Multiple Mad Men Events Will Benefit Southwestern Schools

On Sunday, Platinum Bunny Multimedia will present a very special evening… In Renaissance Hotel Bar 41 and PBM Studios, Mad Men: A Southwestern City Schools Benefit and Mad Men Premiere Live will occur. Benefit Co-Organizer Bridgett Weizer-Granger will unite the simultaneous events, when she joins Googling Atlee Hammaker’s broadcast.

Mad Men: A Southwestern City Schools Benefit will commence at 9:00 p.m. Mad Men Premiere Live Pre-Show will commence at 9:30 p.m. Event attendees and online observers should submit comments and questions throughout the broadcast. Benefit details are below…
Commencement: 9:00

Conclusion: Midnight

Venue: Renaissance Hotel Bar 41 (50 North 3rd Street)

Donation (Suggested): $5

Mad Men: A Southwestern City Schools Benefit Synopsis
Combining 1960s cultural commentary on the hit show Mad Men with real-time Columbus community needs, a local fundraiser/watch party will premiere the third season of the AMC hit at Renaissance Hotel Bar 41 on Sunday, August 16, starting at 9 p.m. A $5 suggested donation at the event will benefit Citizens for South-Western City Schools.

Nominated for a stunning 16 Emmy Awards… Local “maddicts” are buzzing about the show, airing from 10 p.m – 11 p.m. on widescreen TVs during the watch party in Mynt’s chic bar space. Whether you’re a suit or a skirt, don your fedoras or white gloves and get ready for a swanky, scintillating evening of chit-chat and cocktails to benefit a timely local cause.

“I’m fascinated by the depiction of the glory days of advertising on Madison Avenue, with the drama that accompanied gender roles in the workplace and a home during a cultural revolution of shifting family values in the 1960s,” said event organizer Crystal Olig, of Westerville.

Come early and stay late to sip a Tom Collins or Manhattan in Don Draper style. Show off chic 60's vintage gear that would make Joan Holloway jealous. Prizes will be awarded for best outfit, best MadMenYourself.com avatar (must be posted to the event's Facebook wall) and more.

“When we were starting to put the event together, right after the failed vote on Issue 2, we decided to try and help South-Western City Schools however we could,” said co-organizer Bridget Weizer-Granger.

Mad Men Synopsis
The series revolves around the conflicted world of Don Draper (Jon Hamm), the biggest ad man (and ladies man) in the business, and his colleagues at the Sterling Cooper Advertising Agency. As Don makes the plays in the boardroom and the bedroom, he struggles to stay a step ahead of the rapidly changing times and the young executives nipping at his heels. The series also depicts authentically the roles of men and women in this era while exploring the true human nature beneath the guise of 1960s traditional family values.

INVITE: Crew Celebrity Bartenders

Commencement: 7:00

Conclusion: 8:30

Venue: Park Street Patio (533 Park Street)

Bartenders
Jason Garey
Frankie Hejduk
Duncan Oughton

Proceeds Benefit
Crew Soccer Foundation

Heather’s Team Raises $96,000

10 TV: Thanks to the efforts of 7,500 people who joined Heather's Team during May's Race for the Cure, 10TV was able to raise more than $96,000. 10TV presented the check Thursday to Komen Columbus. The Columbus Race for the Cure is one of the largest in the country. This year's event raised a record $2 million for local programs to battle breast cancer.

Capital Area Humane Society Slices Employees, Hours

10 TV: The economy is taking a toll on the Capital Area Humane Society. Five positions have been cut, including one humane agent… Agents are law enforcers who investigate abuse of all animals. Other employees will see their salaries cut, or have their hours trimmed.

The agency's director, Jodi Buckman, said the humane society is feeling the same economic pinch as other central Ohio businesses. "We realized that we needed to continue to live within our means," Buckman said. "That meant a smaller footprint for our operation. It was important we take what resources we have and we invest them in a way that ensures we can continue to provide great service for the pets and people of central Ohio."

The Capital Area Humane society operates on a budget of over $2 million a year. It is a non-profit organization that gets the bulk of its funding through donations.

