Archive for the 'Events' Category

April 6, 2011

Fashion Show In The Making: Wine, Women & Shoes and Local Businesses Unite

Author: Maria Diestro

Aycha Williams is Fashion Chair of Second Harvest’s Wine Women & Shoes Orlando event. We asked her to get with her committee and to write about the experience they have had putting together the fashion show for this exciting event. Wine Women & Shoes will take place on Saturday, April 23, 2011 at the Royal Plaza Hotel.

As volunteers for Second Harvest Food Bank’s Wine, Women & Shoes event, the fashion show committee has been working non-stop for a fabulous Fashion Show! We have been received so well by the community’s local businesses and by Orlando’s fashion industry.  Everyone we talked to was more than willing and excited to contribute and support the cause.

First step for the fashion show was to decide on our fashion partners. We partnered mostly with Orlando’s local businesses for the looks for the fashion show. This way; while helping Second Harvest’s cause of putting an end to hunger in Central Florida we were also able to support the local businesses.

Tammy Giaimo, owner of Jacobson’s at Park Avenue and Aimee Collins-Hitchner owner of Ginger Boutique at Winter Park Village agreed to partner with us for the fashion show. We were also approached by Melanie Sweetland with White House & Black Market Store at Altamonte Mall and were very excited to include them as a part of the event. The fashion show will have this summer’s must have looks as well as a peek into the fall closet of brands such as Escada. So get ready to enjoy an amazing fashion show while tasting some delicious wine from Florida and California’s select wineries.

Next; we started looking for models and once again we were very pleasantly surprised by the interest and support to help.

We walked in to the Maile Image, Modeling and Acting School of Winter Park and received a very warm welcome from Debby Tapia, the Vice President. She put in a request for our criteria and we received some great resumes and headshots to review. The Maile Modeling and Acting School has been working with students and training talent since 1982. The school offers classes in Image & Confidence Development, On Camera Acting, Professional Modeling for children, teens and adults. Some successful graduate Maile School models and actors are Mandy Moore, Vincent Martell on Everybody Hates Chris and as the voice of Phineaus on the popular Disney show Phineaus and Ferb,  and Paul Amadi in hot movie The Blind Side and 2 Miss Americas.

In addition; our own friends, beautiful women with style; business professionals, stay at home mothers all offered to help support our cause. Follow our blog to learn more about our models; we will have more posts about them and their passion to help in the coming days.

A great fashion show comes with great music! Our music will be mixed by DJ Clinton. If you like to dance and have been to Park Avenue club venues for late night dancing then you must know Clinton. He will be the DJ for the complete event and the fashion show.

We also could not have done without: LMG Inc. of Orlando; they have graciously donated the free rental of projectors and lighting, Quest Drapery has provided discounts on the purchase of drapery for the show and finally Video Equipment Rentals-VER, Inc. has donated the free rental of the complete sound system.

Like we said at the beginning; we are more than ready for a fabulous fashion show at Second Harvest’s Wine, Women & Shoes event! Latest fashion trends, beautiful models to be accompanied by great music of today and the 80s… If you have not purchased your tickets yet; you can do so by visiting www.winewomenandshoes.com/second harvest

Check back for more news on the fashion show, our models and about their passion to help end hunger.

Aycha Williams
Fashion Chair
Wine, Women & Shoes

March 2, 2011

Introducing our Fabulous Wine Women & Shoes Co-Chairs

Author: Maria Diestro

Diane Heiken and Melisa Moss are co-chairs of Wine Women & Shoes Orlando event. We recently asked them to write about their experience and why they got involved with Wine Women & Shoes. Second Harvest Food Bank is so grateful to have such devoted individuals at the head of this event.   

When we were approached by our friend, Julie Butterstein, to join her on the Committee for Wine Women & Shoes we thought how could we resist an event with a title like that! Then after learning the event was a fundraiser benefiting Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida, that was the “icing on the cake”.

