Nicole Cashman, Cashman & Assocs., Jeff Guaracino, President & CEO Visit Philadelphia, Julie Marshall, James Beard Foundation Staff, Director of Events and Marketing and David Bowen, President and Founder, Bowen & Company at Raising the Bar, a James Beard Foundation event at Porta Philadelphia on October 30, 2019.
Guests enjoyed lite bites and cocktails from local chefs and bartenders including Resa Mueller and Mike Cher of Lalo, Baology’s Judy Ni and Andy Tessier and mixologists including Damien Langarica, a.bar, Philadelphia , Funds raised from the event go to support the James Beard Foundation’s Good Food for Good and Food Recovery Network programs.
Emma Richards, Goldie’s Chef Caitlin McMillen and Nicholas Jordan served Humas Tehina at Raising the Bar, a James Beard Foundation event at Porta Philadelphia on October 30, 2019.
The Meat Mushrooms burgers were so good!!
Mike Strauss, Troy Morris and Fred Muser of Mike’s BBQ served their take on the Gyro using smoked shawarma-spiced brisket, which was delicious. Probably one of the best Gyro’s I’ve ever had, at Raising the Bar, a James Beard Foundation event at Porta Philadelphia on October 30, 2019.
Mixologist Aaron Deary of Suraya, Condesa, creates a Pineapple Negroni at Raising the Bar, a James Beard Foundation event at Porta Philadelphia on October 30, 2019.Porta’s chef Caroline Hough says the most popular pizza’s ordered are the Margharita classic, and the 14 ½ which is very spicy at Raising the Bar, a James Beard Foundation event at Porta Philadelphia on October 30, 2019.Jessica and Zachary Davis at Raising the Bar, a James Beard Foundation event at Porta Philadelphia on October 30, 2019.Mixologist Damien Langarica of a.bar at Raising the Bar, a James Beard Foundation event at Porta Philadelphia on October 30, 2019.
Mixologist Maria Polise from ITV served Flip ‘Em the Bird George at Raising the Bar, a James Beard Foundation event at Porta Philadelphia on October 30, 2019.
Restaurateur Ellen Yin of High Street Hospitality Group and Neal Santos, co-owner, Lalo at The Bourse Food Hall at Raising the Bar, a James Beard Foundation event at Porta Philadelphia on October 30, 2019.
Congrats Sabrina and Steve on your 10 year anniversary!!
Thanks to this duo for allowing me to capture their courtship, engagement, wedding, life happenings and now 10 years later. In the begining of PhillyChitChat there were very few events, charity happenings, but there was Sabrina Tamburino, her fantastic life and friends who I photographed for about two years. They created events, happenings people wanted to know about, go to, experience or vicariously attend. This was before Social Media, selfies etc, and these nightly escapades help event planners see that Philadelphian’s would go out every night of the week if there was something to attend. And here we are a decade later and there are events every night. Thanks Sabrina for allowing me to photograph you, then, and always.
It was so great to see so many old friends, many of who were responsible for establishing PhillyChitChat.
Looking forward to the 20th anniversary party!! Here’s my coverage of Steve and Sabrina’s wedding. You have to click on the photo to see the photo as it was technology 10 years ago. https://phillychitchat.com/2009/11/02/dd/
NRG’s crowdsourced charitable donations support special needs kids, cancer research, and youth career opportunities
Three deserving nonprofits making a difference in the lives of children
and families in New Jersey learned the results of the latest NRG Gives
crowdsourced charitable campaign on October 29, 2019. The organizations
enlisted the support of the public to decide how the funds would be
shared.
The three charities gathered at Lincoln Financial Field’s presidents club on Tuesday for the NRG Gives ceremony, with friends, supporters and the NRG employee who nominated the charity.
An employee nominates a charity for consideration. The three top winning charities compete in a public crowd souring vote.
For the first time since NRG Gives launched in November 2016, the
donation each charity gets was determined by the percentage of total
votes it received. In another first, this campaign featured exclusively
New Jersey-based charities serving primarily New Jersey residents. In
total, NRG Gives has now awarded more than $635,000 to support 23
regional nonprofits.
