The 2019 Getaway and Annual Meeting held in Detroit was a great event in the Motor City and home of Motown. Rick Chizmadia really showed us how his hometown is truly experiencing a rebirth and renaissance. From the welcome cocktail for Board members generously hosted by Carol-Lyn and Steve McElvey in their gorgeous home; to the evening dinner cruise on the Detroit River aboard the Diamond Jack; a guided tour of Pewabic Pottery, the historic ceramic studio and school; tours of Motown and the Detroit Museum of Art, and a FAUSA in Motion walk along the RiverWalk..... I was happily exhausted after the weekend! Our accommodations and the Gala Dinner and Auctions at the historic Westin Book Cadillac hotel downtown, were exceptional.
My special thanks go to the following members without whom the Gala FUNDraising night would not have been a success!
- Carol-Lyn McElvey, Detroit FAUSA member, for serving as our lively auctioneer and coaxing the small crowd into raising a respectable amount for the Live Auction.
- Phoebe Mallard, Brenda Brinkley, Aurora Silvestri: their collective energy toward promoting Quilt Drawing tickets, Fill ‘em Up Envelopes and modeling the designer handbags got everyone to participate in the FUNdraising!
- A huge thank you to Jane Indreland, Peggy Dauser, Suzanne Wheeler, KathyDeBest and Carol-Lyn for helping with registration and receiving items for the auctions.
- A VERY special thanks to our Getaway organizer AND surprise entertainment provided by Rick Chizmadia who is an amazing singer and performer, and organizer. And to ALL attendees who DONATED items and BID on them as well!
- And last but not least, a well-deserved SHOUT OUT to Kathy Coughlan, our FAUSA Treasurer, who worked behind the scenes with me for months and also for the hours she put in during the weekend. The tallying of the bid results, payments and record-keeping are daunting tasks which may go unnoticed but NOT unappreciated!
I’m looking forward to Cape Cod in 2020!!!!
