Guscio: Boys & Girls Club gala 'reaches for the stars'

When planning a very fun Bluffton soiree, who is the first person you think of to call for help?

Geist Ussery, bon vivant and party planner, is first on many lists and was who Nancy Vineburgh turned to.

Nancy is on the board of the Bluffton Boys & Girls Club and was asked to chair their recent gala.

The theme for the special evening was "Reach For The Stars," and boy did they do just that.

Nancy, Alison May and Sherly Morin spent a year planning the party that was held at Belfair Plantation. Geist and his happy troop did a beautiful job decorating and fluffing for the evening of fun. All that work helped make it a really swell affair. John and Monique Guffey served as the Honorary Chair Couple.

Forty area florists donated centerpieces that interpreted the "Reach For The Stars" them. Many local businesses and artists were kind enough to donate 140 silent auction items.

Members of the Boys & Girls Club escorted the 360 guests into the pre-dinner silent auction.

Attendees later entered a large tent overlooking the beautiful Belfair marsh to dine. Guests enjoyed Boys & Girls Club members dancing ala "Dancing With The Stars," cleverly choreographed by the Bluffton Fred Astaire Studio.

The next treat was the children's choir singing "When You Wish Upon a Star."

Then, as if all that weren't enough, mystery guest Marlena Smalls took the stage to offer her rendition of Whitney Houston's "Greatest Love of All."

As a finale, Marlena led the children in singing "When You Wish Upon a Star."

After dinner, Sonny Huntley presided over a very lively live auction and did a wonderful job.

Palmetto Bluff's Sally Hickman described the gala as simply "over the top."

The whole evening resonated love for children.

Sally declared it the most impressive and fun gala ever and that is saying a lot.

HEYWARD'S PICTURES TALK

Stop by the Heyward House to see the living portrait tours.

You can scan in a code and the portraits come to life, talking about their lives and the Heyward House as it was when they were living in it.

The portraits include George Cuthbert Heyward, voiced by George Cuthbert Heyward V; Gertrude Cole, voiced by Alyssa Krob; Margaret Hair Heyward, voiced by her daughter Fran Heyward Bollin; Elizabeth Martha Guerard Heyward, voiced by Mary Reeves; and Johanna "Jenny" Lind, voiced by Jaja Epps.

Children will be entranced by the tour.

The walking tour received an upgrade, too.

BLUFFTON AS 'DREAM TOWN'

The newest issue of one of my favorite magazines -- Garden & Gun -- has proclaimed Bluffton "A Southern Dream Town," as if we didn't know.

The magazine chose Bluffton, as well as nine others , as among 10 great- escape small towns.

Bluffton is the only one they chose in South Carolina.

Babbie Guscio is the social columnist for The Bluffton Packet. She can be reached at The Store on Calhoun Street.

This story was originally published May 26, 2015 at 7:29 PM with the headline "Guscio: Boys & Girls Club gala 'reaches for the stars'."