Guests enjoy food, wine, art and golf at Odyssey event

Odyssey Las Vegas, a four-day event that opened Nov. 8 with a four-course dinner and closed Sunday with a golf tournament, raised money for the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and the Odyssey Foundation's scholarship program for the local Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts.

The seventh annual event, founded by Virginia and Mark Martino, emphasized food, wine and the arts. Bruce Sulzberg of Las Vegas was the artist in residence, and 23 notable chefs participated.

The first event took place at Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab in the Forum Shops at Caesars where participants enjoyed a four-course dinner paired with sophisticated wines.

The sold-out black-tie Dinner with the Masters on Friday took place at the Treasure Island Ballroom. The reception's silent auction featured winery trips and art that attracted Debbie and Lee Sussman, Beverly and Mike Mykisen, Lindy Stone, Mel Becker, Joyce Mack, Jennifer and Robert Marigison, Shelley and Peter Thigpen, Fafie and Jeff Moore, Denise and Michael Severino, Cheryl Purdue, Sandra Munley, and Roberta and Josh Gordon.

Dueling pianos entertained as guests indulged in passed hors d'oeuvres and selected champagne and wines.

The event's master of ceremonies was TV personality John Daly, who broadcast from the kitchen with the chefs before each course, describing each dish, with Julian Main of Southern Wine & Spirits of Nevada giving the wine descriptions.

Secretary of State Ross Miller spoke about what Nevada is doing to prevent child abduction and sexual exploitation.

Christian Kolberg conducted a live auction for 13 packages that included Le Cordon Bleu cooking lessons, jewelry and a Mediterranean cruise.

Also among the guests were Parvin and Ted Jacobs, Sandy Peltyn, Carlos Collado, Hillary Houston, Sandra Tiffany, Gary Anderson, Mona Orr, R.J. Peltyn and Ashley Rae.

On Saturday, guests visited Valentino at The Venetian to sample James Beard Award-winning chef Luciano Pellegrini's best of Italy antipasto and participate in a wine tasting conducted by Marilisa Allegrini, representing the Allegrini family from the Venetian region of Italy.

The gourmands continued on to the RM Seafood restaurant at Mandalay Bay, where chef Rick Moonen created a five-course seafood dinner paired with fine wines.

Sunday included a round of charity golf on the Siena Golf Course, followed by a party at the Siena Clubhouse featuring a blues gourmet barbecue.

Celebrating the arts: Steve Schorr was honored by the Nevada School of the Arts during its 2007 gala Saturday at the Four Seasons.

Schorr, vice president of Cox Communications, was instrumental in establishing a Suzuki music program in collaboration with Nevada School of the Arts.

The party featured performances by award-winning students from the school.

The junior and advanced violin ensembles, directed by Mary Straub, performed during the reception while guests including state Sen. Mike Schneider and Candy Schneider, Jeanette and Malcolm Clark, Gloria and Mark Fine, Thalia Dondero, Jeanne Greenawalt and Irwin Kishner, Sue and Paul Lowden, Betsy and Hal Weller, Nancy and Kell Houssels, Frances Fine-Ventura, Persia and James Golden, Wendy and Richard Plaster, Don and Dee Snyder, Larry duBoef, Ruth and Jack Lillis, Mary McCarthy and Cam Ferenbach socialized and bid on the silent auction items.

Painting on a large canvas while the violins played during the reception was artist Jean Francois; his paintings of Ludwig van Beethoven and Albert Einstein were sold during the auction.

Masters of ceremonies were Jim Snyder and Dana Wagner of KVBC-TV, Channel 3.

Nevada School of the Arts Board of Trustees Chairwoman Laurel Andrew spoke about the school preparing to move into the historic Fifth Street School, and she recognized past honorees in attendance: Paul Hesselink, Betty and Ken Miller, and Keith Boman.

Other guests included George Garlock, Lynn Wiesner, Victor Onufrieff, Sandra and Jim Frank, Phillip Koslow, Russell Peterson, Barbara and Bruce Woollen, and Denise and Gustav Mauler.