Museum marks milestone with Dinosaur Ball
The Las Vegas Natural History Museum celebrated 20 years of providing learning adventures and educational programs at its Dinosaur Ball Nov. 11 at The Mirage.
A surprise was the announcement that the gala's 2011 honoree was museum executive director Marilyn Gillespie. She was escorted to the lectern by former museum board chairman Denny Weddle, dressed as a showgirl, and dinner committee member Philip Varricchio, dressed as a tuxedoed Chippendale.
The paleontology-themed black-tie event offered a silent auction during the cocktail hour in which board members Stephanie Stallworth, Felix Rappaport, Chuck Creigh, Anthony Guenther, Don Polednak, Denny Weddle, Carol Levins, Michael Severino and board chairman John H. Good mingled with guests Tim Cashman, Susie Black and Steve Manriquez, Jeff Shaw, Helen Foley, Jan and Owen Nitz, Carolyn Sparks, Jeannie Goodrich, Scott Adams, Marsha MacEachern and Shawn Tempesta, Beth and Stephen Wells, Harry and Helen Mortenson, and Commissioner Larry Brown.
The ball was sponsored by the Rappaport family: Mirage President and Chief Operating Officer Felix Rappaport, his wife, Louise, and daughters Alexandra and Briana.
Master of ceremonies was Steve Schorr, vice president of Cox Communications.
Entertainment included the Fantasy Girls from Luxor providing song and dance, and Mirage headliner and "America's Got Talent" winner Terry Fator.
The Arthur Murray Dancers performed the fox-trot, cha-cha, waltz and rumba. Leading off a dance competition was the Natural History Museum's Marilyn Gillespie and John H. Good.
A live auction was held for first-time naming rights to the museum's 35-foot animatronic tyrannosaurus rex, which was sold to Felix Rappaport for six months for $2,500 and to Anthony Guenther for $2,500 for the remaining six months of the year. The life-size Egyptian mummy replica will be named for Don Polednak for $400, and the extinct, hair-covered Australopithecus will be named for Laura Fitzsimmons for $400, each for a year.
Seen among the 350 guests were Steve Stallworth, Laura Schmitt and Al Guida, Dave Levins, Chris Creigh, Rosita Kanes, Jack Howard, Ann Luczkowski, Grace Sanders, Ruth and Jack Lillis, and Gayle Anderson.
The four-course dinner was prepared by Mirage executive chef Jeff Braun and pastry chef Everett Williams.
The band Wild Card played for dancing.
