal on the floor, sheasked her friend, “Did you know that the Wizard of Oz is the mostwatched movie ever?” Arguably it is, and the actual movie aired onnumerous spots along the hallway and also in the main event space,which continued to impress décor-wise thanks to flying monkeyshanging from the ceiling, a “Surrender Dorothy” sign, a “Lion’sDen” bar, an Emerald City photo booth and a replica of Dorothy’shouse.
Tom Prestigiacomo, whose daughter, Katie, works as a BELCtraining specialist at BRIDGES, emceed the affair, welcoming all bysaying, “We’re excited to see everyone who was here last year andeven more so now that you’re here for the second year.” With that,Alexis Grace took the floor to belt out some powerful notes in songslike “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” and then, Ballet Memphistreated guests to a snippet of their “Wizard of Oz” ballet, delightingthe crowd as they performed in Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Manand the Lion costumes. However, the entertainment didn’t endthere, as DJ Buzz Bobby kept dance lovers moving until night’s end.
To keep appetites in check, a cocktail buffet offered patronsshrimp and grits from Felicia Suzanne’s, cold soba noodles fromNoodles, Amerigo’s tiramisu and P. Ashley’s caramel apple withGhost River beer truffles, to name some of the delectables.University of Memphis colleagues Beverly Cross and Wanda Rushingenjoyed the eats as they discussed their connection to BRIDGES, ofwhich Cross has been a board member of for five years and Rushinghas written a book (Memphis and the Paradox of Place) that thenonprofit used in the past for staff training. It is special contribu-tions like the one these ladies made to BRIDGES that helps theorganization empower impressionable minds to “reach across, leadthe way and build our community”…just not with yellow bricks.
Story by Leah FitzpatrickPhotos by Don PerrySee all the party photos at rsvpmagazine.com
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2013
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Drew and Emily Smith
Mary and Scott Morris
Lisa and Brittani Rumsey
Bubba Buxton and Candice ColeKelley and Matt Morice with Ginger and Tony Graves
Hunter Belk and Timorie Stewart
Dynisha and Kevin Woods
Sheila Whalum and Kenneth Whalum Jr.
Erika Adair and John Cassidy
Stacy Brown and Paula Rahme
Dr. Kimberly Womback Rice and Alex Rice
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Trudi and Carlton Osborne
Andrew Ball and Mariana Rizzo
Doris and Bill Bolden
Sara and Jon GrizzleRon and Josie Walker
Jourdan Patton, Locke Isaacson and Shanette Renea Susan Waits, Michael Kelley and Dr. Shelley Griffee
Catarsha and Rodney Atkins Chris Bonati, Kim Giewont, Katie Prestigiacomo and Tom Brezzini Mark and Jan Wiygul
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Fredrick and Trina Gillam
Elijah Gann and Lana Wilcox
Ken Hall and Jeni Stephens
Kyle Scott and Stephanie BennettFelicia Nicholson and Dianne Taylor
Beverly Cross, Mary Relling and Wanda Rushing Jimmy Lewis, Sarla Nichols and Jordan Nichols
Mikki and Darrell Cobbins Louis Doss, Cheryl Sullivan and Tamara Hoffman Rob and Lisa Clapper
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PHOE
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E V E N T Phoenix Club Mardi Gras Party
Benefiting the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Memphis
Matt Rasberry, Aaron Munn and Mike Jones
Bethany Harrell and Cindy McRae
Michael Allen and Hannah Wilson
David Ridenhour and Bri Binnie
Julie Nelson and Chris Hopkins
Carlyle White and Renee Willis
Leigha Francis and Mitchell Friener
Cate Tidwell and Teddy Klug
Mallery Duncan and Ryan Freiden
Fat Tuesday may have come and gone, but the Phoenix Club ofMemphis celebrated Mardi Gras one more time with its 16thannual Mardi Gras and Casino Party at the historic Cadre
Building. More than 600 guests came together to support thePhoenix Club’s philanthropy, the Boys and Girls Club of GreaterMemphis, and to, of course, kick up their heels and indulge in thecarnival spirit.
