A Furry Evening

It's not often that one is encouraged to take an evening expedition amongst the prowling creatures of the African night. But at Big Cat Rescue's annual Fur Ball fund-raiser, that is exactly what attendees did. On October 12, the rescue group transformed the A La Carte Event Pavilion in Tampa into a stylish safari, complete with partygoers dressed as kings and queens of the jungle.

Trucha, Modnic, T.J., and Bella—the four golden tigers whom Big Cat Rescue was able to save from a breeding facility earlier this year—inspired the evening's theme. The proceeds from the event will go toward providing an appropriate and healthy permanent home for these four in the group's feline family.Big Cat Rescue enlisted the talents of Trish Seegobin and Amy Osgood of A La Carte to capture the flair of an exotic excursion into the jungle. Each table was draped in various animal-print linens and featured tropical centerpieces of coral anthuriums and torch red ginger. In addition, golden tiger stripes and leopard spots were projected onto walls, and black crystal chandeliers were hung from the ceiling.

In the pavilion's lobby, a large tiger—created entirely from various colored mums by Rose Garden Florist—greeted guests and set the tone for the evening. As attendees ventured farther into the pavilion, they were encouraged to join Jan Broader and Drum Magic, a tribal drum-circle troupe, to re-create the rhythmic beats of the East.

This year's Fur Ball also played host to the first King of Feast Confection Contest. Chantilly Cakes created a lifelike resting-snow-leopard cake, and Cakes on the Dot exhibited a majestic lion-and-cub cake. Both entries were displayed throughout the entire event for guests to view and sample; then they could vote for their favorite treat.

Many of the evening's explorers danced the night away to the jazz and swing of Haole Kats, while others evoked the spirit of the big cats with the assistance of Clang, a tarot card and palm reader from Clang Entertainment.