Truly "An Affair to Remember"!
On Saturday, November 4, 2006, the red carpet was rolled out for "An Affair to Remember". At the stroke of 6 o'clock, the spotlights illuminated Hollywood landmark Raleigh Studios, where the Annual Paul Harris Celebration took center stage. District 5280 Rotarians came dressed to the nines, ready for their close ups and poised with check books to support the Rotary Foundation.
In her directorial debut as Dinner chair, Kathy Turner put on a fine show. A record 730 Rotarians walked down the red carpet, donated by our own Doug Wilson. It was complete with a Rotary "Walk of Fame" dotted with Rotary stars. Rotarians then mingled and bid on items at the Silent Auction under the stars, making their way to Sound Stage 5. The Sound Stage glimmered with silent movies projected on the vast walls and the memories of old Hollywood lingered in the air.
Between dinner, dancing and the Live Auction, the crowd was entertained by LA5's own "Marilyn Monroe", who gave Governor Scot a very special performance and glided on the dance floor with Chief Deputy Governor Marc Leeka.
Rotarians came out in mass to support the Rotary Foundation. With incoming RI Zone Director and PDG Paul Netzel as the auctioneer, $23,200 was raised at the Live Auction! The Silent Auction under the stars brought in over $28,145.50 as well. Rotarians did a great job of selling the drawing tickets. Congratulations to Wilshire Rotarian Earle Vaughan, whose ticket was drawn by First Lady Wendy Clifford for a cruise to Alaska or the Mediterranean. A heart felt thank you goes out to each Rotarian who supported the Rotary Foundation through donating and bidding on auction items and drawing tickets.
This year's Paul Harris Celebration not only celebrated the philanthropy of Rotary International, but also the illustrious film history of Hollywood. In 1915, Raleigh Studios commenced operations as Famous Players Fiction Studios with a Mary Pickford production-one of the first features to be filmed on the historic Hollywood lot. Some of the industry's most influential leaders have called the lot home, including Douglas Fairbanks, Lillian and Dorothy Gish, Walt Disney, and Bette Davis. In the '50s and '60s, the studio embraced television. Early shows and pilots filmed here include Superman, Gunsmoke, and Perry Mason.
"An Affair to Remember" couldn't have been possible without the "crew" behind the scenes: Christine Barnicki, Dennis Benko, Lew Bertrand, Janet Chabola, John Colville, Buffy Francuz, Marie Fremd, Jerrie Heslov, Lee Jackman, Dave Johnson, Marc & Pearl Leeka, Rick Mendoza, Paul Netzel, Amy Priore, Carmela Raack, Mindy Stogsdill, and David Williams. A sincere thank you to each member on the committee!
For Rotarians who would like to reminisce about "An Affair to Remember", images from the evening are now posted on the website. It's not too late to order your own star with your name on it! Simply contact Amy Priore at (213) 386-3900. Thank you to all of the Rotarians who truly made November 4 "An Affair to Remember"!