"The AZ Insider" with Kathy Shayna Shocket: Get the inside scoop on Arizona's social scene and celebrity news.
This week: The party with fantastic raffle prizes including the ride along with king of Barrett-Jackson
The party with fantastic raffle prizes including the ride along with Craig Jackson, the king of the Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auctions who donated a rare raffle prize for the Heart Ball kickoff party- a ride along in his Bugatti Veyron. At about $1.6 million; it’s the most expensive modern car in the world. And the ride-along was part of the raffle package that he donated for the private party. The unique prize included VIP tickets to the next Barrett-Jackson auction.
Heart Ball committee member Cathy Hart had the winning ticket. The million dollar car wasn’t on display at the party, (that’s Craig in the photo above that I snapped at his Xmas party in his new home) but many committee members had the chance to see the sporty set of wheels when Craig hosted the post party for the 2010 Heart Ball at his 20,000 square foot home in Paradise Valley. Besides, as 2011 Heart Ball Chair Julie Prusak explains, “we would have had to take the doors off at Saks to bring the car inside.”
Julie Prusak and Sandy Hecomovich welcoming guests
The million dollar ride-along with Craig was one of four lavish $20 per ticket raffle prizes. And what about the trip to Las Vegas with accommodations at the luxurious Cosmopolitan hotel? Well, when Sandy Hecomovich (the chair of the kick-off party) pulled the winning ticket out of the bowl and read Sallie Sargent’s name, she smiled. That’s because Sallie was the committee member who worked so hard on trying to secure the Las Vegas donation for the raffle. In her classy Sallie style she graciously told Sandy to reach into the bowl again. Now committee member Kimberly Jacobson will be enjoying the Cosmopolitan and Las Vegas sometime soon.
Vern and Vicki Vaughn at home with Vuitton bag
Another impressive raffle prize was the Louis Vuitton handbag. You don’t often see one of those for a $20 per ticket raffle prize. Especially the Alma design that sells for more than $1,000! Committee member Vicki Vaughn was the lucky winner who went home with the bag on her arm. Vicki, who is thrilled, bought six raffle tickets for $100 from committee member Bonnie Marshall that night.
About 180 guests mingled at the private party at Saks Fifth Avenue. The cocktail hour was followed by a fashion show spotlighting the collection of Zaang Toi. Julie Prusak’s daughter Kylie was one of the professional models on the runway. The runway in the round!
Julie Prusak and Kylie Prusak at Saks fashion show
Kylie Prusak, 16, has modeled internationally since she was 14 and is represented locally by the Agency Arizona and with a respected agency in Tokyo and with Ford in Los Angeles and Chicago. She’s hoping to continue modeling and study the business side of international fashion.
The Heart Ball funds programs provided by the American Heart Association, including the interactive cardiovascular learning center and the Halle Heart Children's Museum located in Tempe.
Kathy Shayna Shocket is a Phoenix based Reporter, Photographer and TV-Field Producer. She is a former TV reporter and she has also written for publications such as TIME Magazine, PEOPLE Magazine, MONEY Magazine, the Hollywood Reporter, and The New York Times. You can email her at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
