Social Scene

Mary Bird • November 7, 2014

Hope Connections for Cancer Support, formerly The Wellness Community before merging with Gilda’s Club, held a wine, chocolate and cheese tasting at the Pepco Edison Place Gallery on Oct. 29. Paul’s Wine and Spirits provided the wines and SPAGnVOLA Chocolatier the chocolates. Hope Connections offers no cost professionally facilitated programs to help patients and their loved ones deal with the emotional and physical impact of cancer. [gallery ids="101916,136231,136233,136225" nav="thumbs"]

Georgetowner • November 6, 2014

Arts for the Aging hosted its annual fall gala at Society of the Cincinnati at Anderson House on Oct. 22 with a reception, arts performance by Verge Ensemble and toasts honoring Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. In an evening emceed by artist Bill Dunlap, the 6th Lolo Sarnoff Award — so named after the 26-year-old organization’s nonagenarian founder — was presented to Ginsburg by longtime friends Bill and Dorothy McSweeny, and patrons gave a touching interactive tribute led by AFTA teaching artist Miles Spicer with members of Downtown Clusters Geriatric Day Care Center. Ginsburg cited AFTA’s founder for her “love of music and art, and caring about the right things.” [gallery ids="101911,136272,136268,136275" nav="thumbs"]

Mary Bird •

Sally Jones and Irene Natividad co-chaired NMWA’s Fall Benefit on Oct. 30, featuring a dinner performance by concert and cabaret star Karen Akers, to benefit the Shenson Chamber Music Concerts led by Artistic Director Gilan Tocco Corn as well as education programming and the upcoming groundbreaking exhibition Picturing Mary: Woman, Mother, Idea. Following a standing ovation¸ Akers accepted the museum’s Award for Excellence in the Performing Arts from Founder Wilhelmina Cole Holladay by quoting Tommy Tune, “I find this very encouraging.” [gallery ids="101912,136258,136265,136252,136263" nav="thumbs"]

Erin Schaff •

The science fiction film, “Interstellar,” made its North American and Washington, D.C., premiere — appropriately enough — at the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum Nov. 5. Directed, co-written and co-produced by Christopher Nolan, known for his Batman movies, “Interstellar” tells the tale of a dying Earth, which humankind must depart for its own survival through a wormhole and find a new home. Actors Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain along with Nolan and his wife Emma Thomas, a co-producer of “Interstellar,” greeted fans and media in front of the Air & Space Museum at the National Mall before viewing the film at the museum’s IMAX theater. The film is seen as a booster for manned space exploration and is influenced by such science fiction classics as “2001: a Space Odyssey.” It opens nationwide Nov. 7. [gallery ids="101908,136358,136332,136361,136354,136337,136341,136346,136350" nav="thumbs"]

Neshan Naltchayan • October 31, 2014

Unlike other fundraisers in D.C., the Go Bo party puts its emphasis on casual attire, fun, laughter, good live music, lots of booze and tries to include the best people that all have a blast under a wedding tent at the 29th Street home of Deb and Ben Johns, held on Sept. 5. This year’s theme was “the Tacky Wedding.”

“People are always fired up to get together after the summer, and this is their first opportunity to re-connect,” said Johns. While in the sixth grade, their son Bo battled cancer. He saw many kids and their families that needed help during his 87 days at Georgetown University Hospital. So, the Johns family created the Go Bo Fund to assist them. Money raised by the party goes straight into the Emergency Family Relief Fund.
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Robert Devaney • October 27, 2014

The Friends of Volta Park gathered June 8 for its 14th annual cocktail party and silent auction at Georgetown Visitation Prep, one block from the D.C. public park. The group — founded by John Richardson in 1995 and headed by Mimsy Lindner — rescued Volta Park from a closed pool and overgrown plants, maintains the landscape and is a strong advocate for this green place in the middle of town. Mayor Vincent Gray said at the party that the park with its playground, tennis courts, pool, baseball field, used by many Georgetown families, is an example of how a public-private partnership should work. Gray was also happy to announce that Volta Park would be receiving $200,000 for playground upgrades as part of the fiscal 2013 budget that includes $9.7 million for park improvements throughout the city. The well-arranged auction added money to the effort, of course, but the party (with food and beverages from 1789 Restaurant) still stole the show. It was a relaxed, noisy mix of neighbors, public servants and business leaders who lingered in the hallway and rooms, glad to see each other. [gallery ids="100845,126529,126523,126516" nav="thumbs"]

Robert Devaney • October 24, 2014

The second incarnation of Night Nouveau – “Not for the Quaint of Heart” – sought to evoke a surrealistic response from its attendees on Oct. 11. Many were up to the challenge, as they met a maze with mimes in the backyard of Halcyon House which led to the downstairs for the ballroom. The back driveway featured a projection of a fish tank, and guests and performance artists danced in the ballroom to the spins of DJ Dirty Hands. Daikaya and Sushiko provided savories with dessert from Dolci Gelati, Georgetown Cupcake and Peruvian Brothers; the after party was at Malmaison. All the fun and whimsy benefitted the S&R Foundation. [gallery ids="101895,136694,136689,136708,136712,136700,136705" nav="thumbs"]

Robert Devaney •

The Georgetowner Newspaper, which made its debut on Oct. 7, 1954, threw a 60th anniversary party Oct. 8 on the the rooftop lounge of the Capella Hotel on 31st Street.

Along with its 60th birthday, the newspaper celebrated its “Cover Girls and Boys,” who have been on the front page of the community newspaper over the past 10 years.

Along with the hotel’s prepared food, party-goers got a chance to sample cocktails, made from Clement Rhum Vieux Agricole Select Barrel or Clement Premiere Canne Rhum, which salute The Georgetowner’s two former publishers, Ami Stewart and David Roffman: Ami’s Agricole Martini and the Roffman. The unique drinks were created by the one of Capella’s and the city’s favorite bartender, Angel Cervantes, and the specialty liquor was provided by Nikolai Konicki.

Publisher Sonya Bernhardt said she and her staff were proud to Georgetown and Washington, D.C., and hoped for another 60 years. She thanked the guests, adding a special shout-out to advertisers, sponsors and the Capella.

Please check out this week’s very special Georgetowner Newspaper: the anniversary issue includes memories, photos and pages from the past. Also see “The Georgetowner: 60 Years in Print” poster pullout in the issue. [gallery ids="101881,136868,136862,136858,136854,136849,136846,136841,136837,136832,136829,136824,136821,136817,136813,136866" nav="thumbs"]