Upon entrance, guests were immediately transported toBourbon Street as they were handed shots from women wearing elab-orate two-piece Mardi Gras costumes before they even hit the coatcheck. As attendees made their way into the Cadre’s stunning GrandBallroom, they were greeted with the main course of the night: gam-bling with lots of cocktails. Upstairs, the clinking of chips and shuf-fling of cards was tempting enough for attendees to unleash theirinner cardshark and play a round for a good cause. Guests tradedtheir real money for “funny money” and in turn received gamblingchips to bet with at the tables. With Harrah’s Casino’s premier deal-ers working the tables, this was no poker night with the guys—rather,the bets were high and the pressure was on. Winners received raffletickets that were entered into a drawing for large package prizesfrom Grove Grill, Folk’s Folly Prime Steak House, Oak Hall andTommy Bronson Sporting Goods, to name just a few. The party con-tinued in the VIP section with more gambling, but with the addedbonus of delicious grub from Central BBQ.
Gambling is always easier with the aid of a few stiff libations.Thankfully, that was not a problem with Cathead Vodka, Budweiserof Memphis, Local Gastropub and Bardog Tavern serving up special-ty concoctions and spirits. Local favorite Blind Bear Speakeasybrought the glamour of the 1920s back by handing out Prohibition-style cocktails like the Southern Hooch, made with either BlackberryMoonshine or Apple Pie Moonshine. Taking in the crowd’s obviousenjoyment, Chad Cunningham, the Phoenix Club party chairman,said that the party is just “a great way to get everyone together for agreat cause year after year.”
With a couple of great cocktails and many rounds of pokerunder their belts, men and women invoked the le bons temps roulerattitude of the night by hitting the dance floor, which DJ Mario kepthopping into the wee hours. More than $10,000 was raised for theBoys & Girls Clubs of Greater Memphis, with funds specifically ear-marked for the Boys & Girls Clubs’ Camp Phoenix, which offers 300-plus kids from the Memphis area a chance to experience the out-doors on the shores of Sardis Lake in Como, Mississippi.
Story by Rachel WarrenPhotos by Don PerrySee all the party photos at rsvpmagazine.com
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Meredith Carrozza, Eric McEnerney and Cristina Jabbour
Mandy Gootzeit and Carl JohnsonElly Deyhle and Mark Awdeh
Ashley McCullough and Kevin SawickiBen Campora and Jessica Shelton
Albert Richer and Stephanie JohnsonWill Aldridge and Lizzy Holt
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Samantha Tweddell and Kaci Murley
Lamar Tidwell and Amanda Anno
Pamela Phillips and Patrick Mitchell
Sara Gano and Colleen ColeMichael McCaffrey and April Tridente
Steve Balatros, Audrey Mosley, Ashley Hanson and James McKenzie Matt Ricke, Jennifer Flanagan, Tiffany Stuart and Peyton Aven
Morgan Goldsmith, Mike Azzam and Maria Smith Caitlin Berry, Austin Easley and Lauren Loeb
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Jonathan Leonard, Brittany Bloom and Liane Williams
Laurie Bosshard, Jennifer Adams, Kim White and Ashley Covert
Curt and Elizabeth Griffin with Lucas and Morgan Jane Warth
Caitlin Gilen, Jenny Rosen and Emma KromerNicole Douglas, Ross Ridenhour and Jason Black
Amy Doss and April MeltonMary Catherine Lee and Patrick Colpitts
Lane Varner and Stephen CrossLesley Goode and Kate Morrissee
Carrie Neill and Steven BellMarjorie Baker and Danny Knight
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ONSITE Onsite III
Kadeem Myrick, Edie McCants, Denise Parnell and Anjelicia Hardin
Vance Turner, Kontji Anthony and Christopher Wilson
Jayna Kelly and Jeshenna Watkins
Laura Edgerton, Melissa Gunter, Megan Vaughan and Gareth Tasker
Debra and Patrick Boucher with Susan and Craig Williams
Kimberly Hansen and Ami Tasker
Christy Brandon, Sasha Rutlin and Heather Brucks
“A Chorus Line” Gala Opening
There’s nothing quite like theglamour and excitement of a the-ater party. With men and womendressed to the nines, BrennanVillines on the baby grand piano,flowers and a cocktail buffet, theopening night of “A ChorusLine” at Theatre Memphis was agala affair. Pre-show festivitiesincluded a live auction featuringa trip to New York City and achat with original “A ChorusLine” cast member and TonyAward winner Donna McKechnie.Presciently predating realityshows by more than two decades,“A Chorus Line” follows dancersas they audition for a spot on achorus line, revealing personali-ties and personal struggles alongthe way. “The opportunity to talkpersonally with original castmembers really helped theMemphis cast feel connected tothis play,” remarked TheatreMemphis director of marketingRandall Hartzog. In a TheatreMemphis first, the opening nightwas live-Tweeted by behind-the-scenes correspondent Rae Boller.And after the performance, the-atergoers enjoyed drinks anddesserts with the cast.
