| EVENT REPORT 06.12.07 4:02 PM |
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| Summer Lovin' |
| Balloon sculptures, the ever-controversial Larry Flynt, and disco beats characterized the madcap Larry King Cardiac Foundation gala. |
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The entertainment was the focus this year at the Larry King Cardiac Foundation gala. Disco queen Donna Summer performed an extra-long 45-minute set at the June 9 soiree, filling the shoes of former headliners Stevie Wonder and Tim McGraw.
“We’ve done all kinds of really wacky things in the past,” said Linda Roth, an organizer of previous foundation galas, referring to having King dress in all-white Saturday Night Fever-esque attire one year. “This year we are actually not going for wacky. We decided to instead pump it up with our entertainment.” |
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PHOTO GALLERY |
 | The evening's honorees received handmade balloon caricatures sculpted by artist Adam Lee. Honorees were told that the sculptures last between seven and 10 days before deflating.
Photo: Earl Zubkoff at Essential Eye |
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 | The gold and olive table linens coordinated with the ballroom's pale gold silk wall coverings.
Photo: Earl Zubkoff at Essential Eye |
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 | The 60 tables each had centerpieces by Exquisite Design Studio, made of red, white, and lavender rose-filled bowls.
Photo: Earl Zubkoff at Essential Eye |
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 | Dinner started off with smoked-salmon-tartare crepes served with red pepper and corn salsa, honey chipotle glaze, and a cornet of goat cheese.
Photo: BizBash |
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 | Larry King and his co-host, wife Shawn Southwick-King, arrived with their sons Chance and Cannon.
Photo: BizBash |
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 | Donna Summer performed a 45-minute set.
Photo: Earl Zubkoff at Essential Eye |
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The celebration, hosted by CNN host Larry King and his wife, Shawn Southwick-King, raised $1.2 million for the foundation, which provides heart operations to people who otherwise could not afford them. Roth kept the decor in the traditional Ritz-Carlton ballroom minimal, teaming up with Exquisite Design Studio to add bursts of color. Floral arrangements included bowls of red, white, and lavender roses, vases of white calla lilies, and lantern-festooned trees.
More than 600 guests noshed on a menu of smoked-salmon-tartare crepes and orange-glazed sea bass put together by the Ritz-Carlton’s catering staff. During dinner, artist Eric Waugh kept the audience entertained with a live painting performance, where he turned his brush on the audience, painting a scene from the gala that was later auctioned off.
The event brought in various District power players—and a former "Nanny"—thanks to King’s long list of friends and colleagues. Among the attendees were Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder, actress Fran Drescher, CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer, former Senate majority leader Bill Frist, and the not-so-popular-in-Washington Larry Flynt (who recently offered $1 million to anyone who could prove they’d had sexual relations with a lawmaker).
A new facet to this year’s event was the "Larry King and Friends: the State of Heart and Health Care" panel, held two days earlier at the George Washington University Hospital Auditorium. The discussion brought expert panelists together to address an audience of health-care practitioners and media. “This year we wanted to bring the message a lot closer to the gala, and when you have someone like Larry leading the discussion, it’s easy to get the best experts in the field to talk about the issues, which are the reason the foundation exists,” Roth said.
—Sean Neary
RELATED TOPICS
Larry King Cardiac Foundation
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