Memphis Oral School for the Deaf
2012 SPEAKEASY
Presented by Pickler Wealth Advisors
Saturday, April 14, 2012
April 14, 2012, Memphis Oral School for the Deaf held our first annual SpeakEasy event at the beautiful Lexus of Memphis showrooms and raised over $ 80,000 for the children at MOSD! The evening began with soft jazz tunes played in the front auction areas by Keith Brown and his Jazz trio. Many attendees dressed in costume for the event and ladies wrapped in feathered boas made the rounds looking at our more than 230 silent auction items. A variety of food was provided from Half Shell, P.F. Chang's, La Hacienda, Fino Villa, The Bar-B-Que Shop and Memphis Pizza Cafe. The unique aromas added to the ambiance of the creative decor provided by Behind the Scenes.
As with a SpeakEasy from the 1920's, blackjack, craps and roulette were available for faux gamblers in the back of the building in the Lexus of Memphis service area. The service area was transformed by Behind the Scenes and Hick's Convention Services into a lively Games area sponsored and run by Harrah's. Christian Brothers High School's Walnut Groove Jazz Band provided lively music for the gamers. Once pretend G-men closed down the SpeakEasy Games, party goers moved to the front of the showroom. Party goers were visibly touched as MOSD parent Melissa Gogonelis spoke about what the school has meant for her family and son Christopher. Former MOSD student Brittany Pellegra shared her story as well, and showed parents in attendance deaf children can grow up to be engaging, successful communicators!
It was then time for the Live Auction. WREG-TV anchor Richard Ransom emceed the live auction, which included 10 luxurious items. Spirited bidding broke out over a Tag Heuer watch donated Bob Richards Jewelers, as well as a fur jacket from Holloway Furs. As guests left and the night ended, the many feathered boas worn by guests left their mark (and lots of feathers) all over the Lexus of Memphis building!
MOSD parent Annette Jones said the night was "fun, entertaining, had great music, good food, a fantastic venue, beautiful costumes, an exciting live auction and wonderful friends." She added "We are excited to make SpeakEasy our annual MOSD reunion." Parent Melissa Gogonelis agreed and said "It was a terrific event, engaging with lots to do. It was a great venue and gave parents a chance to interact with the many people who help our children everyday at MOSD." And Dawn McGee, mother of a graduating student at MOSD said "We have decided to make the SpeakEasy our reunion every year, so we can catch-up no matter where our children are going to school!"
All proceeds from the event will go toward scholarships and operating expenses for the Memphis Oral School for the Deaf. With your support, we are Empowering Deaf Children to Listen, Learn and Talk!
Thank you to all of our SpeakEasy Sponsors
