Goldfingers with license to chill aid Crisis Center
Posted on Sunday, May 11, 2008
FAYETTEVILLE — Specialty martinis and casino-style games including craps, roulette and blackjack drew James Bond fans out of the woodwork for The Crisis Center’s “Diamonds are Forever” fundraiser, a May 2 event named for the 1971 movie set in Las Vegas. The affair at the Fayetteville Town Center was The Crisis Center’s first big fundraiser in years and garnered about $ 30, 000. Proceeds go toward developing the center’s education outreach programs and funding the crisis lines. Rocky Santiago, a car collector from Oklahoma City, lent his cherry red 1965 Aston Martin for display outside the event. The car was the Bond car in multiple films including Goldfinger, Thunderball and Casino Royale. Santiago has owned the car for 20 years and says he drives it across the country to car shows. A red 2008 BMW provided by BMW of Northwest Arkansas in Rogers was also on display.
Guests were given $ 500 in play money for use at the casino tables. The silent auction raised $ 6, 600, including $ 400 that Melinda Adams paid for a photo collage signed by Sean Connery. Crisis Center board member Kelly Sherrill bought an electric guitar signed by Eric Clapton for $ 680 and an acoustic guitar signed by Jimmy Buffett for $ 580.
Partygoers also bought chances on a 1-carat diamond Journey necklace donated by Sam’s Club that was won by Sherrill.
Attire was inspired by the actors who played agent 007, the Bond girls and the villains.
Cafe Rue Orleans in Fayetteville provided jambalaya, crawfish pasta prima vera, crawfish corn bisque, shrimp Pontchartrain, “Sweet Heat Chick-N-Meat,” an assortment of sandwiches, chicken cordon bleu, meatballs and Bourbon Street chicken.
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