Story Published:
Jan 24, 2012 at 10:27 PM CST
Story Updated:
Feb 13, 2012 at 2:39 PM CST
Saturday night, at the Leslie Town Centre, the Nashville Bluetones musically set the mood in their inimitable style for an exceptionally large gala crowd at the Fur Ball themed, “The Great Catsby.” The group was seriously “Puttin’ on the Ritz” in the style of Irving Berlin’s song featured in the movie “Blue Skies” starring Fred Astaire. The lyrics captured the mood of the party:
High hats and narrow collars, white spats and lots of dollars
Spending every dime, for a wonderful time
Come, let's mix where Rockefellers, walk with sticks or "umberellas"
In their mitts---Puttin' on the Ritz
In spite of all the fun the partiers were having, the event served as a fundraiser for the Friends of Cookeville/Putnam County Animals who also produced the event. The auction had some impressive articles including Peanuts "Snoopy" and "Lucy" drawings autographed by Charles Shultz, a "Born in the USA" album autographed by Bruce Springsteen and the entire E. Street Band, a guitar hand-signed by Paul McCartney, a "Kentucky Derby" party for twenty, Dale Jarrett race car driving lessons, and much more. According to one spokesperson, the evening’s event raised over $30K.
The coordinators for the event included, Dottie Larimore (on the cover photo with Dr. David Larimore), Mary Jo Gregson, Penny Brock, Jamie Downing, Lisa Foutch, Carolyn Whitson, Brittany Walker, Linda Westen, Dana Lee, Terry Acheson, and Shirly Barnhart.
The mission of the Friends of Cookeville/Putnam County Animals is:
To raise public awareness of the increasing numbers of unwanted animals being born in our community.
To initiate and support community education efforts that emphasize the importance of spaying/neutering pets.
To promote pet adoptions at the Animal Shelter and support the Shelter and other animal welfare entities in various ways.
