May 2nd: The Graham Hotel Rooftop in Georgetown DC
May 4th: Gold Cup
May 6-12: GI Film Festival
May 17th: The Front Row
May 21st: Sip With Socialites event benefiting Touching Heart
May 22nd: The Hulkower Fund and Chris4Life Colon Cancer Foundation 2nd Annual Tailgate
May 25th: Dawn and Doug Wedding Reception
May 26th: Pink & White Party at the W Hotel in DC
May 2nd - The Graham Hotel Rooftop in Georgetown DC. The Historic Georgetown area is an enjoyable area to walk around, yet there were few options for seeing Georgetown from above, till The Graham Hotel opened it's rooftop. Aptly named The Observatory, The Graham Georgetown’s rooftop bar & lounge held an opening night and allowed guests to have panoramic views of many iconic sights such as The Washington Monument, the Kennedy Center, the Rosslyn skyline, as well as a great view of historic Georgetown. I arrived in time to capture the sun setting with my compact camera and it's quite a sight to behold.
May 4th - Gold Cup - It was the 88th running of the Virginia Gold Cup Cup steeplechase race at Great Meadow in The Plains, Virginia. The Virginia Gold Cup is a spring tradition that brings out over 50,000 guests and is one of the largest and most popular sporting events in the greater DC metropolitan area. The Virginia Gold Cup is a big and fashionable social attraction as well, with guests dressing it up and enjoying a bounty of food, drink and games.
I arrived before Noon and took pictures at two tents, Becky's Fund and The Huxley. Here are some photos.
May 6-12: GI Film Festival - The GI Film Festival (GIFF) is a 501 c(3) non-profit educational organization dedicated to sharing the military experience, not only in war, but in the lives of service members and veterans. The festival is the first in the nation to exclusively celebrate the successes and sacrifices of the service member through the medium of film. The GIFF presents films from new and established international and domestic filmmakers of all skill levels that honor the heroic stories of the American Armed Forces. Prizes are awarded to winners in three main categories: feature, documentary, and film shorts. The GIFF also presents panel discussions, educational forums and special events.
On May 6th was the GIFF Secrets and Spies Party and Silent Auction - A Salute to 50 Years of James Bond. The event was held at Signature Theatre in Shirlington, VA and the venue was filled with James Bond memorabilia which was to be silent auctioned. There was also a 007 ice sculpture and men and women dressed in James Bond and Bond Girls attire. Celebrity actor and singer Robert Davi was honored for his philanthropic work in support of our military, active and veteran military honorees, film makers, philanthropists, and civilians who support the military.There was plenty of food and drink available and guests enjoyed posing for pictures and dancing till the event closed.
May 17th - The Front Row - With an annual event called The Front Row, Bethesda Row in Maryland holds a fashion show that showcases the work of local designers. One of the highlights of the event is in welcomg a celebrity guest and this year it was actor and now author Jessica Alba as she was at the event to sign copies of her first book called The Honest Life: Living Naturally and True to You.
The Front Row event filled Bethesda Lane with crowds of people wanting to enjoy the event and to see Jessica Alba as well as local notable guests attending the fashion show and event.
May 21st - Sip With Socialites event benefiting Touching Heart. The Graham Hotel Rooftop in Georgetown DC is a popular spot for this event. Touching Heart is a nonprofit organization 501(c)(3) whose mission is to educate children to have a giving heart. Washington Redskins Cornerback DeAngelo Hall was a special guest and it was his first time at The Graham Hotel and rooftop. There was a sizable crowd as usual on the rooftop and guests enjoyed conversations and drinks while watching the sun set. The environment makes for great views and pictures.
May 22nd - The Hulkower Fund and Chris4Life Colon Cancer Foundation 2nd Annual Tailgate
The NFL Players Association in DC was the location for this gathering and fundraiser in honor of Mark Hulkower, who lost his battle to colon cancer in 2011. Mark was a well known and respected defense attorney and formerly the Assistant US Attorney. His family and friends came out to support the event and the cause of colon cancer prevention.
The Chris4Life Colon Cancer Foundation partnered with the The Hulkower Fund and together raised $100,000 during the event with funds going to the Ruesch Center at Georgetown University Hospital’s Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. There was a silent auction which helped raise funds including items from The Hamilton, The Washington Capitals, the Washington Kastles, Washington Wizards, Villa at Hilton Head, ArtInsights, The Huxley, Washington Nationals, Casa Luca and Executive Signature Services. There was also four items offered in a live auction: Gold and Diamond earrings from Adeler Jewelers, a painting by contemporary artist Geoff Desobry, a vacation stay, tickets for 2 with NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith in the box for any Redskins game along with a signed RGIII jersey.
Many friends of Mark attended the event including attorneys and everyone enjoyed socializing and having delicious food and drinks. There was also an appearance by former NFL Defensive Back John Booty and three of the Washington Redskins Cheerleaders showed up to mingle with guests, sign WRC handouts and have their picture taken. Toward the end of the night, a video was played telling about The Hulkower Fund. The night went well as everything complimented each other in support of these important causes.
May 25th - Dawn and Doug Wedding Reception - There are rare occasions when I will only photograph a wedding reception, but Dawn and Doug had their wedding in St. Thomas. So I was asked by Dawn to capture this special evening with family and friends. Dawn is a client of mine whom I did corporate headshots for her and the company where she works. The venue was Middleton Hall in Waldorf, MD. We made the best of the location and the time to get some portrait shots and photos of the reception and the celebration of the marriage of Dawn and Doug.
May 26th - Pink & White Party at the W Hotel in DC - This is an annual Memorial Day Weekend party at the rooftop area of the W Hotel, which is comprised of their infamous balcony with spectacular views of DC and their P.O.V Lounge which also has a gorgeous view below at various monuments. Put on by JBC Events, this party is well known and well attended with guests dressed in combinations of pink and white colored clothing. It was a beautiful night which made the views and evening all the more enjoyable.
