Only weeks before, Jan Showers had redecorated the beautiful Highland Park manse of Lisa and John Rocchio. So for most of the 250-plus guests at the Crystal Charity Ball‘s Underwriters Cocktail Buffet held there on Thursday, November 1, it was a first chance to take in the redone splendors of the Rocchios’ spectacular, historically protected home.
With the fancy ball celebrating children’s charities just a month away, Party Chair Tanya Foster had prepared a lovely setting for friends to catch up and excitedly discuss the approaching, December 1 Big Event at the Hilton Anatole. To ease things along, guests including Emilynn and Claude Wilson, DeeDee Lee, Monica Egert Smith, Catherine New, Tom Addis, Pat and Charles McEvoy, Gigi Sally, Candace Winslow and Ross Ameringer and Jacqueline Fojtasek enjoyed a buffet provided by Cassandra Tomassetti of Cassandra Fine Catering.
Meantime, others such as Barbara and Ralph Babb, Kim and Greg Hext and Lisa and Marvin Singleton threaded through the Rocchios’ crowded living room, where Diamonds Direct—which underwrote the $50,000 bash—had DD VIP Yosi Mayer, Calee Dillon and Mallory Kaplan helping guests with their Christmas shopping, thanks to an exquisite collection of gems.
Outside there were heat lamps and a bar offering Blade and Bow Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey to ward off the evening’s chill.
On the fashion front, bow ties were the eyecatchers of the night, thanks to Brent Christopher, Gregory Dunbar and Jim Lee.
When it came time for brief remarks to be made from the sweeping staircase in the entry, the crowd spilled over into the living room to hear CCB Chair Claire Emanuelson do the honors, thanking the guests for attending. She also revealed that today was also her husband Dwight Emanuelson‘s birthday. At that, the birthday boy was caught grinning from ear to ear … and with good reason. Surrounded by good friends—and with his wife’s CCB only weeks away—what wasn’t there to smile about?
There was one more reason for the Emanuelsons to smile. Their homestead in Old Highland Park had sold and their new digs in the Volk Estate were in the final stages of completion.