"The AZ Insider" with Kathy Shayna Shocket: Get the inside scoop on Arizona's social scene and celebrity news.
This week: The behind-the-scenes, icy details
In the spirit of Mother’s Day, several guests of the Night for Life gala planned to escort (or be escorted by) their moms. That’s because the gala, which benefits the Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS, is typically held on the weekend of Mother’s Day. It’s a popular, strongly supported event. The silent auction, with hundreds of items, keeps the cocktail hour energized and generates important monies for the charities’ coffers.
Ryan O’Meara was at the helm of this year’s silent auction, with his mother Sue. The mother and son team passionately “skated” through the commitment. You see, Ryan is an Olympic ice dancer who competed in the 2006 Torino Games in Italy with dancing partner Jamie Silverstein. Now, at age 23, he’s not only the director of dance at the Ice Den in Scottsdale, but he co-owns and runs a growing interior design business with his mother Sue O’Meara. Ryan’s the principal designer of Palavela Home and Sue manages the now 8,000 square foot showroom. (By the way, his dad’s heart is in his new dream career. Michael O’Meara is a cardiologist who practices in Mesa.)
Ryan O’Meara
The Night for Life’s auction is filled with interior design items from the O’Meara’s peers, including eight pieces of treasured furniture from Dean Warren’s 32,000 square foot showroom in Scottsdale.
Ryan and Sue donated a private dinner in the Palavela showroom at which guests will be serenaded by Opera singers. It’s a “recipe” that’s worked before for the mother/son design team. In fact, they recently hosted the successful salon event for the Arizona Opera. The popular player piano, which is part of the Palavela showroom, is also a part of the auction package for the Night for Life gala.
Mark Howard and Rocco Menaguale with friends at last year’s gala
Mark Howard and Rocco Menaguale are Honorary Chairs for the 16th annual Night for Life gala. Co-chairs are Berkley Vallone and Scott Burdick and the evening at the Phoenician boasts Grammy and Tony Award winner and TV actress Jennifer Holiday.
Berkley Vallone and husband and Scott Burdick at last year’s gala
The Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS, a non–profit research and resource center is the largest clinical trial, education, behavioral health and nutrition support center dedicated to fighting HIV and AIDS in the Southwestern United States.
Kathy Shayna Shocket is a Phoenix based writer. If you have a good item for The AZ Insider, you can email her at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
