Luncheons for a Cause: The Italian Community Center was more packed than usual with two of the season’s important luncheons: the Wisconsin Breast Cancer Showhouse and the Women’s Fund of Greater Milwaukee.
The Showhouse, a “Pinktacular Salute to Survivors,” included an elaborate silent auction chaired by Kathy Sammons, a fun style show choreographed by Arlene Wesson and a delicious lunch headed by Chris Boettcher, GM of the Milwaukee Country Club, who welcomed the crowd along with the Showhouse’s chair, Judy Gehl. WISN’s Joyce Garbaciak, the mistress of ceremonies, related the personal and moving stories of the models, who are cancer survivors, dressed to the nines in clothes by Boutique B’Lou, Gigi, Harleys, Lise & Kato’s and Boston Store.
Among the models were University School of Milwaukee teachers Cristina de Vizcarrondo and Nikki Lucyk, cheered on by a table of co-workers, including Ward Ghory, Rosie Lyons, Gregg Bach, Kathy Housiaux, Kathy Friedman, Pam Nosbusch, Holly Morse and Jodie Tonner. Handsome in Harleys attire were Russ Kesery, Lee Kochan and Terry Anderson. Sheri Maciolek, who works at Aurora in West Allis, thanked her son Jeremy for his always-there support.
At Boettcher’s table were his girlfriend, Deanna Inniss, Monica Orr, Tonya Lueder, artist Clare Malloy, Sandi Anderson and Mindpool Productions’ Josh Adams, who almost won the Cancun trip, Maria Roloff, and Ann Engel and Katie Bonk from North Shore Country Club. In the crowd was a Whitefish Bay group of Christina Reimers, Amy Lucas and Gwen Koscinski.
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The Women’s Fund public policy luncheon attracted some 600 attendees, eager to hear Jennifer Buffett, president of the NoVo Foundation, talk about empowering women and girls as agents of change, as well as discuss her philanthropic work. WTMJ’s Susan Kim emceed, while co-chairs Sue Hickey, a veep at M&I Trust, Robin Reese from J.F. Cook Co., and Potawatomi Bingo Casino’s Laura Arbuckle greeted the audience.
Buffett’s twin brother, Joe Heil, introduced his sister, while her mother Barbara, brother Jeff Heil and Joe’s wife, Kelley, cheered her on. Pals Shawn Perrin, Schnell Price-Lambert and Beth Wilson joined in. Avidly listening were such local powerhouses as longtime women’s activist Ellen Bravo, Kris Martinsek, Jeanette Mitchell, Inshirah Farhoud, ReDonna Rodgers, Samantha Scherb and Laura Bray, executive director of Menomonee Valley Partners. Executive Director Elaine Maly and board chair Amy Johnson were thrilled with the sold-out event.
Some men attended as well, including Mark Sabljak and Tom Taubert, plus the Milwaukee Health Department’s Dr.Geof Swain and Quinton Cotton, of the Planning Council for Health and Human Services. The latter two men had participated in a panel on the black infant mortality crisis with Lorraine Lathen, president of Jump at the Sun Consultants. It was moderated by LG Shanklin-Flowers, the Women’s Fund’s program manager.
Thank You: Julia Taylor and Tracey Klein hosted a party at Taylor’s beautiful East Side home to thank Gail Lione for her community leadership. Lione recently retired as Harley-Davidson’s general counsel to concentrate on her position as president of the Harley-Davidson Foundation. YMCA CEO Bob Yamachika and Betsy Brenner spoke glowingly of their friend’s accomplishments. Helping to celebrate were Harley colleagues Patrick Smith and Ed Seaberg, Mary Anne and Russ Martiny,and Shirl and Ernie Gordon, plus Lione’s husband, Foley’s Barry Grossman, Donna and Donald Baumgartner, and Marianne and Sheldon Lubar, all enjoying the fine cuisine of chef Brian Moran
Baskets Galore: The Eisenhower Center, a fantastic work-training facility for the developmentally disabled, hosted its 26th “Basket of Hope” fund-raiser. Gift baskets were auctioned with the help of emcee Jane Matenaer of WLDB-FM, followed by dinner and a live auction with radio personality Steve “The Homer” True.
The center’s executive director, Barbara Rowland, thanked Bobbi Peckarsky, whose dad, the late Irv Peckarsky, helped secure the facility’s building and grounds. Fourteen-year board president Mike Williams led an entourage consisting of wife Joyce and daughter Stacy, brother Carl and sisters Susie Krushensky from Baltimore and Shirley and her husband, Rick Shepherd, from Kansas City.
Volunteer Debbie Wanger, lucky winner of four raffle dinners, was joined by her Schelble siblings: sister Lori, brothers Jeff and Michael and his wife, Trisha. Circulating were MPS’s Jordan Sensibar and his wife, Patti Donahue, their daughter Natalie Fiske, a soap-maker at the center, and son Jason Lloyd, with his girlfriend Sarah Andritsch; Carey Limo owner Peter Browne and his wife, Muffie, a University School teacher; Heidi and John German; Pat Bertha and her husband, Kerry Mattingly, from Treetops Landscape Design; generous donor Heaven City’s Jimmy Wade; Blifftones guitarist Mike Wanger and aesthetician Sue Bella from Neroli; and Roselyn Smolej-Hill, the center’s development manager, there with Thomas Cusatis.
Ever Lovely: Blush Beauty Boutique celebrated its sixth anniversary with a two-day Laura Mercier makeover event. Owner Sarah Brucker welcomed clients, including Doris, who signed up to get beautified and youthenized with the help of Brow Bar aesthetician Laurel Carraway, makeup artist Kayti Bartholomew and waxing specialist Paulina Grandaw. Boris bided his time over brew at the adjacent Ale House.
If you have any tips for Boris and Doris, contact them at borisanddorisott@aol.com. Their next column will appear in the Nov. 4 issue of the Shepherd.
