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On Saturday, September 28, 2002, Sparkling Angel Charities
hosted the inaugural "Sparkling Evening" event at
the Rutherford House in Napa Valley, California. This event
was conceived as a means of thanking our corporate sponsors
and honoring key individuals who have supported Sparkling
Angel Charities and inspired us through our first year as
an organization. More than 100 people, primarily from leading
companies in the Wine and Spirits industry, attended the event,
which included dinner, entertainment, and an auction.
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Tom Duschene
President of Sparkling Angel Charities |
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The auction was particularly successful due to the generosity
of world-famous artist Dale
Chihuly, who kindly donated an exquisite Ruby Macchia
glass art piece. The auction also included thirteen glass
art pieces donated by the Hilltop Artists in Residence, which
is a school in Tacoma, Washington affiliated with Mr. Chihuly.
In addition, friends and supporters of Sparkling Angel Charities
contributed numerous other items to the auction.
Tom Duchene, president of Sparkling Angel Charities, served
as master of ceremonies for the Sparkling Evening festivities..
After dinner Tom summarized the history of Sparkling Angel
Charities and explained how we intend to honor the memory
of Kelly Weaver through various programs aimed at helping
young people.
Henry Weaver, co-chairman of Sparkling Angel Charities, then
described his vision for the future of the organization and
how our corporate sponsors can help us transform that vision
into reality. Henry then announced that this month Sparkling
Angel Charities is contributing $50,000 to Providence
Speech and Hearing Center to help finance a new playground
for their students. Henry also described how Sparkling Angel
Charities funds are being used to raise awareness of Long
QT Syndrome and other heart problems affecting young people.
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Dennis Barnett, Monica &
Henry Weaver |
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The evening program concluded with a series of presentations:
Ms. Sandra LeDrew received a "Sparkling Angel"
Baccarat crystal piece in appreciation for hosting the dinner
at the Beaulieu Vineyard Rutherford House.
Ms. Mary Jo Hooper, Executive Director of Providence Speech
and Hearing Center, accepted Sparkling Angel Charities' $50,000
gift on behalf of Providence.
Ms. Margaret Anne Inman, Ph.D., Founder and President of
Providence Speech and Hearing Center, received the inaugural
"Sparkling Evening" Lifetime Achievement Award:
a Baccarat Louxor Obelisk in recognition for a lifetime of
service to speech- and hearing-impaired children. Ms. Inman's
inspirational remarks after receiving this award were certainly
the highlight of the evening for the members of Sparkling
Angel Charities as well as our guests.
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Ms. Margaret Anne Inman, Ph.D. |
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September 28th at the Rutherford House was clearly "A
Sparkling Evening." The event was a major financial success
for Sparkling Angel Charities but, more importantly, it helped
our guests learn more about Kelly and the organization that
she has inspired.
We would like to thank everyone involved in making "A
Sparkling Evening" such a success. We especially would
like to thank our guests, sponsors,
and all those who contributed to the auction. Finally, we
would like to thank Beaulieu Vineyard for allowing us to use
the Rutherford House facilities for the weekend.
Sparkling Angel Charities
Board of Directors
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