Disco fever with a cause
In our youth, any occasion was an excuse to have a party. The nightlife beckoned and the discos were our watering holes. The promise of pleasures was so alluring that we devoted our lives to its pursuit. As we mature, we are haunted by the realization that these pleasures ultimately do not satisfy. We look around us and we are now aware of the plight of Juan de la Cruz who lives in a shanty. One big storm can deprive him and his family of the roof over their heads.
So, at this time in our lives, we use an occasion to make our friends realize their blessings and to share them with Juan de la Cruz. Last month, I had a choice to celebrate my birthday in a small way, with just my family and close friends or with a big BANG, complete with birthday aftershocks days after. I chose the latter for one particular reason: during these rainy months, there will be a lot of typhoons coming and many marginalized families will lose their homes.
The celebration was an excuse to raise funds for housing for the poor. Early last year I attended a groundbreaking of Air France /KLM at the Gawad Kalinga property in Bagong Silang and I wanted to make them my beneficiary for this particular fund-raising. With my purpose in mind, I needed to now look for a venue and sort out a lot of details. But everything just fell into place. My friend Michelle Garcia, communications and marketing director of Marriott, invited me for a drink at Marriott’s Velocity Bar and immediately I fell in love with the place and decided to hold my party there. Michelle presented my project to Richard Saul, Marriott’s general manager who approved of my celebration. When the date and venue were finalized, I sent out e-vites with this at the bottom: “In lieu of gifts, a donation to KLM/Gawad Kalinga will be appreciated.”
I conceptualized “Nostalgia” as a theme to revive the disco craze of the ’80s and the ’90s. Michelle Garcia made sure that the party at Velocity Bar had a disco feel to it, complete with strobe lights and a DJ, who played dance music from the ’80s and the ’90s. She did not forget to put a table at the foyer for the KLM team of Tess Zulueta, Malyn Sarino, and Christa Martinez to receive the generous donations of the guests. To date, more donations are pouring in from some friends who could not attend the party. My disco mates during those decades were the priority on my guest list and top of the list was Louie Ysmael, the king of the disco era. I told him that everyone could be absent but him. He epitomized that era and the evening would not be complete without him. Senator Bongbong Marcos was our disco mate in Paris so I insisted on his presence, too. When he was a student in London, he would fly to Paris for the weekend, stay with Bong and Sandy Daza in their flat at Rue la Place and we would go the discos till dawn.
When guests know it is a fund-raising, donations pour in. I had to turn down some sponsorships for wines but accepted the offer of Lucio Pua, (busineess development manager of Premiere Wines and Spirits), who brought cases of Wolf Blass Wines and Sparkling, and the wines of long time friend, Manny Osmeña, proprietor of Hilton Hotel and Resort in Cebu who also owns Manny O Wines. The guests were kept happy by trips to the well-equipped bar and a buffet table with a delicious array that was personally attended to by Daryn Hudson, Marriott’s director of food and beverage. Music went on all evening and everyone danced to the music of Michael Jackson, Madonna, Eurythmics, Kool and the Gang, Sister Sledge, Duran Duran, U2, Soul to Soul, ABBA, Cyndi Lauper, Pointer Sisters, etc. It was a euphoric celebration blessed by the presence of countless friends who cared to share their blessings and celebrate my special evening with me.
