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It was a perfect moonlit night at the Plantation Beach Club when 120 FOCUS Cummer guest kicked off the season with a lively Tailgate party on September 29. Members wore the colors of their favorite teams with lots or orange and blue, garnet and gold and Jaguars’ teaI and ears to boot, but the Big Ten, Georgia, North Carolina and many others were also on hand to cheer for their teams and The Cummer Museum. Mark Dennison entertained with a great array of music from country western to beach sounds ala Jimmy Buffett, and the food buffet rocked, too, with favorite tailgate specialties. Many thanks to Gigi Thomas who chaired the event and to event sponsors, Cindy Bohn, CPA; Ronald Howland Jr.DMD, PA; Attorney Chantal Hook; Madame T Productions; Ponte Vedra Plastic Surgery and Saunders and Saunders Wealth Management.

We expect to see great art when we gather at The Cummer Museum for our annual FOCUS Celebrate the Cummer gala and this year’s event held on Saturday, March 28 was no exception. The Museum’s exhibition, “Georgia O’Keeffe and Her Times: American Modernism from the Lane Collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston,” provided the inspiration for the celebration including a special cactus pear martini to toast the iconic O’Keeffe desert images. And the delicious dinner catered by Chef’s Garden continued the theme.

But the highlight of the festivities was a lively musical performance by students from Douglas Anderson School of the Arts who entertained us with a variety of music from “Everybody’s Boppin’” to “Let the Sunshine In,” the latter of which had the audience on its feet singing along with the student performers! A string ensemble also from Douglas Anderson performed as guests visited The Cummer’s gardens and galleries. Many thanks to FOCUS President Frank Barker and his wife Daryl who sponsored the performance. As Frank remarked as the evening ended, “These kids have Broadway-worthy talent,” and the delighted FOCUS audience couldn’t have agreed more.

Support for Celebrate was provided by Frank and Daryl Barker, Raymond James & Associates, Madame T Productions, Ronald W. Howland, Jr. DMD, Hoyt Stereo, The Holmes Organization, Pet Paradise, Ponte Vedra Plastic Surgery, Chef’s Garden, Florida Bank of Jacksonville and The Grape at St. John’s Town Center. Chairing the event with great style and grace was Chairperson Nancy Spadaro assisted by Sally McCue and Susan Saunders.

FOCUS Cummer patrons and sponsors celebrated St. Patrick’s Day at Louie Williams’ (Interiors by Duprez) fabulous & funky Fantasy Farm in Palm Valley. The setting was entertaining in itself with collectible cars, including Colonel Saunders barely driven 1950s vintage Thunderbird and Dudley Moore’s 1955 Bentley, and exotic birds and animals in cages throughout the property. This provided the 120 guests with plenty to look at before dining on corned beef and cabbage, shepherds pie, smoked salmon and “Irish” pasta plus an assortment of other goodies. Pat and Anna Finley of LuLu's Waterfront Cafe catered the meal, “Downtown” Steve Brown was the DJ and Bill Sloan was the surprise guest in full regalia playing the bagpipes. Thanks to our host Louie Williams, FOCUS President Frank Barker and the Finleys for sponsoring the fun-filled evening and to FOCUS Membership Chair, Mary Pappas, for the inspiration and planning.

The FABFEST reception held at Regions Bank, one of the sponsors of FABFest, on Tuesday, March 10. The get together was arranged by Bruce Bunt, FOCUS Education Chair and Hope McMath, Deputy Director of The Cummer Museum and the FABFest Coordinator. Also attending were Yvonne Ferguson, Principal of Mayport Elementary School and Art Teacher Judi Evans of Mayport; Donna Guthrie, Art Teacher at Jacksonville Beach Elementary, Becky Kirkendoll and Linda Hilf of PVPV Rawlings, and Elaine Charles of Finegan Elementary.

Representatives from Regions Bank were Vickie Wittmaekers, Kristine Raitter, Afsane Catron,Shirley Hodge, Brenda Barona and Branch Manager, Dennis Cox.