“NRG is so grateful for the tremendous work these nonprofits do to make lives better for so many people in New Jersey,” said Mike Starck, Vice President and General Manager, NRG Retail East division. “We hope, in addition to the financial support provided, being a part of NRG Gives will raise awareness so others will learn about and support them.”
Camp Fatima of New Jersey, which gives dozens of children with special needs a unique week-long camp experience
“100% of this donation will go directly to funding groundbreaking research for melanoma,” said Lauren Miller (pictured above), Executive Director, Tara Miller Melanoma Foundation. “Tara started this foundation to change the odds for melanoma patients that would come after her and with every dollar raised we are one step closer to that goal. We would like to thank NRG for the opportunity to participate in the NRG Gives program and for the generosity in supporting organizations throughout the community.”
Hopeworks Camden, which provides real-world career opportunities for youth.
NRG, a leading energy provider, is headquartered in Princeton, NJ, with its consumer energy business based in Philadelphia. NRG is committed to supporting the communities where its customers and employees live and work and the NRG Gives program is one of the ways it does that. Thanks NRG!!
Happy Halloween Eve. Still thinking about what you should wear for Halloween. I shot a few parties this month where folks wore magnificent costumes, to simply grabbing items from Target and putting something together. Let’s take a look…. Also catch me tomorrow on Fox 29 for their annual Halloween extravaganza.
Steppingstone’s Annual Gala, A Night Unplugged: Celebrating 20 Years with a special performance from Questlove took place at the Comcast Technology Building on October 19, 2019.
The lead sponsors of the Gala are Hirtle, Callaghan & Co, Hess Foundation, Inc., and the Burke Family Foundation.
Since our founding, we have changed the lives of over 3,000 Philadelphia students and have had amazing support along the way. Funds raised through the Gala will help strengthen Steppingstone’s capacity to better meet the needs and dreams of our incredible Scholars and to build Philadelphia’s college and career pipeline.
A special evening called for a special event space and having it on the 27th and 28th floor of the Comcast Technology Building (their lunch room, which was designed by Karen Daroff – Daroff Design) was exactly that, as it had never been used for a public event before; Catering was done by Flix, which is the food service provider for Comcast.
Duchess Cooper, Faheiim Cooper (who has excelled in schooling and life as a Steppingstone Scholar) and Sharon Cooper at Steppingstone Unplugged: 20th Anniversary Celebration and Fundraiser.
Anthony Gay, Mimi Copp Johnson, Grant and Donor Administrative Coordinator at Steppingstone Scholars, Inc and Hope Gay
Gail Redpath, Marybeth Medernach, and Amy Corolla
Omar Jamaladdin and Raiyna Jamaladdin
Kristel Tupja and Rezarta Reso
Kaitlin Suziki, Robin Eli, Latoya Winkfield
Ryan and Carolyn Harkins, Gayle and George Gowen, Lauren and chris Sullivan
I couldn’t love the student drawing step and repeat anymore. I think it’s the winning one of the year.
The Gala will recognized three individuals who have been essential to our success with Impact Awards: Nina Weisbord (l), who served as President from 2006 to 2012,with the Leadership Award for her foundational work leading Steppingstone, which is still reflected in much of our success today. Tim Spady (c) will receive the Service Award for his leadership, commitment to others, and excellence in education as a member of the 1st class of Scholars and a Steppingstone summer faculty member for 8 years. The first ever Founder’s Stone will be presented to Eddie Mensah (r), who served as Steppingstones’ Director of Program for 11 years, for his defining impact on the lives of our Scholars.
The night ended with a special performance from Questlove, dancing and dessert. Check out Steppingstone Scholars if you’d like to know more about this great organization which provides a brighter future for all of us. Also check out additional photos on CBSPhilly and PhillyStyleMagazine
September was the Best of Philly Mag Party at Dilworth Park, which by the way is setting up the ice rink as we speak. Here are a few photos from the event. Don’t forget to pick up the November issue of Philly Mag which is on stands now, like at Barnes & Noble, BTW Whoopi Goldberg will be making an appearance at the Rittenhouse Barnes & Noble on November 1 at 4PM.
