Watson, with colleagues from RSBP Events, One Fine Day, Botanica International Design Studio, Showorks, and Conceptbait Global Events and Floral Design Group, developed the event decor around the theme of the sun.
“The whole idea was to replicate the sun because it symbolizes life, strength, and energy. We wanted the room to feel bright and cheery,” she said.
Decorators draped the entry hallway with white fabric and illuminated it with LED lighting in red, orange, and yellow leading into the ballroom. Cocktails tables in the hallway followed the same color scheme, with the first ones topped with red linens, then orange, and then yellow, while framed photos of the children from the calendar lined the walls. Inside the ballroom, the lighting and linens again transitioned from yellow to orange to red in the rear, with tabletop floral arrangements in the same tones.
Many of the children featured in the calendar attended the party with their families, so organizers wanted to make the event child-friendly. The menu included childhood favorites such as pizza, mac and cheese, chicken skewers, and pigs in a blanket.
In addition to ticket and calendar sales, the event raised money with a live auction and the sale of wine and martini glasses painted by children from the center. To represent the cancer center’s motto of “Kids should fly a kite, not fight cancer,” organizers also sold kites, each labeled with the name of one of the young patients and his or her diagnosis.
