Feel like painting the town?   Check out this event held by the Suffolk Chapter of  the American Red Cross.   Kay Young and I will be celebrity waitresses.   Hope to see you there! These are details sent in by spokesperson Ashley Greene:

Suffolk Chapter Hosts 12th Annual “Paint the Town Red” Celebrity Benefit The American Red Cross, Suffolk Chapter is preparing for its annual “Paint the Town Red” Celebrity Benefit on Friday, March 19, 2010. This 12th annual event will be held at the Hilton Garden Inn Suffolk Riverfront at Constants Wharf from 6-11pm. Highlights of this year’s event include Joe Hoppel as Master of Ceremonies! There will be a wine tasting raffle for 10 presented by Bon Vivant Market, live entertainment by “Touch of Spice,” and silent and live auctions. The auctions will include amazing items such as a 32″ HDTV, an Outer Banks weekend, a beach week in Emerald Isle, NC, and a Stay-Cation romantic getaway. Thanks to the lead sponsorship of QVC, the silent auction is full of great buys this year!

Celebrity waiters will also be on hand to serve the guests and compete for “tips.” Unique to this event are these fun and crazy celebrity waiter challenges. You might see hula-hooping, spoon races or even standing on heads for tips to benefit the Suffolk Chapter! Look for some local familiar faces like our Mayor Linda Johnson, W. Ross Boone, Suffolk Treasurer Ron Williams, Ellen Drames of Rose & Womble Realty and Priscilla Taylor of Duke Automotive, as well as some regional celebrities such as Nicole Livas and Kay Young of FOX 43/WAVY 10 and J. P. Godsey of WPMH 670am radio talk show host and the “Happiest Man in the USA.” Mike Duman of Duman Auto Sales will be back as our amazing Celebrity Auctioneer for the evening.

“Paint The Town Red” was originally introduced by Faye Byrum, Executive Director and was begun to provide a vehicle to channel the local Red Cross’s need for community support. The event remains a vital part of the Suffolk Chapter’s fund-raising presence. “Chapter events such as Paint the Town Red are critical for us to continue to provide lifesaving services to Suffolk citizens when there is a need, as we only sustain ourselves through local fundraising,” says Byrum. “Down the street, across the country and around the world, the American Red Cross is there to help twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.”

Want to go? Tickets are now available and are $60 each. All proceeds from the Paint the Town Red go to support the Suffolk Chapter. Call the Suffolk Chapter at (757)539-6645 for more information or email Ashley Greene at dev@suffolkarc.com

Tickets may be charged by phone, or stop by the office on 157 North Main Street, Suite C, Suffolk, VA 23434 to pay in person.

Basketball season is always exciting and this year is no different. I’m on vacation and the road at the ACC tournament in
Greensboro, North Carolina right now. What a classy event! We have great seats and VIP access.

I even saw former NC Senator John Edwards Thursday cheering for UNC.  I enjoyed meeting coaching legend Lefty Driesell (who lives in his native Hampton Roads),  famous sportscaster Dick Vitale (Awesome, baby!), and former Georgia Tech star, Bruce Dalrymple.

I spent last weekend at the Colonial Athletic Association tournament in Richmond, which I’ve attended the last few years. My alma mater, George Mason didn’t make it to the finals of the CAA this year, but I was happy to see two Hampton Roads teams play for the championship. Now, let’s see how far Old Dominion gets in the big dance. Great effort by William & Mary.

Back to Greensboro- this is my first ACC tourney.

This place is overrun with North Carolinians since the Tar Heel State has so many schools in the conference.   My brother is a University of Virginia grad, so I was rooting for the Cavaliers, but they lost to Duke and Virginia Tech was upset by Miami.

In the end, Duke defeated Georgia Tech in a great game!

That’s all for now- let the madness continue!!

On Monday, December 21,  I visited Crestwood Middle School in Chesapeake. I was invited to talk to the 6th graders about bullying.

It’s a popular topic these days with young people and social networking plays a big part.  I told them about my experience with bullying as a child and I also showed them a story I did with a local teen who had a bright future, but who took her own life after being picked on by other students.

I gave them some tips on what they can do if they are bullied or see someone else being bullied.  The big thing is to find an adult- a teacher, parent, relative or resource officer- and tell them what’s going on.   I also told them to be careful about what they post on internet sites and send to others via text message.  It was a wonderful discussion that generated great questions.

I thought I’d have trouble keeping them engaged- especially since it was Christmas week, but this was one of the most well-mannered groups of students I’ve visited.  They also gave me some cool gifts that included a Crestwood tee shirt and a snowman light!

Thank you,  Crestwood!

