Largess in the Valley: Dress Up and Play Your Part
Getting Ready For A Black Tie Event
By now you have taken stock of your husband’s tuxedo and if you are like many Valley mavens, you might notice that Hubby’s cummerbund will work more comfortably if veggies are served prominently over the next several weeks. Stock up on salad and pass on the potatoes. You do what you have to do.
There is always a new coif, updated make-up and maybe even a few old wrinkles made into new, younger skin. We all seem to know the presentation secrets and strategies before the season gets under way. Those furtive appointments into the doctor’s salon where we are made new again, extra Pilates studio time and scant if not entirely skipped meals become the standard.
Then the rubber-chicken circuit starts. We don our best smiles and work the gauntlet of a charitable life. But is it really benevolent to spend the $10,000 to $20,000 many of us do just to look presentable? Before you gulp, consider the costs associated with getting a couple out the door and on their way to a black tie event. It is an expensive proposition to raise money.
The fundraising process perfected in the Valley supports infrastructure, culture, cures and social ills. There is a cadence to the process and protocol which can be daunting. Society can be infested with sharks navigating through waves of what appear to be clear blue seas. Not everyone works with the spirit of benevolence at their core.
But there is a heart to philanthropy when done right. It is not about the dress, the shoes or the jewels. At least, it shouldn’t be.
I challenge our social patrons to boil it down. Look at the net results of your actions. Search your conscience for truth in the process of raising money.
Genuine philanthropy is not always apparent and it should never be a show. Largess in our community that is most impactful lasts decades and not just through dessert.
From the Heart …
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