'Oscars' come early for Orangeburg
BY CANDACE NEWSON, T&D Features Writer Thursday, February 14, 2008The spotlight will be on The Cinema on Saturday, Feb. 23, when Zeus Industrial Products Inc. presents "A Night at the Oscars." The 13th annual RMC Foundation Gala and Silent Auction will be a time of glitz and glamour marking the first time the gala has been presented under a theme.
"'A Night at the Oscars' will be a fun and exciting night that will give Orangeburg something different and new," said Tipsey Holleman, decoration coordinator.
From the moment guests step out of their cars, they will be surrounded by an immaculate presentation, Holleman said.
The exterior of The Cinema will feature a red carpet entrance, limousines for photographs that will be available for purchase online, and spot lights on the roof of the building. Images of the Oscar symbol will also be projected on the exterior walls of The Cinema.
Guests will be escorted into the venue decorated with gold life-size Oscar statues, ice sculptures of the Oscar statue and an exclusive dance floor with special effects lighting.
Entertainment will be provided by Mike and the Mixers, who will playing Oscar tunes. A movie projection of past Oscar winners and highlights of the famous award show will be shown behind the band. The gala will conclude at midnight.
Holleman said she and Mike Tourville have been planning the gala for months.
"The event will be one of the finest with food and dancing, and the theme will set an exciting evening that everyone is interested in dressing up for," Holleman said.
Auctions will add to the excitement.
A silent auction will run from 6 to 8 p.m., followed by a live auction. Among the items to be auctioned are a digital camcorder, a ladies sapphire and diamond dangle bracelet, a tailgate party for 10 from Antley's BBQ, and a custom-built golf cart.
For those looking for a getaway, there will be a hunting trip, weekend accommodations at Edisto Beach, weekend fishing trip and cabin accommodations, and two nights on the Charlestonian at the Isle of Palms. A wide array of fine art, comforter sets, lamp candles, Oak chairs, and pallets of grass and assorted trees are some of the offerings for the home.
The black-tie event will feature a cocktail buffet by Buck Ridge Plantation Chef Mark Gibson and his staff. Working with the theme of this year's fund-raiser, "A Night at the Oscars," Gibson said seven different food stations -- a manned Lebanese couscous bar, a carved meat bar, a sushi bar, a hot hors d'oeuvres bar, a shellfish/raw bar, an antipasti bar and a dessert bar -- will be available at the gala.
Along with the food bars, there will be a bar for mixed drinks, and hot hors d'oeuvres will be passed on silver trays during the gala. Tickets for the gala are $150 per person, with proceeds benefitting the H. Filmore Mabry Center for Cancer Care at the Regional Medical Center. Reservations are required by Friday, Feb. 15, and the public is invited to attend.
For more information, call RMC Foundation Executive Director Mac Burton at 803-395-2321 or 1-800-476-3377, ext. 2321.
T&D Features Writer Candace Newson can be reached by e-mail at cnewson@timesanddemocrat.com or by telephone at 803-533-5540. Discuss this and other stories online at TheTandD.com.
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