| EVENT REPORT 11.10.09 2:50 PM |
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More Photos From Fight Night/Knock Out Abuse: Stogies, Laser Shows, and a VW Bus Bar
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Fight for Children celebrated the 20th anniversary of its marquee event, Fight Night, with a bevy of boys on Thursday, while across town, Knock Out Abuse held its female-friendly gala on the same night. Per tradition, the two groups met up for a late-night dance party, joining two of the most production-heavy annual benefits in town. As a follow-up to our story, here are a few more images from both events and the after-party.
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Fight for Children, Fight for Children Fight Night, Knock Out Abuse Against Women |
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| EVENT REPORT 11.09.09 2:52 PM |
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Fight Night/Knock Out Abuse: Joan Jett for Men, Shirtless Hippies for Women
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Fight for Children’s annual Fight Night has boys' night out down to a science: Guests expect cigars, professional boxing, hostesses in slinky dresses, and 16-ounce New York strip steaks. Thursday’s event at the Hilton Washington continued the tradition to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Fight Night, which raised $2.2 million for nonprofits that provide education and healthcare services to low-income children in D.C.
While a mostly male crowd of 1,500 smoked cigars in the Hilton’s International Ballroom, the girls had their own fun at the female-only Knock Out Abuse gala, held simultaneously at the Ritz-Carlton. The benefit for victims of domestic violence drew 650 guests for a ’60s-themed dinner produced by André Wells. The two galas unite each year for a late-night after-party, which earned them a joint No. 1 ranking on BizBash’s 2009 list of Washington’s top benefits.
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Fight for Children, Fight for Children Fight Night, Knock Out Abuse |
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| NEWS 09.08.09 10:43 AM |
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Fall Preview: What Washington Event Pros Are Working on This Season
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With the unofficial end of summer now behind us (that would be Labor Day), event professionals are looking to the fall—a traditionally busy time—to see how the economic recovery will help the industry rebound from what has so far been a pretty slow year. We asked a group of local planners and vendors what they have in the works for the coming months. Here are some highlights.
"We're looking forward to an extraordinary fall. Highlights for us include the Pittsburgh G20 Summit, scheduled at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in late September. World leaders from more than 30 countries will convene to discuss global challenges with more than 3,000 journalists scheduled to cover the event. We and our partner Showcall will provide extensive general contracting, audiovisual, decor, and production services. A variety of events focused on the environment also figure prominently in our schedule this fall, including the Solar Decathlon, to take place in mid-October on the National Mall. The event joins 20 college and university teams in a competition to design, build, and operate the most attractive and energy-efficient solar-powered house. Our calendar includes a diverse customer base, ranging from the 13th annual Human Rights Campaign National Dinner to the Congressional Black Caucus Annual Legislative Conference. Finally, with several exhibit pavilions at the Association of the U.S. Army show held annually at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, expos for the Marine Corps Marathon and Army Ten-Miler, and general contracting services for Modern Day Marine, we are geared up and ready for an exciting fall."
—Lana Ostrander, director of marketing and public relations, Hargrove Inc.
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G20 Summit, Human Rights Campaign National Dinner, Human Rights Campaign, Congressional Black Caucus Annual Legislative Conference, Association of the U.S. Army, Marine Corps Marathon, Fight for Children, Fight for Children Fight Night, The Green Magazine, Washingtonian, PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction Gala, Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, Blue Note Records, Harman Center for the Arts, One, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, National Air and Space Museum, Fall Preview 2009 |
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| TOP 100 EVENTS 06.22.09 11:30 AM |
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Washington's Top Benefits 2009
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 | Artrageous
Photo: Tony Brown/Imijination Photography for BizBash |
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1. Knock Out Abuse and Fight Night Gala
This two-in-one party encompasses the Knock Out Abuse Against Women gala—a lavish women-only fete for 650 at the Ritz-Carlton, Washington, D.C.—while 2,000 men simultaneously enjoy Fight Night, an evening of boxing matches at the Hilton Washington. The two parties join for a gender-neutral after-party. The dual fund-raisers for anti-domestic-violence causes and the health care nonprofit Fight for Children return November 5.
2. The Opera Ball
The Washington National Opera’s elite event brings some 500 guests—including Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia and Congressman Dennis Kucinich in 2008—to a different ambassador’s residence each year. The German ambassador hosted this year’s June 5 ball.
3. YouthAIDS Benefit Gala
Ashley Judd, Sharon Osbourne, and Anna Kournikova were among the 550 guests at Population Services International’s 2008 benefit at the Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner. The rock 'n' roll theme party, which raised $1.2 million for the organization, returns this November.
