Well, it's a beautiful, sunny APRIL 12th and our wonderful, sensational, fabulous, GORGEOUS, 9^TH Annual `Spring Fashion Fling has come and gone.  I asked Chris Cimino for a sunny day and boy, did he come through for us with flying colors!!!!!   It was a phenomenal, beautiful, exciting day and I'm so proud of our team's accomplishment! An amazing time was had by all and as Susan says; it truly is a day of celebration for the Center and all its accomplishments.  The adjectives I've been receiving all week have been “sensational”, “flawless”, “and fabulous” and the list keeps going….

I really don't know how to thank ALL of you for your help, support, guidance and participation. Each and every one of you brought something special to the planning committee and we should all be very proud with the outcome of the day. Susan, as always, did a tremendous job handling that microphone!  You are a natural talent, a true friend, and a superb champion in the fight against MS. Surprise! We gotcha! No one deserves to be honored more than you! Chris Cimino was spectacular as always!! He has really become a tremendous part of our group and we love his spirit, his witty ways and the easy manner that he extends to all our guests!!!!!! We loved that his wife and daughter joined us this year! Sara Lee Kessler was a wonderful addition to our program as well!!!!

DJ Marcello was, as always sensational! Boy did he have the room going!  His music was pretty awesome as well!!!!  Maryellen Moffitt & Maggie Moffitt did a superb job getting all the models down the runway looking like pros! It was just an incredible show! The scenes, the music, the clothes, did I mention the clothes! ….. Just breathtaking!!!! All 30 of our models looked FABULOUS! (A little help with hair and make up didn't hurt either!; Thanks to Eva Clarke at Elizabeth Arden, Saks Fifth Avenue, Estelle Acerno and Cindy Newman-Bromley for making the models look and feel their best!) Maryellen's 6 pros were stunning!  And how about those kids??!!!! The room went crazy when they appeared!!!! 10 of the cutest kids on the face of the earth!!!! Gene Arnold did a GREAT job with the lighting!!! We truly thank Kathie Sanders from Lord & Taylor at Westfield Garden State Plaza for her support and we're thrilled they have joined us in the fight against MS. The audience was so blown away by the clothes, I’m sure they all went running to shop!!!

Making this event the complete success that it was could not have happened without our very special sponsors, Inserra Supermarkets, Alice Gallagher, Holy Name Hospital, Serono/Pfizer, Inc., Berlex Laboratories, Teva Neuroscience and Biogen Idec. A whole-hearted thank you to you staunch supporters of our Center!!  Bravo to all of our table sponsors as well! Last year 12 sponsored table, this year 16!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The Ad Journal helped in such a huge way as well!!!! Last year, 48 pages, this year 66 pages!!!! Again, what a team!!!!! 

The prize room was just that! A PRIZE..... It looked so beautiful with all those sensational gifts arranged so magnificently....Truly breathtaking! The baskets, the trips (Sonia, you're the truly the very best!), the electronics, the jewelry, the accessories, HANDBAGS, everything was intense! Pam, Sara & Gary truly outdid themselves!!!! You cannot imagine the effort that goes into this job. Nance, we love you and truly wish you a speedy recovery! Gary Langley, you are true blue…Eddie, we could never do this event without you guarding that room!

Rachelle Ramirez, Leny Almeda and Ryan Francia did an awesome job with all the audio/visual components of the day! The prizes shown on the screen in the ballroom was such a GREAT touch again!  Speaking of prizes, there is no way the day would've run as smoothly without the help of Abby Santiago, Idel Santiago, Rachel Yzquierdo and the adorable, sweet and talented LODI CHEERLEADERS! They really were life savers getting 800 goodie bags and programs set at the tables in no time flat and kept up the pace of delivering 150 awesome prizes to 150 lucky prizewinners!!! They were just GREAT!  We love that they have become such a special part of our MS family!

The centerpieces looked so pretty and springy; a very special thank you to Larry Inserra Jr.  And thanks also to Pat Sullivan, Lynn Schrammel, Maryann Donohue and the entire gang at Inserra Supermarkets for all the beautiful baskets and electronics that rounded out our prize list so well and helped make the day so successful.... Larry, I still can't believe how sensational it was to have you on the runway again this year! It truly is a dream come true for our Center! We were all so touched by remembering your father's legacy...He will be missed....We were also so sad that Lawrence couldn't make it at the last minute…We hope is leg is doing much better…Boys and their sports…..Hmmm….

The program, prize lists and posters were all great thanks to Paul at PIP!  Marie Franco, Patrice Jungerman and their staff at the Marriott were so professional and helpful. Thank you to “cheffie” for making very delicious and yummy chicken and mashed potatoes (my favorite!) A very special thank you goes out to RJ Singson for all his help! He is just the best!  Thank you to Steve Burns of Carcierge Valet for graciously donating his time to valet your cars for you!! Great job Steve!! Another superhero is Bill Stout that quietly comes to donate his time as well to video our event year after year...And a very special thank you to our National Spokesperson, Brett Massingham for making the trip all the way from California to strut his stuff down the runway again!!!! Did he look awesome or what! We missed Missy & Hogan!! Brett has become way more than our National Spokesperson, he, Missy & Hogan have become such an integral part of the MS Center family and a true friend….

 
June, your strength and perseverance keep me going.... Susan, you inspire me so.... Sandi, I couldn't do all this without you… Sara, Pam, Martha, the list is endless…Tom, you're the best ever! Tina, Kitty, Mary, Judy, Judee, Asen, Barbara, Raul, Sharon & Steven from BC, The Magazine.... I could keep on going… It truly was a group effort. What a spectacular day! What a great team! Each and every one of you have been the best! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!
 

 I would appreciate any ideas you may have to improve our outreach and our important committees. 

Please contact me at 201 837-0727 ext. 125 or email LFutterman1@aol.com with any suggestions or

additional contact information.

 

Again, thank you for your partnership in the fight against multiple sclerosis.  You are vital to this

important cause.

 

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With love and appreciation,
 

Lisa