TOP HATS AND HIGH TOPS GALA RAISES MORE THAN
$130,000 FOR SOUTH LOUISIANA
Top auction items included weekend getaways on Chouest’s houseboat
April 13, 2010
The New Orleans Hornets announced today that they raised more than $130,000 during their annual Top Hats and High Tops black tie gala on Friday, March 26 at the Roosevelt New Orleans. This year’s event featured a 1920’s black tie theme, live music by Jeremy Davenport, the opportunity to enjoy an elegant evening with the entire Hornets team and a surprise on-stage performance by Hornets forward Julian Wright. All money raised will stay within South Louisiana and help fund the team’s numerous community initiatives throughout the year.
A professional auctioneer had the help from Hornets rookies Marcus Thornton and Darren Collison to bring in some of the top bids during the live auction including two weekend getaways on Gary Chouest’s houseboat for $20,000 and $15,500, as well as an away trip with the Hornets team.
“Thanks to the more than 500 attendees, this year’s gala was a huge success,” said Hornets President Hugh Weber. “The 1920’s theme created a fun atmosphere, and our guests were entertained and enjoyed spending an evening chatting with our players. We came together for the ultimate goal of raising money to continue to re-energize our city and region.”
More than 80 items including autographed sports memorabilia, autographed photos and gift packages from local retailers were auctioned off in the live and silent auctions.
Proceeds raised from the auction items, raffle tickets and table sales will help fund Hornets’ community initiatives including rebuilding playgrounds, providing educational resources to students and families and educating young people on the importance of living a healthy lifestyle.
For more information on the Hornets’ work in the community, CLICK HERE.
