This annual fundraiser features Philadelphia’s favorite Local Celebrities and Philadelphia Athletes, stepping behind the bar to mix cocktails and sell raffle tickets for a good cause.Proceeds from this event will help to ensure that summer programs are still available for Variety-The Children’s Charity’s special children. All monies from door admission, raffle sales, and Miller Lite purchases go directly to the charity courtesy of Muller Beverage.

On hand again this year was Russel Ohneck, who is on the advisory board to his left is Joe Sweeney and former Phillies Art Mahaffey. (born June 4, 1938 in Cincinnati, Ohio) is a former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Philadelphia Phillies (1960–65) and St. Louis Cardinals (1966). He batted and threw right-handed. In a seven-season career, Mahaffey posted a 59-64 record with 639 strikeouts and a 4.17 ERA in 999.0 innings pitched.
No doubt I caught Fran Dunphy – Temple Men’s Basketball Coach, off guard with this shot. He’s been bartending for the Variety Club almost since the begining of it’s inception.
One way to get a whole bunch of media attention is to invite some of our areas top media celebrities to stir and serve some cocktails. Fox 29’s Mike Jerrick makes a sweet concoction for Miss Pennsylvania USA – Amber-Joi Watkins.
We often see Marisa Magnatta – WMMR Preston & Steve Show Co-Host, on the otherside of the bar with her BFF Erin Como, but for charity she’s willing to get serve up a little brewsky to raise some dough for kids in need.
Variety – The Children’s Charity provides a safe environment for students with disabilities to engage in educational, recreational, therapeutic, cultural, and social activities during the after school hours.
Jenn Walsh, Shannon Sofield and Gary Cardi, co-owner of Field House. Congratulations to Gary and Clayre Brown, Kaleidoscope Solutions, who are getting hitch 7/15/11. Unfortunately I won’t be covering the big day as it’s taking place in Rhode Island, but it sounds wonderful.
Cheryl Fairweather, National Account Manager at @arctic Ease, but when she’s on the field she’s either coaching the Phila Phoenix Football cheerleaders or as a free safety/wide receiver & marketing director for the Phila Passions Lingerie Football team. Cheryl is trying to find out the real measurement of a mans value. Seems that for $20 you could get as many raffle tickets as the height of a person in the room, they’re my tickets and I found the tallest guy heads above the rest. He was a little baffled at first and thought they were for him and shelled out $20. Then I had her measure him again. Did you know the height of a person is the same as the width of the arms wide open, that’s what the guy said. I took his word for it.
Chris and Tracy DiFonzo. Chris is my new advertiser on PhillyChitChat.com We met at the Celebrity Bartender event and he told me a little bit about his business which I found to be fascinating. It’s called Open Desks Say you were self employed like me, or maybe you work in an office but you don’t have a board room and you’re going to have a meeting. You would go to Open Desks plug in some info and wallah several choices of offices and or board rooms would be at your fingertips to rent for that meeting or for you to instantly have an office. I sure would like to get out of my closet, er I mean home office (it’s an old closet) some day. If you have space you want to include in this business contact Chris at Chris @ opendesks.com (no spaces)
See that hockey stick, it was signed by Flyers Kimmo Timonen and I won it, yeah. You’ll see it at the Gilda’s Charity Event I will be having at Fleming’s Steak House in September. Kelly Fromuth, Liz Butterworth, Vince P and Jenn Butterworth I bet they’ve heard their share of Mrs Butterworth jokes
Mariela Metz, Nina Alves, Christine Ramos (The Hot Sexy Latina Realtor, her friends tell me.) and Mary Sedhom were enjoying their first Variety Club Bartenders evening. Especially Philadelphia Eagles Winston Justice who made an earlier appearance.
Where have you been Vittoria Woodill, why she’s been moved over to Tango Traffic (Which just conjures up a lot of dancing and pointing to me. Gotta check it out.) Hopefully soon we will see her on air giving us the 411 on rush hour traffic. Here to support her are her BFF’s Jessica O’Driscoll and Beth Cataline.Oh I was right about that Tango Traffic, I just got this screen shoot. Why yes it is 3AM. Traffic’s clear though.Jay Duncan, Villanova Men’s Basketball Assistant Coaches with Vittoria
Michelle Conron Skai Blue Media relaxing and enjoying a Miller where all the proceeds go to the Delaware Valley Variety Club.

