The Lee County Soup Kitchen, Meals on Wheels, Faith in Action and Hand & Hearts Montessori Preschool - Press releases and special events
Downtown Diva: Intimate little cocktail party is all grown up
27Nov2009 Filed under: General Info Author: mcreative
http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009911270331
The Downtown Diva is impressed and amazed about how much an intimate little cocktail party for a good cause can grow into such a big, sparkling fundraising event over just a few years.
“Becoming Cosmopolitan” started four years ago as a girls-night-out soiree at the historic Heitman House to raise awareness for Community Cooperative Ministries Inc. (CCMI), a nonprofit that does a ton to help a variety of local charities including Meals on Wheels and The Soup Kitchen.
I remember attending the first Cosmo party in 2005 and it was ever-so much fun with great shopping, fab auction items, and of course, signature pink cocktails - but with so many awesome go-getter women involved, the party got much bigger and better with each year and last Thursday night, it was a huge hit.
For the second year in a row, the beautiful Veranda restaurant was the perfect setting - and to accommodate the 250 ladies in attendance, sections of the streets surrounding the restaurant were closed off as a giant pink martini glass served as a centerpiece at the entry.
The wonderful staff of the Veranda made sure there was no shortage of tasty Cosmopolitans or delicious and hearty food as guests in cocktail dresses surrounded the silent auction and socialized up a storm.
It was a veritable who’s who Southwest Florida. The crowd included radio personality Mandy Connell, Brooke Sanzari of Browtopia, attorney Marjorie Starnes, Melissa Simontis of PACE Center for Girls, Sarah Owen of CCMI. Also, remarkable committee members such as Noelle Casagrande, Missi Davis, Renee Gaddis, Melinda Isley, Rena Tchekmeian and lots more - AND more than $40,000 was raised for the cause!
Congrats to event chair Deanna Hansen and everyone involved for putting on such a winner of party!
About CCMI
Community Cooperative Ministries (CCMI) was incorporated in 1984, and has long been a driving force in the Fort Myers community, providing food to homeless and nearly homeless, as well as emergency groceries and affordable childcare to the working poor. In July of 2006 the agency expanded its mission and outreach to Lee County by merging with agencies that had historically provided home delivered meals to the homebound hungry (Meals on Wheels), and transportation services to the frail elderly (Faith In Action) and The Soup Kitchen. This merger created an agency that is able to provide comprehensive, unduplicated services to the homeless, nearly homeless, homebound, seniors and children more effectively, more efficiently and with greater compassion than at any other time in the former agencies histories.