New Gorman High School hosts wine, beer tasting fundraiser

Bishop Gorman High School toasted its new campus during its 13th annual Wine & Beer Tasting and Auction Saturday.

Guests gathered in the cafeteria for a silent auction and strolled through the landscaped courtyards at the school at 5959 S. Hualapai Way.

Among the 149 silent auction items were a two-week stay on the Marbella Costa Del Sol of Andalucia, Spain; David Yurman jewelry; 12 live Maine lobsters; and a kitchen makeover.

DeLuca Liquors & Wine, Nevada Wine Agents and Micro Cru Fine Wines provided wine for tasting from 20 countries. Coors of Las Vegas showcased various brews.

Vicki and Frank Fertitta Jr., Maria and Ted Quirk and the Tiberti family sponsored vintner tables.

Station Casinos provided elaborate cooking stations featuring German, Asian, Italian and American specialties and a dessert station with dessert wines.

Donna Buss was the event chairwoman and Diane Manzi was the special projects chairwoman.

All-Stars event: Footwear designer Donald J. Pliner made an appearance at his signature store in the Forum Shops at Caesars Sept. 20 to introduce his 2007-08 fall collection.

Proceeds from shoes sold that day ($14,558) will be donated to the Greater Las Vegas After-School All-Stars.

Hosting the event were Elaine Wynn, Jenna Morton, Susie Lee and Sandy Mecca.

Spotted among the shoppers were Allen Kaercher, Kathy Harney, Michael Morton, Mike Mecca, Frederic Apcar, John Pasqualotto, Tanya Flanagan, Farrah Gershenson, and Ann and Trisha Pucci.

Lions benefit: A Lions Club of Las Vegas fundraiser Sept. 15 will enable scores of Las Vegas seniors to receive free ultrasound screenings to help identify potentially serious health problems.

The Lions HealthFirst Foundation banquet took place at the Las Vegas Hilton.

Five prominent valley doctors were honored with Humanitarian Awards: Annabel E. Barber, Ann M. Wierman, Emil Stein, Eileen Cordero and Stanislaw Burzynski.

Veronica De La Cruz, a news anchor with CNN.com, served as mistress of ceremonies, with help from Foundation President James Bartel.

Special guests were singers Jerry Vale and Jay White; Mayor Oscar Goodman and his wife, Carolyn; and former Lt. Gov. Lorraine Hunt with her husband, Dennis Bono.

Country chic wedding: Shannon Lee Slater, daughter of Terry and Peter Slater, and Barry Weddington Becker Jr., son of Susan and Barry W. Becker of Las Vegas, were married Sept. 29 at the Becker family's mountain retreat at Prospect Springs.

The 240 guests drove to a valet parking stand set up off the Mount Charleston road. A fleet of black shuttle buses took them up the 12-mile gravel road to the event.

A trio of two violins and a guitar played as guests were seated beside a boathouse under twinkle-lit trees. The wedding party walked down an aisle lined with hanging yellow chrysanthemum balls onto a floating dock with an arbor decorated in fall foliage and sunflowers.

The marriage was officiated by the Rev. Richard Walker.

The bride wore a strapless white satin and lace fitted gown accented with a flounce hem and white Victorian-style short boots, and she carried a bouquet of white and yellow roses and daisies.

The maid of honor was Kelly Slater, and bridesmaids were Katie Avello, Michele Fox, Loren Lewald, Temple Lyle and Nisha Verma.

Best man was John Kunich and groomsmen were Richard Barnett, Danny Becker, Randy Becker, Bob Kimmel and Mark Wells.

Flower girls were Elizabeth Becker, Dylane Hinkell, Madison Hinkell and Briana Kunich. Ring bearers were Bruce Becker and Corbin Kunich.

A reception followed with butler-passed canapes and open bar. A formal dinner by Wild Truffles was prepared at the venue and served under a large, heated white tent that was set up on the pasture. Clockwork played for dancing.

The bride is a graduate of the University of Nevada, Reno and the groom graduated from Arizona State University. The newlyweds will honeymoon on a safari to Kenya, then on to Scotland, England and Ireland.

They will reside in Las Vegas.