Operation Smile’s Grin Gala

Actress Lauren Graham and Lory Lazzarini

By Punch Passport Correspondent Lori González Lazzarini

Saturday was a glamorous night for me.  I had the great opportunity to attend the Operation Smile’s Annual Grin Gala at the US Chamber of Commerce.  The gala was to benefit Operation Smile, which is an international children’s medical charity dedicated to providing free reconstructive surgery for children around the world who suffer from cleft lips and cleft palates.

The VIP reception atop the U.S. Chamber of Congress

specialty cocktails

After a short cab ride, an elevator ride, and a flight of stairs, I arrived at the rooftop of the US Chamber of Commerce for the VIP reception of the Gala.  The VIP reception included specialty dishes from Equinox’s Chef Todd Gray , PS 7’s Chef Peter Smith, and BLT Steakhouse Chef Victor Albisu.  Additionally, these delicious dishes were paired with drinks from Mixologist Simo Ahmadi from Equinox, Mixologist Troy Bock from BLT Steakhouse, and Mixologist Stephen Warner from Columbia Firehouse.  I tried everything, yes, all the food bites, and all the drinks, and everything was exceptionally tasty.

bites from Equinox

another view of the VIP reception

The extraordinary fact about the VIP part of the event was that the price of the tickets was $240, which is the cost of the surgery that can change a child’s life, and it was so great to see that the rooftop was very crowded.  Actually, the event was crawling with A-listers, including Lauren Graham!  I chit-chatted with her for a bit and she said that she believes the event is for a really good cause that can be solved by donating almost no money for a simple surgery that can make a huge impact and really change the quality of life for a child.  She was at the event with her father, who she said was the one who told her to come.  She mentioned she always does that her dad tell her – which is funny because I do as well (smiley face).

The main reception

More of the main reception …

The groovy live band

desserts aplenty

Afterward, everyone moved downstairs and joined the rest of the crowd in the ballroom, which is beautiful.  The more than 400 attendees were looking fabulous and sparkly, and you could easily tell that everyone was having a good time.  The live music helped, the sound was really groovy.

Fly OpenSkies

the infamous Gucci bag at the Silent Auction which I so wanted …

The silent auction was exceptional with items from sports tickets, to a Gucci bag that I really wanted for myself, even two-sets of round-trip business class tickets from DC to Paris from OpenSkies!

Overall, I believe the event was a great success and I’m definitely not missing it next year.  I already spread out the word to my friends that is a must-go-to event!