The 13th Annual Zarwin Baum’s March Madness viewing party was held again at the Crystal Tea Room and was packed with basketball fans watching the game on large screens and enjoying a Philadelphia picnic of hot dogs, cheese steaks, pretzels and chicken wings.

Seen in the crowd were Councilwomen Blondell Reynolds Brown, Allan Domb, Derek Green Esq., and Paul Steinke, former GM of Reading Terminal, who are running for City Council seats. I also saw Lynn Abraham and James Kenney, who are vying for the mayor’s seat, and although Sen Anthony Williams wasn’t able to attend the event, his wife Shari Williams was there. Council President Darrell Clarke stopped by and brought a bag of canned goods to donate to Philabundance, which was the beneficiary of the day’s proceeds. With this year’s event, the Zarwin Baum law firm looked to surpass the $150,000 it has raised to date, and continue to support Philabundance’s non-profit grocery store, Fare & Square.

Eagles player Connor Barwin also stopped by and was mobbed by well-wishers after notice of his new contract hit the news; Marshall Harris of Comcast, State Senator Larry Farnese, and comedian Joe Conklin were also seen.

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HughE Dillon covers parties, events and more for Philadelphia magazine’s The Scene. You can follow him on Twitter at @iPhillyChitChat and visit his daily online social diary PhillyChitChat.com.

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Friday night The Philadelphia Youth Orchestra (PYO) organization hosted its annual gala and concert, an evening of music, art and dining at the Union League in Center City. Board chair Frank Giordano and president and music director Louis Scaglione were on hand at the cocktail party where they greeted guests who dined on light bites and checked out the art show and sale by the prestigious Studio Incamminati artists, many of who were on hand for the event.

After the cocktail party, guests headed into the Grant Ballroom for dinner. It was there that Mayor Michael Nutter was presented the Distinguished Service Award for Outstanding Support of Arts, Culture and Education in the City of Philadelphia by Giordano and Scaglione. After dinner the guests headed upstairs to Lincoln Hall for the 75th Anniversary concert by the The Philadelphia Youth Orchestra.

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HughE Dillon covers parties, events and more for Philadelphia magazine’s The Scene. You can follow him on Twitter at @iPhillyChitChat and visit his daily online social diary PhillyChitChat.com.

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On Saturday night, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Eastern Pennsylvania held their 2nd annual Red & White Ball at the Westin Hotel in Center City. More than 500 well-dressed attendees wearing the colors of the night — red and white — walked the red carpet and posed for photos, before joining the cocktail party and checking out the silent auction items ranging from trips, to experiences to sports outings. There was also a raffle to win a brand new 2015 Mercedes-Benz SUV.

At 8 p.m. guests headed into the dinner in the Grand Ballroom to honor a courageous young woman, 15-year-old Karlee Hofmann, who was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) as a child and lost the use of her legs, but with treatment beat cancer. She attends Council Rock High School, has lots of friends, participates in many activities and is a remarkable cheerleader. (You can make a donation in her honor here).

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HughE Dillon covers parties, events and more for Philadelphia magazine’s The Scene. You can follow him on Twitter at @iPhillyChitChat and visit his daily online social diary PhillyChitChat.com.

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On Thursday night, Griesing Law celebrated its fifth anniversary with a party themed “fashion, food and spirits.” More than 200 of their friends, clients and supporters came to the firm’s offices to celebrate. Guests enjoyed specialty cocktails, a buffet which included treats from Zama, DiBrunos, and Federal Donuts. Denise Fike was on hand to personally sketch each guest. There was also a art exhibit called “City Bites”, It’s the ninth show at Griesing Law since 2010. The firm is dedicated to supporting the arts in Philadelphia with a rolling schedule of artist showcases all open to the public. Painter Mike Geno and photographer Michael Persico created art focused on Philadelphia chefs, restaurants and bakeries, The show runs from March 27th through August 31st- Monday Through Friday 9AM -5PM. 1717 Arch Street, Suite 3630. Anyone can attend for free.

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HughE Dillon covers parties, events and more for Philadelphia magazine’s The Scene. You can follow him on Twitter at @iPhillyChitChat and visit his daily online social diary PhillyChitChat.com.

