June 15, 1997|By SYLVIA BADGER
STEPPIN' BACK ON THE Avenue" was the theme for the Associated Black Charities' gala fund-raiser at the Baltimore Convention Center. And it was gala chairwoman Beverly Carter and her committee who oversaw the transformation of Convention Center rooms into nightclubs called the Royal, the Sphinx and Carver Playhouse, all well-known names associated with Baltimore's Pennsylvania Avenue during its heyday in the 1940s and '50s.
There was something for everyone, with live entertainment in the nightclubs, casino games, silent-auction items to bid on, and food served up by the center's chef, Benny Gordon. Among the 1,500 guests at the party were former State Sen. Julian Lapides, who served on the gala committee; Mayor Kurt Schmoke and his wife, Dr. Patricia Schmoke; Daniel Henson, city housing chief; Shirley Marcus Allen, deputy director of the Child Welfare League of America; attorney Warren Brown; and fashion designer Travis Winkey, who had Miss Black USA, Dawn Moss, on his arm.
Brew Review
Lager lovers from as far away as Illinois attended the Fifth Annual Brew Review, a benefit for the Maryland Lupus Foundation. This year's event was held at Parrot Island in Fells Point. Nearly 1,500 people spent the afternoon tasting the Mid-Atlantic region's finest craft beers and dancing to the island sounds of the Trinidad and Tobago Steel Drum Orchestra. Party planners are hoping to net $10,000 for lupus research.
Day at the races
Members of the National Society of the Colonial Dames in Maryland and Friends of Mount Clare Museum House spent a day at Pimlico Race Course to raise funds for their pet project, Mount Clare Museum House. ABC sportscaster Jim McKay was the honorary chair of a committee co-chaired by Ann Watts Grieves, Mrs. Vincent Berger and Mrs. Thomas R. O'Rourk. Others on the committee who helped make the day a big success were Joe DeFrancis, Ordell Braase, Virginia Clagett, Joe Keelty, Jim Piper and Ann Hopkins. Mount Clare, the home of Charles Carroll, and his wife, Margaret Tilghman Carroll, is a wonderful place to visit. Call 410-837-3262 for hours and directions to Carroll Park, site of the home.
Special Olympics
Before the opening ceremonies began for the 28th Annual Maryland Special Olympics Summer Games at Towson State University, nearly 200 people attended a chairman's reception at the university. It was a thank-you party for business partners, friends and supporters of the Special Olympics -- people such as Peter Kirk, chairman of Maryland Special Olympics' honorary board and chairman of Maryland Baseball Ltd.; Charles "Buddy" Jenkins and Virginia Higeby, parents of the late Buddy Jenkins Jr., whose memorial fund for the second year underwrote the summer games; Kenneth Roy, Special Olympics board member and GM of Xerox Business Systems, and his daughter, Makayla; Vi and Cal Ripken Sr., longtime supporters of Special Olympics; Will Clemens, chairman of the Special Olympics board; Joe Curran, Maryland attorney general; Beth Botsford, 1996 U.S. Olympic gold-medal winner for swimming; Carin Gabarra, a 1996 member of the U.S. Olympic women's soccer team and head women's soccer coach at the Naval Academy; Patricia Krebs, president and CEO of Maryland Special Olympics; Dennis and Sharon Clements (he's president and GM of Maryland's Central Atlantic Toyota Dealers); Andrew Woods, board member and CEO of Dynatech Integrated Systems; and Debbie Kirkland, president of Starfire Entertainment Inc., who sang "Reach" during the opening ceremonies.
Shore thing
John and Cade Glover brought an Eastern Shore contingent to Baltimore for the recent screening of their son John's latest film, "Love! Valour! Compassion!" John grew up in Salisbury and came to Baltimore to attend Towson State University. He went on to become a well-known actor and established the John Glover Scholarship Endowment Fund for theater majors at his alma mater. Proceeds from the movie screening go to that fund.
More than 500 people were at the Senator Theatre when Glover arrived by limo for the unveiling of a sidewalk block dedicated to him. Towson officials, students, alums and friends of Glover were among the guests, including TSU President Hoke Smith, Vice President Joanne Glasser, Provost John Hagger and filmmaker John Waters.
The event was chaired by Marsha Becker, who was there with her husband, Gordon, and Dean Maravene Loeschke, who was a theater major at Towson with Glover.
Pub Date: 6/15/97
