BlackRock Center for the Arts will hold its annual gala on Friday, May 6 from 6:00pm–10:00pm. The gala theme is “An Evening of Wonder: Celebrating the Magic of the Arts at BlackRock.” In recent years, BlackRock has emerged as a noteworthy community asset, establishing Upper Montgomery County as a sought-after destination to live, work, and play, with its stellar performances, professional quality, and diverse offerings. Though it may seem the Center’s success happened overnight—like magic—it is instead a result of years of hard work and civic leadership in a forward-thinking community, one whose residents value the arts, their impact on the human spirit and their role in creating vibrant communities. Members of the public are invited to attend the event and celebrate the arts in Upper Montgomery County. Individual tickets to “An Evening of Wonder” cost $195 and can be purchased online at
The evening’s schedule for “An Evening of Wonder: Celebrating the Magic of the Arts at BlackRock” includes cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, silent and live auctions, a three-course dinner, live entertainment, fund-a-need, dessert, and an after-party with dancing. In addition, there will be an awards celebration honoring Therrien Waddell and Jean Casey for their outstanding dedication to the arts in our community. The gala is co-chaired by Jennifer Russel and Chester Anderson and this year’s Honorary Co-Chairs are the Honorable Isiah Leggett and Mrs. Catherine Leggett.
Gala sponsors as of February 9, 2016 include: Lauren Kay Pollin; Dataprise; Adventist Health Care; Hughes, an Echostar Company; John and Sheila Compton; Montgomery College; Shops at Town Center; Sugarloaf Trails; Clarksburg Premium Outlets; Bethesda Magazine; Black Hill, a project of Lerner; Minkoff Development; Matan; Sugarplum Tent Company; Wegmans; &pizza; Elm Street Developments; Jade Solutions, LLC; M&T Bank; Melane and Tom Hoffmann; Margie and Tom Quelet; Zoes Kitchen; and wine sponsorship by Randy and Kathy Scritchfield. Jean Casey, Beth Daly, and Hammet Hough are Individual Sponsors of the event.
Calvary Women’s Services 15th Annual Hope Awards Dinner
When: May 18, 2016 6:00 – 9:00 PM
Where: Ronald Reagan Building & International Trade Center 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20004
Cost: $250.00
Calvary Women’s Services will host the 15th Annual Hope Awards Dinner on May 18 in celebration of women who are overcoming homelessness and changing their lives. Join Calvary for an uplifting event that includes a cocktail reception, silent and live auction, dinner and inspirational stories shared by women who are impacted by Calvary’s programs.
This year we are delighted to present the Hope Award to Erica May-Scherzer for her active engagement in nonprofit issues and causes including women’s empowerment, education and at-risk youth.
Proceeds from the Hope Awards Dinner will support Calvary’s housing, health, education and employment programs for women who are homeless.
Jefferson Awards Foundation’s 44th Annual National Ceremony
Thursday, June 16th, 2016
WHO: Arne Duncan (former United States Secretary of Education), Sean Parker (founder, Napster), Sophia Sanchez-Maes, Kyle Zimmer (President and CEO, First Book) and many more to come…
WHAT:
The Jefferson Awards Foundation,the country’s longest standing and most prestigious organization dedicated to activating and celebrating public service, will host its annual National Ceremony at Mandarin Oriental’s Grand Ballroom to honor the most outstanding achievements in public service. The Jefferson Awards programs train and empower individuals and youth to serve and lead in their communities, amplifying their impact through our vast network of media partners, mentors and volunteers.
This year’s national honorees are: Arne Duncan, Sean Parker, Kyle Zimmer and Sophia Sanchez-Maes
WHEN: Thursday, June 16, 2016
Time: 6-9pm
WHERE: Mandarin Oriental
Grand Ballroom
1330 Maryland Ave, SW
Ticket Pricing: Starts at $500
Website: http://www.
Link to Buy Ticket: https://app.
7 a.m., 8 a.m. Lattes with Lincoln
Get caffeinated with the 16th commander-in-chief and learn how legislation signed by Abraham
Lincoln during the Civil War is considered by many to be the birth of the National Park System!
Meet the park ranger at the kiosk at 10 Henry Bacon Drive (north of the memorial).
9 a.m. – 11 a.m. Living National Park Service Emblem
Be a part of the world’s largest National Park Service emblem created on the grounds of the
Washington Monument on our 100th birthday! More than 1,000 participants will be assembled
into a living Arrowhead using brown, green and white umbrellas; once the Arrowhead is formed,
an aerial photograph will be taken and shared with participants on the National Mall and
Memorial Parks website and social media pages. The first 1,000 participants to check-in will
receive a t-shirt commemorating their participation in this historic event, as well as get to keep
their umbrella. Assemble at 9 a.m. on the west side of the Washington Monument grounds.
