The TSD Foundation has hosted fundraising events in the past, but previous efforts were dwarfed by the Louis Shanks 'Feel the Music' Gala. Sponsored by Peter Bay and Louis Shanks to benefit the Foundation, this was the Foundation's first formal event, and it went off with a bang. The community partnerships formed as a result will ultimately benefit the Foundation (and thus the school) for years to come.
Feel the Music was held at the very luxurious Louis Shanks Furniture at 2930 W Anderson Lane on May 13, 2006. The event took months of hard work and preparation and many people were involved to make sure everything was perfect. Mike Forwood, President of Louis Shanks, donated the space and Kate Benanti, event planner and full time designer at Louis Shanks brought together a committee of devoted individuals to make it all happen. Rebecca Starr, Joel Craig, Kassalin Callhoon, Lisa Crawford and Michael Hanley spent hours of time and energy to ensure success. Peter Bay, Music Director of the Austin Symphony Orchestra, was the emcee for the evening and drew a delightful crowd. Mac Bynum, pianist, performed on the Model B Steinway generously donated by Steinway and Sons of Austin. Joe Morales accompanied him on the saxophone. The music was a perfect mix bringing the evening together.
Louis Shanks' multi-tiered, winding showroom made for a delightful mix-and-mingle party atmosphere. An exquisite sampling of hor d'oeuvres generously donated by Ruggles Grill had a wide range of flavor and flare. There was champagne on hand to give the party that certain elegant atmosphere and to entice people to do exactly what they came there to do, spend money.
The auction was certainly the highlight of the evening. Michael Hanley, of Cornucopia Auctioneers, and his assistant Michelle Allen, brought their talents and once they started rolling nothing got in their way. Items auctioned included a week rental of a convertible Porsche from Roger Beasley, a Lance Armstrong package including a Trek Bike, Helmet and personal training session with Lance, a romantic sunset balloon ride, commemorative University of Texas sports memorabilia, and a weekend retreat. The “paddles up” portion of the auction alone raised a $10,000. And not to overshadow Michael’s auctioneering talents, interpreter Shawn McGrath kept pace with a lively and hugely entertaining interpretation of the auction. When it was all said and done, over $28,000 was raised and all of the proceeds were donated to the TSD Foundation for literacy and advanced placement programs.
The TSD community is extremely grateful to everyone who contributed and made the Foundation’s first black tie event very worthwhile. We encourage everyone to go and peruse the beautiful showroom of Louis Shanks and tell them in person how extremely grateful we are for this event and their support. For a personal intro to the finest home furnishings showroom in the country contact, Kate Bentanti.