Arkansas Enterprises for the Developmentally Disabled's annual Curtain Call for a Cause got started a couple of months early. Supporters of the agency gathered March 15 at the North Little Rock home of Vincent Insalaco for the Curtain Call Kickoff Party, a precursor to the eighth annual signature fundraiser.
Curtain Call for a Cause, a dinner-and-show combination, features a skit performance by Arkansas Enterprises' Acts in the Rock drama troupe (made up of agency clients), along with a variety of acts by community performers. Co-chaired by Gayla Jungmeyer and Carol Slattery, this year's Curtain Call is expanding to a two-night event -- May 31 and June 1 at North Little Rock's Argenta Community Theater, of which Insalaco is founder and artistic director.
Guests of the kickoff party enjoyed hearty morsels and drinks before gathering in the great room for event preview remarks by Debbie Grooms, director of development for the agency as well as its auxiliary chairman. She introduced Jungmeyer -- who has steered the event all eight years -- and Insalaco; thanked presenting sponsor Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arkansas and kickoff party sponsor CBM Construction; recognized other special guests before offering tidbits about Curtain Call; recapped Arkansas Enterprises Auxiliary's recent 10-year anniversary luncheon; and recognized Judy Tenenbaum as the event's Spirit of Giving honoree. Grooms also announced other agency fundraisers, including its Tee Off Classic Golf Tournament on Oct. 15. Its Arkansas Razorbacks-theme Hawgs for a Cause will take place Oct. 18.
Making its debut in 2011, Curtain Call is the brainchild of Grooms and Jungmeyer. For more information and tickets, visit aeddinc.org.
-- Story and photos by Helaine R. Williams
High Profile on 04/01/2018