ON THE TOWN

TSA fund-raiser features funky footwear

3/19/2017
BY BARBARA HENDEL
BLADE SOCIETY EDITOR
  • DSHOES-ShoesPineapple1-jpg-Lillian-Ostrander-and-Tyler-Fowler

    Lillian Ostrander and Tyler Fowler sported some pineapple themed shoes for the Steppin Out Funky Shoes event.

    • Shoes of all kinds and colors were the focus of Toledo School for the Arts’ 11th annual Steppin’ Out, known to most as the “funky shoe event.” Supporters added flair with their own creatively decorated, trendy, zany footwear. There were platforms, stilettos, tennis shoes, flip-flops, and more in all colors of the rainbow and bedecked with sparkles, prints, and bows.

    TSA’s Fashion Police were there reporting on the dazzling and inspired shoes worn by guests strolling the red carpet into the event held at the Huntington Center. The Best Shoes prize went to Dan Wood.

    Inside, the school’s Glass City Steel band added a peppy party feel. As party-goers made their way through the building, their eyes were drawn to the staircase where TSA models showcased costumes designed and created by students.

    Live entertainment and raffle prizes were offered throughout the evening as guests feasted at dining stations.

    PHOTO GALLERY: On the Town, 3/19

    A not-so-silent auction had something for everyone from student and staff-created items to entertainment and sports packages to personal pampering offerings. A student appeal auction drew big bidding wars.

    Spotted amid the funky bunch were many board members including board president Bill Bostleman and wife Evy Jarrett; Marna Ramnath and husband Dr. Suresh Ramnath; Todd Mierzwiak and wife Sarah Mierzwiak; Tony Calabrese; Jodi Haney; Mechelle Zarou; Janet Rogolsky; Glenn Richter; Pat Appold and husband Jim Appold; Lou Ramirez and wife Traci Ramirez; Adam Levine; Olivia Summons; Rob Koenig; Greg Steenrod, and Diana Franz.

    More than $70,000 was raised for the school’s general operating fund.

    Bravo to the event committee: Chairmen Mike and Deb Calabrese, board member Don Leary and Becky Fuhrman, John Fedderke, and Sara and Brian Shelton.

    Blue Grass & Green Acres presented by the Black Swamp Conservancy was held at Carranor Hunt and Polo Club. The Anderlik, Otto & Church bluegrass band out of Chicago added pep to everyone’s step. Sating appetites at the sixth annual event were down-home vittles including chicken jambalaya, shrimp and crayfish gumbo, BBQ ribs, and more. Quenching thirsts were cocktails, wine, and beer provided by Maumee Bay Brewery.

    Guests in casual and western attire bought tickets for all kinds of raffle gifts. The live auction erupted in bidding wars for many unique items including two farm-to-table dinners at conservancy properties; a brunch at the home of Karen and Bob Lucas; a three-night stay at the Home Ranch in Clark, Colo.; a behind-the-scenes Toledo Zoo tour; a fishing day at Rockwell Springs Trout Club in Castalia, and an exclusive hunting rights package at a conservancy property.

    Among the more than 200 attendees were Brent and Pam Cousino, board member Mary and John Fedderke, Tony and Mary Clark, Paul and Julie Croy, Don Leary

    and Becky Fuhrman, Marsha Manahan and Tom Killam, Mary and Glenn Richter, Kathy and Marty Holmes, Black Swamp founding member Clint Mauk, past president Paul Tait, and Dolly Wilkerson.

    Thanks go to guests and donors including EnviroScience; River Reach Construction; Buckeye Broadband; Robison, Curphey & O’Connell law firm; Rudolph Libbe; Signature Bank; KeyBank; the Trust Company of Toledo, and many many more. About $35,000 was raised, according to Mary Krueger, board chairman.

    Kudos to event chairman and board member Virginia Keller, who was assisted by Katie Rousseau.

    Knock Out Ovarian Cancer sponsored by Michael and Amy Sarantou Joint Trust raised $17,000 for the Ovarian Cancer Connection and more awareness of the silent killer. The fund-raiser was held at the Premier with cocktails, grazing stations, and auctions for the 100-some supporters. Teal martinis representing the Get Real About Teal campaign to fight ovarian cancer were served. 

    Featured speaker was lightweight boxing champion Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini. Mr. Mancini talked about his career, his determination, and staying focused on future goals, all of which are important in everyday life, especially when facing cancer. A surprise cake was presented to him for his March 4 birthday. Throughout the evening, Mr. Mancini took the time for photo opportunities and signed each photo.

    Auctioneer extraordinaire Jerry Anderson of WTOL-TV, Channel 11, enticed bidding wars for items including a Muhammad Ali-autographed boxing glove; a guitar signed by the Eagles; a University of Michigan football signed by coach Jim Harbaugh; a David Yurman black onyx-and-diamond bracelet donated by David Fairclough Fine Jewelers; and a signed poster by the cast of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope: Mark Hamill, Kenny Baker, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, James Earl Jones, Peter Mayhew, George Lucas, John Williams, and David Prowse. And if those didn’t suit one’s fancy, a silent auction included 50 more items.

    Mr. Anderson, whose sister Jeanne Wingate, an ovarian cancer survivor, has been the emcee for the Annual Ellen Jackson Ovarian Cancer Walk presented by Buckeye Broadband held at University of Toledo Health Science Campus, formerly the Medical College of Ohio. This year’s walk is slated for Sept. 16. As a fellow ovarian cancer survivor, I will be there with the crowd of cancer survivors and their families.

    The event raised $17,000 to benefit the Ovarian Cancer Connection, which provides awareness, education, transportation, and financial support to local ovarian cancer patients and their families. According to the group, almost 22,000 women are diagnosed and about 14,000 women die of ovarian cancer each year.

    JUST home from a trip to New Orleans during Mardi Gras are Matt and Suzanne Norton of Perrysburg Township. While visiting their son Mike Norton and his wife Melissa Kwan, they rode on their Babylon float in the parade. They also attended the Babylon and Bacchus Balls.

    Contact Barbara Hendel at: bhendel@theblade.com, 419-724-6124.