Join PIFA as The Avenue of the Arts is transformed into a Parisian street fair with French street vendors and performers, a grass park with a children’s area, musical entertainment all day long, and a giant Ferris Wheel. Saturday, April 30, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., the stretch of South Broad Street from Chestnut to Lombard will be transformed into an all-out street celebration inspired by the allure of Paris. Between 80 and 100 vendors, craftsmen and exhibitors will fill the street while Philadelphians ride a genuine Ferris Wheel and enjoy a wide variety of performers and bands (there are two stages).

All culminating with a breathtaking routine by La Compagnie Transe Express performing 100 feet in the air.

Founded in 1982 by Brigitte Burdin and Gilles Rhode, who oversee the Artistic Direction, Transe Express create magical and imaginative large-scale shows in unconventional spaces. Their productions are unique adventures that transform cities and invite the public to escape their everyday reality.

PIFA has already been spectacular in it’s entirety, but Saturday is going to be a day to remember as Broad Street transforms into a Parisian Street Fair with mimes, roving street performers, over 100 vendors, craftsmen and exhibitors will provide entertainment throughout the day. Street Fair: Broad St closed 4/29, 30. Please plan enough time to arrive at this performance.
For easy traveling, ride SEPTA! 215-580-7800 – www.SEPTA.org

As mentioned last week at the Palomar Hotel’s Earth Day Happy Hour, I spotted some of the Mural Arts Program and the Department of Streets departments Solar Powered Compacting Trash and Recycling Bins wrapped in the new designs done by artists Ben Woodward, Thom Lessner, and students from the Big Picture art education program In 2009, as part of a city-wide initiative to reduce litter, the City rolled out 500 of these efficient cans that double as solar powered trash compactors. The Big Picture program has taken this effort one step further by decorating 50 BigBellies with graphic vinyl wraps, turning them into playful “garbage monsters” and “litter bugs” that provide both kids and grownups with a fun incentive to properly dispose of their garbage. Lessner and Woodward visited students one a week to help them imagine their three-dimensional creatures through two-dimensional drawings. The final designs are almost entirely kid-created with each student contributing a piece of their art to the designs. The BigBelly project was made possible by the City of Philadelphia Department of Human Services in partnership with the Department of Streets.The litter critters are an extension of Mural Arts’ Design in Motion recycling truck project completed in April 2010, wherein 20 city recycling trucks were decorated with artwork created by Big Picture students in response to their study of textiles; each vinyl wrap features elements drawn from The Design Center’s textile collection.Big Picture provides young people ages 10 to 14 with mural training and visual arts education through four sessions beginning in October and running through August. The first three sessions (Fall, Winter, and Spring) focus on community and social responsibility. Students concentrate on foundational art skills, mural design, and small indoor or outdoor murals. The fourth session (Summer) focuses on job training. Students are involved in large-scale mural or mixed-media public art projects with professional artists, and receive a modest stipend.
Stop by Headhouse Square on Wednesday, April 27 from 4-5 p.m. as Mural Arts officially dedicates the litter critters. (I shot these on Easter Sunday as this man was installing one at I think this was 8th & South Streets.)

I’ve always wanted to go to the South Street Easter Parade, but am usually out of town. This year I wasn’t. I woke up early, put on my Easter Bonnet and ran down to the parade route. Then I woke up realized I was late and grabbed a cab and made it just in timeto see these two bikers with their Flat Stanley posing with the end of the parade.
But was there to see CW’s Kharisma McIlwaine and MC Mr. Halloween Henri David greet the guests for the 2011 Easter Parade and prepare them for several contests that they were going to have.Here’s the winner for the best dressed baby, together now awwwww. Really adorable. This dog won best dressed dog.
Not sure if these two entered the best dressed Easter costume, but they would definitely have won for best Original Couple from South Street, which in it’s hey day was Philly’s Haight Asbury. Happy 420 last week.
Phillies Phever: The Philadelphia Phillies with the best record in the MLB
Hand puppet rabbit. I think he might be an original South Street resident too.
Cute dogs. Now we’re talking high fashion Easter: love her gloves.
Check out the guy on the right shooting a photo with his IPad. This dog came in third. The women on the far right with the peach hat won best dressed women at the promenade.
Next year you can adopt this cute pit bull from PAWS to enter into the pet contest
Crocs are back, or did they never go away?
I ran into Ernie, who for years played his flute inside the hallow halls of City Hall courtyard. Says he misses Greta Greenberger and will return soon.

