September 30, 2005

Having a ball at the ballpark

The famous wall of the Green Monster provided a dramatic backdrop to this year's Storybook Ball benefiting MassGeneral Hospital for Children (MGHC). The annual gala has become one of the premiere events in Boston, and this year's sold-out fete at Fenway Park lived up to its reputation, raising more than $2 million dollars for MGHC.

It started in the early evening of Sept. 23 as more than 600 guests arrived to enjoy clear skies and specialty cocktails in front of the dugouts. Festivities kicked into high gear inside a tent set up in center field. Guests dined on a three-course dinner, played carnival games and danced to music played by DJ Tony Okungbuwa from the "Ellen Degeneres Show."

The highlight of the night was the auction emceed by comedian Lenny Clarke, with items such as a block of 424 Green Monster seats and an autographed copy of Boston: All One Family. No trip to the ballpark is complete without "Peanuts," so the cast of cartoon characters served as the theme for the evening.

Storybook Ball co-chairs Darlene Jordan, Simone Winston and Patty Ribakoff, with Alan Ezekowitz, MBChB, DPhil, chief of Pediatrics for MGHC