A Hunt for Treasure on a Fashionable Island
Like Noah’s creatures, two by two, they rode escalators up and down between the floors of Neiman Marcus on Saturday night--racing from department to department, clutching slips of paper printed with riddles, mumbling things like, “Ralph’s favorite sport? Ralph’s favorite sport is polo!”
The seventh annual “Catalogue Caper”--wherein a black-tie-and-ball-gown crowd treasure-hunts through the tony Newport Beach retailer--drew 450 guests and netted about $75,000 for the Orange County Chapter of the American Diabetes Assn.
At $350 per couple, the sold-out benefit included a lively cocktail hour amid the clothes racks and display cases in the store’s first floor, an hour of storewide treasure hunting, then dinner and dancing in a huge tent pitched in Fashion Island’s parking lot.
Sights and Sounds
At dusk, a gawker’s block of mall pedestrians formed at the party’s first line of defense--a phalanx of valets blocking access to the store’s environs to all but the guests and their shiny cars. From the fringes, passers-by got a peek at the high life: Outside the store’s front doors two mimes gesticulated, three dancers swirled their colorful skirts and a bare-chested fire-eater, dressed in red tights and leopard-print shorts, downed flames by the mouthful.
Inside the two-story beige slab of Neiman Marcus, a steel drum band invigorated a cocktail hour that included complimentary champagne, seafood hors d’oeuvres and the usual mix of air-kissing, hearty handshaking and small talk.
Brain Teasers
After an hour of chitchat, the hunt began. Using riddles they’d been given at the check-in desk, guests cruised from department to department, exchanging one slip of paper for another--either a new clue, which meant more hunting, or a winner’s receipt for prizes ranging from merchandise and meals to weekend getaways.
Tina Schafnitz glanced at her first clue: “The chili recipe calls for special ingredients.” No problem, she shrugged. “I’ll just head on up to the gourmet food section on the second floor.”
Michele Pennington knit her brow over: “The doctor wrote out a prescriptive that would put color back in her face.”
Judy Hemley knew where to go to solve “Calvin had an Obsession to win the game.” Her husband, Rogue, paused uncertainly pondering, “In Newport Beach, a must-wear is sunscreen.”
Love Story
While others hunted, Karen Kegel leaned on a display case and sipped champagne. She had a clue in her hand--”How time flies when you’re having fun”--and she thought she should probably mosey over to the wristwatch department, or maybe some part of the store where they sold clocks. But she wasn’t in a hurry.
Last year, the psychologist explained, she’d come to the Catalogue Caper with her ex-husband--they’d bought their tickets before the split, and when the date rolled around they figured “as long as we spent a gazillion dollars on the tickets we might as well go to the party,” she said.
As it happened, that was the night Kegel met the man she plans to marry in November, allergist John Sadai--her date for this year’s benefit.
“Last year, this party gave me my new husband,” said Kegel, smiling. “I don’t care if I win anything this year or not.”
Who’s Who
Catherine Thyen chaired the fund-raiser, heading a 58-woman committee that included many of the county’s veteran hostesses. Among party planners were Joanne Halvajian, Patty Edwards, Junie Chong, Martha Green, Candice Schnapp, Ginny Smallwood, Kasia Johnson and Susie Hernandez.
Christine and Charles Unsworth of Newport Beach bought the lucky raffle ticket that won them a $10,000 Neiman Marcus shopping spree. The Newport Beach Four Seasons Hotel catered a dinner of seared salmon and baby lettuce salad, veal chop on truffle risotto and white and dark chocolate dessert.
Neiman Marcus underwrote the event, which was attended by the department store chain’s vice president, Leonard Utz, who traveled from Dallas to attend the party with his wife, Sandy.
