Social Circuit

Merle Becker (left), event cochair, with Dianne Semingson, Joan Pileggi, and Babette Snyder, event committee member. The Washington Square Affair raised nearly $100,000 toward improving and maintaining the park. Society Hill Civic Association's The Washington Square Affair, Saturday, June 9, 2011

By Caroline Stewart, For The Inquirer

Posted: July 13, 2011

Food for thought

Philadelphia Eagle Brent Celek hosted a fund-raiser June 13 at the Loews Philadelphia Hotel to benefit the Take Flight Foundation. Founded by Celek last year, the foundation provides video games, holiday meals, and fun events to entertain seriously ill and physically challenged children. The event, Top of the Town Tasting, featured food from around the world, including France, Italy, and Spain. Among the 110 guests were Eagles players Eldra Buckley, Jamar Chaney, and Victor Abiamiri, and Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels. The event raised more than $25,000 for the foundation.

Dressed for success

Career Wardrobe's 10th annual fund-raiser, A Perfect Fit: Fashioning Futures for Women, was held June 9 at the Hyatt at the Bellevue. The event for 350 guests featured a fashion show with Lisa Nutter and 10 local media personalities who modeled the outfits they were to donate to the nonprofit. The benefit raised more than $80,000 for Career Wardrobe, which annually provides free business clothing and personal-development services to 5,000 low-income women who are preparing to enter the workforce.

An affair to remember

More than 350 guests attended the Society Hill Civic Association's second fund-raiser June 9 to benefit Washington Square. Chaired by Andrea Layden and Merle Becker, the benefit was held under a tent on Washington Square. The evening featured a jazz trio from the University of the Arts, flowers donated by Plaza Flowers, and food prepared and donated by 15 neighborhood restaurants, including Fork, Buddakan, and La Buca. Before the benefit began, Suzanne and Norman Cohn held a Patrons Party for 80 at their penthouse apartment overlooking the square. The Washington Square Affair raised nearly $100,000 for the Society Hill Civic Association and Society Hill Fund. Proceeds will go toward improving and maintaining the nearly seven-acre park.

Fancy footwork

BalletX, founded in 2005 by two former Pennsylvania Ballet dancers to showcase cutting-edge choreography, held its third annual Party and Silent Auction June 16 at the Hotel Palomar. The benefit for nearly 120 guests, which honored Alan Palmer and Linda Mahan, raised $43,500 for the company. Among the auction items were dinner at a private home with founders Christine Cox and Matthew Neenan that went for $1,200, and a private ballet lesson with BalletX dancer Tara Keating that sold for $400 twice.

Meet the press

The Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists held its sixth annual Awards Ceremony June 11 at WHYY. Jesse Washington of the Associated Press was honored as Print Journalist of the Year and Harry Hairston of NBC10 as Broadcast Journalist of the Year. PABJ presented its Community Service Award to Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, and its Trailblazer Award to Lorraine Branham of Syracuse University. The Lifetime Achievement Award was given to Heshimu Jaramogi of WURD. PABJ awarded a total of $4,000 in college scholarships to Justin Walters and Taylor Perkins.