Friday night Questlove and The Roots rented the entire Union Trust restaurant to celebrate band member

Kamal Gray’s birthday. The party started about 10PM with the guests rolling in closer to 11. They partied til about 2AM. Then a few folks headed to the Vault for an after hours party. (Sunday night Philadelphia Eagles Michael Vick and his fiance Kijafa, PNK Elephant Jewelry, were sighted at the Vault.)I didn’t hit that party, but I headed further down the street to the Tin Angel (it was packed) and caught
“Karen Gross Presents The Black Cat Cabaret,” the first in an ongoing series featuring the Philadelphia area’s best cabaret performers and comedians. In addition to singing and emceeing the evening with her signature sassy humor, Karen also hosted three of Philadelphia’s most accomplished performers: cabaret icon Eddie Bruce, celebrated pianist/vocalist Tom Adams and acclaimed comedienne Jennifer Blaine. Love love love Eddie Bruce. He is Mr Cabaret, and a great story teller. I last saw him perform at the Rittenhouse Ball last June. When he’s not performing at events, he’s doing a concert somewhere in the Tri-State area. Catch him, it’ll be great, fun and romantic if you want. Check out his website.
Eddie Bruce and Karen Gross closing the show. It was the first time I caught Karen’s show, although I have heard her sing at various events throughout the City and I met her about three years ago when she was the editor of Where Magazine. (and she is also a PhillyChitChat advertiser so I really love her lots). I really enjoyed it, and look forward to her future cabaret shows and am excited someone is reviving cabaret in Philly featuring various entertainers. Years ago I enjoyed the American Music Theatre Festival which was a cabaret series that played at the Barrymore Room at the Bellevue where XIX is currently located. It then moved to the Prince Theater in the 90’s but ceased to exist after the Prince hit financial bottom. Anyway, looking forward to Cabaret’s return to Philadelphia.

BTW I recently wrote that a sneaker store has been nipping at the heals to own the Prince Theater property, but someone informed me that the University of the Arts, as well as Temple University would love to own the property. That would be awesome cause I want it to remain as a theater, don’t you? How can we get this done. The thing is on it’s last legs?

It’s been 20 years since his group, The Roots, graced the sidewalks of South Street and he hasn’t come up for air yet. In an entertainment world where success seems to come sooner then later, HE is truly the”hardest working man in the business”. Its the Life Creative is proud to present Inside the Studio with Questlove!

On Sunday, May 15th at Inside The Studio, Laiya st Clair sits down with the man who has “done” it all and still manages to stay loyal to his home town of Philly, Questlove aka Ahmir Khalib Thompson. To guide this experience, Inside the Studio consists of resident deejay, DJ Afrodjiak, a well known selector on the Philly scene who will provide tribute music; and host, Laiya St. Clair, a Philadelphia radio and television personality who uses her passion for arts and culture to guide us through the layers of each artist. And last but not least, Flygirrl is the executive producer of the event and the visual artist’s curator. Tribute visual art will be by Freek Ugly, Tone Kasso, Flygirrl + more!

http://insidethestudiowithquestlove.eventbrite.com/

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I know this is going to make Brian happy:

Elizabeth Berkley
Ask Elizabeth: Real Answers to Everything You Secretly Wanted to Ask about Love, Friends, Your Body and Life in General – Tuesday 6PM Barnes & Noble 18th & Walnut Streets

Do you Watch Medium, Do you believe in Spirits, Guardian Angels? My Family was witness to an amazing miracle…