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Washington's Top 100 Events, Knock Out Abuse Against Women, Fight for Children, Washington National Opera, YouthAIDS, Corcoran Gallery of Art, National Italian American Foundation, The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Prevent Cancer Foundation, Meridian International Center, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Washington Ballet, Heart of America Foundation, Smithsonian American Art Museum, March of Dimes Foundation, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Folger Shakespeare Library, N.F.L. Players, Shakespeare Theatre Company, Phillips Collection, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Muscular Dystrophy Association, Spina Bifida Association, Washington Performing Arts Society, Trust for the National Mall, Capital Area Food Bank, American Red Cross, D.C. Scores, Washington Humane Society |
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| EVENT REPORT 05.19.09 4:12 PM |
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Fight for Children Ditches Sit-Down Dinner, Reels in Wyclef, Sheila E. for School Night Gala
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 | Wyclef performing at Friday's School Night gala
Photo: Jack Hartzman |
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At a time when fund-raising is no easy task, on Friday Fight for Children swiftly generated $1 million for D.C. schools at the nonprofit's ninth annual School Night. Held at the Ronald Reagan Building (a departure from last year's event at the convention center ), the event garnered more than 700 attendees, largely because of the evening's jam-packed talent roster, which included Wyclef Jean and Sheila E and the E Family Project.
Fight for Children board member (and Grammy-winning artist) Patti Austin was the event's M.C., while also reeling in the aforementioned talent and overseeing production alongside the organization's marketing and event manager, Kristen Fagley. The evening won points for high energy, especially given Fagley’s decision to eschew a sit-down dinner in favor of nonstop performances. “We actually did things a lot differently this year. We held a luncheon a month prior to School Night, where we gave out our annual awards,” said Fagley. “So School Night was more a celebration of the achievements of the winners. It was more of a party.”
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Fight for Children, Wyclef |
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| EVENT REPORT 11.11.08 10:30 AM |
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Fight Night and Knock Out Abuse Parties Offer Boxing for the Guys, Firemen for the Women
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 | Fight Night's auction
Photo: Chris Corder |
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Last night was a throwback to the Washington of another era—on one end of town, the boys had their fun, while on the other, the girls had theirs. The men’s-only Fight Night filled up the Hilton Washington, while the female-friendly Knock Out Abuse Against Women gala took over the Ritz-Carlton, Washington, D.C.—and both rallied for their own causes.
With 2,000 men in tuxes dominating the hotel’s ballroom, the 19th annual Fight Night raised money for the education and health care nonprofit Fight for Children. But the program itself was for grown-ups only. The starting silent auction reception, where sports memorabilia was plentiful (including a Joe DiMaggio-signed baseball and a Larry Bird-emblazoned basketball), also featured the Washington Nationals Nat Pack cheerleaders, on hand to debut the team’s new jerseys (and serve as arm candy).
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Fight for Children, Joe DiMaggio, Larry Bird, Washington Nationals, Washington Redskins, Joe Frazier, Sweat & Tears, Kathleen Turner, Kevin Michael |
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| TOP 100 EVENTS 09.26.08 2:00 PM |
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Washington's Top Benefits 2008
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 | The Soccer Ball for D.C. Scores at the Organization for American States
Photo: Paul Morigi |
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1. Knock Out Abuse and Fight Night Gala
This November fund-raiser is actually two parties: a cigar-and-boxing-fueled Fight Night, which raised $2.4 million for nonprofit Fight for Children in 2007, and the Knock Out Abuse gala, which raised $650,000 to combat domestic violence. Actor Chris Tucker and Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia were among the 2,200 guests at the Washington Hilton and Towers for Fight Night, while a crowd of 750 flocked to the Ritz-Carlton, Washington, D.C., for the gala. Everyone then merged for an after-party at the Ritz. Liz Warnecki of Fight for Children coordinates Fight Night, while the gala is produced by Andre Wells. Both parties return on November 6.
2. The Opera Ball
French ambassador Pierre Vimont’s Kalorama residence played host to the Washington National Opera’s largest annual fund-raising event on June 6. Congressman Dennis Kucinich and Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff attended the Midsummer Night’s Dream-themed garden party, which featured 4,000 glass votives, five chandeliers hanging from a tree, and 15 lighting displays. Patti Humphrey, special events director for the Washington National Opera, planned the 500-person party.
