The Arts Project of Cherry Grove (APCG) end-of-season gala, billed as the “Mad Hatter Ball,” took place on September 23 at Island Breeze restaurant, and outrageous headgear and Lewis Carroll “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” and “Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There” costumes were de rigueur.
APCG Community Service Awards went to Pat Siepp and Diane St. Pierre and, in absentia, Ray Bagnuolo, Todd Alessandro, and Michael Fisher.
In between the scrumptious buffet dinner, whipped up by Island Breeze Chef Anthony, and the cannoli-and-strawberries dessert, there was a costume contest, judged by Troy and Brian, Avery, and Anna and Henriette. The best individual was Angina Pectoris, Maria Fabrizia’s other half, and Dale Lally as Swami Swametti, was the runner-up. The best group was “Alice in Wonderland”—Whore D’Oeuvre, Matthew George, Doris Dear, and Jim Darling—and Dale and Brian, also as Lewis Carroll characters. The ‘what were you thinking award’ went to pioneers Michael, Adam, and Joana, with Pat Goff as runner-up, and a special ‘you’ve won too many times’ judges award went to Toni Cesta and Jane Haber.