Page 34 - South Mississippi Living - October, 2016

PEOPLE dancing the night away
MOONLIGHT
story by Lynn Lofton
MAGNOLIAS
Thotos by Donn Hupp
he ninth annual
Moonlight & Magnolias fundraiser for the American Red Cross has been termed a big success by officials with
the local chapter. More than $92,000 was raised and approximately 450 people attended the glittering event at the Beau Rivage Resort & Casino.
“We are pleased to release the preliminary figures and we thank everyone who made it possible, “said Jay Huffstatler, regional chief development officer for Mississippi. “These funds will greatly aid people in the communities we serve.”
A breakdown of the numbers reveals:
p
Silent Auction: Live Auction: Mission Moment Sponsors/Tickets: TOTAL RAISED:
$7,930 $5,200 $25,000 $54,300 $92,430
dancers were Anita Clarke, Cspire; Caty Mahoney Hulett, J. Carter
Real Estate; Frank Martin, Ingalls Shipbuilding; Jordan Nicaud,
Bacchus Group of Restaurants; Robert Ridgeway, Yates Construction; and this writer, M2 Media Corp.
Professional dance partners affiliated with Elaine Kulick’s Gulf Coast School of the Performing Arts performed with the local celebrity dancers.
Last year’s celebrity dancers served as judges for this year’s Moonlight & Magnolias. They were generous with their scores, and at the end of the evening each dancer received a mirror ball trophy.
The 2016 Humanitarian Award was presented to Liz Corso Joachim, a long-time community leader and owner of her family’s 90-year-old wholesale distribution and vending business, Corso’s. She graciously accepted the award and spoke of the values and commitment to service instilled in her by her parents.
Many of those attending came to see friends and co-workers who participated as local ‘celebrity’ dancers and cheer them on. The
American Red Cross 228.697.8767 South Mississippi Chapter www.redcross.org
34 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • October 2016 FOR MORE REFLECTIONS OF THE GULF COAST >> www.smliving.net