A BIT OF PALM BEACH IN AUSTIN AT THE CUREDUCHENNE LUNCHEON

By Rob Giardinelli     Photography courtesy of CureDuchenne

THE SCENE: Austin Country Club was the recent setting for an afternoon of fundraising all for a very worthy cause. Several hundred of the city’s most notable philanthropists, sociables, and children’s advocates were on hand to support the annual CureDuchenne ladies luncheon. The event theme, Afternoon in Palm Beach, brought an authentic and elegant mix of touching tributes, a fabulous fashion show, and most of all great friends to support the search of a cure for a debilitating illness that affects children.

THE VIBE: The Palm-Beach chic crowd brought a vibrant and fun mix of bright-colored ensembles, beach-themed stripes, and bold floral prints that created a sunny, welcoming vibe from the second guests arrived. The festivities with an opening reception where guests mingled, and sipped on a glass of bubbly while perusing the silent auction that featured an elegant mix of high-end items including a YSL handbag donated by Neiman Marcus at The Domain.

Patrons then took their seats for the afternoon’s program. Emcee Holly Mills-Gardner effortelessly kept the proceedings flowing briskly and entertainingly. While guests dined on their delectable meals, emotional testimonials from families impacted by Duchenne included the challenges and worries about the disease and what a cure would mean to them. The afternoon was capped off with a fashion show with a variety of looks courtesy of Esitilo.

THE NON-PROFIT: The event, hosted by Venus Strawn and Jennifer Stevens, raised funds for Cure Duchenne. Now in its 20^th year, CureDuchenne was founded with the singular goal of curing muscular dystrophy. Duchenne muscular dystrophy affects 1 in 5,000 male births where boys are typically diagnosed as toddlers, lose the ability to walk as teenagers and succumb to the illness in their twenties.