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New Orleans area children can keep climbing the STAIRS to success in reading thanks to the 25th Anniversary Fundraiser for the Start the Adventure in Reading (STAIR) child literacy program.
The “STAIR Affair Cocktail Party and Silent Auction” took place on March 25 at the St. Charles home of Anne and William Grace and Anne Montgomery. It featured New Orleans cuisine from local restaurants around the city such as turtle soup from Brennan’s Restaurant and goat cheese crêpes with crawfish sauce from Muriel’s Jackson Square.
While the guests dined, the O. Perry Walker High School Jazz Ensemble provided entertainment.
Guests also enjoyed a silent auction that featured pearls from Wellington & Company Fine Jewelry; courtside seats to a next season’s Hornets game; autographed shirts from Archie, Eli and Peyton Manning; and gift certificates to New Orleans Hilton Riverside, Prytania Theatre, Green Goddess Restaurant, Loew’s New Orleans Hotel, GW Fins, Chateau Bourbon and Emeril’s Delmonico, among other items.
Sponsored by Entergy Charitable Foundation and Versabar, Inc., the event hosted nearly 300 attendees. Honorary co-chairs Louellen and Darryl Berger and Denise and George Shinn were also in attendance along with event co-chairs William M. Prieur, Brandy Whisnant and Jonathan Williams.
Founded in 1985, STAIR has helped more than 5,000 public school students in danger of academic failure. With the help of its large pool of volunteer tutors, students learn reading and language skills that also improve their self-esteem. All proceeds from this event will continue to fund STAIR’s child literacy program that allows for no cost to the students and the families who use this service.