Story and Photos by Kelly Cox
Fleming’s Wine Dinner
The wines of Oregon were fea-tured at the Fleming’s WineDinner, part of the MemphisWine and Food series, whichserves as a fund-raiser for theMemphis Brooks Museum of Art.Guests were met at the door withflutes filled with 2009 ArgyleBrut, and the wines, all from ElkCove Vineyards, were each pairedwith a course of the dinner. Thejumbo shrimp cocktail wereserved with a 2010 pinot gris, themesclun salad was paired with2010 Argyle Reserve pinot noirand a 2010 Mt. Richmond pinotnoir accompanied the maincourse that featured slow-roastedprime rib. Finishing off the feastwas a dark chocolate mousse,which was paired with a 2010Ultima riesling. A live auctionthat offered groups of wine andother dining experiences complet-ed the evening.
Story and Photos by Suzanne Thompson
MED Foundation’s “Getting to Zero” Benefit
With the Centers for DiseaseControl and Prevention announc-ing in 2012 that Memphis hasthe country’s fifth largest propor-tion of citizens newly infectedwith HIV, it seemed fitting thatthe MED Foundation’s YoungLeadership Council host a fund-raiser for the “Getting to Zero”campaign—a part of the UnitedNations’ HIV/AIDS effort to getto zero new infections, zero newdeaths and zero discrimination.Held in the South Main HistoricArts District, the benefit raisedmore than $2,500 to help bolsterthe MED’s plans to get ShelbyCounty HIV patients into a long-term treatment regime, as contin-ual treatment for HIV-positivepeople can mean a long, healthylife for these individuals. To learnmore about the work the MEDFoundation is doing, visittheMEDFoundation.org.
Story by Leah FitzpatrickPhotos by Whitney Henry
Junior League of Collierville Blue Jean Ball
The Junior League of Colliervillemembers and their husbandsgathered at Memphis NationalGolf Club for their fourthannual Blue Jean Ball fund-rais-er, this year themed “AnEvening in Paris.” After perus-ing silent auction items, guestsenjoyed a buffet dinner, andmany participated in the “WinePull,” in which each person whodonated $15 was allowed to pullone of more than 50 wrappedbottles of vino. “It’s a little bitof a game of chance,” said mem-ber Laura Edgerton. A liveaction followed dinner, and DJMemphis Mike got the crowd onthe dance floor, where partygo-ers partied the night away.
Story and Photos by Suzanne Thompson
Dana and Kent Farmer
Emily Capadalis and Tom Love
Bill Phillips and Barry Fuller
Lori and Mark Huffstutler with Valerie and Jeff Morris
Jonathan and Erin Phillips with Rheagan and Philip Harris
Stanton Thomas and Neville Williams
Ward and Katie Collier
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MED
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HTE V E N T MED Night
“A Soul Celebration”
Nikki Lekhy with Brad and Raakhi Phillips
Mike Wilson and Lori Turner-Wilson
Cameron and April Parker
Susan Arney and Tammie Ritchey
Dr. Reginald and Erica Coopwood
Sharon Loy and Ricky Wilkins
Donna and Steve Nash
Josh and Joanna Lipman
Rod Pope and Mearl Purvis
Most people think of the Regional Medical Center at Memphis,also known as The MED, as caring for healthy bodies, but on awindy evening in late March it was all about the soul. Soul
music, that is. For the third year, The MED presented “MED Night:A Soul Celebration” in which partygoers from far and wide gatheredat The Peabody for cocktails, a fabulous dinner and an out-of-this-world lineup of musicians to rival the Grammys.
