![At the entrance to the event, a lemonade stand offered blueberry-lemon-vodka cocktails. During the tasting, planners tried the cocktail and it inspired the evening's overall theme. '[The catering team] came up with a couple lemon cocktails and we fell in love with that one,' Kite said. 'We started saying, 'At the after-party, we should have a hot dog stand, and we should have a newsstand, and we should have a bus stop.' All of these things just started to emerge in our conversations about what would be on an urban street if we could put it there [in the hotel].'](https://img.bizbash.com/files/base/bizbash/bzb/image/2014/05/american_cancer_society_discovery_ball_2014_1274_0185.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&q=70&w=400)
At the entrance to the event, a lemonade stand offered blueberry-lemon-vodka cocktails. During the tasting, planners tried the cocktail and it inspired the evening's overall theme. "[The catering team] came up with a couple lemon cocktails and we fell in love with that one," Kite said. "We started saying, 'At the after-party, we should have a hot dog stand, and we should have a newsstand, and we should have a bus stop.' All of these things just started to emerge in our conversations about what would be on an urban street if we could put it there [in the hotel]."
Photo: Adam Novak Photography
With decor from HMR designs, the event also included a prop flower stand.
Photo: Adam Novak Photography
A pastry shop displayed sweets that guests could sample during the cocktail reception.
Photo: Adam Novak Photography
The ballroom at the Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel was set to look like an alfresco dinner party with brightly patterned linens, rustic chairs, and bowls filled with lemons. Dinner was an endive salad, Angus beef tenderloin with whiskey pink-peppercorn sauce, and citrus cheesecake with flourless chocolate cake for dessert.
Photo: Adam Novak Photography
This year, planners put a cap on the number of $25,000 sponsorships, and created a wait list for that level. To ensure that they would secure a table, some companies moved up to the $50,000 sponsorship level.
Photo: Adam Novak Photography
Keith Urban's set included some of his own material, such as "Cop Car," and classic rock songs such as Steve Miller Band's "The Joker." "He could not have been easier to work with," said planner Lee Kite.
Photo: Adam Novak Photography
The high-octane live auction featured 10 packages. The top-selling lots included a 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA Class, which sold for $42,000. A white gold and diamond bracelet from Tiffany & Company sold for $37,000, while a trip to see Keith Urban on his upcoming tour went for $33,000. There was also a silent auction with more than 200 packages.
Photo: Adam Novak Photography
![The after-party included a caricature artist, a tarot-card reader, and a photo booth. There was also a live band and casual snacks such as hot dogs and pretzels. 'The food was fun, accessible, and not too froufrou,' said Kite, who added that some 450 guests attended the after-party. 'That’s a pretty big number because a lot of people are ready to go at 10:30 [when the program ends]. But a lot of people stayed.'](https://img.bizbash.com/files/base/bizbash/bzb/image/2014/05/american_cancer_society_discovery_ball_2014_2124_1030.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&q=70&w=400)
The after-party included a caricature artist, a tarot-card reader, and a photo booth. There was also a live band and casual snacks such as hot dogs and pretzels. "The food was fun, accessible, and not too froufrou," said Kite, who added that some 450 guests attended the after-party. "That’s a pretty big number because a lot of people are ready to go at 10:30 [when the program ends]. But a lot of people stayed."
Photo: Adam Novak Photography
