The Awards Gala
Eleven winners take home the new Blenko Glass crystal trophies.
Staff -- Gifts & Decorative Accessories, 10/1/2000
When Jeff Little, president of George Little Management, introduced Dr. Mathilde Krim during Gifts & Dec's Merchandising Achievement Awards gala on Sunday, August 20, the 250 guests in the Grand Ballroom of The Plaza hotel rose to their feet with a roar of applause as she made her way to the podium.
It was that kind of evening. Dr. Krim, the founding co-chair and chairman of the board of the American Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR) who was recently awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, was there to help present our first annual Industry Achievement Award. This year, it went to the founding members of the executive committee of Gift for Life, Barry Jaquess, Donald McEvoy, Michael Ruddell, Peter Schauben, and Sharon Shepperd. Dr. Krim spoke about the work that amfAR is doing and the importance of the more than $2.2 million that Gift for Life has raised for AIDS research since it was founded in 1992 has meant to amfAR.
Earlier, the presentation ceremonies had featured a moving speech by Tom Mirabile of Bloomingdale's by Mail. The retailer received the Gold Award for Community Service for its fundraising efforts on behalf of AIDS research in 1999. Tom related how he had often wanted to get involved in some kind of charitable work, but could never find enough time at the end of the day. He said that the answer was to incorporate community service work into one's job. It was obvious to all in the room that his commitment to his cause came from the heart.
For Store Design finalist Paul Metke and his daughter Mary Craig, of Aberdeen, Washington, attending the awards gala meant coming to New York for the first time. ("We nearly wore out our camera taking pictures of all the architecture," Paul said.) Happy enough with their experience in the Big Apple, the pair really felt that they had hit the big time when it was announced that their store, Grand Heron, would be taking home the Gold. In his acceptance speech Paul remarked, "When you're headed for New York, why stop off in Chicago?"
The event began with cocktails and hors d'oeuvres, which were followed by a sit-down dinner of penne pasta a la vodka, grilled salmon fillet, and a desert concoction that had everyone wishing they had held back a little on the hors d'oeuvres, pasta, and salmon. They wanted more room for a large cappuccino cup made from dark chocolate filled with cappuccino mousse and topped off with an eight-inch "smoke squiggle" cookie. It had Randy Eller of CBK Ltd. asking, "Does anyone know an overseas vendor who could do this in polyresin?"
Other award presenters for the evening included Cathy Fineman of George Little Management, Jon Hendel of 225 Fifth Avenue, Elise Fishman of 230 Fifth Avenue, and Ben Johns of Whereoware.com. The special presenters were artist/designer Susan Sargent and artist Warren Kimble. The successful event was sponsored by George Little Management and co-sponsored by 225 Fifth Avenue, 230 Fifth Avenue, and 41 Madison Avenue. Tables were sponsored by Whereoware.com and Ebizmix.com.
Next year will be our 50th annual Merchandising Achievement Awards dinner. Be sure to mark the date-August 19, 2001-in your organizer.
