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Richmond Ballet 2010 Annual Auction Successful Despite Adverse Weather Conditions

2/12/2010

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 12, 2010

Media Contact:
Aaron Sutten
(804) 344-0906 ext. 244
asutten@richmondballet.com

RICHMOND — No amount of snow and ice could keep the crowd away this year at Uncorked 2010, the 17th annual auction to benefit Richmond Ballet. Managing Director Keith Martin proudly claimed, “Our event was a great success. In spite of the adverse weather conditions, almost all of our 250 expected guests came out in support of Richmond Ballet.”

The annual event, which was held Saturday, February 6, 2010, is the Ballet’s largest social event of the year and is hailed by its co-chairs – Helen Nunley and Reneé Rohr – as “a special tradition that celebrates the finer things in life…wine, food, travel, art and ballet.” Despite the forecasted and received snowfall amounts of four additional inches in the metro-Richmond area, the event met enormous success, raising approximately $235,000 for the Ballet’s ongoing mission to “awaken and uplift the human spirit, both for audiences and artists,”

Guests were treated to the beauty and grandeur of the Commonwealth Club joined by Richmond Ballet Company members as they leisurely bid on the amazing Silent Auction items. With auction items as exciting as a European vacations and extremely rare bottles of wine, Uncorked produced as many “oohs” and “ahhs” as a performance by the dancers of Richmond Ballet. Nearly 140 individual and packaged auction items in categories ranging from “Artistic Expressions” to “Just For You” were available.

The live auction had no shortage of luxurious and alluring selections, including a California Wine Country Excursion for two couples. This amazing getaway package included two nights in a San Francisco hotel, three nights at the Hourglass Vineyard in the heart of Napa Valley, and tours and tastings galore!

If the California Wine Country scene isn’t yours, maybe one would rather fancy themselves in the “Pair of Gems – Paris and Prague.” This package for two, included roundtrip airfare from the United States to the “City of Light” and the “Mother of Cities.” The lucky couple will also enjoy luxury treatment at the finest hotels in each of these cities and a four-course candlelit dinner at Vitura Restaurant in Prague.

Not distracted by the sparkle of jewels and the lure of an amazing European vacation, wine connoisseurs in attendance had their pick of world-class wine bottles and wine packages. “Dinner of a Lifetime” included one bottle of 1977 Fonseca Vintage Port (Portugal), one bottle of 1986 Chateau d’Yquem (Sauternes), one very special bottle of 1989 Chateau Petrus (Pomerol) and even more! Never before in Richmond has the likes of this lot been offered. Six stunning wines were paired with a sumptuous six-course dinner for six lucky diners, to be prepared in their own homes by renowned chef Joseph Comfort, owner of Iron Horse restaurant in Ashland, formerly of Poste Brasserie in Washington. The wine was donated by Dick Mulligan who will also serve as the sommelier for the evening.

There was something for virtually every interest and taste, from the special opportunity to be onstage at the production of Romeo & Juliet with a walk-on role in the ballroom scene – to a painting by the Richmond Ballet’s own president of the Board, Elizabeth Robertson. Other Richmond Ballet items included a custom-made American Girl doll costume – specially created by the Ballet’s costume shop that replicated Juliet’s costume for the February 2010 production of Romeo & Juliet. If a walk-on role isn’t enough or your little girl missed out on the American Girl doll costume, one lucky bidder – along with nineteen guests – won the opportunity to dance with the stars of Richmond Ballet at the sophisticated and contemporary 1708 Gallery on Broad Street.

While the evening didn’t include a dramatic finale filled with graceful lifts, the constant elevation of wine glasses and auction paddles more than made up for it. Dressed in their finest attire and snow boots, supporters of Uncorked 2010 not only help the main stage Richmond Ballet performances possible, but also aid the School of Richmond Ballet and its outreach programs, including Minds In Motion. Uncorked is vital to the ongoing success of Richmond Ballet, as the auction raises more funds than any other event of the year.