Between the Inaugural Night with the Knights at the Convention Center benefiting the United Way, the Guys and Dolls Auction at the Hilton benefiting Cystic Fibrosis and Bartender’s Ball at The Blake benefiting Kids First of the Carolinas … I was going to need a new dress. The fact I found a fabulous little number (and I do mean little) for $20 made the week full of fancy functions even better.
A charity soiree is an event everyone should RSVP yes to. They have altruistic, first-class crowds, open bar (that being an understatement in regards to Bartender’s Ball) but most importantly because partying becomes philanthropic. Events like those are saving the world, one really drunk auction bidder at a time. I don’t get the point in paying for someone’s Sharpie scribble just because they can drive fast or catch a ball, but hey, it’s for a good cause.
I didn’t get the memo that the Charlotte Knights event was business casual, so needless to say, I was overdressed … and underage. The featured speaker of the evening was Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith aka The Wizard, and I think his original fan base was there to listen to his motivational Wizard of Oz metaphor to life. Emcee was Mark Packer (The Packman) from WFNZ sports radio. He pointed out that Smith was the first shortstop in baseball to earn $1 million, but with today’s salaries Derek Jeter is carrying that around in his pocket. There are many more nights with the Knights to be had as their season starts on April 11.
Next up was the Guys and Dolls gala where FOX News Edge hosts Morgan Fogarty and Brotha Fred auctioned off the bachelors and bachelorettes and their nice big packages. Packages as in trips, tickets, donated services, swag and such. And to help the sale, former Panther Rod Smart took his shirt off … Holy hot body! Now I am strictly dickly, but I think I have a girl-crush on Morgan. Either that or she’s just that pretty.
And the next night was Bartender’s Ball where 28 Charlotte bars set up shop under one roof. It’s like a trade show for alcohol with a formal dress code so it becomes more like a spiked prom. This year’s theme was “TV Land.” Tilt had a Scooby-Doo van, McKoys and Vinnies had The Dating Game, Murphy’s had a Skeeball machine and Brick & Barrel had The Price is Right “Drinko” game show. But Cans was the belle of the ball (or the winner rather) with Gilligan’s Island.
The EpiCentre bars Whiskey River and Suite made their debut. Neither one had a TV theme, but Whiskey River looked like Coyote Ugly and Suite looked like The Sunset Club.
This article appears in Feb 27 – Mar 4, 2008.