INVITE: Pelotonia Fundraiser

Commencement: 5:00

Venue: Mozaik (51 Vine Street)

Donation (Suggested): $10

Chinese Auction

Drinks (Available with Donation)
$5 Pelotonia Cocktails

Pelotonia
The Pelotonia Bicycle Tour is a 180-mile ride, which will benefit the James Cancer Hospital. Formed following NetJets’ $12.5 million donation, Pelotonia is modeled upon the Pan-Massachusetts Challenge. Since 1980, the Pan-Massachusetts Challenge, which benefits the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, has raised $250 million.

INVITE: Pelotonia Fundraiser

Calendar: July 30

Commencement: 5:00

Venue: Mozaik (51 Vine Street)

Donation (Suggested): $10

Chinese Auction

Drinks (Available with Donation)
$5 Pelotonia Cocktails

Pelotonia
The Pelotonia Bicycle Tour is a 180-mile ride, which will benefit the James Cancer Hospital. Formed following NetJets’ $12.5 million donation, Pelotonia is modeled upon the Pan-Massachusetts Challenge. Since 1980, the Pan-Massachusetts Challenge, which benefits the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, has raised $250 million.

Junior Achievement’s Green Request

Dear Supporter of Junior Achievement:

Kids all over central Ohio need your help! Please help JA of Central Ohio be green and recycle program kit materials. You will help schools (maybe even your own child's school!) have an age appropriate financial literacy program taught to them at a deeply discounted cost.

Stop by our office and see how easy it is to create a refurbished kit for kids all over central Ohio. Kits normally cost $500 each and we would like to be able to offer a refurbished kit for $150 to as many central Ohio schools as we can. Help us help students learn financial literacy.

Please pass this email along to others that may be interested in helping. Do you know a Boy Scout Troop or Girl Scout Troop that can earn credit by doing a good deed daily? Parents and teachers, wouldn't it be great for your child's class to have Junior Achievement in their classroom? By responding to this email, you can!

Kits do not have to be built at JA's office. You are welcome to take the materials home, to your next Girl Scout or Boy Scout meeting, or to any location you wish! We have approximately 30-40 kits to be built. Call today to reserve yours!

Yours in education,
Geri Huygen
Junior Achievement of Central Ohio
jaco@jacols.org

Excessive Conditions, Excruciating Combinations, & Exemplary Canines

On Friday, temperatures exceeded eight-five degrees. Amidst these excessive conditions, factions sought relief via available means. Humans exploited air conditioning and sipped chilled beverages. Animals rested upon cooler surfaces and slurped water.

Predictably, conversation consumed my initial forty-five minutes at Lodge Bar… General Manager Pat West recounted his career as a mixer… Promotions Superstar Jen Bunny flaunted her Hines Ward jersey ear rings… The variety of chatter resembled the variety of pooches I would encounter…

And Lodge Bar Bouncer Scott Burn, the employee with whom I sparred previously, spit another pair of stingers… Asking whether four legged would outnumber two legged mutts… He also proposed the Lodge Bar Leash, a contrivance which would illuminate and ostracize the two legged mutts…

As I strode toward the patio (when my conversations finally concluded), I encountered Ohio Pug Rescue, a non-profit organization which rescues, rehabilitates, and relocates the short muzzled animals… I never imagined specific breed recoveries existed… I also never imagined the cooperation and cost one recovery entails… Ohio Pug Rescue are exemplary individuals…

As I strode onto the patio, I encountered Lindsey Natural, who proffered an intriguing and relevant question… In excessive conditions, are air conditioners or patios preferable? The canine response was obvious… Whether sprawled upon concrete or wood, the pooches relaxed as their owners conversed and sipped happy hour pitchers…

While Dogs on the Deck One’s attendance was superior, this evening’s variety was equally stellar… A dachshund, a pekingese, and black and golden labrador retrievers offset a crush of pugs… Several canines also appeared large enough to serve as transporters should their owners offset the excessive conditions with excessive consumption…

