Tara Kelly reports from Falls Village and Lime Rock.This quiet corner of Connecticut was humming on Saturday, June 2, with two prominent back-to-back fundraising parties, and a few enthusiastic souls with stamina managed to attend both. An afternoon concert at Music Mountain followed by a garden party led right in to an evening gala to benefit Community Mental Health Affliates, Inc. (CMHA). The afternoon festivities began with a short concert by the St. Petersburg String Quartet at Music Mountain to benefit the St. Petersburg International Music Academy, after which guests regrouped in the gardens of designer Bunny Williams and her husband, John Rosselli, for cocktails and buffet dinner. Some guests, such as artist and interior designer Patricia Fox, at left, with Peter Kennard, wholeheartedly embraced the garden party theme. That evening at Lime Rock Park, the cars were the stars of an Italian-themed Ferrari party, with models such as a Testarossa, two Dinos, a 330GTC, a 275 GTB4, and a Superamerica upstaging even rock musician J. Geils, who brought his 1961 250 GTE Ferrari. Lime Rock’s Skip Barber donated the use of the grounds, and partygoers were greeted with the opportunity to take a spin around the track in a new Fiat 500 series. (Chauffeured, mind you.) A Lamborghini Countach stole the show and filled the role of ultimate photo booth, as guests were invited in to have their picture taken.
Garden designer and author Bunny Williams and co-chair and gardener Lee Link hosted the Music Mountain benefit; Inge Heckel, a trustee of The Mount, and author Mike Janeway.
Physician Marvin McMillen and his wife, Realtor Victoria Elliot; Catherine and Peter Ernster, Music Mountain board member.
Medical ethics consultant Barbara Maltby with Jamie Lehrer and John O'Brien; Salisbury Trust's Meredith Tiedemann and Darilyn Woods flanking Black Horse Builders Tom Tiedemann.
Maggie Clark and Elyse Harney Real Estate agent, Eva Yxfeldt; Will Little, chairman of The Lakeville Journal Co., with his wife, Helen Little.
At Lime Rock Park benefit for CMHA: J. Geils' 1961 250GTE Ferrari won the evening's people's choice award.
Gabi Raczkowska, who works at CMHA, and Becky Brown, a volunteer for the event, welcomed guests with shots of limoncella.
Don Klein, automotive journalist and CMHA event committee member; Klein's 1973 Ferrari "Dino" 246 GTS.
CMHA event committee members Beth Isler and Sarah Morrison with CMHA's Regina Moller; CMHA's Amy Ogle and Melinda Smolkin with entrepreneur Tracey Finch, founder of Pinchhitters, a concierge service.
J. Geils and Lime Rock Park's Skip Barber; Realtor Graham Klemm and stationery purveyor Matt Lynn.
Bunny Donahue and Bill Riiska with the Ferrari 246 GTS; Mike Somers of Rock Hall Inn with CMHA's Carol Mack, who gave this Ferrari 275 GTB4 an enthusiastic thumbs-up.
Floral designer Jo Culver in the Lamborghini Countach; Lakeville resident Margaret Douglas-Hamilton with the Ferrari "Dino" 246 GTS.
Will Little and Helen Little attended both events. At Lime Rock they met up with Fawziyya Fox, their son Chris Little, and The Lakeville Journal's executive editor, Cynthia Hochswender.
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Matteline deVries-Dilling, founder of Lite Brite Neon, one of the evening's honoree of this year's Upstate Benefit adresses the gala from the Caboose's caboose.
- Karen Pearson. Courtesy Art Omi.
Olana senior vice president and landscape curatorMark Prezorski, president Sean Sawyer, The evenings honoree Kristin Gamble and New York State Assemblymember Didi Barrett.
- Oxygen House Photo
