Canon’s two-day fundraiser draws celebrities
Fine cuisine, musical entertainment, live and silent auctions and 50 celebrities were the highlights of the ninth annual Canon USA Customer Appreciation Reception on Jan. 8 at Mandalay Bay South Seas Ballroom.
The two-day event was sponsored by the Canon Corporation to benefit the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which provides services nationwide for families and professionals in the prevention of abducted, endangered or sexually exploited children. Canon provides digital photographic and imaging technology products to the organization, which in turn distributes photos to law enforcement agencies nationwide to aid in the recovery of missing children.
Producing the two-day Las Vegas event was John Arnos of Canon Corporation and Jaki Baskow & Associates of Las Vegas. A red carpet entrance gave guests an opportunity to greet the stars, including two-time Super Bowl winner Darryl Grant, former football player and current actor Ed Marinaro, Davy Jones of The Monkees, poker champ Phil Gordon, actors Gregory Harrison and Chris Rich, Las Vegas TV host John Daly and Chrissi and Frankie Scinta of The Scintas.
Stars and guests participated in the reception's silent auction for sports memorabilia, art, vacations, electronic gear, rare wines and restaurant dinners.
A large ice carving of "Canon 4 Kids" greeted the 750 guests, including Patricia and Richard Wright, Heinz Lauer, Cheryl Kagan, Julianne Harris and Murray SawChuck, who joined LPGA golfer Natalie Gulbis, Yoroku "Joe" Adachi, president of Canon USA, and Ernest E. Allen, president and CEO of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Sushi and fresh seafood buffets, pasta cooked-to-order stations, carving stations, a kosher buffet and dessert tables and bars were set up in the ballroom. A live auction took place for a white guitar autographed by all the Beatles; a year membership at the Stirling Club; four tickets for the Ryder Cup were donated by the PGA; a golf cart; a Regza LCD TV by Toshiba; a Goodyear Blimp ride and a 50-inch plasma TV by Pioneer.
On Jan. 9, Canon USA had their Celebrity Golf Tournament at TPC -- The Canyons to benefit the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Celebrities in attendance were Willie James Gault, Gary Mule Deer, Alice Cooper, Blair Underwood, Gary Valentine, Richard Burgi, Rudy Gatlin, Rollie Fingers, Eddie Payton, Joe Regalbuto and John Ventimiglia.
HONORING HISPANICS: Senoras and Senores of Distinction were honored at an awards gala Saturday at the Lafite Ballroom at Wynn Las Vegas.
The evening benefited the Latin Chamber of Commerce Scholarship Fund. Sandy Colon Peltyn and Isabel Perera Pfeifer co-chaired the celebration, which featured a silent auction, dinner and dance. The black-tie event honored individuals of Hispanic descent who have excelled in their careers, as well as contributed their time and efforts toward community service.
Among those attending the reception were Siegfried Fischbacher, Elaine Newton, Sue and Paul Lowden, Lorraine Hunt Bono, Gayle Anderson, Otto Merida, Nancy and Jack Weinstein, Francine and Terry Graves, Melinda and Tom Cook, Dagney and Scott Rotheiser, Lulu Bubion, Jon Tullis, Susan and Robert Gomez, Carmen and Arthur Mahan and Nevada Supreme Court Justice Bill Maupin.
Guests were seated at dinner tables decorated in white linens trimmed with brown satin ribbon and gold candelabra centerpieces covered in trailing orchids by Botanica. Mistress of ceremonies Judy Fleischman introduced Maggie Arias-Petrel, who read a letter of commendation from President Bush.
Honored guests were presented with awards on stage by Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nevada, and Nevada first lady Dawn Gibbons. The recipients walked under drawn swords by the Nellis Air Force Base Honor Guard to collect their awards.
Honored were Senoras of Excellence Tibi Contreras Ellis, president/CEO of Home Helpers; Amparo Z. Gamazo, director of development and modernization of the Housing Authority of the City of Las Vegas and Laurie Travis, owner/president of LT Eventions.
Senores of Distinction were Rudy Prieto, CFO/general manager of the Las Vegas Hilton; Mariano Lemus Gas, consul of Mexico; Larry P. Mason, Latin Chamber of Commerce trustee, Clark County school board trustee and interim vice president of the office of diversity at College of Southern Nevada.
Special recognition was given to guest Marco Antonio Muñiz, a world-renowned recording star.
Wynn chef Marc Poidevin presented a dinner of lobster bisque, Caesar salad, intermezzo, filet of beef and salmon entree and a chocolate pyramid for dessert. Selected wines were poured by Southern Wine and Spirits of Nevada.
Festive dancing was provided by Eddie Guerra and Ashley Gable, Maria Nicolini Bergman and Veronica Valdes. More guests enjoying the evening were former District Judge John Mendoza, Ed Bernstein, R.J. Peltyn, Irene Bustamante-Adams, Virginia Martino, Beba Muñiz, Franz Czeisler Tihany, Papote Varete, Elena Peterson and Christian Calo.
