Equest Women’s Auxiliary Founder Louise Griffeth’s home-sweet-home was filled to the max with Santas, Nutcrackers, Wise Men and all types of Christmas touches with the help of The Garden Gate’s Junior Villanueva. But on the week of December 17, she advised the floral designer that the dining room table would be off limits. It needed to be clear of decorations to make room for pens, papers and bowls of treats for the Equest Gala letter signing.
Good thing because the revolving door of signers over the days included Equest Gala Co-Chairs Annie and Teal Griffeth (aka Louise and Guy Griffeth’s son and daughter-in-law), Prissy Gravely, Elsa Norwood, Natalie Metzger Lesikar, Equest Chief Philanthropy Officer Margo McClinton Stoglin and Carol Seay, who was nursing a bruised cheek after walking into a plate-glass window at The Family Place.
Letters are due to be in the mail this week. But if your postman is slow making the rounds due to holiday recovery or the weather, you can get the info here.
Annie and Teal have decided on the theme to be 2019 Arabian Nights Gala. The costume-friendly evening of dining, bidding, dancing and party will take place at Sixty Five Hundred on Saturday, March 23, with Cindy Thomas and Bert Headden serving as honorary co-chairs.
They’ve also established the Citation Award. It takes its name after the American Triple Crown-winning racehorse, Citation, and will honor those who “demonstrate the same spirit of excellence in support of Equest.” The first Citation Awardees will be Connie and Denny Carreker.
The funds raised from the Gala will support the various Equest programs including Hooves for Heroes that helps veterans, first-responders, active duty military members and their families. This program is of special importance to Annie and Teal. Here’s the backstory according to Mama Louise: They actually met in Las Vegas before Green Beret Staff Sergeant Teal’s Special Forces team shipped off to Afghanistan. Annie was there to say goodbye to Shane, who in addition to growing up with Annie in Hawaii, was Teal’s best friend on the team. Annie and Teal hit it off and stayed up all night talking. When he returned, they were engaged and married.
Tickets start at $250 with sponsorships ranging from $2,500 to $25,000.
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