Keeping the Jones Falls clean isn?t easy, and no one knows that better than the members of the Jones Falls Watershed Association, who do their best to keep the Land of Pleasant Living, well, pleasant. After all, the Jones Falls river empties into the Chesapeake Bay via the Inner Harbor.
Planting trees and getting rid of trash from Baltimore City and Baltimore County parks keeps thiscrew very busy, and recently more than 100 supporters gathered at the Mount Washington Tavern for a first-ever fundraiser for the association.
Two of the celebrity bartenders were JFWA members emeritus Dr. Michael Beer and Dr. Eric Schott. Perfect names for the job.
Guests enjoyed great food while bidding on terrific auction items. Halle Van der Gaag, the association?s executive director, sang the praises of auction chairman Keith Collision (of Morgan Stanley) and his team, which included Nichole Halsey (Weinberg Harris & Associates) and board members Mackenzie Merritt (EJ Gallo Wineries), Tony Azola (Azola & Associates) and Suzanne Merryman.
Spotted serving them up on the long mahogany bar were Bob Friedman of Mambo Combo fame and the Mangiones ? Debbie, Kathy and Tracy. Tom Chalkley, freelance writer and cartoonist, captured the event with caricatures, and Jane Allan Bowie oversaw the auction displays.
Seen bidding were longtime supporters Ellie and Bo Kelly, Peg Stansbury and John Alexander, who joined recent initiates Anne Clemson, Michele Mangione, Sandy Collision and Rebecca Feldberg. More than $4,000 was raised for this volunteer nonprofit that works to protect and restore the health and beauty of the Jones Falls river and its tributaries, according to JFWA President Sandy Sparks.
For information, call 410-366-3036 or visit www.jonesfallls.org.
FAMILY TREE KEEPS GROWING
Baltimore Magazine publisher Steve Geppi certainly knows how to throw a party. Last Thursday, some 3,000 partygoers packed the Power Plant Live! area for a great cause ? The Family Tree of Maryland. Jordan Wertlieb, president and general manager of WBAL-TV, introduced Socially Speaking to new kid in town Sue Nunez, who is the station?s controller. The Family Tree?s Executive Director Pat Cronin and President Doug Brinkley gave two thumbs-up to event chairs Nichole Keelty, Gina Keelty and GaryMarino.
Supporters included Charm City?s top legal beagle Pat Jessamy, along with Shari and Larry Cooper, Gayle Brier (part owner of Brasserie Tatin, a 2006 Baltimore?s Best restaurant), Suzi and David Cordish, and Kristy Sudina, who works for proud pop and avid Ravens fan Chuck Sudina of Sudina Search.
All this partying pulled in more than $60,000 for The Family Tree, a non-profit that provides solutions for families that want to break the cycle of neglect and child abuse, according to FT?s Mary Francioli. For information, visit www.familytreemd.org.
SPOTTED
Cindy Bacon reports that Greg Evigan ? best known for the late 1970s TV sitcom “B.J. and the Bear” ? dined with his family recently at Obrycki?s Crab House. “He looks much younger in person, and he said that his daughter, Brianna, just got a lead role in the movie ?Step up 2 the Streets,? ” Bacon said.
ANNE?S PICKS OF THE WEEK
What: William E. Proudford Sickle Cell Fundraiser.
When: 6 p.m., Sept. 15
Where: The Renaissance Harborplace in Baltimore.
Tickets: $60 ($125 includes a VIP reception).
Info: Kathy Dutton at 410-963-5092 or www.wepsicklecell.org.
What: Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure.
When: 6 a.m., Oct. 14
Where: 11350 McCormick Road in Hunt Valley.
Info: 410-433-RACE or www.komenmd.org.
