Jackie O is the First Lady of Fitness, Fashion and Fun.
She is a Pittsburgh personal trainer, fitness instructor, life coach, motivational speaker, and fashionista. She also moonlights as a socialite.
What’s up ya’ll? As the First Lady of Fitness, Fashion, and Fun, I am always looking for the places hang out and socialize when I am not in the gym. I was lucky enough to attend the Friendship Ball this February. The annual Friendship Ball is fundraiser for Western Pennsylvania Hospital Foundation. It took place Saturday, Feb. 13, 2010 at the Westin Convention Center in downtown Pittsburgh.
The goal of the fundraiser was to raise money to help West Penn Hospital patients and families facing lengthy stays with needs such as housing, medications, transportation, parking, and meals. The theme of this year’s ball is “Shall We Dance?” The ball co-chairs were Dr. James M. Rossetti and Dr. M. Lori Certo Rossetti – a delightful couple who spoke both eloquently and comedicaly to the 300 plus attendees. Music for this black tie event was provided by the band Cityscape who kept the crowd moving and grooving. Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres began at 6:30 p.m with local Pittsburgh TV personalities Alby Oxenreiter and Rich Walsh as the emcees.
The menu consisted of the following:
Roasted Tomato Soup, Crispy Goat Cheese Salad, Lemon Sorbet, Pan-Seared Filet with Chive Butter accompanied by Grilled Sea Bass over Roasted Arugula and Tomato, Caramelized Onion and Horseradish Whipped Potato, Sauteed Vegetable Medley of Sugar Snap Peas, Shredded Carrot, Spinach, Sliced Yellow Squash, Red Pepper and Red Onion, Bakery Fresh Breads and Rolls with Butter, Triple Chocolate Mousse Charlotte with Fresh Berry Garnish, Whipped Cream and Raspberry Coulis, Coffee Bar, Cookies. Tickets to the ball were $250 per person.
The Western Pennsylvania Hospital is a 500-bed academic medical center and the first hospital in Pittsburgh to be recognized by the American Nurses Credentialing Center as a Magnet Hospital for its excellence in nursing. West Penn Hospital has also received prestigious awards for its bariatric surgery, bone marrow and cell transplantation, burn care, cardiovascular care, joint care, and reproductive medicine programs.
The Foundation sold Swarovski crystal jewelry raffle tickets for $200 each. All participants were guaranteed to win a piece of jewelry and the grand prize winner received a Swarovski crystal cuff and evening bag worth $1,200.
In addition, the evening featured auction raffle prizes such as a Pittsburgh Pirates suite for 15 people at PNC Park, including food and beverages, as well as autographed jerseys from Jerome Bettis, Sidney Crosby, Mario Lemieux, and Franco Harris. Other prizes included plane tickets, a Holland America cruise, and gift certificates from numerous dining, shopping, cultural and recreational venues.
There was also a performance by ballroom dancers from absolute ballroom, which made me really want to head to some professional ballroom classes myself. Students from Bell School of Irish Dance gave several invigorating performances. The evening was well worth the expense and I recommend that anyone who can should attend the Friendship Ball in 2011.
