A Night Out: The 21st Annual Leukemia Ball

Fernando and Liz Murias with Michaele and Tareq Salahi.

What: 21st Annual Leukemia Ball
Where: Washington Convention Center
When: From about 6:00 until late
Ticket price: $1,000 a person
Attire: Black tie

Who: More than 2,000 Washington business leaders and supporters came out for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s 21st annual gala event, which holds bragging rights as the city’s largest non-political fundraiser. Despite a souring economy, the fundraising tally for the night totalled $3.3 million. The event’s sponsor and planning roster reads like a who’s who of the Washington business community: executives from PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Beers & Cutler, Eli Lilly, and Laborers’ Charitable Foundation. Ronald M. Bradley was honored as a “Titan of Business” for his dedication to the cause (to the tune of $75,000). Star power came in the person of funny guy Jay Leno, while Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes played for the crowd at the end of the night.

Want to see more photos from Washington events and parties? Click here for Washingtonian.com's photo slideshow page.

The scene: The entrance to the Washington Convention Center was blanketed with a red carpet, greeters, and a swing band and dancers that transported guests to the Roaring Twenties, the evening’s theme. Many attendees quickly committed to at least one $100 raffle ticket for the chance to drive home in one of two cars from Mercedes Benz before heading upstairs to check out the 400-plus-item silent auction. Up for grabs? Tons of getaways, sports memorabilia, a signed Hanna Montana montage, and the same brand of gem-encrusted pacifiers that J. Lo bought for her recently born twins.

Food: Before dinner, crudité and fruit displays—and a chocolate fountain with marshmallows, pretzels, and fruit aplenty! For dinner: jumbo-shrimp salad, filet mignon, crab cake, and a raspberry mousse coated in chocolate.

Funniest moment: When Jay Leno momentarily lost his train of thought and joked that it was because of the cleavage of a female attendee close to the stage.

Most touching moment: A video featuring Lewis Gilinsky choking up as he spoke about surviving leukemia. He and his family were honored at the event.

Boldface names: 3 out of 5
Swankiness: 3.5 out of 5
Food/Drinks: 3.5 out of 5
Overall exclusivity: 3.5 out of 5
Total: 13.5 out of 20