HBF’s Boffo Ball By the Bay!
Big turnout for Historic Beaufort’s Foundation’s annual Lafayette Soiree, this year’s theme — Time and Tides, a celebration of Beaufort’s 300 years. More than 350 people attended, with a long waiting list. The weather was breezy and perfect for the beautiful waterside location on the Bay of Dr. Bobby Bell’s historic home on the Point, where a huge tent (Amazing Rentals) was set up almost all the way to the historic tabby sea wall.
Chairman of the Board Pete Palmer warmly greeted people along with a welcoming committee. Food was provided by Southern Graces and the band The Reality Show Band from Atlanta kept everyone dancing until almost midnight. “Job well done!” deserves to go to Julie Good (her first year as event chair) and her very hardworking and talented committee: Louise Coleman (graphics) Melissa Florence, Maleia Everidge, Elizabeth Stroud, Elizabeth McMillen ( who did great decorations and a wonderful silent auction), Bonnie Hargrove,Elizabeth Klosterman, Jeff Evans, Earl McMillen, Karen Nuelle, Pete Palmer and Jay Weidner. Thanks also to sponsor The Greenery who transformed Bobby Bell’s yard into an oasis, and Allen Patterson Residential, LLC, who was the top Marquis de Lafayette Sponsor.
Party Marks End of Winter Social Season
This annual HBF event historically marks the end of Beaufort’s (very long) Winter Social Season which began seven months earlier in October with a record number of charity events and parties occurring every single weekend from the fall to the spring. It was appropo that this event had “tides” in the title as Beaufort will now experience a changing of the social tides as many residents depart in the next few weeks for their Northern summer homes — in places like Newport, R.I.; Connecticut; the Hamptons; Maine and Vermont — not to return again until October. Many year-round residents will retreat to their breezy island docks, pools, boats, porch parties and fish camps. Incoming will be a whole set of new faces, from vacation renters at Fripp and Harbor islands to many tourists as the whole social scene moves to focus around the water, be it dock parties, boats, the sandbar, or the Water Festival.
Goodbye till the fall!
As for me, the Social Reporter for The Island News, I am pooped, as you can well imagine, (who knew a small town like this had so much going on!!) and I am taking the summer off to rest and recoup. Thanks so much for letting me take your pictures! (I hope I took an occasional good one at least — please forgive the rest 🙂 It’s been my honor to cover all these many wonderful charity events this past year that do so much good for so many people and I take my hat off to all the many, many hardworking volunteers who I hope I’ve been able to thank, through my column, on behalf of the citizens of Beaufort, for what a wonderful job you have done for all of us and our town this past year! Kudos to you all!! Have a great summer everybody!
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Chamber music donors dining under the oaks
Lila Meeks hosted a beautiful dinner after the last concert of the 2010-2011 Festival Series season under the oaks of her waterside home in honor of the stellar musicians who came to town this year for another successful classical music Festival Series at USCB. Half of the funding for the festival series comes from the generous giving of the Friends of The Festival, many of whom were present. Also present at the dinner was Professor Mary Whisonant, who constructed the series 32 years ago with Charles Wadsworth. Special thanks to her and all the volunteers and donors who have made it possible for such high quality music from international music stars available to audiences in Beaufort for all these years.
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Beaufort Air Show director gets a surprise message in the sky
The giant letters painted in the sky with smoke at the start of the 2011 Air Show read: “Ivey Rocks.” It was a surprise organized by participants in the event this year as a big thank you to Air Show Director Ivey Liipfert. She did a wonderful job organizing and coordinating the event where some of America’s most massive and frightening high-tech war machinery was on breath taking acrobatic display. Particularly impressive was the giant ‘bat winged’ shaped stealth bomber that almost silently flew over Beaufort and seemed to disappear when it turned sideways. Ivey said, “Special thanks are due to the hundreds of Marines and civilians who work tirelessly on the show. It’s unbelievable to watch the air station transform in a matter of days. There are so many great people behind the scenes!”
I asked Ivey why they hired her, a civilian, with a background in marketing, to head the air show a year-and-a-half ago. She replied, “The Commanding Officer of MCAS Beaufort, Colonel John Snider, asked me to head the show. One reason is probably because the Marines here need to focus on the jobs they have to keep America safe.”
It turned out to be a good decision since this year was the largest show ever, with 150,000 attending both the Saturday and Sunday show. Plus it was estimated that — counting people watching from their homes or boats — 200,000 spectators were in the area each day.
