PEACH BUZZ: ‘Runway’ star returns to city for AIDS walk

Former Atlantan and “Project Runway” contestant Jack Mackenroth is back in town this weekend, and let’s hope his shoes are stylish yet comfortable as he joins in this Sunday’s AIDS Walk.

The budding designer, who distinguished himself in Season 3 of the Bravo reality series by publicly revealing his HIV status, is on the road promoting healthy discussions about being HIV-positive via Living Positive By Design. The 39-year-old held a gathering Friday night at the W hotel in Midtown.

“It’s really about combating the social stigma that exists,” Mackenroth told Buzz Friday. “We have to encourage people to talk about this.”

Mackenroth says it wasn’t a problem disclosing his status on national television.

“Ultimately, the decision was mine, but all my health information had been disclosed when I auditioned for ‘Project Runway,’ ” he explained. “It was not a spur-of-the-moment thing. The reaction has been overwhelmingly positive. I’m so happy that I’m out there, able to show people that it’s possible to live a healthy, positive life.”

Mackenroth says he lived in Atlanta’s Poncey-Highland neighborhood from 1999 to 2000.

“I drove in from the airport on Thursday, and I’ve noticed some real changes. I’m looking forward to walking with my friends on Sunday. I know that the economy is an issue right now, but HIV is something that affects everyone. We need all the attention paid to it that we can get.”

For info: www.myspace.com/livingpositivebydesign or www.aidswalkatlanta.com.

Cash for Champions

Poet Maya Angelou, “Dr. Phil” McGraw, and breast cancer survivors, including WSB-TV anchor Monica Pearson and Barbara Dooley, were among those who helped B98.5-FM raise money to battle the disease Friday morning. Morning personalities Steve McCoy and Vikki Locke hosted Breakfast for Champions in front of a live audience of 98 breast cancer survivors who got up before dawn to drive to the station’s Midtown studios. The event raised nearly $420,000 to benefit the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Greater Atlanta Affiliate.

Naturally, Dooley, the incomparable wife of legendary University of Georgia football coach Vince Dooley, was her hilarious self during the broadcast.

Dooley disclosed that she and Vince currently have a granddaughter who’s enrolled at —- gasp —- the University of Alabama. When the Crimson Tide rolled into Athens this season, family relations were put to the test.

It seems the Dooley grandchild wanted to wear her team colors and root for her team in front of her famous Dawg granddaddy.

Cracked Barbara Dooley on-air: “I thought Vince was gonna wring her neck! She’s got a lot of spunk. Wonder where she gets that?”

Vaughn on hold

Robert Vaughn, “The Man From U.N.C.L.E,” himself, has had to postpone his appearance at the Margaret Mitchell House that was scheduled for Thursday .

His manager, Joe Rinaldi, told Buzz that Vaughn, 75, had picked up some kind of serious bug on a recent trip overseas and needed a week or two of complete bedrest. He’s had to cancel or postpone a chunk of his tour to promote his new memoir, “A Fortunate Life.” Rinaldi says he will reschedule the Atlanta appearance as soon as possible.

“A Fortunate Life” is in some ways your standard actor’s autobiography (me-me-me), but it’s also full of surprises: how Vaughn recited Shakespeare for John Barrymore as a child in a saloon, dated (ahem) a teenaged Natalie Wood, and told a young Jack Nicholson not to give up, that his acting career would surely take off one day. Of course the stuff about “U.N.C.L.E.” is a hoot.

‘Trying to win’

Syndicated morning host Rickey Smiley, who joined Hot 107.9 earlier this month, admits to being a bit intimidated by his direct competitors in town, including Steve Harvey (Grown Folks 102.5), Tom Joyner (Kiss 104.1) and Frank and Wanda (V-103).

“I’m nervous,” he told Buzz Friday during his first show at Hot studios before hosting a free concert for listeners at the Rialto. “But I’m trying to win, dude. I’m going to go to schools. I’m going to work barber shops, soul food places, you name it.”

He plans to start a Monday night karaoke/poetry event at Uptown Comedy Corner next month and do his shows live from Atlanta at least one day a week.

On a somewhat chaotic first day at Hot, local artists Bobby Valentino, Gorilla Zoe and Yung Joc stopped by to wish Smiley luck.

CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS

Today: Singer-guitarist Chuck Berry is 82. Actress Dawn Wells (“Gilligan’s Island”) is 70. Jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis is 47. R&B singer Ne-Yo is 29. Actor Zac Efron (“High School Musical,” “Hairspray”) is 21. Actress Joy Lauren (“Desperate Housewives”) is 19.

Sunday: Artist Peter Max is 71. Actor John Lithgow is 63. Singer Jeannie C. Riley is 63. Singer Jennifer Holliday is 48. TV host Ty Pennington (“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition”) is 44. “South Park” co-creator Trey Parker is 39.

OVERSCENE

Julianne Chambliss, wife of U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss, stopped by the Junior League of Cobb-Marietta’s Mistletoe Market Friday. Chambliss shopped and visited with vendors, accompanied by Market co-chairs Haley Kelly and Laurie Cates and League president Carey Merritt. The Mistletoe Market, which concludes at 4 p.m. Saturday at the Cobb County Civic Center, benefits the women’s service group projects.

Contributing: Phil Kloer, Rodney Ho, Jennifer Brett and news services.

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