Mireille Schwartz at a fundraiser in December, 2007

Why I Support Raphael House
Mireille Schwartz
Bay Area Allergy Advisory Board

“My daughter and I have been involved in philanthropy and volunteer work at Raphael House for more than a year now.  From the first moment I met Father David and his wife I knew this was a wonderful, safe oasis for families in transition.

It’s my pleasure to contribute to the new beginnings for these families - and Raphael House’s sensible, calm and sane approach to helping people with a long-term strategy for financial stability has an almost 100% success rate! Families who arrive at Raphael House in despair and near-ruin are lovingly and respectfully given tools to build their own future, guided by Father David and his staff.

It’s truly God’s work on Earth, and I consider myself extremely fortunate to have been asked to support this organization.”

–

If you would like to become involved in Raphael House, too, then you’re invited to attend a benefit breakfast on October 14th, 2008, at the Intercontinental Hotel. The price per person is $50.00

WHAT: Seeds of Change, a Benefit Breakfast for Raphael House
WHEN: Tuesday, October 14, 2008. 7:30 - 9:00 AM
WHERE: Intercontinental Hotel, 888 Howard Street (the new high rise)
HOW: Contact Flavia Henrique at 415.345.7262 or by email at fhenrique@raphaelhouse.org

Photo by Drew Altizer [drewaltizer.com]

Cathy Post and Kendall Wilkinson at the opening of SF20 in September.

Why I Support Raphael House
Kendall Wilkinson

“I support the Raphael House because it has such a high success rate in helping homeless families get back on their feet, and in getting them jobs and homes that build their lives back up again.

I really respect and support the philosophy and feel that the subtle religious guidance helps the residents have faith and hope for the future.”

–

If you would like to become involved in Raphael House, too, then you’re invited to attend a benefit breakfast on October 14th, 2008, at the Intercontinental Hotel. The price per person is $50.00

WHAT: Seeds of Change, a Benefit Breakfast for Raphael House
WHEN: Tuesday, October 14, 2008. 7:30 - 9:00 AM
WHERE: Intercontinental Hotel, 888 Howard Street (the new high rise)
HOW: Contact Flavia Henrique at 415.345.7262 or by email at fhenrique@raphaelhouse.org

Photo by Drew Altizer [drewaltizer.com]

Elizabeth Thieriot, Robert Eves, H.R.H. Crown Princess Katherine, H.R.H. Crown Prince Alexander and friends.

We recently attended a delightful luncheon at Elizabeth Thieriot’s Tiburon home which was held in support of the Lifeline Humanitarian Organization.  Founded by Crown Princess Katherine in 1993, Lifeline provides food and medical care to refugee camps and orphanages throughout the former Yugoslavia.

H.R.H. Crown Princess Katherine, Elizabeth Thieriot

Prince Philip, Prince Alexander, H.R.H. Crown Princess Katherine, H.R.H. Crown Prince Alexander, Prince Philip

The Royal Family of Serbia was in the Bay Area to attend a wedding, and stayed for a few days to attend the Opera and visit friends.  Locally, their Royal Highnesses are longtime friends of Denise Hale, who wasn’t at the luncheon but has been a generous supporter of the needs of people in Serbia (she once donated an ambulance to a Belgrade hospital, in memory of her grandparents, whom she grew up with in Serbia.)

Their Royal Hignesses Crown Prince Alexander and Crown Princess Katherine spoke eloquently of the struggles that the poor and the displaced are still dealing with in Serbia.

Father Judas Gordich of St. John the Baptist Serbian Orthodox Church

Lunch was served poolside. The beautiful Tiburon home has gorgeous panoramic views of the Bay and the San Francisco skyline.

Elizabeth Thieriot

Josh Horowitz Thieriot with his sister, Ashley Horowitz Thieriot (visiting from New Mexico)

Olivia Decker, Martin Kobus

Christina de Limur, James Krohn, Silvia Forsmann

Mireille Schwartz and her daughter, with Damion Matthews

Claudia Ross with her boys

Stella Edralin and Dr. Michael Echavez

Erishka Fairchild-Harrington

Prince Alexander, Prince Philip

Christina de Limur, Elaine Mellis

• Further Information: Lifelineaid.info
• Photos: Drew Altizer

After looking through literally thousands of photos that Drew Altizer and his team took at the Symphony and Opera opening parties, SFLuxe has gathered our favorite selections for the week’s best dressed. For the most part, people went beyond basic black, opting instead for interesting proportions, colors and styles. We hope you agree!

