THIS Hungarian Rhapsody Gala Attracts 120 Guests
The THIS Hungarian Rhapsody Gala on Friday, April 21, was a resounding success. The magnificent rooms of the Hungarian Embassy, with their amazing crystal chandeliers, beautiful stucco ceilings and old-world charm formed the perfect background for our event and created a beautiful ambience.
Gala Co-Chairs Tina Bailem and Billie Feldhaus welcomed everybody and took the opportunity to thank the gala committee and the embassy, especially Mrs. Agnes Fenyvesy, for all the help and support that made the event possible. His Excellency Ambassador Szabolcs Takacs took time out of his busy schedule to welcome attendees and to talk about the importance of THIS, its impact, and our mission of Citizen Diplomacy. THIS Vice President for Programs, Angel Cavise, also thanked Ambassador Takacs for the generous support and presented him, Mrs. Gaal, his wife, and Mrs. Agnes Fenyvesy with small tokens of our appreciation.
A total of 120 guests from all over world enjoyed exceptional food and drink, some Hungarian, beautifully prepared, some American — all delicious. There was a Hungarian Wine Tasting, a Wine Pull, a 50/50 Raffle, and a Silent Auction with items ranging from a stunning Kashmiri handmade shawl, to a week’s stay in a Tiny House in the San Diego area, to a case of delicious wine, donated by the Moss Winery, to Hungarian porcelain jewelry. Twenty-eight wonderful items to choose from in all. Attendees had a lot of fun deciding what to buy a draw ticket for and what to bid on. At the end of the evening, winners were quickly determined and happy to take home their winning items and certificates.
For the guests’ amusement, Blake Thompson and Nick Silvestri from the World Cube Association, demonstrated what it looks like when you know how to solve a Rubik’s Cube in under 10 seconds. Invented in 1974 by Hungarian Sculptor and Professor of Architecture Ernő Rubik, many of us have tried and failed.
For musical entertainment, Hungarian Folk Band Magnolia Zenekar played, followed by internationally known Hungarian Pianist Peter Toth. For the rest of the evening DJ Antonio Kirkpatrick had us take to the dance floor to enjoy and abandon ourselves to the music.
