Ballet benefit to offer fashion show

Good gracious, the fall social season is upon us.

Kicking off the season, as always, is the annual Corps de Ballet luncheon, benefiting several programs at the Atlanta Ballet. It’s Sept. 8, at a new location this year —- the Buckhead Ritz. The event features a fashion show with designs from Anne Barge Atelier and Tootsie’s. Tickets start at $115 each. Patron tables are $1,500 and host tables are $1,300. Proceeds benefit the Pas de Deux Society, the Sponsor A Dancer program and the Centre for Dance Education. For info contact co-chair Crystal Cox at crystalrcox@mac.com or call 404- 873-5811 ext. 213… . In other autumn news, the Atlanta Symphony Associates’ Fall Membership Party is planned for Tuesday evening at the Buckhead home of Frannie and Bill Graves. In keeping with this year’s theme, “A Great Pairing,” the evening features wine pairings with the elegant vittles from Soiree Catering of Atlanta. Members Yetty Arp and Deede Stephenson are co-chairing the party with help from committee members Honey Corbin, Camille Kesler, Ann Levin, Pam McAllister, former ASA president Leslie Petter, Faye Popper, Janie Skinner, Karen Thomson, Camille Yow, Janis Eckert and Liz Troy, who is the ASA’s vice president for membership. Suzy Wasserman is ASA president. For info e-mail lizzbt2@comcast.net or call 770-495-1462.

Robert Redford’s coming to town

The legendary actor/filmmaker, whose son is a two-time liver transplant recipient, highlights a star-studded evening to benefit the Georgia Transplant Foundation and the James Redford Institute for Transplant Awareness.

“Share the Beat” starts at 8 p.m. Sept. 13 at The Tabernacle and feature appearances by James Denton and Dana Delany of “Desperate Housewives,” country star Deana Carter and singer/songwriters Rivers Rutherford, Greg Barnhill and Alexa Wilkinson.

James Redford, who waited six months for the donation that saved his life, created JRI after his surgery. The annual “Share the Beat” fundraiser, launched in 2003, has raised awareness and funds in Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, Omaha —- and now Atlanta.

“Organ donation is the most generous act someone can do for another,” James Redford said in an e-mail. “The way to create more organ donors is to inspire people to embrace it. When you have this message linked to music and images it opens your heart and mind to how amazing transplant can be.”

The Georgia Transplant Foundation was founded in Atlanta in 1992. The nonprofit organization provides financial, educational and emotional support to transplant candidates, recipients, donors and their families and is funded by the Carlos and Marguerite Mason Trust, corporations and individuals. Info: www.gatransplant.org, www.jrifilms.org.

Sponsorships range from $1,000 to $50,000 and include tickets to the event, a VIP sponsor party as well as sponsor recognition at the event.

For more information call 678-514-1171, e-mail dbakelman@gatransplant.org or visit www.gatransplant.org. For information on JRI see www.jrifilms.org.

Celeb servers at upcoming events

Now that former U.S. Sen. Sam Nunn has emerged unscathed from this year’s veepstakes, he’s got time for some fun fund-raising. Nunn, whose name had been among those bandied about as possible Dem ticket No. 2, is on the roster of special-guest bartenders at the ninth annual Salsa for Dimes fund-raiser, benefiting the March of Dimes. It’s planned for 5 to 9 p.m. Sunday at Nuevo Laredo Cantina, 1495 Chattahoochee Ave. Chair Lisa Fuller and Nuevo Laredo Cantina proprietor Chance Evans plan a night of all-you-can-eat Mexican cuisine and margaritas with a mariachi band and an appearance by Miss Nuevo Laredo. (Shoot, who needs Invesco Field?) Also on tap to help pour: Norman Koplon, the longtime director of Atlanta’s Bureau of Buildings; Coca-Cola heir John Woodruff; restaurateur Pano Karatossos; Hal Nowak; Jezebel mag’s Beth Wietzman, and Neal Boortz show producer Belinda Skelton. Tickets are $75 each. For info, see www.marchofdimes.com/georgia or call 404-350-9800 ext. 208… . Another group of local notables will whip up their favorite eats in fab kitchens at the sixth annual Party for the Kitchen at Cucine LUBE Kitchen & Bath Design Center, 34 Irby Ave. in Buckhead. The VIP reception is from 6 to 7:30 p.m. followed by the main event from 7:30 to 10 p.m. Catered by A Legendary Event, the party will include a silent auction, a dinner buffet and live entertainment. Co-chairmen are Tony Conway, Sally Dorsey and Todd Tautfest. Guest chefs include artist Leigh Catherall, designer John Gidding, Atlanta & Company’s Holly Firfer, equestrienne Liz Lapidus, Atlanta City Councilwoman Mary Norwood and Q100’s Bert Weiss. The event benefits the Atlanta-based nonprofit Open Hand, which provides healthy home-delivered meals to seniors and individuals struggling with a chronic, critical or terminal illness in 16 metro Atlanta counties. Through its Comprehensive Nutrition Care program, Open Hand combines healthy meals with nutrition education, counseling and therapy. The organization is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Party for the Kitchen tix are $125 each, or $500 at the VIP level. Sponsorship opportunities range from $7,500 to $45,000. For info call 404-419-3333 or see www.projectopenhand.org.