Written by Wicker Van Orsdel
Wow, what a wild weekend in “The Wind Chill Factor State”! Especially when you have triple-threat events like Ground Hog Day, The Super Bowl, and the 8th Annual Bravo Awards Gala! Last Saturday, Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow. (And you know what that means: nothing, because—hello!—that’s not how weather works.) But even more exciting than Super Bowl’s food and booze and Beyonce’s sizzling pyrotechnics performance in New Orleans was the Annual Bravo Gala! The gala drew another stellar turnout of patrons and supporters of the arts in our unique, creative community. I’ve missed this great event only once in the last eight years! Where else are you going to get violin showdowns, Irish dancers and opera stars to delight you on one stage?
Party-goers love the cocktail hour (surprise!). (I’m still trying to find out what’s in the Cownie Cool-Aid signature drink.) The food stations have been a great improvement on the event. People get to make their favorites dinner selections, plus it works great to improve mingling time. The two leading convenience store moguls, Kyle Krause of Kum and Go Stores and Robert Myers of Casey’s General Stores came together as honorary co-chairs for the evening and Patty and Jim Cownie were recognized for their philanthropic contributions to the arts in the Des Moines community.
After all the awards hoopla, the fabulous Ken Arlen Orchestra kicked in, and the evening started to transform all the reserved, tuxed, beaded and bedazzled attendees into booty-popping, hip-thrusting, hair-flipping dancing queens and kings ready to shake their sequined booties on the dance floor! Oh yeah, this is where the real fun begins. (I was clearly not an instigator.) It was non-stop dancing until the fluorescent lights flipped on and I actually saw who I was dancing with….ha ha. No, really, it was super fun and the best event of the year plus a great place to work out your Saturday Night Fever. Don’t take my word for it; just come to the next year’s event! AND check out my photos by clicking on the link below! Ciao for now!
http://mzwick.smugmug.com/Events/Bravo-Gala-2013/27893351_T4QPsf#!i=2353891903&k=wmvxx8r