First, the Opera:

Pamela Joyner and Deepa Pakianathan

Elizabeth Touw

Elisabeth Laurence

Elizabeth Thieriot with Robert Eves

Amber Marie Bently and Christopher Bently

Olivia Hsu Decker

Sandra Ko

Sonya Molodetskaya with Alan Malouf

Clara Shayavetch

Tatiana Sorokko

Sobia Shaikh

Sally Debenham with John Capizzi

Karen Caldwell

Toni Wolfson

And from Symphony Night:

Orkut Büyükkökten with Derek Holbrook

Catherine Marcus with Tom Marcus

Fati Farmanfarmaian

Krista Mitzel Hankinson and Holly Grochmal

Libby Lessler

Kathryn Pellegrini Inglin and Shara Hall

Kelly Grimes and Amanda Sammann

Ayanna Jenkinstoney

Norman Stone and Norah Stone

Chris Rout and Lisa Boohar

Anne Le Ziblatt and Peter Ziblatt

Justin Fichelson and Shaila Freyer

Cameron Phleger

Dr. Manjula Noone and Dr. Patrick Noone

Brandt Hooker with Maria Quiros

Alex Chases with Angelique Griepp and Troy Griepp

Yurie Pascarella

Kathleen Jackson and Chris Jackson

Carolyne Zinko

Mark Jung and Karen Jung

Vera Bland

Martin Lydster and Rosalina Lydster with Faye Ho and Dirk Blum

Damion Matthews and Mireille Schwartz with Amber Marie Bently and Christopher Bently

Stephanie Harmon

Ann Getty and Gordon Getty

Nicole Ancelovici Lenihan and Bill Lenihan

Katya Sorokko and Jason Arnoldy

Bob Perun and Kimberly Ayres

Jennifer Bienaime

Gail Glasser

Kristen Martin

Anette Harris

Katie Jarman

But who was the most stunning, you might ask?

Marissa Mayer, shown here with Robert Fountain before the start of the Symphony, will surely put designer Catherine Martin (wife of director Baz Luhrman) on the map. Absolutely exquisite!

Since we believe every great wedding deserves 
an even greater reception…You are cordially invited to toast

the “Bride”
and
the “Groom”

Sunday, June 29, 2008
6-9 o’clock in the evening (after the parade)

CRUNCH
1000 Van Ness (at O’Ferrell)

live dj, open bar, hors d’oeuvres,
wedding cake and bouquet toss

PLEASE PRESENT THIS INVITE FOR ENTRY

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The Napa Valley Museum is having a really fun event on June 27th that SFLuxe hopes you can all attend. The event will raise money for the museum and its programs that serve the community.

When: Friday June 27th, 8 PM
What: Rock’n Roll DANCE PARTY!
Admission Price: $25 for NVM museum members, $50 for non-members including a 1 year NVM museum membership.
RSVP: 707.944.0500 / info@napavalleymuseum.org

Come and cut the rug with us! You’ll enjoy great wine and our local rock & roll band JumpStart. Remember . . . Bring your dancing shoes!

Doors open 8 pm.

Next week designer John Varvatos will be at his new San Francisco boutique for a party to benefit The Guardsmen. It promises to be a lot of fun! Here are the details, below. Hope to see you there!

What: John Varvatos celebrates the opening of his first boutique in San Francisco, with a private party including in-store cocktails and an outdoor charity concert on Maiden Lane. The event will benefit local charity, The Guardsmen.

John Varvatos, The Guardsmen, special musical guest, Los Lonely Boys, and our VIP hosts including Todd Traina, Guardsmen’s Kit Codik and legendary music photographer, Jim Marshall will be on hand to celebrate the newest boutique.

Los Lonely Boys: Los Lonely Boys are Grammy Award winning, multi-platinum selling, brothers from San Angelo TX. Best known for the award winning song “Heaven,” Los Lonely Boys are championed by the Hispanic community as well as music lovers around the globe. The band gives its time to charity work and kids enrichment programs, and are proud to be apart of this benefit with John Varvatos. The band’s new release “Forgiven” will be released on July 1st followed by Brotherhood tour dates with their friends Los Lobos.

When: Wednesday, June 11, 2008
7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Where: John Varvatos Boutique
152 Geary Street
San Francisco, CA 94108

Tickets: 100% of the proceeds from ticket sales will go directly to The Guardsmen. Very few tickets are available. The cost is $75.00 each, to be purchased at johnvarvatos.com/sf

About The Guardsmen: Established in 1947, The Guardsmen is a San Francisco service organization consisting of 150 active volunteer members devoted to advancing at-risk Bay Area youth by funding indoor and outdoor educational programs. They strive to assist those who want to attain the skills necessary to be productive members of society.In the mid 1990’s, The Guardsmen developed The Scholarship Program with a focus on improving the outcome of an at-risk youth’s education by putting grant money to work through a multi-year commitment to qualified recipients. Today, the Scholarship Program provides private school tuition for almost 200 children on a yearly basis.