We wanted to give you some background info: 

Co Chair, Diane Heiken has been planning events for years; whether for a past employer, her own wedding, family birthdays, holiday parties or neighborhood social events. She enjoys every stage of the planning process and is very excited to be working on an event which benefits such a great cause.

Co-Chair, Melisa Moss is the Marketing Director for Moss Krusick CPA’s in Winter Park. In her firm she plans many corporate events, as well as family birthdays and holiday parties. The firm has several Central Florida non-profit clients. Melisa is dedicated to giving back to the community and looks forward to creating a great event for Second Harvest Food Bank.

 Co-chairing Wine Women & Shoes brings an even greater meaning knowing that we will be using our experience in event planning to benefit those less fortunate.

 Wine Women & Shoes is a wine pairing, shoe shopping fundraiser to help raise money in the fight against hunger here in Central Florida. The afternoon will feature delectable hors d’oeuvres prepared by Orlando’s finest Chef Jean Louis, fine California wines and the best shopping from all around Central Florida, along with an impressive silent auction. This is the only event of its kind that 100% of ticket sale proceeds support Second Harvest.

Hunger is a growing problem in our community. Co-chairing Wine Women & Shoes is just the beginning of our efforts and relationship with Second Harvest Food Bank. We hope that the women of Central Florida will join us in the fight against hunger.

Hope to see you at our first Wine Women & Shoes event! Be there. Be fabulous!

Diane Heiken and Melisa Moss
Wine Women & Shoes Co-chairs

 

p.s. Don’t forget to send your friends a personalized ecard so they can attend the event with you!

January 26, 2011

Wine Women & Shoes

Author: Sasha Hausman

Calling all fabulous women of Central Florida!  Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida is thrilled to announce our first annual Wine, Women & Shoes fundraising event.  Picture it now. You and your girlfriends on this beautiful Saturday afternoon, enjoying a girl’s day in, shopping the latest trends in shoes, handbags and accessories from premiere boutiques, sipping wine from vineyards hailing all the way from wine country, nibbling on tasty morsels prepared by Orlando’s very own Chef Jean Louis.  Can you see it yet?

Imagine strutting into the Royal Plaza on Saturday, April 23rd, decked out in the special shoes you’ve had waiting to make their debut.  Let the wine tasting and shoe shopping begin!  You notice that there are good looking men dressed in all black carrying shoes on silver platters.  Who are these men, you ask?  Meet our Shoe Guys, here to highlight featured merchandise from the different vendors.  Ask them about the shoes they are carrying and find out where you can buy them. You will be treated to a live fashion show and a live auction. 

Grab your friends for a photo shoot and experience being a cover girl for the day with Orange Appeal Magazine.  There will be an impressive silent auction and my personal favorite raffle item where you can win “A Key to the Closet.” 

If this day doesn’t already sound absolutely perfect, remember, IT’S ALL FOR CHARITY!  100% of ticket sales, silent auction, and Key to The Closet raffle are going to Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida to help fight hunger in our very own community, as well as 20% of all marketplace purchases.  So come to sip, shop and support a great cause!

If this sounds like the event you’ve been waiting for, check for more information at http://www.winewomenandshoes.com/secondharvest.  And remember, in Central Florida, the perfect journey ALWAYS begins with a pair of fabulous shoes!

Sheyanne Cohron
Event Specialist

p.s. If you are on Facebook, check out Wine Women & Shoes Orlando

October 29, 2010

One Glass of Wine from Beaujolais Nouveau, One Giant Leap for the Fight Against Hunger

Author: Sasha Hausman

Want to be one of the first people to try the most popular seasonal wine around? 

Every year, on the 3rd Thursday of November Georges Duboeuf officially releases his Beaujolais Nouveau.  He is famous for throwing extravagant and newly themed wine release parties every year in all the major cities of the world:  New York, Chicago, London, Las Vegas, and Boston… In Vegas last year, Holly Madison came out to stomp grapes with an “I Love Lucy” impersonator while a fountain on the strip was trickling wine instead of water.