Organizers were celebrating even before the first chords werestruck because this year’s party at $500 a ticket was “souled out”with 850 in attendance. Guests arrived in The Peabody’s ContinentalBallroom in black tie and cocktail dresses for wine and spirits, aswell as the first stirrings of music from the “Queen of Beale Street,”Ruby Wilson. Then, guests were whisked away to dinner and a fullslate of danceable tunes from the Ohio Players, a horn-poweredgroove and funk band from late 1950s Dayton who backed notablessuch as the Falcons and Helena Ferguson. Their own hits include“Here Today and Gone Tomorrow,” “Pain” and “Funky Worm.” TheSpinners followed next on stage with a flowing list of hit singles like“Mighty Love,” “Then Came You” and “I’ll Be Around.” The bandhas six Grammy® nominations to their name and a star on theHollywood Walk of Fame. The Commodores rounded out the nightwith Motown’s most well-known songs like “Brick House,”“Machine Gun” and “Nightshift.” Any partiers who hadn’t alreadymade their way to the dance floor certainly did at that point.
To add to the excitement, numerous travel packages wereauctioned off, including a four-star trip to the Isle of Capri, anAlaskan cruise, an escape to Ireland and an African safari. MichaelDetroit of Playhouse on the Square and The MED’s CEO and presi-dent, Dr. Reginald Coopwood, presided over the event.
Best of all, funds raised from the evening will go to supportthe nonprofit hospital, which is known for its Elvis PresleyMemorial Trauma Center, Firefighters Regional Burn Center, High-Risk Obstetrics Center and Sheldon B. Korones Newborn Center,proving once again that money donated from the heart can supportthe health of the body and the soul.
Story by Jonathan DevinPhotos by Baxter Buck
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Jamie and Christy Carter
Adrienne and Lou Arrindell
Kristin Midgett and Amanda Bryant
Page and Marla InmanJonathan and Jeshenna Watkins
Tim Andrews and Jeanne Richardson
Shaun Stickley and Melissa Dixon
Gayle and Tom Sherry
Lisa Guyton and Jenny Guyton
Bonnie Thornton and Susan Wortham
Emma Farris and John Farris
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Shannon and Hal StanleyBrenda and Robert Frank
Jenny and Jeff McIlvainLaura Talbot and Jeff Metter
Joanie and Michael LightmanEvelyn and James Morgan
Phil Barbe and Alli HugheyJamie and Dustin Seessel
Karen and Kirk JohnstonJim and Jill Bishop
Thomas and Valerie LongLuanne and Mike Donahue
George and Nayla NassarEdward and Deborah Alexander
Donna and Dr. Duane HarrisonChris and Steve Martin
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ONSITE Onsite IV
Chris Conway, Judy Jones, Annie Taylor, JackConway, Laura Alexander and Buddy Finley
Andrea Bowles and Ann Newell
Chuck and Mary Stewart
Pamela Smith and Kevin Bentley
Ray Phillips and Bryan Mulroy
Joyce Charbonnet and Kelly Fink
Barbara Evangelisti and Fr. Saji Ellickal
Alicia Cunningham, Br. Chris Englert, the Purple Wave and Francis Cunningham
Bob and Eve Gammon and Gail and Mike Huey
Sara and Colquett Van Dyke with Judy Looney
Julie Daniels and Steve Short
Cheryl Pennock and Bill Ross
Ken Hall and Ally Luciano
Bob Bryant and Judy Jones
Sheila Wilson with Jack and Laurence Kenner
Bill Raiford and Linda Yoakum
Grand Krewe of RaMet Coronation
It was a night suitable for royalty,as the king and queen of theGrand Krewe of RaMet wereannounced in February at theClark Opera Memphis Center.Women wearing full-length gownsgraced the floor and were escort-ed by men in their finest blacktie-attire in a grandeur deservingof nobility. Bill Ross and CherylPennock were presented as kingand queen, and the duchessesincluded Judy Winkler, NancyBeck, Cindy Middleton. JohnHawkins and Len Pennock servedas flagmen. After an evening ofcocktails and collation, royal rev-elers closed out the night to danc-ing to the sounds of Bullettownin an evening of majesty.