Two paragraphs previous, I mentioned pooches sprawled as weather relief… It is entirely possible they were cringing concerning the performance of DJ Shawn… The moment when this city must realize that music providers are not mixers and sponsored shills are not spinners was struck when this bleach blonde salesman spun “Mountain Music” and “Never Ever” consecutively…

Nevermind the combination is musically abhorrent… The songs are a decade old… “Lose Your Love” is an aged classic… “Sweet Caroline” is an aged classic… Aged classics are acceptable… Randomly spinning a song simply because one owns the selection is ridiculous… Shawn should not only forfeit this week’s salary… He should forfeit his music collection…

As I exited the pain of Shawn’s performance and the panorama of pooches, my mind considered appropriate variety… Ten breeds were enjoyable… Ten random selections were excessive… It may be a miniscule peculiarity… However, minute details dictate memorable evenings…

Always Live

In the South Campus Gateway, the Second and Seven Foundation staged their celebrity eight ball tournament and silent auction. Their impressive auction included several autographed items.

Pelotonia Confronts Challenging Road

Cancer infects one in two men and one in three women. In 2008, 1,437,180 new cancer cases and 565,650 cancer deaths were projected.

With those ominous statistics as a premise, the Columbus Young Professionals and several city notables convened last week. Inside Ohio Stadium’s Huntington Club, this city’s fortunate and future discussed a dreaded disease and the ambitious philanthropic project, whose objective is cancer’s eradication.

The Pelotonia Bicycle Tour is a 180-mile ride, which will benefit the James Cancer Hospital. Formed following NetJets’ $12.5 million donation, Pelotonia is modeled upon the Pan-Massachusetts Challenge. Since 1980, the Pan-Massachusetts Challenge, which benefits the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, has raised $250 million.

If executive presence can predict success, Pelotonia should crush expectations. Executive Director Tom Lennox, James Cancer CEO Michael Caligiuri, NetJets Chairman Dan Rosenthal, SC Search Consultants Principal Cindy Hilsheimer, and M/I Homes CEO Robert Schottenstein are a spectacular quintet.

If celebrity riders can predict success, Pelotonia is equally prepared. Tour de France Champion Lance Armstrong, Blue Jackets Captain Rick Nash, and Ohio State Coach Jim Tressel have registered commitments.

Potential donors and riders can register via the organization’s website. The registration cost is $100. Cycling commitments range between 25-180 miles. Fundraising commitments range between $1,000-$2,000.

On March 3, 1995, Jim Valvano accepted the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage. His condition was masked. His words were unmistakable. “Life to me are these three things,” Valvano said. “Where you started; where you are; and where you're gonna be.”

Netjets commenced Pelotonia. Peletonia has amassed several impressive commitments. However, Peletonia will only succeed with you.

Crawl For Cancer Decadence Defines Generation

Generation One A.M. does not attend four figure fundraisers. Generation One A.M. does not host charitable tournaments or cocktail receptions. Generation One A.M. philanthropy is casual, expressive, and pleasurable.

Crawl for Cancer is eight years old. Generation One A.M. is twenty-eight evenings old. Yet, the former perfectly epitomizes the latter’s philanthropic philosophy. Forced conversation, formal attire, and fusty appetizers require invitations and protocol. Camaraderie colors and charitable intoxication translate via facebook, instant message, and text.

Now, I’ve twittered every second of celebrity appearances and sports spectacles and I will twitter every second of the Gossip Awards, Park Street Festival, and Red, White, and Boom… Without hesitation, no visual has equaled and no visual will equal Crawl for Cancer. The intermixed visual of squad personality and venue presence was phenomenal.

For several squads, merely matching colors was insufficient. Their coordination and individualism required extra. A pair of squads prepped for the Cleveland Cavaliers contest with matching headbands, one squad’s headbands reading “I Heart LBJ.” A pair of squads utilized Mardi Gras, one wearing beads and the other wearing masks. One squad was island themed. One squad wore shark necklaces. One squad lettered their jerseys, complete with a captain’s insignia. And one squad utilized “Super Troopers” as an inspiration with every member sporting a mustache.

