Arts & Entertainment
Middletown's Glitterati Turn Out to Attend Mayor's Ball
Sixth Annual Event This Year Raised More Than $30K for Oddfellows Playhouse, After Building Collapse Destroys Props, Costumes
Middletown was jolted from it winter slumber Saturday night as citizens came together for the social event of the year, the Mayor's Sixth Annual Ball. Some 200 guests dressed to the nines for this black-tie affair held at the elegant St. Clements Castle in Portland, high above the Connecticut River.
In a poignant gesture, this year proceeds went to Oddfellows Playhouse, which lost sets, props and costumes from 30 years of productions in the collapse of the St. Aloysius Hall building at 505 Main St. Feb. 2.
The event raised $30,000 for the playhouse. Sponsor donations, with the Pratt & Whitney challenge, $12,000 from ball proceeds, and $350 raised through a rousing live auction bidding war for a “rubber” chocolate chicken donated by Tschudin’s Chocolate, made this the largest grossing Mayor's Ball in all its six years.
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Pratt & Whitney made a surprise matching grant of $15,000 to the “Help Us Rebuild One Rubber Chicken at a Time” campaign. The nonprofit has one year to match the grant dollar-for-dollar.
Other major sponsors at the platinum level were Aetna Inc., Honeywell, Liberty Bank and Joseph Fasi, LLC.
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Additional sponsors included WFS Earth Materials LLC, Connecticut Light & Power Co., Hunter’s Ambulance, Cardinal Engineering, HD Segur Inc., Hooker & Holcombe Cos., Vannase Hangen Brustlin Inc., American Industries, Arcadis US Inc., Vincent J. Lofted, Malone & MacBroom Inc., Portland Transmission, Rose Kallor LLP, Suburban Stationers, Tilcon Connecticut Inc. and Utility Communications Inc.
Town Clerk Sandra Russo-Driska and Chris Bourne, city treasurer, worked with committee members Marie Kalita Leary, Downtown Business District manager, Ashley Flynn from the town clerk's office, Felicia Moncada of the purchasing department, Council member Quentin Phillips, Paula Giuliano, wife of the mayor, and Matthew Pugliese and Jeffery Allen, both of Oddfellows Playhouse.
The meal was five courses, beginning with penne pasta, tossed salad, filet mignon and baked stuffed shrimp, mashed potatos, vegetables and cheesecake with berries for dessert.
The crowd danced to Joey Cannata’s Prelude, the ever-popular local band, whose lead singers nailed ballads like West Side Story’s "Somewhere," earning a near-standing ovation for the rendition, and an English/Italian duet of "The Prayer," made famous by Josh Groban.
Donations can be made to match the Pratt & Whitney grant by supporting the “Help Us Rebuild One Rubber Chicken at a Time” campaign at Oddfellows Playhouse, 128 Washington St., Middletown, CT 06457.
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