R.S.V.P.

Party for Camp Heartland has big heart, long reach

By KATHLEEN ARENZ of the Journal Sentinel staff

Sunday, March 28, 2004

One party on March 13 was so big it stretched from Mequon to Pewaukee; so diverse it had guests of all ages; and so much fun it didn't end when the hosts closed their doors.

It was Party With Heart and it was actually 40 parties, all in different venues but with one purpose: to support Camp Heartland, which serves kids affected by HIV and AIDS.

Lacking a magic carpet, RSVP couldn't get around to all of them so she compromised by stopping in at three. Here's what (and whom) she found.

In Marie Kasten's spacious Mequon kitchen, chefs from Shully's Catering were instructing Kathy Lamb and Kathie Lemke on the intricacies of lobster thermidor and foie gras.

Marie's twist on Party With Heart was to have her guests, who included Mary and Mark Schonenberg, Pam and Bob Thickens, and Fran and Tom Myers, pitch in with the cooking and learn a tip or two from the culinary pros.

Two dozen guests took turns donning toques and aprons and, when they weren't stirring rice, perusing snapshots of youngsters having fun at Camp Heartland in Minnesota.

Meanwhile, the kitchen was also getting a workout at the Shorewood home of Liliana and Joel Rosenthal, where Liliana had prepared a superb array of food and drink from her native Chile for another intimate gathering.

"I call this my 'party with Chilean heart,' " said the hostess who had prepared pastel de choclo (a hearty baked dish of meat, corn, onion, egg and olives) and pisco sour (a brandy liquor made from distilled grapes, lemon juice, sugar and egg white) for the pleasure of her guests who included Polly Rabion, Fran and Steve Swigart, and Joel's law partner Gary Luck and his wife, Nancy.

The Rosenthals are the in-laws of Neil Willenson, founder of Camp Heartland. Neil didn't have a magic carpet, either, but he and his wife, Adria, spent some quality time here before making appearances at other rendezvous.

As Karen and Charles Schudson, Arlene Devorkin and Alan Shlimovitz, and Nancy Pinter and Max Samson found while sipping their Chilean vino, this party had art with its heart. The walls were filled with prints by Liliana's uncle, the noted Chilean artist Carlos Hermosilla Alvarez, as well as artwork by Adria and other family members.

Downtown things were jumpin' at the funky black box adjacent to Tula's on Wells St. known as the Off the Wall Theater.

Performances by the top five finalists of the Rockstar Project, an "American Idol" look-alike, kept the decibel level high while extremely fancy food from Tula's kept the munchies at bay.

Hosts of this bash were Dacy and Chris Abele, Cheryl and Mark Brickman, and Tony Chakonas and Brian Houston. Among their guests were Judy McGauran and Mike Parker, Bobbie and Stan Mendelsohn, Mary and James Connelly, Sue and Tony Krausen, Cynthia and Jim Stoll, and Mary and Matt Flynn.

If the parties had a common purpose, they also shared a grand finale. Hosts and guests of all 40 affairs migrated in the waning hours to the Bradley Pavilion in the Marcus Center for a wrap-up shindig. There the converging crowd found more food, dancing, psychics, caricaturists and a silent auction.

UNITED CEREBRAL PALSY TASTE OF MILWAUKEE

Attorney Russ Barron's recent dieting took a serious hit on March 11. But just how much restraint could you muster in the face of Taste of Milwaukee?

The venerable feeding frenzy, a benefit for United Cerebral Palsy that's in its 23rd year, featured two dozen restaurants ranging from the tried-and-true Mader's to the new Bacchus, which hadn't yet opened to the public.

There were entrees to die for and desserts to make you desert your Atkins without thinking twice.

And we all know how much more fun these things are in groups. Russ and his wife, Marcia, sat with Pam and Jack Cooper at the Foley & Lardner table. Carole and Phil Walthers dined with Gregory Ksicinski's Suby, Von Haden & Associates companions. The We Energies group included Mike Slawny, Roman Draba and Valerie Clarke. Eileen and Cliff Bowen were with the Brass Light folks.

For Fred Hesselbein, the event was an initiation rite. The new executive director of United Cerebral Palsy, who attended with his wife, Sally, had been on the job exactly four days.

STAR OF HOPE FOUNDATION CASINO NIGHT

Several years ago, Chuck Bekos, Gary Burkee, Paul Albano and their good buddies gambled that they could make a difference in the lives of needy children.

It was a bet that has paid off. Today the Star of Hope Foundation that they established offers economic assistance to youngsters who lack basic educational opportunities.

On March 12, the gang reunited at the Wisconsin Club to gamble again, this time for fun and profit.

Casino Night was a foundation fund-raiser with great food, lively music by the Mississippi Mudcats and plenty of gaming tables.

High-rollers such as Theresa O'Malley and John Matter, Kitty and John Menzel, and Lisa and Dave Laczniak spent their scrip money lavishly and traded their winnings for raffle tickets for prizes that money couldn't buy.

Visits to the food stations paid off even better. Oysters Rockefeller, Peking duck and melon-wrapped prosciutto were highlights of an extensive menu.

Serious interludes were few and far between, but during one of them Tony Pyle, vice president of marketing for Badger Insurance, accepted the foundation's service award on behalf of company president Roy Bubeck. Roy was out of town but he was also represented by his son Chad and daughter-in-law-to-be, Kathy Wilcox.

From the noise level at one blackjack table, John D'Agostino, Dave Granger, Brian Gustafson and Mike Flannery were having the best luck and the most fun.

Reach Kathleen Arenz by e-mail at karenz@journalsentinel.com or by phone at (414) 224-2183.

Copyright 2004 Journal Sentinel Inc. Note: This notice does not apply to those news items already copyrighted and received through wire services or other media
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.