By: Mary Jo Almeida Shore
It felt like the setting of an episode from the old television show, Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous,at theblack-tie birthday celebration for William H. Dean, CEO of Washington D.C.-based engineering firm M.C. Dean, which was held at his newly renovated Miami Beach estate villa Terra Veritatis earlier this month. The grand affair was hosted by philanthropist/nightlife impresario/chairman of Capponi Construction Group- Michael Capponi, and Sarah Arison, Board of Trustees member for the National YoungArts Foundation. The party also served as a housewarming of sorts, in celebration of the completion of the more than $40 million of renovations that were made to the 2.5-acre estate by Capponi Construction Group, LLC and Dale Overmyer Architects. Originally built in 1937, the historic home was the winter home of retail magnate S.S. Kresge. The tasteful renovations, which now include a spa wing, poolside cabanas, Venetian grotto, tennis and volleyball courts, and rooftop deck, while lavish, preserve the historic charm and beauty of the home. And we could have sworn we saw Robin Leach wandering around the upstairs of the state-of-the art nightclub (yes, you read that correctly) that is the crown jewel of the astounding renovation.
National YoungArts alumni violinists, cellists, ballerinas, classical guitarists, tap dancers and hip-hop dancers performed throughout the night, accompanied by beats by Miami HEAT’s DJ Irie. Guests enjoyed cocktails and passed hors d’oeuvres by Aarons Catering. In addition to wandering the sprawling grounds, many guests piled into the special SET nightclub pop-up club. SET owner Eric Milon gave guests an inside look into the popular nightclub’s newly designed renovation which will feature a glass catwalk, color-shifting onyx bar and VIP seating. Over on the grand lawn, PopUpEventsGroup unveiled an architectural glass dome, deemed the soap bubble, as a VIP lounge.
Bill Dean was presented with a Historic Renovation Proclamation at the party as well. “You can’t build a historic property,” remarked Dean “You can only buy one.” Sarah Arison followed the award acceptance with a briefing of the foundation before vocalist Grace Weber serenaded Dean with a Marilyn Monroe-esque “Happy Birthday.”
More than 3,400 guests attended the black-tie event, produced by Clif Loftin, (one of the creative driving forces behind Miami’s annual Make-A-Wish Ball After Party), including Prince Khalifa, Prince Saud, Jerry Bruckheimer, Michael Ba,y Bob Zangrillo, Lisa Hochstein, Joey Goldman, Katrina Campins, Anthony Shriver, Norma Quintero, Michele Heary, Dr. Jeff Kamlet, Martina Basabe, Tamara Galinsky, Alison Zhuck, Ema Koja, Diane & Alan Lieberman, Oren Alexander, Lauren Fitzpatrick, Claudine Smurfit, Tokyo Diiva, Aaron Resnick, Jamie Telchin, David Chung, Michael Saylor, Daniel and Marcella Novela, Zachary Scott and Vanessa Grout.
Little Lighthouse Foundation’s Hearts and Stars Gala
The following week, Over 1,500 guests joined co-founders Robert Sena, Aaron Resnick, Charlie Venturi and Aracibo Quintana at Terra Veritatis for The Little Lighthouse Foundation’s Fourth Annual Hearts and Stars Gala headlined by Rony Seikaly. Benefiting South Florida children and families, The Little Lighthouse Foundation supports children and their families who struggle with educational, financial, and medical hardships.
Hosted by Buster Cox, the fabulous event featured elements from the Casino de Monte-Carlo. Notable guests included Seikaly, Carolina Panther’s Linebacker Jon Beason, Jonathan Cheban, Lisa Hochstein, among others. Attendees mixed, mingled, played Blackjack, Craps and Roulette for charity while enjoying delectable bites by Catering Concepts, Le Boudoir, Rosa Mexicano, Lyon + Lyon and Thierry’s Catering and sipping cocktails.
**Photos courtesy of Justin Namon/World Red Eye