The venues mirrored the participants. From coordinated servers (Garage Bar in black, Lodge Bar and Park Street Patio in red) to pink Coors Light banners which read “Welcome Crawlers,” the silent structures immersed themselves within the chaotic atmosphere. Their management and slingers serving simultaneously as enablers of the decadence and witnesses to it…

And every scene and squad witnessed was spectacular… Park Street Patio offered scrumptious slingers, an outdoor grill, and spray fans… Lodge Bar split their patio between a music menagerie and their rock stars on the back bar… Callahan’s second level was as swarmed as any summer evening… And every venue included cheers and screams, physical encouragement (also known as high fives) as members finished their pitchers… Vocal encouragement as they contemplated whether they could finish them…

Inevitably, several who finished embarrassed themselves and this superb event… One random puked, passed out, and was removed via stretcher… Another random was shoved onto the ground by his friends, which cracked his head open… You would assume, in an event such as this, responsibility would be inherent… Since it’s not, I will state the obvious… If you cannot converse, remain upright, or recognize your surroundings, you should exit the premises…

While the irresponsible were ridiculous (alright, they were also column material), they could not obscure the success. As the patios and sidewalks, which were previously massed with squads, silenced in the pre-evening air, my mind revisited what I had witnessed… “Debauchery for a good cause” was the phrase of earlier hours… Yet, this phrase was inadequate… Crawl for Cancer was the definition of a generation…

Crawl For Cancer Recognition

Crawl for Cancer Live would have been impossible without substantial support. Thank you, JP Ratajczak and Beth Keller (Crawl for Cancer); Pat West, Trevor Day, Mike Material, and Kattie Minx (Lodge Bar), Jeff Lauback (Callahan’s), and every venue manager, slinger, and security employee.

Crawl For Cancer Live

3,500 participants. 1,400 pitchers. Ten venues. Seven hours. Two exemplary charities. One and only resource for this philanthropic spectacle.

Join Gossip CBUS before you arrive, as you enjoy, and after you leave for an unprecedented view of this outstanding event. From 12:30 p.m. until 2:30 a.m., our twitter will be live with the events, people, and sites, which will make the memories…

When and where will we be? You know you love me…

Crawl For Cancer Live

3,500 participants. 1,400 pitchers. Ten venues. Seven hours. Two exemplary charities. One and only resource for this philanthropic spectacle.

Join Gossip CBUS before you arrive, as you enjoy, and after you leave for an unprecedented view of this outstanding event. From 12:30 p.m. until 2:30 a.m., our twitter will be live with the events, people, and sites, which will make the memories…

When and where will we be? You know you love me…

Always Live

Tonight, the FDH Lounge will interview Crawl for Cancer’s JP Ratajczak.

INVITE: Memorial Weekend Benefit Concert

Commencement: 3:00

Venue: Park Street Patio (533 Park Street)

Silent Auction

Performances
Chrome
DJ N.A.T.E.
Filthy Habits
J White
Lieutenant Dan’s New Legs
SWAGG
The Bourban Kings
Trailer Park Ninjas

Proceeds Benefit
Relay For Life & Cancer Research

HML: Personalities Punctuate Perfect Evening

Personality is imperative. Interactions can overcome perceived stereotypes. They can overcome physical imperfections. They cannot overcome personality. Personality eases the introduction, instigates the conversation, and secures the relationship.

Upon my arrival at Lodge Bar, the venue was buzzing. I know I’ve discussed what a late city Columbus is, but Lodge Bar’s recent pre-evening crowds have been impressive. This is not a negligible accomplishment. Ours is not a post work city. Ours is not a drink then dine city. However, Lodge Bar’s excellent promotions are producing the previously unthinkable… consistent crowds…

Aside from their promotions, another potential reason for the venue’s success must be this city’s premiere drink slinging staff (yes, I said it)… While I have discussed several, the prime example of the venue’s comfortable conversationalists is Matt Delight, a slinger who I assume has never spent one second not amused with his environment or the thoughts in his own head…