On November 18, 2010, they are bringing the party to Orlando for the very first time.  We are so excited because we are partnering with them for this party.  For a donation of $15 come out to Funky Monkey Wine Company on I-Drive and enjoy complimentary wine sampling of the hottest party wine around. 

They have an exciting night planned for all attendees!  Along with free wine, they are providing hors devours and door prizes in the midst of a sophisticated circus theme, think Cirque Du Soleil. 

All of the proceeds go directly to Second Harvest Food Bank to help feed children, families and seniors in need this holiday season.  What else could you ask for? A great party with all you can drink wine and all for a great cause! 

Come on, let’s give the other cities and run for their money and show them what Orlando’s all about!  Hope to see you there, Thursday, November 18^th, 2010 from 6-9 PM at the Funky Monkey Wine Company on International Drive.

I will leave you with some interesting articles about this wine:
- Beaujolais Nouveau: History Behind the Third Thursday in November
- 10 Fascinating Facts About Beaujolais Nouveau

Sheyanne Cohron
Event Specialist

October 13, 2010

Take a walk on the wild side

Author: Sasha Hausman

Are you ready to talk a walk on the wild side? We sure hope so! Because Canstruction is back with a new theme for 2010: ZOO CAN DO IT! Canstruction Orlando is teaming up with the Central Florida Zoo to create the best Canstruction yet!

So you might be asking, what in the world is a Canstruction?

Canstruction is a design/build competition currently held throughout cities in North America.  Teams of architects, engineers, and folks from numerous organizations come together to build large structures made entirely from full cans of food.  Since its inception, 10 million pounds of food have been donated to aid in the fight against hunger throughout the nation.

Orlando has produced an event every year since 1994. Over the years we have collected over 306,000 cans, boxes, or bags of food and raised over $37,000 in donations through the People’s Choice award for a favorite structure. We have had strong support from the Design Community and in particular, the Society for Design Administration and the American Institute of Architects.

This year’s 8 fabulous teams have been busy trying to come up with the best zoo themed structure for the event. I am pretty excited to see what everyone has been working on. The build will begin Sunday, October 17th at 9 am at Orlando Fashion Square! You can come out and watch the teams create their masterpieces.

Lions! And tigers! And bears! OH YES! Well kind of…If you come out between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. on the 17th, you will be in for a WILD time as the folks at the Central Florida Zoo will be bringing some of their friends over.  You’ll have to come out to Orlando Fashion Square to see what kind of fun furry friends, or creepy creatures will be there.

The structures will be on display at Orlando Fashion Square all week, October 17-24. The teams will receive awards like Best Meal, Best Use of Labels, Jurors’ Favorite, Healthy Award, People’s Choice, and Best Signage.

Would you like to have a say in who wins the People’s Choice Award and have a chance to win a pretty awesome Central Florida Zoo gift pack? Well stop by the mall all week while the structures are up and vote! You will be automatically entered to win a membership to the Central Florida Zoo for a family of 4, a zip line experience for a family of 4, and 4 zoo shirts!

This is the most important part…what happens to the food after the event? On Sunday the 24th, all the teams will get together to break down the structures. The Second Harvest Food Bank truck and staff will be there to load the food and bring it back to the food bank. From there, our trusty volunteers will sort the food and get it ready to go out to a neighbor in need.

The staff over at Second Harvest is going BANANAS over Canstruction 2010: Zoo Can Do It! We just wanted to say a big thanks to all of our teams, team sponsors, and of course our hard working Canstruction Orlando Committee.
               
So quit “lion” around! Make your way out to Orlando Fashion Square to take a look at these amazing structures.  For more information about Canstruction Orlando, please visit www.canstruction-orlando.org

See you there!

Sasha Hausman
Development Manager