Good food, good times all for a good cause.
The March of Dimes is still counting,but the organization raised at least $33,000 at its annual Signature Chefs auction.
The event was held Sunday, October 19 at the Founders Inn in Virginia Beach.

FOX 43 and WAVY TV 10 are proud sponsors and I was happy to serve as emcee of the event. Even though this is a tough economic year, folks were generous with their time, talent and money. Local chefs offered samples of their best dishes. Thank goodness they were sample sized because with 20 chefs, that’s a lot of food! My favorite was the rockfish prepared by chef Mike Farrell of Still in Portsmouth. My favorite dessert was sweet potato pie prepared by chef Richard Boone of Sonoma in Virginia Beach.
Judges awarded chefs in various categories and guest got to vote on their favorite dish.
Here’s the list of winners:
Outstanding Presentation Dish – Richard Boone, Sonoma Wine Bar & Bistro

Best Decorated Booth – Rich Cuocco, Harbourway at Atlantic Shores

People’s Choice Award – Eric Doarnberger, The Founders Inn and Spa

Outstanding Dessert Dish – Richard Boone, Sonoma Wine Bar & Bistro

Chef’s Choice Award – Mike Farrell, Still

Most Environmentally Friendly Dish – Nigel Jenkins, The Great American Grill

The 2009 Dish of Hampton Roads – Executive Chef Pete Stine, Hilton Oceanfront Virginia Beach (Catch 31 & Salacia)

He prepared: Pan Roasted “Puppy Drum”, Corn bread, ragout of duck, sweet potatoes, and mushrooms.

This dish will be featured at his establishment in January and showcased in the 2010 Annual Food Issue of Hampton Roads Magazine.

The chefs’ restaurants donated packages for the live and silent auctions.

The money raised allows the March of Dimes to continue research and community education to help mothers have full-term pregnancies and healthy babies.

This year’s ambassadors are Brynn and Zach Earl, who were born premature 7 years ago, but are now thriving.

Hampton Roads March of Dimes Signature Chefs

Students from 30 southside Hampton Roads public and private high schools are collecting food to help feed the hungry this fall.

The 2009 Student Food Drive kicked off Tuesday, September 29 at the Foodbank of  Southeastern Virginia on Tidewater Drive.  Fox 43 is a proud sponsor and the Foodbank asked me to speak to the students at the kickoff rally.

I encouraged them to reach out to their peers and the community to donate non-perishable items and help the less fortunate.

The rally was the spotlight for the students’ talent.  They performed skits about hunger and solving the problem.

Representatives from Granby, Kellam, Booker T. Washington, Atlantic Shores Christian and Tallwood were among those who performed at the kickoff event.   The food will be collected at the participating schools and also through drives the students set up at local businesses.  The 10 most wanted items are peanut butter, chunky soups, canned meats, canned tuna, canned vegetables, juice, cereal, macaroni and cheese, pasta and pasta sauces.

The Foodbank hopes to reach or exceed the goal of 100,000 pounds of food this year. Last year, the students brought in 70,000 with another 30,000 pound donation from Tyson Foods.   The school that collects the most pounds per capita wins the competition.

The competition ends with an awards celebration on Wednesday, November 11 at the Foodbank. Good luck to all of the students who are participating and here’s my challenge to you to do your part and help those in need.  Every bit counts!

With all the stories in the news about the bars “Have a Nice Day Cafe” and “Bar Norfolk” getting padlocked by  security and no longer wanted in Waterside by the city of Norfolk, I can’t help but think about the old Waterside from back in the day.  Even though I grew up in Virginia Beach, Waterside was a destination for people of all ages from all over Hampton Roads when it first opened.

The  Fudgery, Phillips Seafood, Pierces Pitt Barbeque, a pizza shop, a Chinese restaurant, lots of boutiques. Those were the days!

Some say the city of Norfolk recruited the big name chain bars to help revive the waterfront building, but  is now looking for something different to bring back the family friendly atmosphere at all times.

The renovation of  Town Point Park outside of Waterside is gorgeous and it’s slowly bringing folks back to hang out on the lawn, run through the fountain, walk or run along the border.

The commemorative bricks are fun to look at- especially when you recognize the names!  Inside Waterside, you can watch a puppet show, grab a bite to eat, listen to live music or work out at the Gym Downtown’s new location there.  The retail appears to be rebounding…  there’s a new Foxers lingerie boutique, the popular Virginia store and a few other old faithful shops that remain.

I think Norfolk city leaders should take a trip to Columbus, Ohio and check out the North Market.

Here’s a description from its web page:

We are butchers, bakers and candy makers. We are fishmongers, greengrocers and restaurateurs. We grow, catch, find, make, produce, distribute, cook, create and invent our wares.

