by Terri Carter
December 15, 2011
The Gala, held at the Georgia Aquarium Ballroom, was a mix of local celebrities including Mayor Kasim Reed of Atlanta, the number two green athlete in the world and fullback of the Atlanta Falcons, Ovie Mughelli and many of Ted's friends and business associates. It was philanthropy at its best. I was honored to be in attendance of one of the most exclusive events of the year. How did I get an invite to such an upscale event? It's called volunteering for a cause that I love. Earlier this year, my green kids club which happens to be called The Green Gang had volunteered at the Captain Planet booth during the Earth Day Celebration at the Chattahoochee Nature Center. I was subsequently sent an invite to this event and I could not afford to attend but the Cinderella story took a turn and when I explained to the person who sent me the invite that it must have been in error, she asked if I wanted to volunteer for The Gala and enjoy a great evening. I was ecstatic at the opportunity and agreed to assist in any way that I could.
I arrived early so that I could get a glimpse of everyone arriving in style of course. I happen to get posted as a greeter as everyone arrived. My job for the evening was to make sure that everyone arriving went to the proper reception room. There were two receptions, gold and silver as well as a silent auction prior to the dinner. I was able to snag a few of those mini bison burgers from Ted's Montana Grill and believe me bison is delicious. I had eaten it before but this bison was a happy bison and I was too. During dinner, there was a live auction of things personal to Ted including a weekend on one of his favorite ranches with him included as a special bonus.
I was most impressed with the dinner itself and the presentation. No buffet line here of course, it was top notch catering with an Eco-friendly menu. True to the mission of the foundation, dinner was all organic, fresh, seasonal and sustainably farmed from CSA farms. Get to know what CSA really means because you will be hearing much more about it soon. It stands for Community Supported Agriculture and that is a old concept with a socioeconomic way of farming. Basically, everyone in the co opt owns the farm. Everyone works to make the harvest successful. It's kind of an all for one and one for all business. Free range chickens highlighted the menu with local grown butternut squash, red potatoes and mixed green lettuce. I was able to snag a plate from a kindly server. I pushed my luck and even got a French butter apple tart dessert. A happy pallet indeed and then there was the GRAMMY Award winning voice of Alison Krauss. She not only gave the crowd a great performance but she is a supporter of environmental initiatives in a big way. The host for the evening was CNN producer Nadia Bilchik. Awards were presented to oceanographer Dr. Sylvia Earle and champion for the planet, Jeff Corwin.
The Aquarium Ballroom was decorated in a winter theme with white bare leaf trees and huge white hydrangeas bouquets adorned each of the over 100 tables that were set with a full formal dinner setting. The event was catered by renowned chef Wolfgang Puck's restaurant. Each table was fitted with red and white wines from Wolfgang Puck private wine label. The blue wave decor of the ballroom along with the aquatic view of the beluga whale and the whale shark tanks added to the romantic mood of the evening. I think that it was a very upbeat mood there and everyone seemed relaxed and generous. I am sure that Laura Turner Seydel, CPF Chairman was happy with the positive response and success of the event.
December 15, 2011
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| Terri Carter with Houewives of Atlanta Phadra Parks and her hot hubby at he Captain Planet Benefit Gala |
Ted Turner's Captain Planet Foundation held its annual gala to bring awareness to saving our planet and its most precious and fragile natural resources. The Foundation seeks to empower and inspire the next generation of environmental stewards through hands on education in schools, communities and by encouraging kids to be active in protecting our environment. The foundation's focus is on the future so by focusing on youth now, it's mission is to educate kids so that they understand now and can make a difference in the future.
The Gala, held at the Georgia Aquarium Ballroom, was a mix of local celebrities including Mayor Kasim Reed of Atlanta, the number two green athlete in the world and fullback of the Atlanta Falcons, Ovie Mughelli and many of Ted's friends and business associates. It was philanthropy at its best. I was honored to be in attendance of one of the most exclusive events of the year. How did I get an invite to such an upscale event? It's called volunteering for a cause that I love. Earlier this year, my green kids club which happens to be called The Green Gang had volunteered at the Captain Planet booth during the Earth Day Celebration at the Chattahoochee Nature Center. I was subsequently sent an invite to this event and I could not afford to attend but the Cinderella story took a turn and when I explained to the person who sent me the invite that it must have been in error, she asked if I wanted to volunteer for The Gala and enjoy a great evening. I was ecstatic at the opportunity and agreed to assist in any way that I could.I arrived early so that I could get a glimpse of everyone arriving in style of course. I happen to get posted as a greeter as everyone arrived. My job for the evening was to make sure that everyone arriving went to the proper reception room. There were two receptions, gold and silver as well as a silent auction prior to the dinner. I was able to snag a few of those mini bison burgers from Ted's Montana Grill and believe me bison is delicious. I had eaten it before but this bison was a happy bison and I was too. During dinner, there was a live auction of things personal to Ted including a weekend on one of his favorite ranches with him included as a special bonus.
I was most impressed with the dinner itself and the presentation. No buffet line here of course, it was top notch catering with an Eco-friendly menu. True to the mission of the foundation, dinner was all organic, fresh, seasonal and sustainably farmed from CSA farms. Get to know what CSA really means because you will be hearing much more about it soon. It stands for Community Supported Agriculture and that is a old concept with a socioeconomic way of farming. Basically, everyone in the co opt owns the farm. Everyone works to make the harvest successful. It's kind of an all for one and one for all business. Free range chickens highlighted the menu with local grown butternut squash, red potatoes and mixed green lettuce. I was able to snag a plate from a kindly server. I pushed my luck and even got a French butter apple tart dessert. A happy pallet indeed and then there was the GRAMMY Award winning voice of Alison Krauss. She not only gave the crowd a great performance but she is a supporter of environmental initiatives in a big way. The host for the evening was CNN producer Nadia Bilchik. Awards were presented to oceanographer Dr. Sylvia Earle and champion for the planet, Jeff Corwin.
The Aquarium Ballroom was decorated in a winter theme with white bare leaf trees and huge white hydrangeas bouquets adorned each of the over 100 tables that were set with a full formal dinner setting. The event was catered by renowned chef Wolfgang Puck's restaurant. Each table was fitted with red and white wines from Wolfgang Puck private wine label. The blue wave decor of the ballroom along with the aquatic view of the beluga whale and the whale shark tanks added to the romantic mood of the evening. I think that it was a very upbeat mood there and everyone seemed relaxed and generous. I am sure that Laura Turner Seydel, CPF Chairman was happy with the positive response and success of the event.
The Captain Planet Foundation held it's annual gala to bring attention to the mission of the foundation.
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