| The Ritz Paris L'Ecole Ritz Escoffier Colin Field & the Hemingway Bar Djordje Varda & l'Atelier Floral du Ritz The evening program for May 16th
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| Anonymous Rhoades Foundation |
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Marilynn Alsdorf
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| Mr. and Mrs. John Doane Nichols, Diner Wines & Spirits Mrs. Lisbeth Stiffel, Décor, Djordje Varda, l'Atelier Floral du Ritz Mr. & Mrs James Bay, Bar Hemingway Signature Cocktails Mrs. Miryiam Bransfield, Live Orchestra and Dancing Mrs. William B. Graham, Ritz Champagne for the Evening Mrs. John K. Notz, Silent auction Display |
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Chers amis, donors, sponsors, volunteers: On behalf of the Woman’s Board of the Alliance Française de Chicago, we would like to extend our sincere gratitude to you for your support of our 2008 biennial Gala, “Une Soirée de Gala, Un diner Gastronomique”. More than 520 prominent Francophiles gathered at the Civic Opera House for dinner beautifully set on stage. The evening was a tremendous success both as a fundraiser and as an elegant celebration of French Art de Vivre brought to us by our distinguished premier sponsor, the Ritz Hotel in Paris and the hotel’s cooking school, the Ecole Ritz Escoffier, Paris. We are proud to report that the Gala raised a record breaking $700,000 in support of the Alliance Française’s myriad cultural programs and classes. The Live Auction and scholarship donations raised the generous amount of $73,000 in designated funds for the Award Towards Excellence Scholarship Program with the Chicago Public Schools. Thank you to all of you (silent and live donors, sponsors, volunteers) for your generosity and support to this important Woman’s Board fundraising project. Please, click here to take a look at and order the photos of the Gala. Sincerely yours, |
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Lili Gaubin Catherine Graham
Please click here for the Discours de Monsieur Pierre Vimont, Ambassadeur de France aux Etats-Unis d'Amérique.  540 dinner guests on the stage of the Civic Opera House of Chicago celebrating the Alliance Française de Chicago's biennial Gala.  Mr. Rufus Williams, President of the Board of Education of the Chicago Public Schools, Mr. Hervé de la Vauvre, President of the Board of the Alliance Française de Chicago, Princess Marie-Blanche de Broglie, Ms. Lili Gaubin, Mr. Jean-Baptiste Main de Boissière, Consul General of France in Chicago, and Mr. Pierre Vimont, France's Ambassador to the United States.  Ms. Lili Gaubin, Gala Chair; David Danielson from Calihan Catering (Chicago); Chistophe Pouy, Master Chef, Ritz Escoffier Cooking School at the Ritz, Paris; Mr. Dominique Potier, Director of Ritz Escoffier Cooking School at the Ritz, Paris; Mr. Didier Steudler, Pastry Chef, Ritz Escoffier Cooking School at the Ritz, Paris  Left: Mr. Jack McCord, Executive Director of the Alliance Française of Chicago, Princess Marie-Blanche de Broglie, and Mrs. Myriam Bransfield receiving the award "Le Grand Mérite de l’Alliance Française de Chicago" Right: Mr. Djordje Varda, Floral Designer of the Ritz, Paris, Ms. Lili Gaubin, and Mr. Dominique Potier  Clockwise from top left: Table setting on stage, floral décor by Djordje Varda Ritz, Paris. Lobster marinated with aromatics and raspberry parfum; Floral Décor by Djordja Varda, Ritz (Paris) in the foyer of the Civic Opera House of Chicago; The famous desert of the Ritz, Paris "Pêche Melba." |
