COOKIES FOR A CAUSE transformed the quaint, southern tradition of the holiday cookie exchange into an unabashed, outrageous diva style typed cookie bash rowdiness. The more than 160 ladies in attendance managed to step out in fetching designer attire, shake it on the dance floor, dine on exquisite cuisine, swap a few (thousand) cookies, and, oh yeah, raise thousands of dollars for charity. One thing is for sure - this ain’t your grandma’s typical cookie exchange!
Not to be outdone, the over 160 gentlemen in attendance at the INAUGURAL CHIPS FOR A CAUSE GENTLEMEN’S POKER NIGHT gave the ladies a run for their money! This all-male fundraiser boasted of cigar smoking, poker playing and ogling Vegas style jewelry models intent on getting the men to bid on silent auction gems for their Diva wives.
The ladies of the COOKIES FOR A CAUSE DIVAS ONLY COOKIE BASH and the gentlemen of the INAUGURAL CHIPS FOR A CAUSE GENTLEMEN’S POKER NIGHT came together that evening for an AFTER-HOURS PARTY that certainly made a lot of noise in the community (for their cause of course!). The Divas and their Gentlemen danced the night away in a New York club styled ballroom, hooted and hollered and raised a ton of money. “Fabulous, really!"
The COOKIES FOR A CAUSE DIVAS ONLY COOKIE BASH and the INAUGURAL CHIPS FOR A CAUSE GENTLEMEN’S POKER NIGHT was held at The Peninsula Club and collectively raised $25,000 for the Ronald McDonald House of Charlotte.
The Redmond’s 5 year old daughter, Gracie Redmond, collected 130 coats that evening for Channel 9’s Steve’s Coats for Kids Program. (Both Gracie Redmond and her 2 year old brother, Cade Redmond, intend to bring over 200 coats to Channel 9 in January.)
Celebrity Appearances by Ray Evernham, former pit crew chief to Jeff Gordon, Steve LeTarte, pit crew chief to Dale Earnhardt Jr., Natalie Pasquarella and Steve Udelson of Channel 9, and Adrian Murrell, a former NFL great.
All things COOKIES FOR A CAUSE are done in the honor and memory of Kristi P. Crates who passed away October 29, 2007 at the early age of 35 due to Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Kristi was the most charitable diva of them all!
2011 Executive Planning Committee Members: Allison Labovitz, Stefanie Timmerman, Sandy Crowell, Lori Ciuca, Ridgely Chapman and Adriene Pattie.