UPFRONT
Karol Bullard and Mary Critchfield founded this sweet
way to help the American Red Cross 20 years ago.
Icing, candy decorations, laughter and music
filled the Don Cesar on St. Pete Beach during
the gingerbread house brunch benefit for the
American Red Cross. International speaker
Topher Morrison emceed, while competitors
hurriedly adorned their gingerbread houses.
Celebrity judges, Tampa Bay Magazine publisher/
editor Margaret Word Burnside; Great 38 news
anchor Jenn Holloway; Tampa Bay Times editor
Mary Jane Park; actor Colby Boothman; and
event designer Frank Clemente collaborated to
select this year’s prize-winners. Awards went to
“Rookie of the Year” Karen Koch; “Most Original”
Kay Aude and Patty Sriram; “Most Traditional”
Karen Campbell; “Most Fun” Teresa Crane and
Diane Dove; “Child’s Fantasy” Pamela Burrows;
“Best in Show” Chesley Tillberg; and “Best Theme
Table” Tammy Campbell Plummer, Jeanna
Damkoehler, Alison Lescarbeau, Kimberly
Levine, Kathy Lopez, Elaine Mikurak, Cheryl
Sanchez, Cindy Shuck and Colleen Weiss of the
Pasadena Wives Club. Fellow competitors chose
first time attendee Elif Fitzgerald, owner of
PureLife Medi-spa in Largo, to receive the
“People’s Choice Award;” plus “Dance Contest
Winner” Kristi Cheatham and “Most Festive
Attire” Karen Koch.
The Murray Studio Theater
The new renovations at the Murray Studio Theater at Ruth Eckerd Hall
in Clearwater will be completed in the spring of this year. At the
groundbreaking ceremony for the fully redesigned space, guests heard
remarks by Clearwater Mayor George Cretekos, Florida State Senator
Jack Latvala, State Representative Ed Hooper, Ruth Eckerd Hall Chairman
Joshua Magidson, and Ruth Eckerd Hall President and CEO Zev Buffman.
They also enjoyed performances by students of the Marcia P. Hoffman
School of the Arts that were presented by Jarret Koski, a former student
at the Center and now a teacher there. Ray and Nancy Murray’s children, Stephen, Terri and Michael,
attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Murray
Studio Theater at Ruth Eckerd Hall that is being made possible
by their parents’ generosity
9
The YMCA Honors Donors
Herb Brown, who
purchased the painting
for his wife Diane,
thanked Christopher
Still and his wife
Kelly for Christopher’s
personal story of his
experiences with
the YMCA.
As a special thank you for legacy donors to the Suncoast YMCA, Theresa
Hibbard, their director of development, arranged a private viewing
of Christopher Still’s “Come What May” at the Clearwater home of the
painting’s owners, Herb and Diane Brown. Still spoke about the piece,
sharing his inspiration for it and its significance in his portfolio of works,
which include major murals in the House of Representatives in Tallahassee.
Tampa Museum of
Art Celebrates
Margo Eure, a trustee and the chair
of the Alumni Holiday Luncheon,
thanked Debra Williams McDaniel,
the current chair of the Museum’s
board of trustees, and Julia Gorzka
Freeman of the Museum’s staff for
their assistance with the celebration
Julia Gorzka Freeman of the development department of the Tampa
Museum of Art arranged a “Trustee Alumni Holiday Celebration” at the
Tampa Museum of Art, where former members of the board of trustees
received an exclusive update on the Museum’s programs and exhibits that are
planned for 2015. The Museum’s nationwide search for a new director is
ongoing. Many former trustees were excited to see each other and to meet
new trustees, who are currently serving on the board.
Gingerbread House
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015 TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE 35
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