Where were you on November 22, 1963?

Fifty years ago today, at 11 o'clock in the morning, I was sitting in the coffee shop of the Barcelona Hotel on Miami Beach where I served as the pr director, chatting with the hotel's social director and photographer, when a staff member ran in and gasped "The President has been shot!". The scene is engraved on my brain.

Much like anyone who was alive in 1963 and heard that unthinkable news, we were paralyzed for the moment, then together we rushed to the one place in the building where we knew there was a television set. . the hotel bar. Gathered around the black & white tv set, with tears in our eyes, we heard the announcement that the President was dead.

When I think back to that terrible day now, I also have a vivid picture of JFK campaigning for the presidency a few years earlier and visiting Miami. My sister Fran and I heard that he would be making a stop at the 163rd St. Shopping Center in North Miami. I played hooky from work and picked her up to try to get a glimpse of him. In those days security was very lax and we heard that his entourage would be making their way down Biscayne Blvd. so we parked our car on the side of the road, put the top down on my 1959 Dodge convertible, and sat up on the hood like two groupies. We waved like crazy as his open car passed us and were positively dazzled when he waved back. That scene is also engraved on my memory.

Strange how certain events remain vivid through a lifetime. Almost everyone remembers every detail of where they were and what they were doing when 9/11 occurred. That goes for me as well. Tragedies seem to make the deepest impressions.

It's hard to believe that fifty years have passed since that day in Dallas. Listening to all the memorials on television, the sadness of the moment returns.

Fun nite for fund raising. . .

I've been to many fund raisers, but the one I attended on a recent Saturday evening was definitely unique.  Saks 5th Avenue's 3rd Annual Fashion for a Cause, at posh W Hotel on Miami Beach, was co-hosted by The Juice Foundation and benefitted UM's Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Yes, it was a fashion show, but not like any I'm quite sure you've ever attended.  The Juice Foundation is headed by Jenine Howard, wife of the Miami Heat's Juwan Howard, and the fashion models for the evening were the kids of all the Miami Heat players.  Talk about "attitude"!  Ranging in age from Chris Bosh's 2 yr. old son Jackson and Ray Allen's 3 yr. old son Rashard, up to the Howard's 12 yr. old son Jace, not to mention Lebron James' two offspring, Lebron Jr., 9, and Bryce, 7, the show was a knockout. The audience was pretty sparkling as well.  (See photo of shoes on the woman sitting in front of me.  Sorry, but I couldn't resist another fabulous pair of Loubetins.)

The auction preceding the fashion show was also unique.  First item up for bidding:  A chance to be a ball boy at an upcoming Heat game.  If the bidding hadn't started at $2500, I might have bid on it myself.  When two bidders were fighting each other at the $4000 mark, Juwon Howard raised his hand and announced the team would go for two ball boys at two different games..  The result: $8000 for the Cancer Center. 

Must also mention the evening's food offerings, all donated by various companies and geared towards kids, big and small.  Sliders. . .little square melted cheese sandwiches. . .Yogurt popsicles. . .Oreo cookies coated in white chocolate. . .jars and jars of jelly beans, chocolate covered raisins. . you name it, every childhood delight was there for the taking.  And adults and kids alike were eating everything.  Everyone got to have their picture taken, including me, as long as you followed instructions and went slightly nuts as the photographer snapped away.

It was a fun evening thanks to my invitation to attend via my friend Sandy's "marketing maven" daughter Alison who was in charge of the event.  Watching her work took me back to my pr days running charity events for clients.  I recognized all too well the look on her face as her eyes scanned the room constantly to be sure everything was going as planned.  It was, Alison.  It was great.
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The kids model like pros!

 Juwan Howard greets a normal size guest.  Those players are really tall!