Special occasion? Party with a king named Larry and a pope named Lois, for a small fee
Tags: Larry King, Life Foundation, Lois Pope, Mar-a-Lago, Rich Little
| Friday 23 October 2009 11:48 am
Larry King
The crummy economy has put the big hurt on Palm Beach’s philanthropy biz , but someone’s thinking ahead.
Lois Pope, who’s using quite of bit of her deceased husband Generoso Pope’s National Enquirer fortune on a slew of charitable causes, has found a way to sell a few extra tables at her upcoming Life Foundation gala.
She’s offering those who have something to celebrate — say, a wedding, retirement, anniversary or birthday — to do it at her gala, Dec. 4 at Mar-a-Lago.
Some may find it tacky to celebrate anything personal at a fancy dinner with folks they’ve never met before. But, Pope says, it’s a win-win situation. Someone who couldn’t otherwise afford it is able to party in a private club with an open bar, classy food and world-class entertainment … and her charity benefits, too.
Lois Pope
CNN host Larry King is scheduled to emcee and comedian Rich Little will perform at Pope’s 16th annual Lady in Red gala, which raises money for the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., among other causes.
Is it working?
So far, so good. Pope says she sold 10 tables to a wedding party and another three for a 30th wedding anniversary. With tickets going for $500 per, that’s an extra $65,000 for Pope’s foundation.
“There’s going to be a giant cake at the entrance of the ballroom to celebrate,” Pope said. “We’re very excited. And I hope it’s going to give other organizations ideas. With the economy, it’s going to be a tough season.”
In case you’re wondering, the lucky bride on Dec. 4 is Manalapan widow Terry Ebert, who will officially marry Joseph Mendozza at Mar-a-Lago an hour before the ball. Elissa and Dominic Papparone are set to celebrate their 30th.
As for long-ago SoFla radio personality King, Pope said she landed him after he visited Walter Reed Army Medical Center in D.C.
“You can’t visit that place and leave without feeling for our veterans,” she said.
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If you know the people involved in this “sell your private celebrations for a seat at this B level gala,” you wouldn’t be the least bit surprised. I almost fell out of my own C-level chair when I opened Mz. Pope’s latest suggestion. Thanks for sharing it with the rest of the world.
[...] this fall, Pope found a way to guarantee that the gala would be a sell out in a tough economy. She offered to Palm Beachers the opportunity to celebrate their own occasion at [...]