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RELATED TOPICS
Washington's Top 100 Events, Fight for Children, Knock Out Abuse, National Geographic, Population Services International, YouthAIDS, Corcoran Ball, Best Buddies, The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Fight for Children's School Night Benefit, Fight for Children, Meridian International Center, W.N.O., Washington National Opera Midwinter Gala, Prevent Cancer Foundation, Prevent Cancer Foundation's Annual Spring Gala, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Gourmet Gala Benefiting St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, Washington Ballet Spring Gala, Washington Ballet, Larry King Cardiac Foundation, Heart of America Foundation, National Symphony Orchestra, Heart of America Foundation's Sweet Charity Benefit, Leon Harris, Artrageous, March of Dimes Gourmet Gala, March of Dimes, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Ambassadors Ball, Folger Shakespeare Library Gala, N.F.L. Players Gala, Phillips Collection Annual Spring Gala, Muscular Dystrophy Association, Muscular Dystrophy Association's Heartsongs Gala, Spina Bifida Association, Washington Performing Arts Society Gala, Capital Area Food Bank, American Red Cross, American Red Cross Fire and Ice Ball, Soccer Ball for D.C. Scores, D.C. Scores, Humane Society, Washington Humane Society Bark Ball, Trust for the National Mall Luncheon, Bono, Ashley Judd, Jay Leno, Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, James Brown, David Gregory |
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| EVENT REPORT 04.25.08 5:14 PM |
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Fight for Children Brings Back School Night Benefit (With Help From John Legend)
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 | The dinner's deep-blue lighting and star-shaped projections
Photo: BizBash |
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Last night, the Fight for Children’s School Night benefit—for the nonprofit’s quality schools initiative—returned after a three-year absence, taking over the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. The massive venue was awash in blue lighting, accented with star-shaped gobo projections that blanketed the walls (courtesy of Fandango).
“We haven’t done this event since 2004, and in the past it didn’t involve the award ceremony,” said Fight for Children events coordinator Libby Barton, referring to the $100,000 grants given that night to three district schools—one public, one charter, and one independent. “We wanted to play up the fact that we’re bringing the event back.”
The starry pattern also reflected the nonprofit’s new, more colorful logo. Orange and powder blue—prominently displayed in the graphic design—also became the inspiration behind the evening’s color scheme, visible in the blue linens and the orange centerpieces of tulips, roses, and snapdragons.
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Fight for Children, John Legend |
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| EVENT REPORT 11.13.07 11:31 AM |
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Debauchery Reigns at Separate Single-Sex Events
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 | Lenny Kravitz performed at the coed joint after-party.
Photo: Eric Powell for BizBash |
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The men and women of Washington parted ways last Thursday evening, heading to two separate, (mostly) single-sex fund-raisers where the eye candy was plentiful. The men smoked cigars (thanks to a last-minute smoking waiver), watched some fierce boxing matches, and ogled models, Hooters girls, and nearly naked cheerleaders. The women had their fun, too, kicking back in a South Beach-style lounge and ripping the T-shirts off male models dressed as lifeguards. The two decidedly different events—Fight Night and the Knock Out Abuse Against Women gala—eventually met up for a joint after-party, where Lenny Kravitz performed.
Per tradition, the 18th annual Fight Night indulged masculine fancy, treating its 2,200 guests—music producer Quincy Jones, actor Chris Tucker, and Supreme Court justice Antonin Scalia among them—to a night out with the boys. Held at the Washington Hilton and Towers, the event featured a new branding strategy and a cameo by rocker Ted Nugent, along with the customary parade of boxing legends and revving motorcycle engines.
The biggest challenge this year was the city’s new smoking ban, which threatened a hallmark of Fight Night’s throwback culture. The Hilton and Fight for Children, the charity that puts on the event, applied jointly for a waiver, and late last week it finally came through. “It was certainly stressful not knowing,” said FFC director of external relations Jeff Travers. “We made the case in our application that this was a highly stylized event and that the cigar-smoking was part of that." The waiver allowed guests to smoke only in the main ballroom, so staffers and volunteers put up signs at every exit.
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Fight for Children, Knock Out Abuse Against Women |
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| NEWS 11.06.07 11:40 AM |
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Fight Night Might Go Smokeless
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Fight for Children planners are concerned this week, as they still haven't heard from the D.C. Department of Health regarding the smoking waiver the organization recently applied for, which would allow some 2,200 guests (including boxing legend Joe Frazier) at this Thursday's Fight Night to light up. The ban would eliminate one of the evening's key components, as Fight Night has traditionally combined scantily clad waitresses, boxing, and cigars. As Yeas and Nays pointed out, 2007 may mark the first time in 18 years that guests aren't "watching the professional boxing matches through a haze of cigar smoke."
"We made the case to the city’s health department that the cigars were an important part of the evening and have been historically," Fight for Children director of external relations Jeff Travers told us on Monday. "The event has done so well, partly, in the past because of the atmosphere we’ve been able to create year after year. Are we concerned? Yes, we’re concerned about it, but we’re moving forward with the planning, and our guests are going to have a great time, and smoking won’t add or take away from the results of the evening."
Taking place at the Washington Hilton Towers, the event kicks off at 6:30, followed by dinner and four professional boxing matches, including six rounds between heavyweights Wilmer Vasquez and Corey Winfield. The Fight Night guests—predominantly men, you may have guessed—are then invited to head to the Ritz-Carlton for a joint after-party with the ladies attending the Knock Out Abuse gala. —Courtney Thompson
RELATED TOPICS
Fight for Children |
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