Playing off New York Fashion Week, members of the Vero Beach Rotary Club transformed Riverside Theatre’s Orchid Lobby into a runway parade featuring the retro-inspired line of clothing by former model Tatyana Khomyakova. The evening was a preview event to their upcoming Hollywood Gala, to be held Feb. 28 at the Oak Harbor Club, bringing the nostalgia and romance of 1940s Hollywood to Vero Beach.
Roughly 150 guests enjoyed cocktails while models posed for the crowd in vintage pin-up Bettie Page-inspired hair styles and designs from Tatyana’s of Fort Lauderdale. Gala tickets and a preview of more than $10,000 worth of silent auction items were available, all of which will help raise needed dollars for projects and expenses. Stephen Bogart, the only son of Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, will be the guest speaker at the gala, so after the fashion show guests viewed the film classic Casablanca in their honor.
In past years, Vero Beach Rotary funded its projects through a Nautical Craft and Flea Market. Although financially successful and popular with the public, Rotarians wanted an event that would be less subject to weather issues.
“We kept getting rained on one of the two days of the market and I said this year when I become president I want to do an indoor gala so that we can have everyone come and not have to worry about that,” said Paul Tripaldi, current VBR president.
“For the past 86 years the Rotary Club of Vero Beach has supported 34 local organizations including the Boys & Girls Club, the Children’s Theatre and many others,” said Tripaldi. “This is our organization doing what we do best, which is supporting domestic issues we tackle every year, whether it is lagoon quality, education, the economy or child care.”
There are currently five Rotary Clubs in Indian River County, with varied meeting times and locations – the original Vero Beach Club, formed in 1926, was later joined by Sunrise, Oceanside, Sebastian and Orchid Island Clubs. All fall under Rotary International’s umbrella.
Each local chapter has projects which are dear to its hearts but they support those of the main organization. The popular Sunrise Craft Brew & Wing Fest fundraiser, scheduled Feb. 21, supports Indian River Lagoon projects; Oceanside’s Wild Game Feast, scheduled Jan. 31, benefits SunUp ARC; and Vero has worked with youth at Indian River State College, Gifford Youth Orchestra and local schools.
The Hollywood Gala will support VBR projects with a focus on vocational efforts in job training, business mentoring and school-group partnerships.
“If you think the economic downturn affected just adults, then you have to see what it did to young adults,” said Tripaldi. “There are no jobs available for them out there, which actually puts more pressure on parents as well because the kids cannot move out so they have to continue that support. So when we can put together a vocational program that creates an intern it’s at least a start, a foot in the door.”
