CONTACT:
Marion Wiener, 602.648.2746 (direct)
602.253.0501 (main)
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Board of Directors
Chair
Rick McCartney
Immediate Past Chair
Sam Perry
Vice-Chair
Susan M. Wissink
Treasurer
Katherine Cecala
CHILDREN’S MUSEUM OF PHOENIX’S
KIDS AT HEART GALA: CIRQUE DU MUSÉE
RAISES OVER $240,000
Funds will benefit the Museum’s Every Child Program
PHOENIX, AZ (April 11, 2013) – On Saturday, April 6, 2013, the Children’s
Museum of Phoenix hosted the Kids at Heart Gala: Cirque du Musée. 514
guests attended the whimsical, circus-themed, black-tie event which netted an
Secretary
Meghan H. Grabel
amazing $243,000. In attending, guests helped to ensure that the rich learning
Jennifer L. Adams
environment of the Children’s Museum of Phoenix can be experienced by all
David Bodney
children in our community.
Michele Davis
Donna Egan
Ruben Gallego
Lisa Handley
Becky Lieberman
Eric Meyer
Scott L. Mitchell
Judy Neuman
Katherine M. Scardello
Ken Schacherbauer
Eileen Sullivan
The evening began at 6pm with a dual cocktail party/culinary adventure with
seven of the hottest chefs in the Valley – Chef Beau Macmillan (elements),
Chef, Chef du Cuisine Rita French (Province), Executive Chef Stephan Toevs
(bistro 24), Chef Jay Bogsinske (District American Kitchen & Wine Bar),
Executive Sous Chef Michael Lamey (Meritage Steakhouse), Executive Chef
Stephen Stromberg (Sapporo), and Executive Chef Jason Alford (Roka Akor)
-- providing mouth-watering appetizers all while enjoying the signature drink for
the evening – The Celebration Cocktail (1 ½ parts Grey Goose Cherry Noir, ½
part St. Germain Liqueur, ½ part Fresh Lemon Juice, 1 part Pomegranate
Juice, splash of Champagne on top, garnish with a cherry).
Trustees Emeritus
Sarah Bodney
Terry Hanson
Sally Hurwitz
Derrick Johnson
Hildy Saizow
Gayle Starr
Josie Young
Cocktails and wine for the evening were generously sponsored by Alliance
Beverage Distributing with beer provided by Sonoran Brewing Company.
As guests mingled and bid on an amazing selection of silent auction items,
performers from the Circus School of Arizona and Gregangelo & Velocity
Arts & Entertainment entertained, including an aerialist performance in the
President/CEO
Deborah J. Gilpin
Museum’s atrium.
Kids at Heart Gala: Cirque du Musee
Page 2
At 7:45pm a circus parade led guests out of the Museum and into the north
parking lot where they entered a huge white circus tent for a sumptuous 3course dinner under the “Big Top.” The delectable meal was prepared by Chef
Eddie Matney of Eddie’s House starting with a salad of organic Arizona grown
lettuce wrapped in a cucumber bundle, local figs & dates, vine cherry tomatoes,
smoked cheddar, onion frizzles, topped with strawberry balsamic vinaigrette.
The entrée consisted of coffee rubbed beef tenderloin; grilled brown sugar chili
rubbed prawns over poblano cheesy grits; and braised kale garlic pomegranate
confit. This was followed by a “Three Ring Circus” dessert consisting of candied
apple cheesecake Oreo cookie crust, chocolate pot du creme funnel cake with
Chambord laced berries and cotton candy and caramel corn dust.
During dinner, guests were able to learn more about the Museum and the
beneficiary for the evening -- the Museum’s Every Child Program. The Every
Child Program provides free or reduced Museum admission to families battling
financial, emotional or circumstantial challenges. The funding of the Every Child
Program ensures that all of Arizona’s children can experience a safe, playful
environment where they are empowered to make their own choices,
encouraged to take risks, and explore free of criticism.
Penny & Robert Sarver, Honorary Chairs of the event, thanked the audience
for being there and Michelle Clarke for her tireless efforts to make the event
such a success. Michelle Clarke, Event Chair, thanked the corporate
sponsors, culinary sponsors, Museum staff, and guests for everything they did
to make the event possible.
