Social Scene

Robert Devaney • June 11, 2015

The Georgetown Senior Center — which meets two times a week at St. John’s Church on O Street for lunch as well as social and educational programs — got a special treat June 3 from a group of energetic real estate agents from the Georgetown office of Long & Foster Real Estate & Christie’s International Real Estate. Agents offered up an indoor picnic of cheeses, charcuterie, tuna and chicken salad sandwiches as well as slices of crowd-pleasing strawberry short cake.

The Long & Foster project leader was Margaret Heimbold with the help of Natalee Snider. Volunteers included Susan Daves, David Snider, Olena Norman, Derry, Haws, Patricia Sonaty, Rose-Marie Harris, Thomas Knobloch, Scout Sinclair, John Arnold, Emmanuel Sturley, Judi Cochran and her daughter Edina Morse. The annual picnic luncheon at St. John’s for the seniors is part of Long & Foster’s company-wide Community Service Day.
[gallery ids="102098,133899,133895,133901,133904" nav="thumbs"]

Carolyn Landes • June 10, 2015

Around 500 of the city’s most philanthropic glitterati gathered May 20 at Tudor Place in Georgetown for the Historic House and Garden’s 23rd Annual Spring Garden Party. This year’s social event was chaired by Elizabeth Powell of Georgetown.

Under an expansive, luminous, white tent surrounded by pristine gardens and an immaculately manicured lawn, guests gathered to celebrate and honor longtime leader and supporter of Tudor Place, Ellen MacNeille Charles, who was given a surprise horse-drawn carriage ride from her 31st Street home to Tudor Place, just up the street.

Charles, a board president emeritus, has made a lasting impact on Tudor Place over the years through her leadership, advocacy and special blend of experience, wisdom and good humor. She was presented with an engraved cup and artwork and gave a gracious speech, thanking attendees for their patronage of Tudor Place.

Interests that inform the life of Charles were woven into the party scene: tablecloths were chocolate brown and white to reflect the racing silks of Charles’s Hillwood Stable, the topiary showed her love of dogs (and show dogs), one cocktail was called BandBox in honor of her racing horse. The Foxcroft Chorale from Charles’s alma mater during the evening.

At the presentation, it was announced that the garden party helped to raise more than $300,000 for one of Georgetown’s crown jewels, as Tudor Place itself was bathed in artful lighting.

Party patrons mingled, sipping mint juleps and tasting light bites, including lamb chops and salmon. In the crowd of prominent Washingtonians and guests from around the country and abroad, ambassadors, architects, business leaders, community leaders and neighbors were dressed to the nines in their garden-party best.

Through its education programs, Tudor Place’s rich heritage provides a living classroom for subjects including American history, the environment and architecture for more than 3,000 school children every year in D.C. and the surrounding areas.
[gallery ids="102086,134278,134275,134271,134267,134263,134259,134255,134251,134247,134243,134235,134239,134281,134284" nav="thumbs"]

Dominque Stone • June 8, 2015

Celebrating S&R Foundation’s 15th anniversary and its Washington Awards, co-founders Sachiko Kuno and Ryuji Ueno reflected on past accomplishments and looked to the future. S&R’s May 30 gala performances at Halcyon House included soprano Huanhuan Ma, dancer and choreographer Tamas Krizsa (with Maki Onuki), Erzhan Kulibaev on violin (with pianist Ryo Yanagitani), solo pianist Michael Mizrahi and grand prize winner Nabil Shehata, double bass and conductor (with his brother, pianist Karim Shehata). Menu and music were paired by chef Eric Ziebold. Karl Green of Bonhams led the live auction, which included such items as dinner at Evermay Estate, “Best of D.C.” package and a trip to Japan for two. [gallery ids="102095,133920,133917,133911,133914" nav="thumbs"]