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The Four Seasons ballroom was filled to the brim on Friday night for the 13th Annual Donors are Heroes Gala otherwise known as “The Party,” a title it richly deserves. As soon as you walk in the door you are swept up with the smiling faces of friendly people, some whose lives have been saved my an organ transplant — like co-founder of The Party Don Freeman (his donor’s mother was in attendance) — others who have donated organs to save a life — like Mary Pat Kessler who gave her sister a kidney — and others who are simply aware of the benefits of choosing “yes” to organ donation on their drivers licenses, and putting those instructions in their do-not-resuscitate documents. That’s where the funds raised at this party go to: maintaining public awareness programs, school summits and teaching initiatives, all of which are geared toward educating and dispelling the myths surrounding becoming an organ donor and emphasizing the need for life-saving, life-enhancing transplants. Guests at The Party enjoyed fine cuisine (Four Seasons, City Tap House Logan, Serafina, Brown Betty and Night Kitchen, to name a few) and spirits, during their break from the real party which was happening on the dance floor to the sounds of Eddie Tully and songstress Jessy Kyle.

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HughE Dillon covers parties, events and more for Philadelphia magazine’s The Scene. You can follow him on Twitter at @iPhillyChitChat and visit his daily online social diary PhillyChitChat.com.

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Thursday night the Philadelphia Academies, Inc. threw their annual shindig “The Party” with 300 guests filling the Fringe Arts/La Peg Brasserie building at 40 N. Columbus Blvd. The theme this year was “Out of the Box,” which Lisa Nutter, President of Philadelphia Academies, Inc. (PAI, ) and First Lady of Philadelphia, says is about creating a career by following your own path, even if it doesn’t fit society’s norm. PAI supports Philadelphia public school students with career-focused programs that prepare young people for employment and post-secondary education, and student ambassadors from Roxborough and Abraham Lincoln high schools were on hand to espouse the virtues of the program.

During the event, David L. Cohen, executive vice president of Comcast, accepted PAI’s The Party 2015 Stand and Deliver Award in recognition of the company’s commitment to innovation. Also honored were 2015 honorary chairs David Devan — general director, Opera Philadelphia, and Seun Olubodun, owner, Duke and Winston. PECO was presented with an Academy Award, for the company’s deep commitment to the PAI model, accepted by Mary Krick, PECO’s vice president of human resources; as was ESM Productions in recognition of the agency being a long-standing partner of PAI, accepted by ESM president Scott Mirkin. After the program, guests enjoyed delicious food, spirits, and dancing by the dueling DJs.

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HughE Dillon covers parties, events and more for Philadelphia magazine’s The Scene. You can follow him on Twitter at @iPhillyChitChat and visit his daily online social diary PhillyChitChat.com.

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At the Phillies home opener on Monday, the fans gave former Phillie and current Boston Red Sox star Shane Victorino an extended standing ovation for his first time back at Citizen Bank Park since being traded to the Dodgers in 2012. Shane told me he really appreciated the love given to him. Last night he and his wife, Melissa Victorino, hosted friends at an intimate dinner at Palladino’s on East Passyunk. About 45 people attended the private dinner party prepared by chef Luke Palladino, a fundraiser for the Shane Victorino Nicetown Boys & Girls Club, which the Shane Victorino Foundation helped renovate with a million-dollar donation in 2011. The proceeds from the dinner and raffle items will go toward supplies and sporting equipment for the kids. Shane and Melissa told me that Philadelphia would always be their adopted hometown: They have many friends in the area, visit occasionally and still maintain a house here. Wouldn’t it be great if he retired a Phillies player?

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HughE Dillon covers parties, events and more for Philadelphia magazine’s The Scene. You can follow him on Twitter at @iPhillyChitChat and visit his daily online social diary PhillyChitChat.com.

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Last night I attended a friends-and-family party at The Vesper Club, an old drinking establishment reimagined as a classy, modern twist on a private dinner club. Vesper, located at 223 S Sydenham St. (the alley that runs between Walnut and Locust, just above 15th Street), was founded in 1941 as one of the premier private supper clubs until it closed last year. Now reopened under new ownership, the three-level club offers lots of options: a main dining room, two bar areas, several lounges, and room where live music will be played and dancing is encouraged. On the third floor is an event space which can be rented out for parties. The remodeled club has retained some of its yesteryear glamour, from the flooring in the main bar — where the original Vesper insignia tile remains — to the Philadelphia mural which people always marveled at, to the original basement bar which is now known as the “speakeasy.” (To get down there you have to know the password which allows the hidden staircase to be revealed behind the bookshelf.) The Vesper Club officially opens on Monday, April 13th, at 4 p.m. To see more photos of the inside of the club check out PhillyChitChat.com today.

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HughE Dillon covers parties, events and more for Philadelphia magazine’s The Scene. You can follow him on Twitter at @iPhillyChitChat and visit his daily online social diary PhillyChitChat.com.

