Sprout Fund gala at the Union Trust Building
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Olivia Kissel, Christine Andrews and Maria Hamer of the Zafira Dance Company. -
Rob Long with Cathy Lewis-Long during Hothouse ?08 at the Union Trust Building, Downtown. -
Lauren Toohey. -
Rafael Abreu-Canedo during Hothouse '08. -
Megan Cook with Rhode Island Red hen. -
Tera and Dustin Stiver. -
Christopher Schmidt with Lisa Dapprich. -
Caryn Rubinoff with Craig Dunham. -
Former Mayor Tom Murphy. -
Dale Markham, Deirdre Druant and Brian Broome during Hothouse '08 at the Union Trust Building. -
Anton Mariello during Hothouse '08. -
From left, Sarah Stallings, Bella Bingham and Jennifer Young Halasz. -
Kristen Lauth-Shaeffer with Andrew Halasz. -
Christopher James with Alanna Jackson. -
Verity Auden-Stevenson with Alan McGaughey. -
Thommy Conroy and James Maszle. -
Peter Kope and Michele de la Reza with five-week-old son Xander08.
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Henry Clay Frick may not have envisioned a giant Dutch windmill made of silk and plastic flowers in the lobby of his marble-clad Union Trust Building, but he would have loved the kind of innovation it stood for. The Sprout Fund took over the lobby, as well as the 10th and 11th floors, of the historic Downtown building for Hothouse '08. The annual benefit bash, which is like a Cuisinart of culture and community, mixing up guests with great ideas and creating one of the best parties in Pittsburgh, was the biggest ever. More than 2,400 roamed the former office spaces and halls decorated by Thommy Conroy and James Maszle with empty manila envelopes, more kitchy plastic plants and piles of shredded paper. They got a glimpse of the many projects supported by the Sprout Fund and enjoyed food and drink by more than 30 restaurants, caterers and brewers. Sprout Fund executive director Cathy Lewis-Long organized the party, and her husband, Rob Long, did all the lighting, sending a rainbow of colors around the center atrium from the lobby to the top floor. The music was as varied as the people and projects with hip-hop to classical and everything in between.
VIP ticket holders went home with gift bags filled with information, chocolate, honey, water and a T-shirt. Among those treading between the floors of fertile ideas, food and libations were Matt Hannigan with Sharmila Venkatasubban, Ellen Marks, Chris Kiehl, Will Carpenter and Stacy Weiss, Ben Lewis, Matt Harbaugh, Dave Newell (aka Mr. McFeely), the PG's Diana Block with her husband, Neil Barclay, Rebecca Whitlinger, Prentiss and LuLu Orr (they donated their new Boyd and Blair Potato Vodka), Tom and Amy Baron, Richard Parsakian, Drs. Helene and Todd Blodgett, Rob and Carrie Barmen, Susan Golomb, Anne Lewis, David and Susan Matter, Richard Rauh, Anthony Lamb and Paul Shea and Lisa Simone. The event grossed more than $130,000.
First Published August 30, 2008 12:00 am
