 |
|
|
|
|
Ciao
Ciao Bow Wow benefit dinner dance for the Animal Rescue
Fund of the Hamptons
|
|
|
 |
Richard
Demato, Robert Verdi, Cory Clenenden, Bill Clenenden, Norma
Reynolds, and Harriet Demato
|
|
 |
Nathan
Bernstein and Katharina Otto-Bernstein
|
|
Last
Saturday night in Southampton, it rained cats and dogs, if you’ll pardon the pre-pun, but that didn’t
stop animal lovers from attending the Ciao Ciao Bow Wow, the Animal
Rescue Fund’s annual summer dance and fund-raiser on the Captain’s
Neck waterside estate of Sandra McConnell. The idea of the Italian
theme was attributed to Il Palio, the famous festival in Siena where
each neighborhood is represented by an animal on its flag and crest.
The colorful neighborhood flags lined the tent and elaborate centerpieces
with Palio flags graced each table. Event committee members Diane
Burn and her Italian husband Roberto Bertuzzi came to the party with
flags they’d brought straight from Siena.
 |
Hollis
Reh and Guiness (Labrador Retriever mix)
|
|
This is not the first time Mrs. McConnell has donated the use of
her property for this excellent venture. Joining Sandra as co-chair
of the event was Katharina Otto-Bernstein, proud guardian of her
ARF dog Freckles. Tony Urrutia of
Spaeth Design did the fabulous décor and Robbins Wolfe catered
the event with a glorious Italian feast.
Mrs. McConnell added to the glamour of the evening by wearing the “swan
lake” necklace once owned by Diana the Princess of
Wales that
you’ve been reading about here there and everywhere. A gift
to the late princess by her equally starcrossed admirer, Dodi
Fayed.
The necklace is for sale by the Southampton jeweler Hollis Reh & Shariff
for $1.8 million. If sold, $100,000 will be donated to ARF. There
are all kinds of stories going around about who is about to buy it;
stay tuned.
|
 |
Dr.
and Mrs. John Brown, Elizabeth Brown, Leslie Alexander, and Mrs.
and Mr. Roger Hershey
|
ARF
dogs, Guinness, M&M, Rocky, Laddie and Tommy all
attended with their handlers, hoping to be adopted. The dogs left
just as the lively auction by Jamie Niven started. Kathy
Rayner, wife of ARF President Billy Rayner won
the opportunity to have her dogs photographed by Elliott
Erwitt, and Richard Thompson, CEO and
Top Tom Cat of Meow Mix Co. bought the Italianate dog house donated
by Spaeth Design. When Jamie asked him what he was going to do
with it, he of course replied “turn it into a cat house!,” what
else? Leslie Alexander, owner of the Houston Rockets,
donated his tickets to a Knicks game with locker room passes. Mr.
Alexander is also a loyal ARF adopter.
The gift bags came courtesy of Versace and included a pair of sunglasses and
a $100 gift certificate. Not bad, for just showing up, no? Some guests wore their
new sunglasses while dancing, trying to look Italian. Or movie star anonymous.
The Peter Duchin Orchestra kept everyone dancing long after
dinner and the Vanilla Panna Cotta dessert. Somebody had to dance it off.
Among the 200 faithful, loyal and caring-for-quadipeds guests included: Debbie
and Billy Bancroft, Debbie is a past co-chair, Polly Bruckmann,
Maryan and Eugene Grossman, Jo Hallingby, Frances Hayward, George and Marianna
Kaufman, Hilary Dixon Lewis, Jacques Leviant, Nan Kempner, R. John Punnett, Emilia
Saint-Amand and Fred Krimendahl, ARF co-founders Sony Schotland
and Dorothy Wahl, Virgil and Betty Sherrill, Isabelle Wyman and Nicholas Zoullas,
Kathy and Billy Rayner, Katharina Otto-Bernstein and Nathan Bernstein,
and of course the ever irrepressible, generous from the heart hostess, Mrs. McConnell. |
 |
Sandra
Powers, Paula Lawrence, and Patti Goldstein
|
|
 |
Nancy
Kalow, Barbara Slifka, and Kristina Lange
|
|
 |
Sandra
McConnell, Roberto Bertuzzi, and Diane Burn
|
|
 |
Kristina
Lange and Margot Horn
|
|
 |
Sal
Shariff and Hollis Reh
|
|
 |
Sandra
McConnell, Christopher Obetz, and Diane Burn
|
|
|
|
|
|
