When up-and-coming Hollywood heartthrob Aaron Stanford makes it big, some Baltimore movie lovers can say they knew him when.
Aaron was in town recently at a Charles Theatre preview screening of Tadpole for the benefit of the Maryland Film Festival. In the movie, the 20-something actor plays a 15-year-old interested in older women Sigourney Weaver and Bebe Neuwirth.
Film Fest programming administrator Dan Krovich says, not only was the movie good, but so were some of the questions the audience of 200 asked Aaron and the film's director Gary Winnick, who was also at the screening. The one that sticks most in Dan's mind is the question Aaron was asked: What was it like to kiss his two sexy co-stars?
Dan says Aaron's answer was very diplomatic, as he replied that both Sigourney and Bebe were "very good kissers" and that he enjoyed the extra takes.
Tadpole opens this July. But the buzz is that Aaron will be hot-hot-hot when X-Men II opens -- probably next year -- with him starring as the new character Pyro.
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HOT-HOT-HOT is how folks at Baltimore Clayworks are describing their annual summer fund-raiser, "Spice It Up!" Clayworks' Debra Joseph says, although the group has thrown the shindig for at least 10 years (no one quite remembers when they started it), this year Clayworks sold more than 600 tickets, five times more than last year. And Debra says the weather was perfect, as was the crowd's energy. Hundreds gathered outside the Mount Washington building to eat, drink and dance the night away.
She says the culinary hits included flash-fried bananas in chocolate and strawberry sauces as well as sugar cookies in the shape of a hand -- Clayworks' logo.
But her favorite memory from that night is that of a young boy -- 10 years old, maybe -- dancing with a collection of about 20 balloons. Kinda summed up the collective giddy mood right there.
Speaking of summing up -- looks like "Spice It Up!" raised about $20,000 for Clayworks.
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MEANWHILE, Alice Pinderhughes is thrilled with the "First Annual Day at the Races" held recently at Pimlico by the Harbor City Chapter of The Links Inc. The Links, she explains, is a national civic organization for women of color interested in giving time and money back to their communities. The Harbor City Chapter, of which Alice is president, raises money for programs for students at two city schools, William Pinder-hughes School and Roland Patterson School.
Alice says that about 400 people came to the event, where they enjoyed cocktails, brunch, an art show and auction, and, of course, the horse races. Especially exciting was the race named for the Harbor City Chapter of The Links.
The most fun for president Pinderhughes was getting to pose for pictures with the winning horse and jockey after that race.
OK -- second most fun. Maybe the first has something to do with $11,000 being raised that day.
Port Discovery's Camp Exploramora
Yearn for the good ol' days of summer camp? For the 400 grown-up guests at Port Discovery's "Fourth Annual Gala" it was time to relive that childhood experience at Camp Exploramora -- with a few adult perks. Not only could you wear either dress-up or camp clothes, but, during the cocktail hour, you had your choice of games to play while sipping the cocktail of your choice. There were hula-hoop, clothespinning and bubble-gum-blowing contests, all presided over by the evening's "Camp Director" (and WQSR Radio morning show host) Steve Rouse, attired in a fatigues ensemble.
"My husband flunked bubble blowing," said Ann Mead as she helped CitiFinancial vice president K.C. Mead wipe some of the goopy stuff off his camp shirt.
"Yeah, but it tasted good," retorted K.C., in true big-kid fashion.
The edible treats continued at dinner, where guests at each table passed around dishes laden with barbecue chicken, macaroni and cheese, and meatloaf. For dessert, partygoers dug into buckets of "mud" -- layers of ice cream and crumbled Oreos topped with gummy worms -- and munched on s'mores and giant chocolate-chip cookies.
Spotted in this crowd of happy campers: Doug Becker, event co-chair / Port Discovery board chair; Erin Becker, event co-chair; Jill Becker, Melissa Cordish, Reed Cordish, Brooke Hodges, Gay Legg, Jill Mull and Stacy Sapperstein, event committee members; David S. Oros, Eric Becker, Winnie Borden; Jay Brodie, Mary Graul, Beth Kaplan, Clarke Langrall Jr. and Jon Myers, Port Discovery board members; Joel Sher, Shapiro, Sher & Guinot partner; Joe Walsh, SunTrust Bank vice president; Frances Wright, Allfirst Bank vice president; Harold Graul, Graul's Market president; Stu Rubenstein, Constellation Energy chief operating officer; Mary Sogomonian, retired teacher; Adam Hitt, Deutsche Bank managing director; Emried Cole, Venable partner; Brian Cannon, Susquehanna Bank real estate loan officer; Mark Pollak, Wilmer Cutler & Pickering partner; Sam Polokoff, Property Consulting Inc. president; and Carter Arnot, Baltimore School for the Arts development associate.
The party raised more than $300,000 for Port Discovery.