Story by Lesley YoungPhotos Submitted and by Lesley Young
Grand Krewe of Luxor Coronation
Guests at the Grand Krewe ofLuxor’s Coronation Ball atEsplanade Memphis were greetedwith beaded necklaces and medal-lions reflecting the theme“Sunset Over the Keys,” whereflamingos ruled. Tables were evendecorated with giant flamingos,each with a different personality.Hors d’oeuvres were sampled byguests prior to the introductionof the royal court, which includedKevin Bentley as queen, PamelaSmith as queen and several cou-ples as dukes and duchesses(Patricia and Rob Bartlett, CCand Bill Brewer, Donna and MikeHoneycutt and Donna and KeithRenard). The Mighty Electric St.Jude Band then had guests fillingthe dance floor, and well into thenight, partygoers enjoyed a break-fast buffet.
Story and Photos by Suzanne Thompson
“A Taste of CBHS”
It was a family affair as folksflocked to Christian BrothersHigh School for the second annu-al “A Taste of CBHS.” BenefitingCBHS tuition assistance and pre-sented by OrthoMemphis, theevening featured dishes frommore than 25 chefs and restau-rants with a connection to theschool. From the Thai tastes ofBangkok Alley to the upscaleAmerican cuisine of Interim, itwas like eating at two dozenrestaurants on one ticket. FrankGrisanti dished up creamy ricot-ta-stuffed pasta shells in a FraDiavolo sauce dotted withpancetta. The Grove Grill servedsinfully delicious pimento cheesedrizzled with bacon marmaladeand gorgonzola with dried fig ontoast. One & Only BBQ wonhearts with tender, savory dry-rubribs and twice-baked potato salad.Even the CBHS Culinary Clubput its best food forward withmeatball sliders. Add to all this afriendly, informal atmosphereand a wide selection of beer andwines from Buster’s Liquors &Wines, Victor L. Robilio Co. andothers, and you’ve got one funfund-raiser.
Story and Photos by Kelly Cox
Grand Krewe of Sphinx Coronation
The Coronation Ball for theGrand Krewe of Sphinx, held atChickasaw Country Club, paidhomage the heyday of Las Vegasand its infamous Rat Pack.Fittingly, oversized martini glass-es served as centerpieces, eachadorned with a hand of cards.Ally Luciano was awardedCarnival’s Jim Crow Award, rec-ognizing lifetime contribution tothe charity group. The 2013Sphinx king, Bill Raiford, queen,Linda Yoakum, and duchesses(Chrisann Conway, Linda Dever,Judy Jones, Annie Taylor,Jennifer Yoakum and LaurenYoakum) were introduced beforethe royal dance began and thefloor was soon filled with revel-ers. This year, Bob Bryant servesas Sphinx’s general chairman.