(Written March 23, 2005) Last Thursday, on St. Patrick’s Day, we celebrated my father’s life by spreading his ashes about 2 miles off the Florida Keys (he had died unexpectedly the year before in an accident at his house in Florida – 5/2/04.) It was a beautiful ceremony. We had a St. Patrick’s Day memorial party in the afternoon at the house as dad had requested.
In the evening (about 9PM) the family (including the under 15 set who were not at the house during the day or all week.) gathered on the patio to enjoy mom’s key lime pie and other desserts by CANDLELIGHT. My nephew Kevin was the only youngin’ to join us on the patio as the other kids ate inside watching TV. Kevin is a little over 2 years old (he had only met my dad about a handful of times as his family lived in another state) He doesn’t really talk yet, as they say he is a slow learner and at the time we thought he was autistic, but he can usually put a word or two together once in a blue moon, and knows sign language for the important words like Eat, Food and Drink. Otherwise he talks gibberish as his speech teacher has told my sister.He’s never been to my parents house in Florida, and he was never in the backyard before this night (we all rented houses on a different parts of the island and had dinner at one another’s house the previous nights, [he never saw my dad on a boat, we only have one photo of Kevin and my dad together, he was 1.5 years and when my father died and he had only met him a handful of times as my sister lived out of state.] We sat around the table on the patio that evening, and after about 20 minutes of eating and chatting KEVIN stands up and points into the darkness towards the water where my dad’s boat use to be docked (as it was sold after dad died) and states “POP-POP, boat.” He says this a few times. He goes on to say Pop-pop, minnow. “Pop-pop, home” “Pop-pop hello.” “No bait to fish”

A very emotional Mom then asked me to go get a photo of dad and give it to Kevin’s dad. His dad, Frank says to Kevin, “Who is this? Kevin said Pop-pop.” Kevin where is pop-pop? And then Kevin pointed towards where the stern (back) of the boat would be, and where my dad spent many hours tinkering (the boat was 30 feet long and has a definite stern, middle and bow section). (I removed this picture – house and boat that I took on the day dad died when I flew to the Keys to see dad in the hospital before he passed. We were all sitting to the left, at the far right in the darkened part of the patio is a hammock that dad spent lots of hours on reading and snoozing)As time went on, things got quiet and Kevin went back to gibberish, my sister Tracy said to me that it was like the movie the Sixth-Sense, I leaned over to her and said “Can Kevin see dead people?”. (I don’t think Kevin heard me, but his mother came over and tapped me on the head and looked at me with a disapproving look.)

About 5-10 minutes later, and just as some of us were getting ready to go home for the night, Kevin stands up and happily states, as he was raising his arms in the air like he was going to do a cheer, “NO ONE is DEAD,” “NO ONE is DEAD,” “Don’t Be Sad, No one is Dead,” Don’t be scared, No one is dead.” After about a minute or two he stopped and began playing patty cake with Pop-pop?. Then he played hide and go seek, even stating BOO a few times. Then he walked to the far (and less lit) side of the patio, about 25 feet from where we were all sitting, to where the empty hammock was. He then started pushing the hammock with TWO HANDS gleefully squealing “WHEEEEEE WHEEEEE ISNT THIS FUN….” Finally running back to where we were sitting stunned, Kevin stated one last time “NO ONE IS DEAD, DON’T BE SAD” “Pop-pop HOME”

At this point Kevin went on to play a game of stepping on someone’s toes, and then someone trying to step on his toes. This was a sight to see as he was clearly communicating and playing with someone (Pop-Pop?) as he was squealling in laughter and looking up. After a bit, as we were all sniffling and in a bit of shock, Kevin’s frazzled dad Frank said it was late, and time to go, at that point the usually mild manner boy just burst out crying and actually threw himself on the ground backwards (not violently though). As his dad picked him up, Kevin turned 180 degrees towards the water, where the stern of the boat would have been, where my dad spent so many hours, and said bye pop-pop, bye as he blew Pop-pop a kiss good-bye We all know how blessed we are to have had this amazing experience. And for months following this incident, Kevin would occasionally see Pop-pop and announce it to his mom and once had his mom call Nana to tell her, but no sightings occurred after that first year, and once in awhile when I see Kevin I ask him if he has seen Pop-pop, nowadays he has no idea what I am talking about, and that is just fine with his mother, as she doesn’t want Kevin remembering seeing Pop-pop after he had died, so please don’t tell him!

