A Night for the Ages

Encircling breathtaking architecture by Spitzmiller & Norris Inc. completed just prior to the late-summer occasion, the grounds of the home were manicured splendidly for their social debut.

With the look of an exotic luxury resort, the back yard was a fitting site for poolside dancing and imbibing.

Classic Caesar salads were tossed by a chef upon order to keep the greens crisp.

Chair Sally Dorsey entered the classically columned loggia “stage” at 8 p.m. to thank the honored guests, patrons and sponsors. She also introduced the evening’s cabaret-style entertainment, featuring performances by Robert Ray, Courtenay Collins and Marsha Dupree, as well as the backup sounds of the Damon Goff Quartet.

At the stroke of 9, Sally Dorsey introduced hosts Mr. Jack Sawyer and Dr. William Torres, who graciously offered their recently completed home as the site for this grand fete under the stars. Dorsey also extended thanks to Alana, Harold and James Shepherd, co-founders of the Shepherd Center, also in attendance and recognized presenting sponsors Mr. and Mrs. Carleton F. Allen and Malone Law, platinum sponsor of the Bank of New York Mellon, and philanthropic sponsors Cooper Transportation, Choate Construction, Coca-Cola and the Eula Carlos and John Carlos Family Foundation.

Chair Sally Dorsey introduces Elizabeth Allen, official honoree of the 2008 Legendary Party. A veteran supporter and philanthropic fundraiser for Shepherd Center initiatives, Allen previously chaired the sixth-annual Legendary Party, Songs of the Muses, in 1984 and co-chaired the 14th-annual Legendary Party, Legend of the Celts, in 1998. Allen has also served on the Shepherd Center advisory board since 1994, was initiated as a life member of the Shepherd Center auxiliary in 1991 and was named Shepherd Center’s Angel of the Year in 2003.

A smashed potato bar brought the down-to-earth veggie up a notch with an array of unexpected infusions. The creamed russet potatoes scooped into martini glasses for an elegant presentation were topped with sauteed mushrooms, sauteed onions, shredded cheese, applewood smoked bacon, fresh chives and whipped butter.

Jack Dressler brought the magic of the jazz age to life with the rich sounds of the saxophone.

Event chair Sally Dorsey greets guests arriving at the home’s grand entrance.

On September 18, 2008—at a breathtaking home off Northside Drive—a modern-day “Cabaret” was held to honor patron-level and higher guests and sponsors for the Shepherd Center’s 20th annual Legendary Party: “Speakeasy: Legend of the Jazz Age,” which was celebrated a few weeks later on November 1 at The Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead, and sponsored in part by Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles.

Each year, the Legendary Party pays tribute to a legend of our times with a spectacular fête benefiting the distinguished Atlanta center for research and rehabilitation. The 2008 theme, as imagined by chair Sally Dorsey and chair-elect Cyndae Arrendale, was replete with ’20s and ’30s magic—and the late-summer patron party was equally exquisite. The home of Jack Sawyer, regional president of event sponsor the Bank of New York Mellon, and Dr. William Torres, an acclaimed Emory University diagnostician and radiologist, proved the perfect setting for a party of such elegant proportions. The entire occasion celebrated a grand old age when spirits were stolen indulgences—discreetly sold in speakeasies infamous for their mystery and intrigue—and jazz was king.

Throughout the night, nearly 250 esteemed guests—many dressed in vintage attire reminiscent of the gangsters, molls, flappers and dapper gentlemen of the day—mingled and danced on the expansive pool deck, where 20 white linen-draped tables rendered the setting of a nightclub under the stars. Guests were greeted by champagne cocktails and martinis at the door, then noshed on a hearty selection of hors d’oeuvres prepared by A Legendary Event, including cocktail fare deeply rooted in Southern tradition, from pimento cheese finger sandwiches to perfectly seasoned rum barbecue chicken and lamb skewers. In tribute to the traditions of old, the scotch and whiskey flowed, and those who wished to smoke enjoyed custom-rolled cigars on the patio. At 8 p.m., the loggia served as the stage for the evening’s live musical entertainment, produced and directed by Robert Ray with cabaret-style performances by Ray, Courtenay Collins and Marsha Dupree, backed up by the Damon Goff Quartet.

Perhaps the most significant moments of the night were the bids of thanks given to the patrons, sponsors, hosts and Shepherd Center co-founders in attendance, as well as the night’s honored guest, Elizabeth Allen, recognized for her more than 25 years of support and contributions to the Center. Between the patron party and Legendary Party, nearly $830,000 was raised to benefit renovations to the Shepherd Center’s oldest building, the Shepherd Building. The funds will help transform 10 patient care rooms into suites, update the therapy gyms and refresh the décor of waiting rooms and common areas—in the process helping to maintain the Shepherd Center as one of the foremost rehabilitative facilities in the world.

The 2009 patron party will be held at the Buckhead home of Dorothy and Forrest Leef—2009 Legendary Party chair-elect—on 9/17. “Around the World in 80 Days: the Legend of Jules Verne” Legendary Party will be held at The Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead on 11/7. shepherd.org