Gritty celebrates his cover photo with a rain dance!
Christian Kinsey and Rachel Smith
James Capel, and Dylan Love, Thirsty DiceMadison Leonard, Michelle Lamm and Melissa Leonard
Jill Hampton and Hannah Hampton
Alex Tewfik and Jackie Kemp
Aunyéa Lachelle and Alysa Bainbridge
Laura Chisholm and Emily Fischer
Nicole Sousa and Jose Ruiz got engaged shortly before arriving at the party!! Congrats!!
Ghouls and gals from the Academy of Music Young Friends gathered on Friday, October 11, 2019 for the Ninth Annual Monsters Ball Masquerade at the Exchange at the Ritz-Carlton, Philadelphia.
The Academy of Music Young Friends is a fast-growing dimension of awareness and engagement strategies that inspires the participation of the next generation of leaders, doers and givers for the Academy of Music. Among the popular events for AOMYF are the Ninth Annual Monsters Ball Masquerade, the Young Friends tent at the Radnor Hunt Races and happy hours throughout the year. Membership supports the Restoration Fund for the Academy of Music.
Academy of Music Restoration Fund
The Academy of Music is owned by The Philadelphia Orchestra. As a venue, the Academy is managed through a legacy contract with the Kimmel Center. Ticket sales from resident companies support everyday maintenance of Academy. Sales do not provide an income stream for any capital improvement projects leaving those investments to ownership. The Restoration Fund Office raises all the money required for the ongoing capital projects that ensure the structural integrity and long-term preservation of the National Historic Landmark.
Nike Xie, Phoebe Loh, John and Emalee Welsh, Derek Sung, and Brittany MacTaggart
DJ Eddie Tully
Pam and Nick Caruso
Michelle Boyles and Jimmy Contreras
Eileen Wixted and Elizabeth Scott
Evan Solomon, Howard Mandel, and Garret Desjardins
Sue Jacquette, Lynsie Solomon and Pam Caruso
Kristyn Aldrich and Ian Michael Crumm
Nina Radcliff and Marty Judge
Frank Caruso, Doris Parent, Kelly Zhou, Robert Redden, and Kelli Caldwell
Sue Jacquette, Lynsie Solomon and Pam Caruso
Martin Ihrig and Brian Lipstein
Emily Rollet, and Shannon Bramham
Brian Lipstein and Tiffany Nguyen doing the Pulp Fiction on the dance floor.
Thanks to Andre Flewellen for shooting the AOMYF Monster Ball
Christopher Emery, Claire Allamby, Heather Emery and William Rossi
NRG has revealed the New Jersey Nonprofits Vying for $65K from Crowdsourced Charitable Program. The launch took place Monday October 21, 2019 at the NRG Princeton headquarters.
-For the first time, “NRG Gives” features only New Jersey nonprofits-
Dave Schrader Public Relations Manager Communications welcomes the guests and explains how NRG Gives works.
“NRG Gives is one of the best parts of our work at NRG and has generated
great participation and excitement in this region,” said Mike Starck,
Vice-President and General Manager of NRG Retail East division. “NRG
Gives provides employees the opportunity to directly impact nonprofits
where they live and work and allows our customers and the public a say
in where we invest in this community.”
Dan Rhodan, Azaris Melendez of Hopeworks Camden, Lauren Miller, Debbie Miller and George Miller of Tara Miller Melanoma Foundation with Mauricio Gutierrez, President and CEO of NRG, NRG Officials Mike Starck, Vice-President and General Manager of NRG Retail East division and George Miller
Hopeworks Camden,
based in Camden, NJ,
focuses on education, technology, and entrepreneurship, to help
young people build strong futures and break the cycle of violence and
poverty in Camden. Hopeworks connects youth to life-changing
opportunities, first within our own social enterprises,
then they put their technology skills to work for
enterprising businesses within the community. The real world, on-the-job
experiences they gain, raises their potential and benefits Hopeworks’
partners.