Mary Bird •

Cultural Tourism D.C. presented the Seventh Annual Gala Embassy Chef Challenge May 20 at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center. A dozen embassy chefs presented their signature delicacies before a panel of celebrity chefs and food critics for Judge’s and People’s Choice Awards. Chef Manuel Rodrigues of Venezuela garnered top votes for his crowd-pleasing rendition of ceviche. Cultural Tourism D.C. board chair Tim Cox acknowledged former Chief of Protocol Capricia Marshall and the many other dignitaries in attendance before urging, “Dine like a diplomat, and let the international tasting begin.” [gallery ids="102096,133907" nav="thumbs"]

Neshan Naltchayan •

The Lobster Extravaganza on May 2 in Fairfax enhanced the fun and friendship of those giving to Life with Cancer, part of Northern Virginia’s Inova Health System. Sponsors included Robert Hisaoka, the Peterson Companies, Paul and Linda Saville and Virginia Run Turkey Trot.

Mary Bird • June 7, 2015

Guests enjoyed cocktails in the Kreeger Museum’s lower galleries, a seated dinner in the Great Hall and Monet Gallery and dessert on the Sculpture Terrace May 16.  Belgian Ambassador Johan Verbeke, the gala’s honorary patron, spoke about the recent Flemish Expressionism exhibition and introduced the jazz quartet which performed a number of works by Django Reinhardt.  He called the Kreeger “a neighbor and jewel in Washington.” Contributions enable the museum to provide innovative arts education workshops and programs for schools throughout the Washington area, focusing on underserved communities.
[gallery ids="117594,117584,117587,117577" nav="thumbs"]

Mary Bird •

GALA Theatre’s Noche de Estrellas or Night of the Stars honored José Andrés for Arts Business and Philanthropy and Marta Casals Isthmian for Service in the Arts May 19. The evening began on the theater’s rooftop with a Latino buffet and segued downstairs to performances by the Flamenco Aparicio Dance Company and Paseo Nuevo video presentation, interspersed with a live auction and more. The evening concluded with a champagne toast and dessert, all in support of GALA’s outreach to our community’s at-risk Latino teens. [gallery ids="102097,133906,133908,133903" nav="thumbs"]

Mary Bird • May 23, 2015

Dutch Ambassador Rudolf Bekink and his wife Gabrielle de Kuyper Bekink welcomed leaders and supporters of Restore Mass Ave and other guests May 7 to their S Street residence, just off Massachusetts Avenue. The nonprofit was founded to bring Embassy Row back to its original design by engaging residents, embassies and public and private partners to plant and sustain a full canopy of trees along D.C.’s most famous diplomatic avenue. John Peters Irelan is spearheading the project which has already secured 330 new trees. There is also an education and outreach component as volunteer “treekeepers” learn tree care. [gallery ids="102090,134224,134211,134218,134221,134215" nav="thumbs"]

Georgetowner •

Georgetown Village “Neighbors Helping Neighbors” celebrated May 13 with its supporters and volunteers on the rooftop at Georgetown Harbour in the handsome penthouse offices of Foley & Lardner. Executive Director Lynn Golub-Rofrano was cited as the heart of Georgetown Village, the volunteers as the second heart and the guests as the third heart. The non-profit provides services and programs so that older residents can live better and longer in their homes. Major donor Nancy Taylor Bubes sent everyone home with a marigold plant and gardening gloves in appreciation for helping her business “bloom.” [gallery ids="102089,134228,134226,134223,134219" nav="thumbs"]

Georgetowner •

Spanish Ambassador Ramón Gil-Casares hosted Opera Camerata’s production of “Carmen” at his Foxhall residence May 15 with a cocktail reception and seated buffet dinner before the performance. Randall Roe, president of Opera Camerata, spoke of the power of voices in an intimate setting and expressed appreciation to Robin Phillips, the evening’s narrator. Opera Camerata also brings complimentary opera performances to classrooms around D.C. throughout the year. [gallery ids="102088,134227,134232,134230" nav="thumbs"]