Party On For A Cause!

This week's post is a collaborative writing effort.  Many thanks to Laurie Osborn for her contribution to this article.  It runs a bit longer than usual, but we didn't want to leave out a single important detail about our upcoming event!

When I was a little girl I always imagined that the world of grown-ups was filled with parties and balls that were magical and perfect in every way.  Fueled by fairy tales and Disney movies, I would prance around the house wrapped in my mother’s flowing nightgown and a plastic crown pretending I was a princess at the ball.  Of course I never gave a single thought to how these parties were planned or who did the organizing or how it all came to be so magical in the first place.

As an adult, I have learned a number of things about throwing  parties.  First of all, most grown-ups don’t want to get dressed up in ball gowns and crowns.  They prefer to be comfortable and usually somewhat casual.  Second, planning a successful party, especially when it’s a fundraiser, requires a committee of dedicated, creative individuals who devote months to planning before the event takes place.

For the third year in a row, HSAPL is getting ready for an event that is truly magical. Party in Paradise, held at the private island home of a board member, is HSAPL’s second largest annual fundraiser and it is expected to draw a crowd of more than 200 enthusiastic cat-loving supporters.

So what makes Party in Paradise so magical? Picture this: It’s late in the afternoon on an idyllic south Florida spring day. As the sun begins to set and the air takes on a pink, misty hue, party guests arrive on Manatee Island, a private island Shangri-La on the St. Lucie River. Signature tropical drinks await guests as they alight from the golf cart that whisked them over an arched wooden bridge from the real world into the magical world of paradise.

In paradise, the beach is covered in soft white sand; palm trees sway gently in the cool breeze blowing in off the water. Live music sets a festive tone.  Glorious flowering plants flank pathways and terraces leading up to the unique, Balinese-inspired house. Guests indulge at a delicious buffet catered by “Taste” of Hobe Sound and tropical drinks along with beer and wine flow freely from the open bars. Lovely people mix and mingle. The simple words “Tell me about your cat” have the power to transform strangers into friends in paradise.   As the sun sets over the water, guests kick off their flip flops and dance the night away on the beach.

This year, the planning committee has taken Party in Paradise to a new level. At the meetings, I sit in awe as a group of experienced hostesses share ideas and hammer out plans to make this year’s event better than ever. Creative ideas fly around the table, some discarded, others embraced, as the party begins to take shape.  Checkbooks come out as committee members offer to underwrite various aspects of the event.  Since the purpose of the party is to raise money for the cats of HSAPL, underwriting ensures a profit without compromising quality for the party-goers.

As  Party in Paradise approaches and RSVPs start to roll in, I become aware of the fact that the real magic behind Party in Paradise is about much more than a great party in an idyllic island setting. It’s about the incredible generosity exhibited by volunteers and supporters of HSAPL. Not only does this year’s Party in Paradise promise to be one of those magical parties I dreamed of as a girl, it is  another fine example of people working together to make the world a better place for our feline friends.  And that, to me, is  nothing less than magic.

Party in Paradise will be held on March 27^th, 2011 from 5 – 9 p.m. on Manatee Island in Sewall’s Point. Tickets are $125 per person or $1000 for a group of 10. To purchase tickets, please visit our website at www.hsapl.org.  For more information, please call Peggy Hart at 772-221-8250.  Everyone is welcome.

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