Whether instructing a customer to finish their pitcher, because as he said it, he doesn’t refill half empty containers or subtly mocking someone who praises someone else’s service, Matt’s contented persona, obvious intelligence, and sharp sense of humor are a sight to see… As one observes his interaction, you can only imagine that he might still show up for work, even unpaid, just to make himself and his colleagues giggle…

Contrasting Matt’s humor was the serious subject of handicapped assistance, which was represented by the Canine Companions for Independence, a non-profit organization which enhances disabled lives by providing trained assistance dogs… On this evening, CCI raised $1,000 and while I could spend a half dozen paragraphs discussing the worthiness of their organization, I must spend two sentences praising another philanthropic act by Lodge Bar… They could simply rack sales… That’s most venues aspiration… Yet, they constantly repay their community… I applaud them (and you should also)…

What I cannot applaud is the (once again) random fashion of this city… While most eyes were affixed on the Cleveland Cavaliers-Orlando Magic contest, my eyes (and they are gorgeous) were affixed on the various bunnies, heifers, and randoms that inhabited the main room and the patio…

From the inordinate amount of skin that those who should never showcase skin showcased to the shaved head who walked obliviously with his glasses backward on his head to the most perplexing sighting of the evening, a platinum bunny, whose platinum status I instantly revoked when I witnessed her cradling a Dooney and Bourke purse… Lodge Bar’s panorama was equally intriguing and insipid… As I said at the outset, an early crowd is not a negligible accomplishment… They are simply are a nauseating atmosphere…

Since I’ve mentioned applauding, I must praise Lodge Bar General Manager Pat West, who simply makes me smarter whenever we speak… Inevitably, most conversations with management involve several sentences about competing venues… Most allow the words to center on the competition aspect… Pat never does… His insight and perspective are among the most valuable I encounter… They are among the most rationale and responsive offered within this city…

After three hours of registration, Lodge Bar awarded the first set of Kenny Chesney tickets to a fan, who as soon as she heard her name, bolted screaming toward the stage with both hands held high in the air… I expected excitement, but seriously, why en route to the collection of the reward? Couldn’t she have just screamed amongst her friends?

Approximately ten minutes after the screaming subsided (or the ringing in my ears subsided), I commenced a conversation with WCOL’s Joe Boxer, whom I’ve always considered one of this city’s radio superstars… Thirty seconds into our conversation, I remembered the origin of my opinion…

Granted, we spent most of our conversation discussing this website, but we could have discussed the phonebook and I would have been equally entertained… Joe is an exemplary individual… He is simply one of the most authentic, engaging people that one could encounter…

Within minutes of midnight, the second pair of tickets, as well as two posters and a tailgate package were awarded… As I walked Vine Street en route to my second event of the evening (which you may have read about already), I mused about the personalities of the previous three hours… Their genuineness and sociability are why I heart my life (HML for instant message purposes)…

INVITE: Memorial Weekend Benefit Concert

Calendar: May 24

Commencement: 3:00

Venue: Park Street Patio (533 Park Street)

Silent Auction

Performances
Chrome
DJ N.A.T.E.
Filthy Habits
J White
Lieutenant Dan’s New Legs
SWAGG
The Bourban Kings
Trailer Park Ninjas

Proceeds Benefit
Relay For Life & Cancer Research

INVITE: Memorial Weekend Benefit Concert

Calendar: May 24

Commencement: 3:00

Venue: Park Street Patio (533 Park Street)

Silent Auction

Performances
Chrome
DJ N.A.T.E.
Filthy Habits
J White
Lieutenant Dan’s New Legs
SWAGG
The Bourban Kings
Trailer Park Ninjas

Proceeds Benefit
Relay For Life & Cancer Research

Race for the Cure Raises $2 Million

NBC 4: Tens of thousands of Central Ohioans gathered in downtown Columbus Saturday for the 17th Komen Columbus Race for the Cure. A record-setting 45,546 people registered for the race, breaking the 2008 record of 40,266.

This year’s race was expected to raise $2 million for breast cancer research. Since the race began in Columbus in 1993, the event has raised nearly $13 million. Komen Columbus Executive Director Katie Carter said the Columbus race is the eighth largest Komen event in the country, ahead of cities such as Chicago and Philadelphia.