We are Columbus’ only public market and an incubator for small businesses. And we are the place to shop, eat, mingle and people-watch.

The North Market is home to dozens of unique, independent merchants and farmers who deliver personal and personable service every day of the week.

It’s no wonder a million people visit each year.

I visited the North Market for the first time in the spring and loved it!  The best thing about Waterside is it’s on the water!! Imagine the possibilites of spending the entire day eating, relaxing, exercising- whatever you want to do.  Hopefully it will continue to bounce back and folks will get on the same page about what they really want it to be.  What are your memories and thoughts about Waterside? Please share them below.

Ava Hurdle reports on the latest in the Waterside bar battle:

A big thank you to all of you who participated in our 10 on Your Side “Shred-It event” on Saturday, May 16.

Hundreds of people came out, many arrived early, to have their personal documents shredded in the big mobile shredding trucks. In exchange for the service that helps protect your identity, participants brought non-perishable goods for the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia.

We collected more than 3500 pounds of food for needy families.
Volunteers from Jackson-Hewitt tax services and the Foodbank helped out.

I was at the College Park Shopping Center in Virginia Beach, while Eric Harryman was at the Willow Oaks Shopping Center in Hampton.
The weather was threatening with dark clouds looming most of the time and a few downpours, but it didn’t keep people away.

It was nice to meet new people and reunite with old friends.
We hope to see you at our next Shred-it event in July. Keep checking out wavy.com for exact locations, date and time.

Thanks to all of you who came to Moe’s Southwest Grill at Hilltop in Virginia Beach and supported “Moe Money For Charity” night.

I was joined by my colleague Kay Young and local radio hosts to raise money for organizations of our choice. There were also silent auction items for folks to bid on including Coldplay tickets, dvd’s, mugs, hats, and a guitar!

I raised money for donations to the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia’s Kids Cafe program, which helps feed needy children nutritious meals year round.

Kay’s charity of choice was the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Kay lost her brother to the disease earlier this year. She showed the crowd his picture and presented a special poetic tribute to him.

Many thanks to all who came out. As of Friday, May 8, we raised about $3,000.

You can still support the charities by dropping your donation in the boxes at local Moe’s restaurants.

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month and you can help there is a need for prevention in Virginia- particularly in Hampton Roads.  According to Virginia’s Department of Social Services:  between July 1, 2007 and June 30, 2008-  50,598 children were reported as possible victims of abuse and/or neglect.  6,099 children were found as victims of abuse or neglect- most often by their biological parents. An additional 37,879 children were referred for a family assessment. 36 children died as a result of child abuse in fiscal year 2008. Eleven of those kids lived in Hampton Roads.

Prevent Child Abuse has an annual event to help raise money for research and education in Hampton Roads.  You can help by going out to eat at participating restaurants and buy raffle tickets or tee-shirts and other items the celebrity waiters and waitresses will be selling.  This is a picture from the event at 456 Fish in Norfolk last year.

Come join me at The Big Easy Bar and Grill in Norfolk on Thursday, April 2.  The event goes from 6-10pm.  Several restaurants are participating…. go to the website below to see the other celebrity wait staff schedules. Hope to see you there! Remember- it shouldn’t hurt to be a child!

Prevent Child Abuse Hampton Roads is  a volunter-based, non-profit group made up of concerned citizens who are committed to the prevention of child abuse in all of its forms.
For more information- go to www.ucantbeatkids.org or call 757-440-2749

I stopped by the  ONFilm Festival opening night reception. Academy award winning Actor, Richard Dreyfuss, was the honored guest.

Dreyfuss won an Oscar for his role in “The Goodbye Girl” in the 19-70’s.
His most recent films include “Mr. Holland’s Opus” and “W”.

Following a crowded reception on the Ted Constant Convocation Center’s club level, the group moved down to the Big Blue Room to hear “A Conversation With Richard Dreyfuss”, moderated by WHRO’s Cathy Lewis. Dreyfuss declined interviews with other tv media, but I attempted to take some pictures.

There was always a swarm of people around him, so even though I got within arm’s length at one point, I still never got to meet him. Some called his chat self-serving, but from what I could stay for- he talked a lot about patriotism and loving his country. In fact, at the beginning of his chat he asked everyone to stand and recite the Pledge of Allegiance. ODU picked him as part of the university president’s lecture series.  Organizors say they like to get actors who have causes involved in the filmfest.
The ONFilm Festival runs until Saturday, March 28th and ends with a gala I’ll be emceeing, beginning at 8pm. Films will be shown on campus and at other venues in Norfolk.
For more info, go to www.onfilmfest.com