Story and Photos by Suzanne Thompson
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ACROSS1 Take off your hat5 Doctor (slang)8 Musical symbol12 Nimbus13 Female horse underage four15 Honey storage16 Russian ruler17 Enable18 LSD19 Soup serving bowl21 Area of a horse’sbody between theforelegs and loins23 Cove25 Rapid eye movement26 Strange29 Strong drink31 Vice __35 Kennel (2 wds.)37 Price sticker39 Stupid40 Sign language41 Utters melodiously44 Horse’s coat color -deep reddish brown45 Drudge47 Battle of nations48 Glue brand50 Rainbow fish
52 Scarlet54 Father’s sisters55 Foal’s mother57 Actress Day59 Fridge decoration62 Lope65 Painter of melting clocks66 Tall candle68 Speck70 Actor Alda71 Fried bread72 Pecans
73 Floating ice74 Set of supplies75 Essence
DOWN1 Digital audio tape2 Throw out3 Herr’s wife4 Craftsman who shoeshorses5 Evening meal6 Ancient7 Exclusive group8 WB TV series9 Head bug10 Malicious11 Federal government(abr.)13 Sense14 12 month time period20 Listlessness22 Reverend (abbr.)24 Taught26 Adjust or modify27 Dud28 Ice house30 Human32 Hot corned beef sandwich33 Astute34 Chasm36 North northwest
38 __ Whizz42 Sticky black substance43 Killed46 Elbowing49 Wild horse of theAmerican West51 Summer skin color53 Museum guide56 NYC NL baseball team58 Sparse59 Boy60 Winged61 Horse riding equipment63 Decorative needle case64 Decays65 Pat lightly67 Luau dish69 Mountain Time
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35 36 37 38 39
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59 60 61 62 63 64
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70 71 72
73 74 75
www.CrosswordWeaver.com
Solution: D O F F D O C C L E F A U R A F I L L Y H I V E T S A R E N D U E A C I D
T U R E E N B A R R E L I N L E T R E M
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D A M D O R I S M A G N E T C A N T E R
D A L I T A P E R A T O M A L A N S C O N E N U T S B E R G K I T G I S T
RSVP Crossword | Edited by Ruth Cassin
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CROS
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MAY
2013
By Dennis Phillippi RSVP
HILL
IPPI
PORKTASTICLet’s get one
thing straight:Memphis is the
barbecue capitol ofthe world. This isnot open to debate.I’ve been to theother so-called bar-becue capitols,Kansas City andTexas, and as far aspure barbecue deli-
ciousness goes, they got nothin’. Their bar-becue is beef. How many times do we haveto say it? Barbecue is pork. It is slow-cooked pork, carefully watched over by askilled artisan until it is the consistency ofmoist, heavenly tenderness unmatched byanything cooked up outside of the Mid-South. That’s why we have a barbecue jointon every corner.
I looked up the history ofMemphis barbecue, and it’s pretty vague.Most of the familiar places (I won’t namenames here because I know pretty muchall of the players in this and don’t want toforget anyone and have some barbecuemogul all mad at me.) opened shortly afterWorld War II, but there isn’t any explana-tion as to why. They just started springingup when the fellas got back from the war.Why it’s pork here and not beef is simple;barbecue is pork. I thought we were clearon that. There are some disagreements onthe specifics of barbecue, chiefly whetheryou are a dry or wet barbecue person, butwe all agree that it has to be pork.
In the interest of full disclosure, Iwill cop to the fact that I grew up in NorthCarolina, another place that claims to be ahotbed of barbecue, and one which at leasthas the decency to use pork, but in all myyears growing up in the state, I don’trecall anyone particularly caring one wayor the other about the stuff. Plus, theirsauce is mustard based, which is justwrong.
The tradition of barbecue inMemphis doesn’t just extend to the pletho-ra of low buildings coughing out woodsmoke and offering a sandwich at a reason-able price. We also have a proud legacy ofmaking the stuff ourselves. True home-cooked barbecue is the same slow-cookedpork, but instead of artisans watching overit, the overseers are at least two men, bothof whom hold a can of beer, and not theirfirst, while they discuss the intricacies ofproper heating of meat…and SEC football.
I’m certain that every single person read-ing this has at least one relative, for somereason it seems to usually be an uncle,who cares more about the ribs he cooksthan he does about his gutters, his wife’smother’s health and immigration reformall put together.
Chances are that same guy is partof a barbecue team. Imagine how strangethat sentence would read to someone fromout of town. You know what I mean. He’sa member of a team at the Barbecue.That’s another sentence that would makeno sense to them. Out-of-towners, everyMay we celebrate the other white meatwith the World Championship BarbecueCooking Contest down on the river. But,we just call it the Barbecue. You’re not
truly a Memphian unless you’ve spent atleast one long, damp, hot night in or neara tent with a bunch of other celebrants,drinking until dawn while cooking upsome ribs. There’s nothing quite so purelyMemphis as walking around the Barbecueon Friday, seeing all those glassy-eyedchefs recovering from their labors bydrinking more beer and wearing ridiculoustee shirts.
