It is spring and we’re gearing up for the “Whitney Zoo-To-Do,” Friday May 2 and the “Zoo-To-Do for Kids,” April 25! Michele Reynoir promises an unforgettable evening filled with elegance and fun on May 2. There will be a great silent auction with sports packages, fabulous getaways and a raffle of a luxury vehicle IS250 donated by LEXUS of New Orleans. All proceeds will go to a new exhibit, Gator Run!
Thanks to our cover models who are instrumental in making this new exhibit a reality, along with all of you who attend this fabulous black tie event: C. Mike Illanne, Vice President, Gulf of Mexico, Chevron North America Exploration and Production Company; Carl J. Chaney, President and CEO, Hancock Holding Company; Michele Reynoir, “Whitney Zoo-To-Do” Chairman; Ron Forman, President and CEO, Audubon Nature Institute; and Julie Habetz, “Zoo-To-Do for Kids” Chairman. To purchase tickets, call 861-6160, visit the zoo or buy on line AudubonInstitute.org/ztd. Of course you can still be a patron and get special VIP treatment! Do it today!
We are so proud of our second annual Courts of Carnival, so don’t miss it! For each of 15 organizations, we have the invitation or program from the ball, pictures of the King, Queen and court, and a little about each. It is a real keepsake for Mardi Gras 2014.
Even though Mardi Gras was late this year, we’re so ready for spring. You will love What’s Hot for Accessories, featuring everything from sunglasses to shoes.
We are also featuring spring fashion with new stylist Kate Grace Bauer – welcome aboard! She will give you the latest looks to get you ready for all of those fundraisers coming up.
A Tribute to Toussaint, a documentary on New Orleans’ own Allen Toussaint, and featuring numerous performances by special guests, will be premiered at the New Orleans Museum of Art at 7 p.m. on April 30 in conjunction with New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival Foundation SYNCUP Cinema.
New Orleans is known for the French Quarter so we want to spotlight what’s newly notable in our favorite part of town. Look for what to see, and where to eat and sleep in our most famous neighborhood, and think about taking a “staycation” in your own town.
I am focusing on my family as an example of volunteerism on many levels:
My sister, Linda Bjork (center), a photographer, volunteers each week at NOMA and the ACS Hope Lodge, and serves as the VP of YAYA.
My other sister, Marianne (left), and her husband Alan Mumford (left), owners of Landscape Images, received the 2012 Green Spirit Award from Parkway Partners. They have been instrumental with Edible Schoolyards, Latter and Nix libraries, projects in City Park, and also helped start the “Secret Garden Tour.”
My brother Tom Reese (right) is the Director of the Stone Center for Latin American Studies at Tulane University, which just received a $6.1 million anonymous gift. He also serves as President of the Arts Council. His wife, Carol (right, is the Christovich Associate Professor in the Tulane School of Architecture while serving as VP of Longue Vue. Her new book, New Orleans Under Reconstruction: The Crisis of Planning, will be out this May.
EVENTS
APRIL
4 37th annual “Julia Jump,” benefiting Preservation Resource Center of New Orleans, 581-7032
4 “Sentimental Journeys 2014: Night in the Gardens of Spain,” benefiting Longue Vue House and Gardens, N/A
5 “St. Paul’s Speakeasy in the Big Easy,” benefiting St. Paul’s Episcopal School, 488-1319
5 15th annual “Fête Française,” benefiting Ecole Bilingue de la Nouville-Orléans, 896-4500
5 “Wisdom Salutes Legacies,” benefiting Our Lady of Wisdom Healthcare Center, 304-5440
5 “Hickory Dickory Rock,” benefiting Family Service of Greater New Orleans, 822-0800
5 “Cochon Cotillion XVIII,” benefiting Bridge House/Grace House, 821-7135
6 “Parkway Promenade: It’s a Luau,” benefiting Jefferson Beautification, Inc., 737-7583, JeffersonBeautification.org
7 “Harvest at Home,” benefiting Second Harvest Food Bank, 729-2820
10 “School House Rock,” benefiting New Orleans City Year, 561-1290
11 “2014 Tulane Council of Entrepreneurs Gala,” benefiting the Tulane A.B. Freeman School of Business, 865-5306
12 “Fabergé Opus Ball,” benefiting the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, 523-6530
12 12th annual “Ezra Open,” benefiting the Better Than Ezra Foundation,” BTEFoundation.org
15 “Men & Women of Fashion Prix d’Elegance Luncheon,” benefiting the New Orleans Ballet Association, CK Jenny Hamilton, 504-522-0996 extension 206, jhamilton@nobadance.com
17 “The Big Beat,” benefiting the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra,” 301-9006
23 “Project Lazarus Annual Guardian Angel Awards Gala,” 949-3609 extension 505
25 “Zoo-To-Do for Kids,” benefiting Audubon Nature Institute, 861-6160