Sometimes you can be too thin too. Although I don’t have that problem. Team Derek at a signing a week ago.

Iron Hil is going over the top with their celebration of Burger Month so they deserve a posting just for that effort. Some of my favorite burgers in the City are Rouge, of course, 500 Degrees of course, Lucky Strikes and Butcher & Singer. I like McD’s burgers too. Here’s the list for Iron Hill’s burger of the day in May.

May 1 – Napa Valley Burger with Cabernet onions, black pepper chevre, tomato and arugulaMay 2 – Au Poivre Burger with gorgonzola, caramelized onion and mushroom spreadMay 3 – Black and Blue Burger blackened burger with gorgonzola, caramelized onions, tomato and baconMay 4 – Carolina Burger with bacon, coleslaw, red onion, American cheese and yellow mustard May 5 – South of the Border Burger with sautéed onions and poblano peppers, bacon, guacamole, Monterey jack and spicy chipotle ketchupMay 6 – Brewmaster’s Burger with beer-braised onions, bacon, Swiss, cheddar and roasted garlic aioliMay 7 – Hickory Burger with house-smoked pulled pork, sharp cheddar and barbeque sauceMay 8 – Mom’s Burger with exotic mushrooms, brie and vine-ripened tomatoMay 9 – Grilled Cheese Burger with fried onions, mushrooms, tomato, Swiss and cheddar on ryeMay 10 – New Mexico Burger with roasted green chile relish, Monterey jack, salsa verde, lettuce and tomatoMay 11 – Saltimbocca Burger with prosciutto, provolone, sautéed spinach and caramelized onionsMay 12 – Yogi Bear Picnic Burger with onion rings, bacon, BBQ sauce, potato salad and American cheeseMay 13 – South Philly Burger with garlicky broccoli rabe, roasted long hots, provolone and Asiago May 14 – Pizza Burger with pepperoni, mozzarella, Asiago and tomato sauceMay 15 – Reuben Burger with shaved corned beef, sauerkraut, 1000 Island dressing and Swiss on ryeMay 16 – Hell Fire Burger with fried green chilies, onions, pepper jack cheese and chipotle ketchupMay 17 – Jammin’ Marley Burger with pineapple chutney, bacon, sharp cheddar and Jamaican BBQ sauceMay 18 – Green Bay Burger with cheddar, Swiss, provolone and Boursin, lettuce, tomato and red onionMay 19 – Ode to Jerry Garcia Burger with mushrooms, Monterey jack, caramelized onions and roasted garlic aioliMay 20 – French Onion Burger with Gruyere, caramelized onions, bacon and French onion dipMay 21 – Bistro Burger with Boursin and herb-roasted exotic mushroomsMay 22 – Big Haas Burger with Haas avocado, Monterey jack, red onion and roasted garlic mayonnaiseMay 23 – Paris Burger with brie, sautéed apples, rosemary onions, bacon and spinachMay 24 – London Pub Burger, a double-decker burger with caramelized onions, mushrooms, sharp cheddar and house brown gravy on the sideMay 25 – California Burger with Haas avocado, cucumber, pea shoots and wasabi aioliMay 26 – Whiz Kid Burger with sauteed peppers and onions and Cheez WhizMay 27 – Caprese Burger with fresh mozzarella, vine-ripened tomato, balsamic glaze and basil pestoMay 28 – Catamount Burger with Vermont white sharp cheddar, applewood-smoked bacon and maple glazeMay 29 – Chicago Burger with sweet pickle relish, onion, pickled hot peppers, tomato, celery salt and mustardMay 30 – Red, White and Blue burger with vine-ripened tomato, sliced onion, gorgonzola and baconMay 31 – Jalapeno Popper Burger with deep fried jalapeno slices, cream cheese and bacon