Black Tie & Tales

+ Love for sale …
Oscar Correa, impersonating Elvis, was doing a brisk business selling kisses at “Divas Las Vegas” Nov. 23, at Michael’s On East. For $5, each customer got a red lips sticker and, when requested, a buss on the cheek. Others contributing their talents to raise funds for Community AIDS Network’s Emergency Fund were caricature artist Michael White and, of course, the female impersonators, including newcomer Beverly Wilde, emcee Alicia Markstone, Lindsay Carlton, Heather DeHaven, Amy DeMilo, IMAN, D.D. Kendall and “M.” Memo to the event planners: Seems like everybody wanted to have their picture taken with one of the girls. There’s fundraising potential here.

+ Our girl in the yellow dress
Gloria Moss says she has been dancing all her life, and she is certainly known in town as a former Radio City Rockette. Ballroom dancing, however, is new to the long-legged 85-year-old. She started three years ago when she participated in Community AIDS Network’s “Dancing with Our Stars” benefit. She says she and instructor Jim Helmich, of Ballroom City, just clicked. And they have been competing together ever since, as far away as Vienna and most recently at the first Hollywood, Calif., Dancesport Championship. There were more than 5,000 entries, with Gloria doing 100 of them and placing first 75 times and second 13 times. Calculate that as a batting average! Gloria says, “I love to perform; put me on a stage and I grow 2 feet taller.”

+ Tradition! Tradition!
Phil Mancini, of Michael’s On East, has been fixing a classic Thanksgiving dinner for Bea Friedman and her family and friends for at least a decade, maybe longer. Little changes year-to-year — except the guest list. This year’s gang included two sets of newlyweds: Bea’s granddaughter, Ariel, and James Edson, from Haymarket, Va., who were married in 2008, and her nephew, Glenn Friedman, and his bride, Pamela, from Darien and West Redding, Conn., who wed in September, plus long-time friends Hy and Claire Love, Jeannette D’Angelo, Howard and Libby Garnitz and Sandra Orlando. Oh, there was one change to the menu: Apple tart lost its place to pumpkin pie.

+ The Pines wins big!
As of a Monday in early November at 5 p.m., she was 500 “hits” behind, but by Tuesday at 5 p.m., Marjorie Broughton and The Pines of Sarasota were big winners. The competition was Cadillac’s promotion for its new SRX hybrid Escalade. It gave vehicles to community leaders across the country for five days and set up a Web page for each driver. Whoever got the most “hits” to their page won a donation to the charity of their choice. Including matching donations from The Gulfcoast Community Foundation and others, the promotion netted more than $20,000 for The Pines, the area’s only not-for-profit assisted-living/nursing facility. Creative fundraising scores once more!

+ BT tidbits
Poinsettia turns green … The Sarasota Opera Guild’s annual holiday fashion show and luncheon is going eco-friendly this year with luxury clothing in sustainable fabrics from Juno and Jove. The colorful event is Dec. 8, at Michael’s On East. Reservations by check ($45 or $75 for patrons) to Julie Planck, 340 S. Palm Ave., No. 512, Sarasota, Fla., 34236 … Get in step with Girls Inc. … the last of eight informational tours of the campus dedicated to inspiring all girls to be strong, smart and bold is set for 4 p.m. Dec. 16. RSVP to Kay Mathers at 366-6646, Ext. 207 … Clump, clump… Event organizer extraordinaire Janet Hunter is moving a bit more slowly than usual these days with a foot in a cast due to an Achilles tendon problem that she says “just happened one day” … End note … kudos to Carolyn Michel and Bill Wagy for the video they put together for the celebration of life of the late Janet Kane, which took place Nov. 28 and was attended by some 275 admirers ... Save the date … the Sarasota Ballet’s 20th anniversary season kick-off gala will be March 6, at the Hyatt Regency Sarasota. Funds raised will go toward providing live music for performances. For more information, contact Michael Scott at 359-0099, Ext. 110 … Sosso’s Starry Night … Helen Sosso pulled out all the stops for the Asolo Starry Night dinner Nov. 18 at her home. Food by the Beach Bistro’s Sean Murphy was abundant, and the chef commented on each course and visited every table. The next dinner at the home of Warren and Margot Coville is sold out, but there are more to come. Contact Laura Wood at 351-9010, Ext. 4712.