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On Saturday, WDAS held its First Annual Women of Excellence Luncheon and paid tribute to the “Sheroes” who are essential contributors to the Tri-State Area. Surprise guest Mary J. Blige received this year’s WDAS Trailblazing Woman of Excellence Award — which will be renamed next year the “Mary J. Blige Woman of Excellence Award.”

The afternoon’s Sheroes included:
Faatimah Gamble, Universal Companies
Susan Slawson, Commissioner, City of Philadelphia
Sheinelle Jones, News Anchor, Weekend Today
Dr. Robin L. Smith, Relationships Expert
Tanya R. Hill-Holiday, McDonald’s Owner
Sister Margaret McKenna
Movita Johnson-Harrell
Rochelle Yates Whittington
Rhonda E. Willingham

At the event there were performances by Kenny Lattimore, Johnny Gill and Tamar Braxton, who all wowed the crowd at the five-hour luncheon at the First District Plaza in West Philadelphia.

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HughE Dillon covers parties, events and more for Philadelphia magazine’s The Scene. You can follow him on Twitter at @iPhillyChitChat and visit his daily online social diary PhillyChitChat.com.

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Saturday night the Rittenhouse Hotel was the scene of a lively bingo game — except that the guests were not the blue-haired ladies  I’m used to playing with. The night was called Blingo, as every winning card won a prize that was blinged-out, with proceeds from the evening going to find a cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a rare, fatal disease which afflicts only boys, usually by the age of 5, most of whom die in their 20s.

Mistress of ceremonies for the evening was WMMR’s Marisa Magnatta who assisted in the Blingo games with local celebrities John Bolaris of WeatherSavior.com, comedian Joe Conklin, former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback A.J. Feeley, CBS3’s Stephanie Stahl and former Gov. Ed Rendell,who called out the numbers for Blingo. Jesse and Beka Rendell, along with Sonal and Manu Gambhir, were co-hosts of the gala. During the program the Gambhir’s son, 13-year-old Yuva Gambhir, who has Duchenne and is in a wheelchair, spoke on how the disease affects his life.

His body may be weak, but his mind is sharp, he said, and he talked about the future cure which was just on the horizon. We were all smiling through our tears during his speech.

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HughE Dillon covers parties, events and more for Philadelphia magazine’s The Scene. You can follow him on Twitter at @iPhillyChitChat and visit his daily online social diary PhillyChitChat.com.

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The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund celebrated its 75th anniversary Thursday night with a dinner and tribute program. The honorees for the evening were four central forces in the fight for racial justice, William T. Coleman, Jr., Honorable William H. Hastie, Jr., Honorable A. Leon Higginbotham, Jr., and Honorable Louis H. Pollak, whose families were on hand for the celebration, held at the Kimmel Center in the Hamilton Garden.

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HughE Dillon covers parties, events and more for Philadelphia magazine’s The Scene. You can follow him on Twitter at @iPhillyChitChat and visit his daily online social diary PhillyChitChat.com.

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On April 16th BalletX hosted its fundraiser gala on the 50th floor at the Top of the Tower, 1717 Arch Street. Guests gathered just in time to catch the sun setting over the the city in celebration of another successful year of BalletX; they dined on a buffet from Top of the Tower catering and enjoyed specialty drinks including the XMopolitian which was made with Pravada Citron Vodka.

In nine years the company has produced more than 55 world premiere ballets exploring relevant, emotional and honest happenings of the world. During the evening several new BalletX works were performed including Edgar Anido‘s “Mis Amigos, My Friends, Mes Amis “ — with Richard Villaverde and Zachary Kapeluck, and Amy Seiwert‘s “It’s Not A Cry” — with Villaverde and Chloe Felesina. The company also honored friends and supporters Linda and David Glickstein and Jeanne Fisher.

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HughE Dillon covers parties, events and more for Philadelphia magazine’s The Scene. You can follow him on Twitter at @iPhillyChitChat and visit his daily online social diary PhillyChitChat.com.

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Last year Leah Kaufman founded Rad-Girls.com, a digital platform that celebrates innovative and inspiring women making a difference in Philly. This year they hosted their first ever awards ceremony and celebration to honor local inspiring female leaders in the fields of technology, media, culture and business.

The Rad Awards were held at The Dreaming Building in Northern Liberties, an innovative co-working space for artists and young entrepreneurs. The venue was “rad” itself as the building filled with many of the nominees and supporters, allowing just a sliver of a stage for the awards to be given out.

