Rocking for Hundreds of Thousands

(Community Matters) Wow...it's fun to be with friends in different settings. Last night many from the ArtBall, Ballet Fete, Opera Ball, Penick Awards, Wildflower Center Gala, etc crowd and plenty of others packed the Austin Music Hall for the Help Clifford Help Kids gala and concert benifitting American Youthworks.

First, American Youthworks is an exceptional organization--click here for information and a previous posting. Second, it was casual and people were in a different sort of festive mood. Could have been this glorious fall weather.

Carla and Jack McDonald, co-chairs of this year's event (along with Susan Antone, April Kimble & Lyle Lovett, Bobbie Nelson & Willie Nelson) invited Steven and me to join them.

Can't believe I didn't get a picture including Carla. She and Jack are both major hotties....and smart, and fun. Jack (CEO and Chairman of publicly-traded Perficient) founded and chairs the AYW Strategic Advisory Board. Very impressive group he's put together including John Thornton, Nick Fox, Joe Holt, Kirk Rudy, Evan Smith and Lew Little. Last night raised over $300,000.

AAS Editor & very dear friend, Michael Barnes, was at the table with us. Unfortunately without his husband, Kip Keller. Nevertheless, always fun to sit next to MB.

Can't believe I didn't get a picture including Carla. She and Jack are both major hotties....and smart, and fun. Jack (CEO and Chairman of publicly-traded Perficient) founded and chairs the AYW Strategic Advisory Board. Very impressive group he's put together including John Thornton, Nick Fox, Joe Holt, Kirk Rudy, Evan Smith and Lew Little. Last night raised over $300,000.

AAS Editor & very dear friend, Michael Barnes, was at the table with us. Unfortunately without his husband, Kip Keller. Nevertheless, always fun to sit next to MB.

Mark Henderson donated as a live auction item 10 days use of his and Bernard Teo's ultra-posh abode in Bali. Thank gosh the live auction was relatively early in the festive evening. Since Steven wasn't with me and my friend Karen Mayes & I were having so much fun, I could have gotten crarried away, and then murdered by ST given the $13,000 eventual price tag. I once paid a ridiculous amount for a fainting goat at another festive, live auction with Karen.

Mark's former life-partner, Bernard Teo lives in Singapore and runs an important part of Asian billionaire Ong Beng's empire, Club 21--the southeast Asian franchise for Armani, DKNY and Calvin Klein retail. Bernard hosted me and some of my MBA students in his Singapore home for a lushous Thai dinner in 2005. He's as elegant and gracious as they come. Easy to see him and Mark together -- what a couple.

During Maceo Parker's performance, many of us scooted to the VIP area upstairs as folks and new arrivals crowded in between the stage and tables. Julie and Alexa were both in rocking spirits. Like I said, fun atmosphere and setting.

Also visited Phil & Lauren Siegel, Kim Paschall, Dick Clark (just back from a month in China-yum. Agreed we both LOVE Shanghai), Mayor Wynn, Rich Bailey, CM Mike Martinez, Lynn Edwards, Blaine Wesner and plenty of others. Spent time with Basil & Caroline Horangic too -- Basil won the live auction bid for 24 hours in a Gibson Guitar bus.

Gail Papermaster told me all about this giant guitar. It's one of 35 which will soon dot downtown Austin as part of the Austin Guitar Town Project, funded by Gibson Guitars. Gail, a steering committee member, expects the project to raise nearly $400k for local charities. What a super symbol for Austin.