Spring arrived two days early this year at the All Children's Hospital's 14th annual Baseball for Kids gala held at the A La Carte Event Pavilion. Sylvia Ameen, the hospital's campaign director, once again entrusted the design and production of the event to Stefanie Berry of SHOWORKS, who's done it for the past six years. She put the "spring" in spring training and created a happy, colorful dining experience for more than 550 guests.The ballroom exploded with a rainbow of color. Tables were dressed monochromatically in fuchsia, yellow, lime green, or orange. Sitting atop each table was a 14-inch base wrapped in satin to match the linens. Fresh cut Gerbera daisies, tulips, or mums were arranged in a patch of wheat grass, which Berry began growing three weeks before. A baseball was added to each centerpiece to tie the theme together. Colored glass daisy-shaped votive holders surrounded each base. Berry added more detail with sunflower and daisy decals attached directly to the tablecloths.
The stage was also abloom with a custom 16- by 32-foot three-dimensional background covered in baby blue felt and mutilcolored daisies ranging in size from 15 to 48 inches. The entire stage set took four days to create. Taking advantage of the dining area's high ceilings, Berry suspended inverted umbrellas with strands of pink and green daisies or shimmering teal and silver curtains (meant to resemble rainfall). Even the dance floors were ready for spring. Two yellow patent vinyl dance floors, each decaled with a 36-inch white daisy, were used for dancing, of course, and as the site of a live auction hosted by sports commentator Gary Thorne. The gala was teeming with celebrity athletes and Hall-of-Famers such as Brooks Robinson, Steve Carlton, and Robin Roberts.
Everyone dined on a simple three-course meal catered by A La Carte, which included field greens salad with balsamic vinaigrette followed by bourbon molasses marinated sirloin and crab-stuffed grouper with deep fried corn tortilla filled with sweet potatoes and vegetables. Strawberry chocolate shortcake was served for dessert.
—Vanessa Goyanes
The stage was also abloom with a custom 16- by 32-foot three-dimensional background covered in baby blue felt and mutilcolored daisies ranging in size from 15 to 48 inches. The entire stage set took four days to create. Taking advantage of the dining area's high ceilings, Berry suspended inverted umbrellas with strands of pink and green daisies or shimmering teal and silver curtains (meant to resemble rainfall). Even the dance floors were ready for spring. Two yellow patent vinyl dance floors, each decaled with a 36-inch white daisy, were used for dancing, of course, and as the site of a live auction hosted by sports commentator Gary Thorne. The gala was teeming with celebrity athletes and Hall-of-Famers such as Brooks Robinson, Steve Carlton, and Robin Roberts.
Everyone dined on a simple three-course meal catered by A La Carte, which included field greens salad with balsamic vinaigrette followed by bourbon molasses marinated sirloin and crab-stuffed grouper with deep fried corn tortilla filled with sweet potatoes and vegetables. Strawberry chocolate shortcake was served for dessert.
—Vanessa Goyanes