Tara Miller Melanoma Foundation,based
in Longport, NJ, raises money to support the research of effective
treatment methods and ultimately a cure for melanoma. Tara Miller
founded the Foundation in 2014, after
being diagnosed with melanoma at age 28, losing her battle at 29 years
old. Since 2014, TMMF has funded more than $3.4 million to melanoma
research with 100% of all money raised going directly to research.
Mike Starck, Vice-President and General Manager of NRG Retail East division , Bill Malone and Elizabeth Wolansky of Camp Fatima of NJ and Mauricio Gutierrez, President and CEO of NRG
Camp Fatima of NJ,
based in Harrison, NJ, is
an
all-volunteer organization dedicated to providing no cost recreational
programming to individuals with developmental disabilities from school
age through adulthood. Camp Fatima is also
dedicated to providing respite to caregivers by delivering safe,
nurturing, and high-quality programming to the campers.
All
three nonprofits took part in a vote kickoff pep rally at NRG Energy’s
headquarters in Princeton, NJ. NRG Gives is NRG’s crowdsourced
charitable program. For the first
time since NRG Gives launched in 2016, only New Jersey-based charities
serving primarily New Jersey residents, are eligible to participate. The
nonprofits are nominated by NRG employees.
Now
each nonprofit is vying for $65,000 in donations from NRG during a
public voting period that runs from 9:00 a.m. today, through 11:59 p.m.
Sunday, October 27. The donation
each charity receives will be determined by the percentage of total
votes received. This is different than previous NRG Gives campaigns.
More than ever, every vote counts.
The employees of NRG nominate the charities, then the public votes on their favorite to win.
Last year’s winner Scott Otterbein, Special Olympics Montgomery County manager and coach, tells the charities the most important way to get the word out is to use social media. They were never overly active on SM before the NRG Gives project, but became very active during and it proved helpful as someone with hundreds of followers retweeted their need.
The Blue Bell-based Special Olympics Montgomery County earned its nomination due to its importance to NRG employee Brett Guerin (who was on hand on Monday), whose brother, Michael Guerin, is a Special Olympics athlete proficient in basketball, volleyball and golf, noted Scott Otterbein, Special Olympics Montgomery County manager and coach.
The NRG Gives program, established in 2016, has donated $574,500 to 20 diverse nonprofits in the tri-state area through spring 2019. In addition, NRG supports local communities
through our Choose to Give program, volunteerism, and other charitable
giving. In 2018 alone, employees who are based in New Jersey and
Pennsylvania spent 2,554 hours volunteering across these states.
Hope you had a great weekend. Welcome to Monday. Did you have a chance to read Sunday’s post about fans who met Sally Field, and how you can participate in a scene for Dispatches From Elsewhere. Plus info on the new Trader Joe’s CLICK HERE Let’s check out what happened over the weekend at the Michener Art Museum…
Justin Guarini was Master of Ceremonies at the Michener Art Museum’s Art of Wine Gala on SATURDAY, October 19, 2019 from 6:00 PM to 9:30 PM at the Michener Art Museum 138 S. Pine StreetDoylestown, PA 18901
David Rago and Suzanne Perrault presided over the event’s live auction. The Art of Wine is the Museum’s biennial fundraising event and is celebrated with a multi-course gourmet dinner paired with select, fine wines, along with a silent and live auction.
Kathleen V Jameson, Virginia Sigety, and Laura Turner Igoe (ARW)
Left to right Bill Aichele, Nelson Pfundt, Joyce Byers and Bob Byers (ARW) .
The evening, was co-chaired this year by Michener Art Museum Founder Bob Byers and his wife Joyce, brings together the Museum’s most devoted supporters to raise funds enabling the Michener to continue enriching lives with stellar exhibitions and educational programming.