Contact: Donna Faircloth
Vice President, Marketing & Corporate Communications
212-812-8008
Donna_Faircloth@vfc.com

Dace-Allen Morris
Press Manager
212-812-8050
Dace_morris@vfc.com

In honor of the highly-anticipated Sex & the City movie, premiering May 30, Crunch on Alhambra (2330 Polk Street) is hosting an open house (open to the public and free all day) Sex & the City Marathon on the big screen Thursday, May 29.

Function energy drinks will be served in martini glasses, DJ LARON will be spinning from 7:30 to 10 p.m., and all seasons of the show will be playing throughout the day.

Also, join the gym (known for having the best classes) with a friend and take advantage of the “Get Sexy with Crunch” deal, where joiners will receive 50% off enrollment and $10 off monthly dues.

Date: Thursday, May 29, 2008
Time: 5:30 a.m. – 10 :00 p.m.
Location: 2330 Polk Street

The Ed. Fund is giving out over $100,000 in college scholarships. The 26 West County high school seniors represent every comprehensive high school in West Contra Costa Unified School District. All winners will be honored on Friday, May 16h at The Ed. Fund’s 20th Annual Excellence in Education Banquet in Berkeley, California.

Scholarships range from $2,000 to $5,000; some are renewable for up to four years of college. With college costs rising (average fees for a UC is $24,000 per year), many families have no hope of giving their kids the one thing that might most influence their future success in life. The recipients, who have ambitions that range from choreography to opening a free health clinic for poor children, will have a chance to start this fall at the college of their choice. Of this year’s 26 winners, 14 have weighted GPAs above 4.0.

Financial need is a pre-requisite to getting funds, and all applicants must demonstrate their drive and their ability to overcome obstacles. “These are the attributes of people who are most likely to finish college”, said Jennifer Henry, Executive Director of The Ed. Fund. The 20th Annual Excellence in Education banquet is a great way for people to show their support of these aspiring students and is open to the public. The evening includes an elegant dinner and live auction and honors teachers, staff, volunteers and students across West Contra Costa County.

The people who make these scholarships possible are individuals who know the value of college for young people, their families, and their community. Community leader Antonio Medrano believes these donors are heroes, and praises The Ed. Fund for seeking them out. “What The Ed. Fund does is a great gift to the community,” said Antonio.

Who: The West Contra Costa Public Education Fund (The Ed. Fund)
What: 20th Annual Excellence in Education Banquet
Where: Doubletree Hotel, 200 Marina Blvd., Berkeley
When: Friday, May 16, 2008, 5:30 p.m.
Cost: $75 per person; $25 for WCCUSD students
RSVP: edfundwest@sbcglobal.net or (510) 233-1464

Media interested in attending the event may contact Jennifer Henry, (510) 233.1464.

About The West Contra Costa Public Education Fund (The Ed. Fund)
Founded in 1983, The Ed. Fund is a non-profit, public education fund dedicated to inspiring student achievement, encouraging commitment to lifelong learning, honoring and supporting teachers, and building community partnerships committed to public education in West Contra Costa County. For more information call (510) 233.1464 or visit http://www.edfundwest.org

A gala event at Foreign Cinema to celebrate 25 years of making art and changing lives at Creativity Explored

Creativity Explored, San Francisco’s premier gallery and art studio for artists with developmental disabilities, celebrates 25 years of changing lives with a gala event May 15th at the Mission District’s hot spot for food and film, Foreign Cinema. For 25 years, Creativity Explored’s artists have been creating some of the Bay Area’s most profound, fearless and innovative art and have made significant contributions to the local arts scene. In honor of their sterling achievements and the enduring vision of co-founders Florence Ludins-Katz and Elias Katz, Ph.D., Creativity Explored is celebrating with a silver soiree hosted by longtime fan and legendary maven of the silver screen Peaches Christ.

The evening features a screening of selections from Ben Wu’s Academy Award-winning student documentary about the artists of Creativity Explored “Cross Your Eyes, Keep them Wide” and a silent and live auction of tantalizing items and exceptional artworks by studio artists and some of their nationally-known colleagues. Partygoers will enjoy delicious gourmet treats and an open bar while listening to the Parisian café stylings of The Baguette Duet, western swing and cowboy music by Chris Leone and the Spurs of the Moment plus special performances by surprise guests.

WHAT:
Creativity Explored’s 25th Anniversary Celebration – a gala event to celebrate 25 years of making art and changing lives at Creativity Explored

WHEN:
Thursday, May 15, 7 to 10 p.m.

COST:
$100 per person in advance; $125 per person day of the event

WHERE:
Foreign Cinema, 2534 Mission St., San Francisco

INFO & TIX:
(415) 863-2108
www.creativityexplored.org