5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Celebrate 100 Years with Music, Comedy and Beers
Join the National Park Service for a hip, high-energy evening program and beer garden featuring
live entertainment celebrating the centennial of the National Park Service. Comedian Ryan
Singer emcees a line-up that includes D.C. power pop band Jukebox the Ghost, Baltimore
alternative rock band The Last Year, and comedian Yoram Bauman. Enjoy refreshments in the
beer garden (21+ only). Gates open at 5 p.m., entertainment starts at 6 p.m.
Just in time for this fall’s political cycle, piano-playing political satirist Mark Russell returns to Ford’s Theatre (511 Tenth Street NW) for one night only, Monday, September 19, 2016 at 7:00 p.m. With impeccable timing, twinkling eyes and shock-of-recognition insights into American politics, Russell draws from material ripped from daily headlines. Russell’s unique brand of comedy earned him the Mark Twain Award for political comedy and made him a popular favorite on PBS.
Tickets for An Evening with Mark Russell: I’m So Mad I Could Sing! range $18 to $67, and are available atwww.fords.org. This performance is recommended for ages 16 and older.
MARK RUSSELL
Long before Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, Mark Russell dared to joke and sing about the often-absurd political process. Though he actually knew little about politics when he began performing, his ability to find humor in anything made him an immediate hit. After serving in the Marines, Russell began playing at a piano bar on Capitol Hill before he earned a 20-year stint at the Shoreham Hotel. Russell’s television credits include nearly 30 years on public television on the eponymous Mark Russell Comedy Specials. His composing credits include two children’s musicals for the Kennedy Center: Teddy Roosevelt and the Ghostly Mistletoe (premiered December 2009) and Teddy Roosevelt and the Treasure of Ursa Major (2006).
Reading three or four newspapers a day allows him to constantly update his material. The result is that no two shows are ever identical. “I thrive on newspapers,” he frequently states. “And it looks like I’ll be thriving longer than them.” Russell performs annually at colleges, conventions and theatres, including frequent visits to Ford’s Theatre. He and his wife live in Washington. Russell is the father of three and the grandfather of seven.
Ford’s Theatre Society
One of the most visited sites in the nation’s capital, Ford’s Theatre reopened its doors in 1968, more than a hundred years after the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. Operated through a partnership between Ford’s Theatre Society and the National Park Service, Ford’s Theatre is the premier destination in the nation’s capital to explore and celebrate Abraham Lincoln’s ideals and leadership principles: courage, integrity, tolerance, equality and creative expression.
The Ford’s Theatre Society was founded under the guidance of executive producer Frankie Hewitt, who, during her 35-year tenure, established Ford’s as a living, working theatre producing performances that highlighted the diversity of the American experience. Since the arrival of Paul R. Tetreault as Director, critics and the theatregoing public have recognized Ford’s for the superior quality of its artistic programming. With works from the nationally acclaimed “Big River” to the world premieres of “Meet John Doe,” “The Heavens Are Hung In Black,” “Liberty Smith,” “Necessary Sacrifices,” “The Widow Lincoln” and “The Guard,” Ford’s Theatre is making its mark on the American theatre landscape. In the last decade, the mission of Ford’s Theatre Society expanded to include education as a central pillar. This expansion led to the creation and construction of the Center for Education and Leadership, which opened in February 2012. Currently, under the leadership of Board of Trustees Chairman Eric A. Spiegel, the Society is building Ford’s Theatre into a national destination for exploring Lincoln’s ideas and leadership principles and finding new ways to bring Lincoln’s legacy to life for the 21st-century learner.
A bearded lady, a contortionist, a snake charmer and a fire eater – just some of the circus inspired acts that will foster the creativity by interior designers when the 7th Annual Cosmo Couture Fashion & Design event takes place onThursday, September 29th in Washington, D.C.
The annual event produced by the Washington Metro City Center (WMCC) of the International Interior Design Association Mid-Atlantic Chapter (IIDA-MAC), will pay tribute to the Big Top in grand form in which local architecture and interior design firms and manufacturing partners will create apparel out of interior materials reflecting the given theme. Garments are constructed out of interior materials such as tile, carpet, wood, vinyl, glass and rubber – materials used in the built environment and finding ways to apply them to haute couture fashion, creating a bridge between fashion and architecture. Each year the theme changes with past themes focusing on D.C. area landmarks, such as the Smithsonian Museums, Embassies, American Presidents and the National Zoo. This year guests of the event will enjoy a fun night under the big top featuring the following circus inspired creations: Acrobat, Bearded Lady, Clown, Contortionist, Dancing Bear, Elephant, Fire Eater, Fortune Teller, Half Man / Half Woman, Harlequin, Horse Dancer, Human Cannonball, Lion Tamer, Magician, Mime, Motorcycle Stunt Driver, Siamese Twins, Snake Charmer, Strong Man, Sword Swallower, Tight-Rope Walker, Trapeze, Uni-cyclist, Ventriloquist and a Ring Master. The event will be co-emceed by WJLA-ABC7’s Meteorologist Steve Rudin and traffic reporter Jamie Sullivan.