The focus of the evening was on networking and celebration. The spirits flowed with speciality cocktails from Bluecoat American Dry Gin and light fare from Rouge (who knew they catered?). Music from DJ Diamond Girl kept the crowd grooving before and after the ceremony.

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Technologist Of The Year
Beah Burger-Lenehan: VP of Product, Ticketleap

Artist Of The Year
Darla Jackson

Designer of The Year
Yesenia Perez-Cruz, Intuitive

Nonprofit Of The Year
Gearing Up Philadelphia

Educator Of The Year
Eileen R. Heisman: President and CEO of National Philanthropic Trust

Product Of The Year
Morgan Berman, Milkcrate Philly

Connector Of The Year
Desiree Peterkin Bell: Communications. Office of the Mayor, Michael A. Nutter

Innovator Of The Year
Jasmine T. Morrell: Spirited Tattooing

Storyteller Of The Year
Heidi Saman: Namour Film

Entrepreneur Of The Year
Elyse DiMauro and April Nett: Menagerie Coffee

Activists of The Year
Women’s Medical Fund

Rad Guy Of The Year
Chris Bartlett: William Way Community Center

Rad Girl Of The Year
Donna Frisby Greenwood: Program Director at John S. and James L. Knight Foundation

HughE Dillon covers parties, events and more for Philadelphia magazine’s The Scene. You can follow him on Twitter at @iPhillyChitChat and visit his daily online social diary PhillyChitChat.com.

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On Wednesday, April 22, 2015, The Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University held the Sixth Annual Men’s Event benefiting prostate cancer research and patient care. The event was held at the Union League in Philadelphia.

The Men’s Event was emceed by Brian McDonough, medical editor on KYW Newsradio. His honorary co-chairs were Dr. Leonard Gomella, chair of the Department of Urology, and Karen E. Knudsen, newly announced Director of Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center. The evening began with a cocktail party and silent auction, before guests sat down to enjoy dinner and the program. During the program Dr. Steve Klasko, president and CEO of Thomas Jefferson University and Jefferson Health System, talked about the great strides Jefferson was making in the field of prostate cancer, as well as how the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center medical team works well together in all fields with the goal of ending cancer. Stand-up comedian Billy Gardell, who currently stars in the popular TV series Mike & Molly, had the 360 guests in stitches as he took shots at the medical field, but mostly focused on marriage, children and aging parents.

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HughE Dillon covers parties, events and more for Philadelphia magazine’s The Scene. You can follow him on Twitter at @iPhillyChitChat and visit his daily online social diary PhillyChitChat.com.

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The Please Touch Museum held its annual Storybook Ball on Saturday April 25th to benefit the museum’s literacy programming for young children. Families were encouraged to dress as their favorite storybook characters or superhero. It was an evening of enchantment with entertainment and family-friendly cuisine, like hot dogs, burgers and pizza catered by Brûlée Catering. For dessert, there was ice cream and pudding.

Kids enjoyed rides on the carousel, and theatrical and musical performances by Baby Loves Disco. Special guest appearances included story book readings by Sarah Bloomquist of 6ABC and Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen, a children’s book author who read from her book Tyrannosaurus Wrecks. Magician Tom McDonnell was on hand with lots of sleight of hand, card tricks and friendly rabbits. This year there were a lot of characters roaming about including Wild Thing, Ryan Lion, Curious George, Paddington Bear, Baby Mouse, Prince Charming and of course Cinderella.

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HughE Dillon covers parties, events and more for Philadelphia magazine’s The Scene. You can follow him on Twitter at @iPhillyChitChat and visit his daily online social diary PhillyChitChat.com.

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Last night Bank and Bourbon hosted their inaugural Bourbon Bash at the restaurant. Over 300 people came out to Chef Thomas Harkin’s delicious fare, and enjoy spirits generously sponsored by Southern Wine & Spirits and curated by their own bourbon master Brian Bevilacqua. Bank and Bourbon has gotten rave reviews for their menu since the Loews Hotel eatery opened a year ago, which is probably why the place was so packed last night. It was a ticketed, all-you-can-eat steak-and-bourbon party for $49, which benefited Donors Choose — a charity through which teachers request classroom materials and donors choose who to donate to. Bank and Bourbon’s GM Sean Glancy hopes to make this an annual event, attracting more people and raising more money for charity.

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HughE Dillon covers parties, events and more for Philadelphia magazine’s The Scene. You can follow him on Twitter at @iPhillyChitChat and visit his daily online social diary PhillyChitChat.com.

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The second annual Old Bags-Night Out, hosted by Boys Latin of Philadelphia Charter School, was at Neiman Marcus in King of Prussia, PA on Wednesday April 29, 2015.

