Suited for Change Turns 20
• June 8, 2012

Barbara Camens, president of Suited for Change, welcomed guests to Suited for Spring, a 20th anniversary luncheon held at the Capital Hilton May 10. SFC partners with more than 70 community organizations that refer clients for assistance in professional attire and job readiness training. TV reporter Jummy Olabanji interviewed SFC client Ivana Willis, who said SFC mentoring gave her confidence to reenter the work force. Willis now holds a permanent position as an administrative assistant at the American Psychological Association. [gallery ids="100809,124662,124654,124641,124649" nav="thumbs"]

D.C. Arts’ Cuisine des Artistes 2012
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Meridian International Center was a logical venue on May 10 for the D.C. Arts Center to present the Herb White Award to multi-media maverick Bill Warrell, whose life “goes all up and down Georgia Avenue.” Restaurateur White was unstinting in his support for adventuresome artists. The honoree said, “We are all cultural warriors.” The event celebrated the creativity of D.C.’s visual and culinary artists. Collaborations included “Hieronymus Borscht” and Frittata Kahlo.” Founded in 1989 in Adams Morgan, the D.C. Arts Center provides a gallery and black box theater where emerging artists can hone their craft. [gallery ids="100810,124688,124680,124658,124674,124667" nav="thumbs"]

Will On The Hill
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Shakespeare Theatre Company’s 9th Annual Will on the Hill [gallery ids="99743,99744,99745,99746,99747,99748,99749,99750,99751" nav="thumbs"]

Tickled Pink, IX
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Mothers and daughters modeled Lilly Pulitzer’s spring and summer lines at a tea and fashion show benefitting Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic at the Fairmont Washington on May 12. President and CEO Maura Harty said over 700 volunteers help make wishes come true. T.J. Morales shared that his wish to go to Disney World with his family had brought respite from the debilitating effects of cancer treatment. DC Magazine was the media partner and Alexa Rubin of American Girl Washington DC hosted a craft table where young ladies could create a special Mother’s Day gift. Guests departed with Lilly goodie bags. [gallery ids="100811,124711,124702,124729,124693,124735,124685,124741,124676,124747,124720" nav="thumbs"]

WCO’s ‘Samson et Dalila’ at Lisner
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Anthony Walker, artistic director and conductor of the Washington Concert Opera, presented “Samson et Dalila” at Lisner Auditorium May 13. Principals Frank Porretta, Michelle DeYoung and Greer Grimsley accompanied by the splendid orchestra and chorus brought the audience to its feet. At the cast party and dinner following at the Arts Club of Washington, the maestro hailed WCO as “a small company with a big heart and big aspirations.” The WCO has presented more than 40 operas in a concert format and offers educational programs to introduce school-age children to the world of opera. [gallery ids="100812,124771,124737,124764,124745,124758,124753" nav="thumbs"]

Great Ladies Luncheon
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Leonard Lauder, Elise and Mark Lefkowitz and Saks Fifth Avenue hosted the Second Annual Great Ladies Luncheon and Fashion show at the Ritz-Carlton in the West End May 2 to benefit the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation. Lauder noted, “100 percent of funding goes to Alzheimer’s research.” Carolina Herrera presented her fall 2012 collection and also accepted a tribute to former first lady Nancy Reagan, reading a letter which read, “The soul doesn’t have Alzheimer’s.” [gallery ids="100805,124554,124535,124548,124543" nav="thumbs"]

Family Matters Marks Its 130th
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Family Matters, formerly Family and Child Services, celebrated its 130th anniversary May 3 at the National Museum of Women in the Arts. It is the city’s oldest and largest private social-services agency that provides vital and crisis care to the city’s neediest residents. Programs include foster care, adoption services, mental health support and youth development. The organization operates the Washington Post’s Send-a-Kid-to-Camp program and offers senior services, foster care, adoptions, teen mother assistance and financial rehabilitation guidance.? [gallery ids="100806,124562,124551,124558" nav="thumbs"]

A as in Annie
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An international A List, headed by Empress Farah Pahlavi, her son Reza Pahlavi and his wife Yasmine, gathered in the Wine Room above Café Milano on May 5 for Franco Nuschese’s dinner celebrating Annie Totah. Andrea Roane emceed an evening of tributes to the philanthropist who has supported causes that ranged from the Komen Foundation to the arts. Washington Performing Arts Society President Neale Perl and Washington Ballet Artistic Director Septime Webre joined many diplomats and prominent Washingtonians in raising a glass to Totah, who delighted her guests with several songs before they left with her CD to relive a magical evening. [gallery ids="100807,124592,124584,124577,124607,124569,124612,124619,124560,124627,124600" nav="thumbs"]

‘The Bond’: Book Signing at A Mano
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Adam Mahr, Kristin Manion and David Ochsman hosted Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States at Mahr’s A Mano on Book Hill for a reception and book signing on May 9. Pacelle’s new book “The Bond” reminds us that animals are at the center of our lives. He spoke of his lifelong dedication to animal protection, noting that there are “more pets than people in American homes.” He said that he did not want “to be a bystander to cruelty to animals” and emphasized human responsibility. He termed the HSUS “a measure of our humanity.” [gallery ids="100808,124644,124615,124637,124624,124633" nav="thumbs"]

Williams Earns RAMW’s Ziebert Award
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On Apr. 30, Councilman Jack Evans presented the 2012 Duke Zeibert Capital Achievement Award from the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington to former D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams. The event at […]