Dinner was followed by a live auction that included “A Personal Chef”
experience which was dinner prepared for 12 guests at elements’ exclusive
Table XII prepared by Chef Eddie Matney himself along with two of his favorite
Chef friends…Chef Beau Macmillan and Chef Mark Tarbell. Two of these
experiences sold at the live auction for $11,000 each.
Other live auction items included an African Safari for two as well as stays at
Amangani and Amangiri, two award-winning Aman Resort properties.
Kids at Heart Gala: Cirque du Musee
Page 3
Rounding out this part of the evening was the presentation of the Museum’s
Kids at Heart Award. The 2013 Kids at Heart Award winners are Lisa Handley
and Target Corporation. The Award honors an individual(s) and corporation or
foundation, for:
•
Strengthening children’s learning through play;
•
Helping to make additional and better play possible for Arizona’s
children;
•
Demonstrating a commitment to learning through play;
•
Making outstanding contributions of time and or/investment to enriching
the lives of children;
•
Making outstanding contributions to strengthen and advance the
interests of children.
Lisa Handley served for more than ten years as a board member to create the
Children’s Museum of Phoenix. Through the years, she has been a major
supporter and champion of the Museum and all that we do here. Lisa was part
of the Museum’s Capital Campaign, helping the Museum raise the $12.3 million
necessary to open the Museum, by spreading the word about the importance of
play to a broad spectrum of individuals and companies, garnering their
attention, support, and resources.
Target Corporation has provided substantial funding for the Children’s
Museum of Phoenix since 2006. Their vision and commitment to include all
families in the benefits of the Museum has made it possible for the Children’s
Museum of Phoenix to host nearly 100,000 visitors for free, providing access for
low-income families. In addition, Target has provided dozens of hours of human
resources and organizational development support to help establish strong
practices and core values in the Museum in its early years.
Urban Electric performed throughout dinner to rousing applause from the
audience as did a circus aerialist and a “whirling dervish”.
Each table included a centerpiece created by design students from the ASU
Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts. Tasked with using recycled and
reclaimed materials to create centerpieces reminiscent of the Museum’s
Kids at Heart Gala: Cirque du Musee
Page 4
exhibits/experience, more than 50 design students volunteered their time and
talents to create the unique cirque-inspired centerpieces that graced each table.
At 10pm guests were encouraged to move back into the Museum for a rocking
After-Party, with performers providing more entertainment, include parkour
acrobats scaling the Museum’s 37 foot tall Climber, Endless Entertainment’s DJ
Statyk providing the dance music and a special performance by hip-hop/rap
artist MC Dome. The After-Party also included a fantastic Tasting Room,
featuring six of Arizona’s best vintners: Arizona Stronghold, Pillsbury Wine
Company, Page Springs Cellars, Burning Tree Cellars, Lawrence Dunham
Vineyards and Wilhelm Family Vineyards. Even more tantalizing “amuse
bouche” and decadent desserts were provided by Chef Eddie Matney, Chef
Michael Rusconi of Rusconi’s American Kitchen, Executive Chef Jose
Hernandez of Coup Des Tartes, and Executive Chef Harold Marmulstein of
Salty Sow.
For more information, visit www.KidsAtHeartGala.org.
###
The Children’s Museum of Phoenix, one of the top 10 Children’s Museum in the Country (Parents
th
Magazine, 2011), is located in the historic Monroe School Building at 215 N. 7 Street in downtown
Phoenix. The Museum opened to the public on June 14, 2008 and offers 48,000 square feet of hands-on,
fun and educational activities for children ages birth to 10. The mission of the Museum is to engage the
minds, muscles and imaginations of children and the grown-ups who care about them. The Museum is
open Tuesdays through Sundays, 9am to 4pm. Admission is $11 per person, children under the age of 1
are free.
AzTAP Department of Services for Persons with Disabilities conducted an accessibility evaluation in
August 2008 and summarized, “the Children's Museum of Phoenix is the most exceptionally disabilityaware arts institution this evaluator has ever surveyed.”
The Children’s Museum of Phoenix is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
For more information visit ChildrensMuseumOfPhoenix.org.