The event attracted over 200 fashionably dressed women, who enjoyed light bites from 12th Street Catering and bid on gently used, donated bags. They also enjoyed a fashion show curated by Ken Downing, fashion director and senior vice president of Neiman Marcus stores. He pulled together looks from various designers to showcase the latest styles and trends that will be gracing the social events and outings for the summer and fall. Proceeds from the event went to the Boys Latin of Philadelphia, which gives a college prep education to underprivileged boys in the Philadelphia area. Angela Hudson, Helene Van Beuren, Mellen Vogt, and Janine Yass, a founder of Boys’ Latin Charter School, were the evening’s co-chairs, they, along with an impressive list of committee member,=ps honored philanthropist Anne Hamilton with the 2015 recipient of the Ultimate Mentor Award.

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HughE Dillon covers parties, events and more for Philadelphia magazine’s The Scene. You can follow him on Twitter at @iPhillyChitChat and visit his daily online social diary PhillyChitChat.com.

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More than 500 park supporters attended the Fairmount Park Conservancy’s 8th Annual Centennial Celebration held at the Fairmount Park Horticulture Center last night. This year’s honorees included John Crowe, president and CEO of, Saint-Gobain and CertainTeed Corporations, for corporate leadership; Kathleen McGinty, chief of staff to Governor Tom Wolf and a longtime environmentalist, for civic leadership; and Chris Matthews, host of Hardball on MSNBC (which includes a tree planted in his honor at Belmont Plateau), as the John Binswanger Park Champion. Crowe’s Saint-Gobain is one of the main sponsors of The Oval; it will kick off the summer season and commemorate the company’s 350th anniversary with a never-before-seen global exhibition, “Future Sensations,” which will make its only U.S. tour stop at The Oval from May 30th through June 6th.

Kristen Welker, NBC News White House Correspondent, was a great master of ceremonies, filling in for Andrea Mitchell, who was on the Hillary Clinton trail. Welker was grateful to be back in her hometown with her mother and among friends in the park where she played softball as a kid.

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HughE Dillon covers parties, events and more for Philadelphia magazine’s The Scene. You can follow him on Twitter at @iPhillyChitChat and visit his daily online social diary PhillyChitChat.com.

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The Cancer Support Community of Greater Philadelphia celebrated it’s 17th Annual Evening in the Park on the grounds of their headquarters Thursday night, The Suzanne Morgan Center at Ridgeland in Fairmount Park. Guests enjoyed fabulous food and cocktails by Brulee Catering, a live auction led by Jeff Hammond who helped raise nearly $75,000 from the very generous crowd, and a silent auction, all to benefit CSCGP.

Event co-chairs Barbara Blair and Betsy Rubenstone greeted the guests and spoke about their lives which have been touched by cancer, and have benefited by the programs at CSCGP. Honorees last night included: Wendy H. Rosen, Dr. David M. Mintzer, The Stuetz Family, and  Susan Tressider. Kelly Harris, CEO gave an impassioned address sharing with the guests about all the wonderful, caring programs available at Cancer Support Community of Greater Philadelphia (all free), especially the programs directed at children going through cancer, or a parent going through cancer. The programs connect them with others, as well as any counseling they need. We’re so lucky to have an organization like this in Philadelphia.

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HughE Dillon covers parties, events and more for Philadelphia magazine’s The Scene. You can follow him on Twitter at @iPhillyChitChat and visit his daily online social diary PhillyChitChat.com.

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Saturday night the International House of Philadelphia held its 54th annual Global Gala: Celebration of Korea at the student housing facility. The black tie/traditional dress event started with a cocktail hour in the beautifully decorated courtyard, with delicious traditional Korean favorites prepared by Catering by Design, as well as having an open bar and silent auction with lots of Korean inspired items including art work and furniture.

Afterward there was a sit-down dinner with traditional Korean foods served family style. There was a short program with mistress of ceremonies Alex Holley, Fox 29’s morning host, doing a great job as moving the night along. The honoree for the evening was Councilman David Oh, who was grateful for the honor and discussed the American dream. Oh presented Tanya Steinberg, president and CEO of International House Philadelphia with a City Council citation honoring the International House for all the work it does. After dinner there was an afterparty with performances and dancing to the tunes of DJ CHOPS till 2 a.m.

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HughE Dillon covers parties, events and more for Philadelphia magazine’s The Scene. You can follow him on Twitter at @iPhillyChitChat and visit his daily online social diary PhillyChitChat.com.

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