By the way, if you’ve never slow-cooked pork over wood smoke, you’venever had a barbecue. Cooking hot dogsand hamburgers is not a barbecue; it’s acookout. Now, I love a cookout, with lotsof kids running around and the host wear-ing a funny apron, and women showing alittle leg, but it’s still not a barbecue.Barbecue is a thing, not an event. Exceptfor The Barbecue, that’s an event.
If we’re not the barbecue capitol ofthe world, then ask yourself this: Whenwas the last time you went to a gathering,a wedding, a funeral, a birthday, reallyanything, where barbecue was not served?When someone passes away, or when acouple has a baby, the first thing we do isdecide who’s going to go get the barbecue.Any major moment in my life throughoutthe last three decades as an adoptedMemphian has been marked by the pres-ence of a large aluminum pan filled withpulled pork, beside another one filled withbeans, beside another one brimming withcole slaw. My wife is such a purist she willscold someone if they put their slaw onbefore their sauce. Seriously, it drives hercrazy. She’ll patiently explain the basicmath of the meat to sauce ratio being care-fully balanced before adding slaw to any-one who commits the infraction.
During the years, I’ve writtenabout plenty of sensitive topics on thispage, and sometimes gotten very heatedreplies from readers, but this may be themost sensitive subject of all for Memph-ians. Before you get all worked up and fireoff an e-mail about me making fun of bar-becue, understand that I love Memphisand I love barbecue. Those guys wearingpig hats who stay up all night making per-fect ribs aren’t to be mocked, they areheroes.
I called a buddy of mine who hap-pens to be one of these barbecue big shotsto ask him why he thinks that pulled porkhas come to symbolize Memphis cuisine,but he was too busy counting his barbecueriches to answer his phone. I left a mes-sage, but apparently the word “deadline”means even less to him than it does to me.I think that it’s because barbecue is manyof the same things as this city; it’s simple,but messy. It’s commonplace, but at thesame time unique.
My friend Sandy may have put itsappeal best a few years ago when she saidthat in May Memphis smells like honey-suckle and barbecue. I can’t put it betterthan that.
Awww Dennis, you made us feel a littlemore proud to be a Memphian thismonth, but you did us a bad disservice bynot demonstrating some ’cue cookingskills up here on RSVP’s parking lot.Maybe “Phillippi’s Pork-Out” couldbecome another annual event. Get back tous on that one.
I’m certain that every singleperson reading this has atleast one relative, for somereason it seems to usuallybe an uncle, who caresmore about the ribs he
cooks than he does abouthis gutters, his wife’s moth-er’s health and immigrationreform all put together.
RSVP
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MAY
2013
The Pentecost-Garrison School for BoysRSVP
AST
1946
The photograph above shows the 1946 second grade class at the Pentecost-Garrison School for Boys at 2485 Union Extendedand Hollywood. Pentecost produced many of Memphis’ most notable citizens through the years, including Fred Smith, J.R.
“Pitt” Hyde, Bayard Bole, Webster Riggs Jr., Allen Morgan, Lewis Donelson III and many more. Pentecost closed in 1951 andwas soon occupied by Lausanne Collegiate School students prior to its relocation to Massey Road. The building now houses theMemphis City Schools Teaching and Learning Academy. Pictured from left to right in the front row are Oliver Jamieson Jr.,Jewett Cole, Mickey McCrory, Bob Kieffer, Jimmy Webb, Nick Gotten, Tony Lenzi and unidentified. Standing are TommyFarnsworth, Henry Gotten Jr., Billy McIntosh, Lytle McKee, Warren Riggs, Harold Mansfield, Bill Thesmar, Mrs. Black(teacher), John David Hopkins, Don Morrow, Donnelley Hill, Lynn Vandiveer, Johnny Fleming, Steven Coleman, EdwinStanton and Otis Warr.
PHOTO COURTESY OF WARREN RIGGSIf you have a past photo you would like to share with RSVP readers, please contact Leah Fitzpatrick at 276-7787 ext. 105
or e-mail the photo and caption to [email protected] photos will be returned promptly.
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