Jay Tuthill of Hinsdale, Jane Foster of Burr Ridge, Norm Chimenti of Westmont, and Jim Hutchinson of Hinsdale. | James C. Svehla~for Sun-Times Media
Event:
A Night in
Casablanca
Benefiting:
Hinsdale Center for the Arts
Attending:
150
Raised:
$60,000+
ARTICLE EXTRAS
Updated: May 1, 2012 12:46PM
Guests attending the recent Hinsdale Center for the Arts Gala symbolically traveled to an exotic place and time. A Night in Casablanca brought together the elegance and mystery of 1940s Morocco and proved to be an appropriate theme for the creative HCA.
The Hinsdale Golf Club was transformed into Rick’s Café Américain. As guests arrived, they were greeted by Rick, a Humphrey Bogart lookalike, who guided them to try a Casablanca signature cocktail or peruse the Moroccan bazaar, aka silent auction tables.
The lucky 150 attendees were then treated to a belly dance performance, offered complimentary fortune readings from two renowned psychics and had the opportunity to have their hands tattooed by a henna artist.
Gamely going with the theme, the majority of partygoers donned their Moroccan best with the men sporting fezzes and the women breaking out their grandmother’s vintage jewelry.
Rob Johnson of WBBM-Channel 2 entertained the crowd and served as auctioneer. He led a first-ever paddle raise to raise funds to bring Joey Travolta’s Inclusion Films Summer Workshop to HCA next summer. Funds raised from the paddle raise will cover more than half the cost of this legendary film program for young people on the autism spectrum.
Bruce George, HCA board of directors president, commented, “This kind of funding, as well as corporate support and grants, allows us to serve youth and community centers, senior and wellness centers, public and private schools, underprivileged communities and more in our mission to be the premier arts center for the western suburbs.”
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