Go Beyond Celiac Gala & Concert An unforgettable night benefiting Beyond Celiac When: Thursday, October 24, 2019, 6:00 P.M. Where: The Kimmel Center HonoringCarole Haas Gravagno Performance byArturo Chacón-Cruz Event Chair: Martha Snider
Sandy Marshall, Kathleen V Jameson, David Marshall, Marguerite Lenfest, Laura Turner Igoe and Vail Garvin
he James A. Michener Art Museum collects, preserves, interprets and exhibits American art, and promotes the work of nationally and internationally known Delaware Valley artists of all eras and creative disciplines. The museum presents exhibitions that explore a variety of artistic expressions and offers diverse educational programs that develop a lifelong involvement in the arts. Throughout the year, the Michener Art Museum hosts a wide range of programs open to the public, including lectures, artist conversations, gallery talks, artist studio tours, dance performances, jazz and other musical performances, family-themed activities, and other events. The museum also offers a diverse selection of art classes for children and adults, which include instruction in drawing, painting, sculpting, and printmaking as well as programs for the public, schools, and teachers designed to support arts and STEAM education. The James A. Michener Art Museum is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums.
Lizanne Bernlohr, Woody Griffiths and Kelly Griffiths (ARW)
Thanks to Amy Ferracci, Associate Director of Marketing & Public Relations for sending the photos from the gala to PhillyChitChat. Mike and I have been to the Michener Art Museum a few times, and really enjoy the art museum, as well as the quaint town of Doylestown. I had a scheduling mix up and couldn’t make it on Saturday night to photograph the gala.
The
Michener Art Museum is located at 138 South Pine St., Doylestown, PA.
The Museum is open Tuesday through Friday, 10:00 am – 4:30 pm; Saturday
10:00 am – 5:00
pm and Sunday noon – 5:00 pm. For more information, visit
We’re counting down the weeks until the longest filming project in Philly ends, Dispatches from Elsewhere. In all the years I’ve been covering filming in Philly this is the first production that has been really cool on set for moi to cover, and I thank them. Plus what a great cast, so friendly with us where ever they’ve gone. This will surely be the summer of Segel and Andre 3000.
I’ve purposely been vague about the plot-line of the show as I really want you to watch it when it comes on AMC TV in the first quarter of 2020, a source on the set told me, but I came across this nugget online. You might be picked to be on the show if you complete these tasks. I might do it myself. I do know that a city wide scavenger hunt is part of the plot as a walk on role was auctioned off for this scene back in the spring at the Rittenhouse Row patron party. (Scroll to 2nd photo for directions to be on show.)
The AMC TV Show is filmed in Philly, and is BASED in Philly, as I reported on Fox 29 last week. Yeah for Philly!!
I met PCC reader Mary Goldner and sister Andrea Goldner at William Penn’s 375th Birthday on Friday, and she shared this photo of Sally Field with me when Dispatches shot near 3rd and Vine earlier this month. Another noted tidbit about the photo Andre’ 3000 took the picture for them, but didn’t realize he was the popular singer until later. It’s one of the few Field photos out there with fans. Sally was fairly low key in Philly, only venturing to Whole Foods on South Street and a few dinners at a.kitchen. Thanks to the Goldner sisters who are from a philanthropic family dating back to the 1800s in generosity.
Found this random shot of Jason Segal spending time in Rittenhouse Square one day. Love this gal mimicking his pose.
Congrats to Albert Lee or Mr Philadelphia as he’s been deemed for over a decade, on his wedding to Danielle Saturday. He ran into Questlove in the lobby of the Monaco Hotel on his wedding day. Ironically the Q man is exactly the reason I missed Al’s wedding.
Danielle Sievers and Albert Lee
I photographed the Steppingstone Scholars Gala last night and my start time was moved up to 5PM to hash out the details of Q shots. So bummed to miss their wedding at 5:30pm, but so happy for Al and Danielle’s forever life!!
Our area as you know has been hot and happening with major Hollywood movies filming here, but slipping under the radar is a local movie by philanthropist and business man Ray Martin with two household names attached Gervase Peterson of Survivor fame and George Wendt, from Cheers. Ray tells me “You might think this Movie is called Stealing a Survivor because Gervase was on Survivor but this Movie is more then that it’s about a Father and son surviving the loss of there mother and wife and trying to save a family business it’s also about two guys down on there luck who form a friendship that ultimately helps them both. There is also a cast of unforgettable characters that the audience will meet along the way.” Look for the movie to make the festival rounds in 2020. Check out ML Media News for more on the movie which filmed over the summer.
