OKC Events: March 8, 2007

Journal Record, The (Oklahoma City),  Mar 8, 2007  by Joan Gilmore

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Red ties and/or ribbons dominated in the attire as tux-garbed men and fancy-gowned women - nearly 840 of them - arrived for the 15th annual Red Tie Night, a benefit sponsored by and benefiting the Oklahoma AIDS Care Fund. Founded in 1991 by Barbara and Jackie Cooper, OACF was organized in Oklahoma City to help provide financial resources to individuals and groups offering education, research and direct services to fight HIV/AIDS throughout the state.

All the money raised stays in Oklahoma, and this 15th annual benefit really raised the money. To represent the anniversary, 15 tables of 10 were reserved at $15,000 each! Other tables were priced at $10,000 and $5,000 each and lower, with single tickets at $300 each. Last year, more than $600,000 was presented in grants to 20 agencies dealing with HIV/AIDS and even more will be granted from this year's ball. Bills aren't all in yet, but the 15th annual Red Tie Night made a bundle for an important cause.

The Glenn Miller Orchestra played for dancing before and during dinner. After the live auction, music was provided by Blender.

A silent auction started the evening at 6 p.m. The always- exciting live auction after dinner raised (gross) nearly $175,000, plus the nearly $100,000 Mike Turpen coaxed from the audience. He took to the stage midway through the auction to offer guests who didn't bid on any of the pricey auction packages the opportunity to just donate straight money.

He started with "OK, who'll begin with offering $10,000 to the AIDS Care Fund." Two guests responded. Turpen went down to $5,000 donations and we saw at least 20 bid paddles raised. He stopped at $1,000 donors, and the total was nearly $100,000. This crowd was really hot with the bidding.

Desmond Mason, the Hornets basketball star who was seated at my table along with OSU's legendary coach Eddie Sutton, offered a basketball clinic with OKC Hornets stars. The bid included a two- hour tourney for 10 kids, along with 10 autographed basketballs and 10 autographed individual photos with Desmond and his co-host, Bobby Jackson. This sold for $20,000. Adrian Peterson offered a two-hour football clinic for 10 kids, which included a tour of the Switzer Center and OU football facilities plus 10 autographed footballs and 10 individual photos with A.D. This package sold for $31,500. Then A.D. offered for bid his framed jersey, No. 28, and it sold for $11,100.

A trip to Hollywood to attend a taping of the new season of Dancing with the Stars went for $22,500, and the trip to Florence, Italy, for a three-day cooking school was bid out at $33,000. Chris Paul, also a Hornets star, offered a trip to his Winston-Salem Weekend, a fundraising event for his hometown complete with a bowling tournament. It was bid out at $29,000.

He also offered up a framed jersey - red for Valentine's Day - and it went for $11,000.

The Kentucky Derby trip went for $21,000 and Tommie Harris' trip to Chicago, a golf tourney and a Chicago Bears game brought in $29,000. OU quarterback Paul Thompson, relatively new to celebrity status, wasn't on the program but he got up and generously offered a golf game with him for bidding. When asked where it would be played, he answered "I don't know." A man in the audience called out "It'll be at Oklahoma City Golf and Country Club for $5,000." Ultimately it went for more and included Thompson and four high bidders. Bless 'em all.

Each year, Red Tie Night features the presentation of the Richard May Award, established by the Oklahoma AIDS Care Fund to honor one of the founders of the organization who passed away in 2000. The award is given annually to recognize an individual who has given in an exceptional way of his or her own time and talents to promote education, research and service regarding HIV/AIDS. The recipient should exemplify quiet strength and compassion, never seeking recognition, which was the spirit of Richard May. A totally surprised Jackie Cooper was asked to come to the stage and receive this year's Richard May Award. He certainly does exemplify all of the above. Without his efforts, there just wouldn't be a Red Tie Night or, without his wife, Barbara, a generous Oklahoma AIDS Care Fund.

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