What a magnificent evening!
Thanks so much to all of you who came out to support our program and the amazing children who ride here at Lovelane.
Over 650 friends showed up to celebrate and support Lovelane. It was a beautiful crisp fall afternoon that turned into a clear and festive evening. World class chefs served up delicious south o’ the Border fare. Geoff Janowski of Blue Ribbon BBQ, Ming Tsai, Michael Schlow, Angela & Seth Raynor, Jasper White, Marc Orfaly, Gordon Hamersley and Courtney Forrester of Sweet are all old hands at the Lovelane Hoedown and have supported us at past events. We were delighted to welcome some new faces to the dinner tent including Will Kovel from 28 Degrees, Sam Mason from Lady Jay’s, Phyllis Kaplowitz (Baker’s Best), Rodney Murillo (Avila), Fay Lewis, and Brian Counihan (Tempo). Skip Bennett of Island Creek Oysters and Chef Peter Davis of Henrietta’s Table served appetizers to our hungry crowd and at the end of the evening Chef Jeremy Sewall from Eastern Standard provided a fabulous late night snack.
A strolling Mariachi band welcomed guests to the event. Tents festooned with brilliant turquoises, pinks, reds and oranges were reminiscent of a Mexican street scene. The central gazebo bar served up refreshing frozen margaritas, beer and wine. Broad Oak Farm looked spectacular….a big thanks to our hosts, Jim & Joanne Halpin!
Early in the evening, Shannon Allen’s new R & B band, The Goonies displayed their talents at the outdoor music tent. Next up was local favorite French Lick, with our own Wyc Grousbeck on drums. French Lick got the crowd dancing as they rocked it out.
Finally the bell rung and guests were ushered into the band tent for a brief but moving presentation about the Lovelane. WBZ’s David Wade welcomed Lovelane founder Debby Sabin to the stage followed by longtime student Campbell G. and his father who shared their thoughts about Lovelane. Next up, student Sierra W. was profiled in our newest video and then made a quick appearance with her mom, Jennifer.
David Wade invited guests to support Lovelane with through a horse sponsorship and he was not disappointed. The generosity of our guests was overwhelming and we met our evening’s goals!
Finally, legendary California Dixie Rock band, Little Feat, commandeered the stage and entertained the audience for the rest of the evening.
The Hoedown is Lovelane’s signature fundraising event and occurs every other year. Watch for information on Hoedown V in fall 2012 and join us again. It’s the place to be…an incredible party for a great cause. The funds raised at this event are crucial to Lovelane’s ability to continue to serve the children in our program. We’d like to extend a huge and heartfelt ‘thank you’ to every one of you who joined us on October 2nd. A particular thanks to our major event sponsors: Kim & Jim Pallotta, Allyson & Ed DeNoble and Jim & Gail Radley. We were also honored with sponsorships from Dogwatch, the Ford Family, and Jim and Diane Whalen.
As Debby said at the Hoedown, “It takes a village to enhance the life of a child” and every success in the ring belongs, in part, to every one of you whose passion and generosity supports Lovelane every day.