Twenty-five design teams will participate in this year’s event. Designs will be judged by an elite panel of judges and awards will be given in various categories such as Most Creative, Audience Favorite, Best Performance, Most Unique Material, Best Interpretation of Theme andHaute Couture to name a few. IIDA-MAC is pleased to announce this year’s panel of judges which will include Michael McCarthy (Editor-in-Chief of DC Magazine), Jennifer Sergent (Freelance Design Writer & Founder of DC by Design Blog), Maggy Francois (Founder of Fashion Design Firm Maggy Francois LLC), Ashleigh Axios (Former White House Creative Director) and Marty Smith (Momentum Group Director of Northeast Sales).
The 2016 Cosmo Couture beneficiary is Rebuilding Together of Washington, DC (RTDC). RTDC’s mission is to preserve and revitalize low-income homes and community facilities in our Nation’s Capital. RTDC makes free home repairs for low-income DC homeowners who are Veterans, elderly, disabled or caring for young children in seriously deteriorating conditions and for nonprofit community centers that serve DC’s most vulnerable citizens of all ages. RTDC’s home repairs enable low-income homeowners to remain in their homes, where they can live in warmth and safety with independence and dignity. To date, the IIDA Mid-Atlantic Chapter has donated over $100,000 to previously selected charities from Cosmo Couture proceeds during the past six years.
Cosmo Couture attracts approximately 800 attendees each year. Event tickets range from $85-185 and sponsorship and table opportunities are also available online at http://www.cosmocouture.org/tickets.shtml.
EVENT DETAILS
What: Cosmo Couture 2016 – Fashion & Interior Design Event (7th Annual)
Presented by: Washington Metro City Center of the International Interior Design Association – Mid Atlantic Chapter
Beneficiary: Rebuilding Together of Washington, DC
When: Thursday, September 29, 2016
Where: The Howard Theater, 620 T Street, NW, Washington, D.C.
Time: 5:30-10:00PM
Cocktails 5:30-7:30PM, Runway Show 7:30-9:00PM,
Desserts 9:00-10:00PM
Website: www.cosmocouture.org
2015 Event Video Highlight: http://www.cosmocouture.org/eventphotos.shtml
The Colon Cancer Alliance will host the 6th Annual Blue Hope Bash to raise awareness about colon cancer on Thursday, October 20, from 5:30-10:00 p.m. at the Fairmont Hotel, in Washington, D.C. In January, the Chris4Life Colon Cancer Foundation, the creator of this event, and the Colon Cancer Alliance merged to create the nation’s largest colon cancer nonprofit. This union helps accelerate a joint mission focused on increasing screening, and supporting patients and survivors of this disease. This year’s celebration will focus on the non-profit’s new vision around patient support, prevention and research, while elevating awareness and the importance of talking about colorectal cancer.
This evening of hope, inspiration and celebration will feature a welcome reception, notable VIP’s, dinner, live and silent auctions, and the chance to win a new 2017 Mercedes Benz CLA.
Through the Blue Hope Bash, the Colon Cancer Alliance aims to raise $750,000 to provide critical funds to support their mission, programs, and the 1.5 million individuals the organization helps each year.
EVENT DETAILS
What: Colon Cancer Alliance – 6th Annual Blue Hope Bash
Presented by: Colon Cancer Alliance
When: October 20, 2016
Where: Fairmont Hotel, 2401 M Street, NW, Washington, D.C.
Time: 5:30-10:00 PM (6:30 p.m. Cocktail Reception, 8:00 p.m. Dinner & Program)
Website: www.ccalliance.org/bluehopebas
Social: @ccalliance #bluehopebash
Event Tickets: Range from $350-$1,000. Sponsorship opportunities also available.
Attire: ‘Something Blue’ Cocktail Attire
An evening of culinary excellence
Signature Chefs Auction – Washington, D.C.
LOCATION: Ritz-Carlton, Washington, D.C. Hotel
ADDRESS: 1150 22nd Street, NW, Washington, DC 20037
For more information please contact Kate Leib (571)-257-2309
EVENT DETAILS
You are invited to the March of Dimes 20th Annual Signature Chefs Gala of Washington, D.C. Signature Chefs is one of D.C.’s premier social events highlighting the city’s culinary masters brought together for an elegant evening of wine, cocktails and dining. You or your company can join approximately 400 affluent society members and business professionals as they support our mission while enjoying over 40 of the area’s celebrated chefs, mixologists, bartenders and vintners. What could be sweeter? The evening will also include auctions with unique dining, entertainment, travel and leisure packages.
Other Washington notables include the 2016 Honorary Chef Victor Albisu, chef/owner of Del Campo and Taco Bamba, and ABC7/WJLA-TV anchor Leon Harris as the emcee.
