John Heller, Post-Gazette Members of Cirque du Soleil perform at Hope Takes Flight, the Hillman Cancer Center gala. Click photo for larger image.

Hope took flight on gossamer wings Thursday night, and it landed way over the top in Moon, to be precise. The gala benefit for the Hillman Cancer Center was a spectacular success at every stage of the journey, beginning with the exotic location in a hangar at the FBO Aviation Center in Moon.

Bob Sendall's wizardry transformed the space into an ethereal and romantic venue, with draped walls, columns of fabric and dozens of long tables covered from stem to stern in candlelight. Passengers were given clever passports with color-coded seat numbers, which made boarding a sell-out crowd of 870 smooth sailing for what was anything but a bumpy night.

Honorary chairs Henry and Elsie Hillman welcomed the guests and introduced their neighbors from Florida, Australian golf champion Greg Norman and his wife, Laura. "Every time I see him I think I'm going to get a wig and start Botox treatments," Henry joked. Norman said that when the Hillmans requested his help, his only response was "What time do you want us to be there?" He praised the generosity of Americans and reciprocated with some of his own -- a bottle of Greg Norman Estates wine was tucked into every gift bag.

Also on hand were actors Jerry Orbach and Chris Noth, who donated a "Sex in the City" dinner in New York for the innovative online auction that continued through Friday afternoon. Orbach did a guest turn singing with the massive Don Sebesky Orchestra, as did former "Phantom" Marcus Lovett and Broadway performers Michele Pawk and Billy Porter. The Hillmans' grandson, Matthew Fisher (son of Tim and Audrey Fisher), brought along his band and won tons of fans with his sexy, soulful performance, and still the entertainment continued. Between each course of a wonderful dinner prepared by All in Good Taste and UPMC Catering (squash bisque, herb-crusted sea bass, Australian lamb, greens with pumpkin vinaigrette and a medley of desserts), members of Cirque de Soleil performed mesmerizing aerial numbers.

The night was nonstop fabulous, and yet the mission stayed on course -- raising money for cancer research and patient care at the Hillman Cancer Center. Moving video testimonials from cancer patients and their doctors reminded the crowd of the life-saving importance of the work being done there. More than $4 million was raised Thursday, including a $1 million challenge grant from Joan and Harold Wheeler Jr. of Somerset and a $1 million gift from Mark Pasquerilla, CEO of Crown America Enterprises. Gala chairs Mikell and Bill Schenck and Pamela and Markos Tambakeras did a magnificent job of taking this annual event up many notches, with an assist from advisory chairs Tricia and Bill Kassling, co-chairs Susan and Michael Boyle and Bonnie and Tom Van Kirk and UPCI's Gayle Tissue.

The stellar crowd of local stars who made the gala glitter included UPCI chair Sy Holzer, UPMC CEO Jeffrey Romoff with Stefania (brother Doug Romoff supplied the entertainment), Dr. Ron Herberman, director of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute and UPMC Cancer Centers, with Harriett, Pitt Chancellor Mark Nordenberg with Nikki, Donna and Robert Bittner, Dotty and Nick Beckwith, Dr. Stan and Ellen Marks, Dr. Jeff and Jackie Shogan, Dr. Jim and Chris Luketich, Ina and Larry Gumberg, Stephanie and Tom Flannery, Cara and Chip Ganassi, Lea Simonds with sons Talbott and Henry, Mernie Berger and daughter Mary McClintock, Bonnie and Vaughan Blaxter, Alice Snyder, Susan and Barney Guttman, Helen and Henry Posner, Jeff and Shelly Lipton, Ed and Nancy Byrnes, Dr. Ron and Judy Linaburg, Susan Santa-Cruz and Art Stroyd, Dr. Ken and Tracy Melani, Penny and Chuck Alpern, Dick and Janice Pagliari, Dr. Marc Liang and Thelma Snyder with daughter Julie, Ron and Ann Wertz, Carl and Mary Jane Greffenstette, Ann McGuinn, Karen Feinstein, Diane and Cliff Rowe, Becky Snyder, Devra Davis, David Malone, Joanie and Sam Kamin and Joe DeNardo.