Colony Club goes Hollywood

June 04, 2008
Colony Club went Hollywood with a Salute to the Oscars at their annual luncheon and fashion extravaganza at the Greate Bay Country Club. Tom Weber was carrying in hanging baskets filled with flowers for the Chinese auction when Andrea Bell and I arrived at the Country Club. Linda Gronert was hard at work decorating the dining room in our Hollywood theme. The red carpet was rolled out and black, white and red balloons were on all the tables along with gold Oscar statues and photographs of famous movie stars like Cary Grant, Charlton Heston, Elizabeth Taylor, Marlon Brando and Julie Andrews. Barbara Weber sported sneakers as she and Mary Lee Shanahan set out the door prizes and Chinese auction items in the dining room and lounge. When Marion McCaughey arrived with the programs I helped her put them at each place setting. Banquet manager Denise Sullivan had everything ready for us at the country club right down to the clothing racks in the dressing rooms much to the delight of Lynne Cates and Maribeth Neall when they arrived with the clothes from Sun Seekers and Sally and Bob Stair who brought fashions from Donna/Gay Dillon. Andrea Bell had the guest name cards set out on the table in the lobby and Gretchen Bingham, Cathy Guinosso and Carla Heist were at the door ready to greet the ladies when they arrived. Meanwhile upstairs in the lounge Gerri Cusato, Joanne Joyce, Anita DeSantis, Karen Morelli, Nicolette Mirra and Melinda Mayne had raffle tickets torn and ready to sell in their wicker baskets while Anna Marie Donley served as cashier. With everything ready Linda Gronert turned on the music and with “That’s Entertainment” playing the guests started to arrive.
Joan Luongo sported a large black straw hat with a white border while Dolly Cowell chose a red straw hat with purple tulle for the luncheon. Reggie Smith looked every bit the celebrity behind her dark sunglasses as she took the Salute to the Oscars seriously. Ruth Rundgren went for the glitzy look and even brought pictures of celebrities in her family. I caught up with Bobbie McNeill, Phyllis Pindale and Celina Landis checking out the Chinese auction. Janet Perotti looked great but Eleanor Burk, Barbara Parsons and I were sorry to hear she’s planning to move to Florida when she sells her home in Ocean City. Speaking of Florida, Lois Bolger, Mickey Flynn and Bev Jaeger returned from spending the winter in Florida just in time to attend the luncheon. Joan Keels, Peaches Glenn and I enjoyed talking about our favorite Dancing with the Stars couples. A year after Jo Costanzo’s home burned down, Jo was beaming when she told me she moved into her newly rebuilt home with all new furniture and such and couldn’t be happier. Dolores Wilson acquired a new hairstyle and color while in Florida this winter and got right to work selling raffle tickets when she arrived. My neighbor, Bonnie Cotellese, dropped her canine, Chloe, at the groomers then joined neighbors, Alice Crockford and Peg Lippincott, at the luncheon. Natalie Franz enjoyed showing off a cute picture of her great granddaughter to all her friends. Donna Hughes was loaded down with door prizes she collected when she arrived.
Marion and I welcomed everyone to the luncheon and thanked them for supporting this funding raising project with all proceeds going for scholarships and social service projects. The staff at the country club then served the delicious lunch that Marion and I enjoyed chatting with Barbara Keen, Phyllis Bonner, Madiline DeStefano, Maryanne Kelly, Pat Smith, Cathy McMenamin and Peggy Cole. For years Ruthann Firmani provided lovely fashions from Stubbs for our annual fashion show, but this year we were delighted to have Ruthann as a guest at the luncheon and she looked fabulous in a black eyelet dress from Papagallo’s, where she works part time since she retired. Paula North, who loves to travel, was easy to spot in a bright green linen jacket. Avid golfer Joan Faunce missed a beautiful day on the course as she enjoyed the luncheon with some of her friends. Krissy Roberts took a year off from modeling in the show and relaxed and enjoyed the luncheon with her mom, Carla Heist, and Margaret Gallagher. Carla was hosting a birthday party for oldest son, Tuck, Saturday night then the Heist clan was going to watch the students walk the red carpet when they arrived at the Flanders for the prom. Audrey Schillinger, Hope Shaw, Marie Barry and Betty Ermilio enjoyed the view of the golf course at their tables by the window.
When the models were called to get ready for the show before dessert was served, Banquet Manager Tammy Seuff promised to send their ice cream sundaes to the dressing room. Mary Hughes, Karen Morelli and Sally Stair were busy helping the models with the quick changes throughout the show as clothes were flying because nobody wanted to be late when commentator Maribeth Neall called our name and each model walked the red carpet to show off the beautiful summer stylish fashions from Sun Seekers and Donna/Gay Dillon. Carol Moss loved twirling around the dance floor as she modeled her outfits. Sandy Simpson took candid pictures of the models waiting on the stairs while Barb Adams made sure each model stopped and posed for a picture when they passed her table as these photos were for the president’s scrapbook. Repeat models, Evelyn Reed, Melinda Mayne and Nicollette Mirra , knew the routine and made sure they were on time. Carol Evans looked stunning in a black cocktail dress with matching jacket and Linda Gronert and Elaine Novello also enjoyed their first time modeling in the show. Marion and I had a good time when we modeled coordinating outfits with Marion carrying a matching tote bag and this columnist sporting a matching umbrella. Jacque Zoller, Lillian Korista, Diane Richman and Lynne Lewis had a bird’s eye view of the models as they waited their turn to model and Blanche Smith, Peg Young, Miriam Gallagher, Jane Culbertson, Jerry Dewees and Beverly Jernee had each model stop by their table for a closer look at the fashions. Twins Anne Oves and Beth Bowman celebrated their birthdays at the luncheon and everyone had a good laugh when Anne won the gift certificate to Brown’s. At least Pat Gillian didn’t win the VIP tickets to Wonderland Pier. Judith Webster may have been the last one to arrive at the luncheon but she still had time to buy raffle tickets and won lots of prizes. I caught up with Billie Lewis, Eleanor Rosica, Rita Fulginiti, Eleanor Eason, Joan Wilson, Irene Reeves and Mary Woods who admired the cherry red cocktail dress I modeled in the closing segment of the fashion show.
 

Joanne Joyce, Denise Potter, Barbara Weber and Anita DeSantis are ready to sell raffle tickets at the Colony Club luncheon.

Elaine Perino, Gretchen Bingham, Carla Heist and Cathy Guinosso welcome guests to Colony Club’s annual luncheon and fashion show.

Andrea Bell, Cathy Finnegan, Maribeth Neall, Marion McCaughey and Linda Gronert pose for a picture with large Oscar statute at Colony Club’s “Salute to the Oscars.”

Barbara Keen, Phyllis Pindale, Madeline DeStefano, Phyllis Bonner and Pat Smith.

Ruthann Firmani, Sandy Simpson, Carol Schoff, Karen Morelli and Dolores Wilson buy raffle tickets for the Chinese auction.

Evelyn Reed, Mary Hughes, Carol Evans and Melinda Mayne are ready to model in the fashion show.

Nicollette Mirra, Elaine Novello, Carol Moss and Sally Stair show off outfits before hitting the runway in the fashion show.