East Met West at a Fund-Raiser With Asian Flair

The only ambiguity at the 2006 annual gala and auction of the Broward County chapter of the American Red Cross (ARC) was in its theme, Unveiling the Mysteries of the Orient. Kathryn Cousins, ARC's chief development officer, conceived the idea on a whim. "It just seemed like something that could be very visual," she said. David Johnson of A Basket Affair brought her vision to life.
Models from Annette Work Productions, dressed as geishas, greeted the 500 guests as they entered the Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty-Six. Smile Event Photography was waiting to snap photos, which guests took as souvenirs of the evening. A silent auction was held in the gallery outside the ballroom during the cocktail hour, but it was the Zen-like water feature set upon a table that provided the first inkling of what awaited guests inside.

Red satin tablecloths from BBJ Linen-Dania Beach, embossed with Asian designs, dressed each table. Johnson created black lacquered bamboo pyramids topped by red Chinese lanterns that framed floral arrangements of steel grass, orchids, xanthiums, and bear grass. Black bamboo chairs from Atlas Party Rental Inc. complemented the table design. Frost Lighting fashioned gobos of Asian writing characters that were projected onto the walls and surrounded the stage. Red lanterns mirroring the tabletop design were strung behind the stage.

The Hyatt's catering staff prepared a menu to suit the Asian theme. Guests demonstrated their dexterity with chopsticks as they dug into dishes such as salad topped with California rolls and ginger miso-glazed Atlantic salmon.

The entertainment kicked off during dinner, as a colorful dragon snaked its way around the rooms, bringing to mind a Shanghai street fair. After a live auction and a recognition of hurricane heroes (this is the Red Cross, after all), Street Life, from Chase Entertainment, took the stage and set the tempo for the remainder of the night.

—Ellen Calderon