Pedaling Toward a Cure
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Transcript of Pedaling Toward a Cure
ABOVE: Since 1994, Lantz and Laura Welch have called this modern-day castle home. With
three bedrooms and 18,000 square feet, the castle is the perfect place for
the Welchs’ charitable soirées. BOTTOM: Guests arrived at the Welch castle to enjoy
delicious food, sip spectacular drinks and share their love and support for the Medical
Missions Foundation (left). Among the mouth-watering food provided by co-host Nicole
Wang and caterer Kurt Oenning was a beautiful display of vodka-marinated gravlax.
114 KC MAGAZINE | KCMAG.CoM
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revelry
pedaling toward a cureFor two days this past September, Bill Gautreaux and Team Spin
Inergy rode 109 miles enduring tough hills and torrential rain in
the MS Society Bike Tour for multiple sclerosis. The weekend before,
they gathered with close friends and colleagues at the home he
shares with his wife, Christy, and their children for the kickoff and
eighth annual MS Society Charity Bash.
The house, built in 1914, was once the home of T.J. Pendergast––a political “boss”
of the city in the 1930s and 40s. Along with 49 other homes, the Gautreaux residence is
part of the the Simpson-Yeomans/Country Side Historic District, which represents one
of the last surviving restricted residential quarters remaining in Kansas City. The homes
display an interest in the Period Revival style considered fashionable in their time and
offer evidence of a veritable microcosm of architectural design and stylistic preference that
held sway in Kansas City between 1908 and 1926.
Now in its eighth year, the MS Society Bash invites guests back with something new
to look forward to, thanks to Cheryl Ronald––an ardent activist for MS. This year, she
designed the invitations and selected the décor, including bouquets of sapphire blue orchids
and mango calla lilies arranged in custom, tiered miniature metal bike centerpieces.
She also collaborated with Jeff Addison of Cool Carvings (13004 Seventh St., Grandview),
who sculpted a full-service bar made entirely of ice. Weighing 1,925 pounds and measuring
7 feet long, the bar froze together bike gears, wheel sets, chain rings and other components
that Cheryl scoured from local bike shops (left). Special clips held the accessories in place in
the water as the ice froze over a period of four days. LED lighting in shades of orange and
Tiffany Blue, taken from the MS logo, illuminated the ice. Whimsical blue martini glasses
hung by orange threads above and around the bar (second spread, right), which not only
added interesting décor but saved space on and behind the ice bar.
A small plate menu designed around proteins featured turkey breasts glazed with an orange
marmalade and jalapeño glaze, teriyaki grilled beef tenderloin and roasted pork carved tableside.
homeowners Bill and Christy Gautreaux caterer lon lane’s inspired oCCasions
story by kerry pitt-hartphotos by kenny johnson
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After crafting a beautiful dinner plate, Lon Lane of Inspired Occasions (6306 Morningside
Drive) and his staff picked up on the caramel and Fleur de Sel trend to create a dessert bar
featuring decadent chocolate brownies (top right), caramel ice cream, chocolate popcorn
and cappuccino punch.
Darryl Lee Rush and his band flew from Dallas the day of the event. Rush has known
the Gautreaux family for 10 years and played at the first Bike MS Kickoff Party eight years
ago. It’s become a tradition they look forward to every September, and as Rush says, “is
one of the most important things we do.” One of the highlights for him that evening was
when Bill and Christy (first spread, bottom left) came up and sang along with the band to
a cover of Ryan Adam’s “Oh My Sweet Carolina.”
Another element that keeps guests returning—especially those who love art––is the
family’s private art collection. Bill and Christy started buying their first original works about
15 years ago. The collection is exciting and eclectic with many sought-after artists whose
pieces are featured in museums around the world. Several photographers’ works grace the
walls, such as photos from Hendrik Kerstens, Stephane Couturier and the Starn twins.
Most important is a smaller work by the American watercolor painter Charles Burchfield
and many other large works from the contemporary artists such as Nick Cave, David
Bates, Mickalene Thomas and Leonardo Drew, to name a few. Also on view that night
was Yinka Shonibare’s multimedia sculpture “Child on Unicycle.” This headless figure is
dressed in wax-printed African textiles, and was situated near the food to give every guest
the opportunity to admire the unique artwork (first spread, left).
This year’s fundraising efforts went down in the record books. All donors who met or
exceeded their prior years’ contributions were matched, making Team Spin Inergy the No.
1 fundraising team regionally. The money will go toward research to find a cure for MS
and toward medications designed to manage the autoimmune disease. According to The
National MS Society, approximately 400,000 Americans have MS, and every week about
200 people are diagnosed.
Although symptoms vary from person to person, Dan Deblasio, who was officially
diagnosed a month before his 28th birthday, was left with major and most likely permanent
damage to the left side of his brain leaving his right leg paralyzed and right eye functionally
blind. The greatest challenge for him has been coming to terms with the increased amount
of time it now takes to do the simplest things, “like buttoning my shirt or tying my shoes
or moving from one end of the house to the other. None of these things take me what I
would call an exorbitant amount of time but, if it used to take me five seconds to button
my shirt, it might now take me twice as long,” he says. “Doesn’t sound like much of a big
deal, but these things amount to interruptions in the quotidian rhythm of the mundane
that can sometimes ruin my day.”
Bill and his team of 60 riders trained for months leading up to the ride and passed the finish
line raising $276,896.16, in an effort to help those like Deblasio and an estimated 2.5 million
people worldwide keep doing what they love: fly fishing, rock climbing, hiking––moving.
In large part because of the efforts of Team Spin Inergy, The National MS Society and
fundraising events held all across the nation, there have been several major medications
developed and brought to market. When Deblasio was diagnosed in 1998, there were
only three disease-modifying medications available to slow progression, all of which came
only in injectable form. Now, Deblasio says, “There are several others and a new oral
medication that seems to be just as effective as the injectables. There also is excitement in
the MS community about the promise of stem cell therapies that may lead to reversal of
damage once considered permanent, but it still seems a cure is a long way off.”
For further details on how you might get involved in the MS movement, visit
nationalmssociety.org. n
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Lon Lane’s Inspired Occasions
provided a beautiful spread, including an early fall grain salad
and decadant chocolate brownies. The Gautreauxs took
advantage of their spacious, scenic backyard by seating their
guests at tables covered with vibrant orange tablecloths and
jamming to the tunes from Darryl Lee Rush and band. Guests
could also untie their own martini glass from the beautiful
display when they were ready for a libation.
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throw an outdoor party to remember1. Centerpieces for the outside tables need substantial bases so they don’t blow over.
2. Have a tent in place or room inside to provide shelter for guests in case there is a storm.
3. Set up the bar away from food areas because guests tend to gather around the bar.
4. Candles add elegance to your affair, but with KC’s famous wind make sure they are placed in holders that are taller than the candle.
5. Let your guests know beforehand that it will be an outdoor event so ladies don’t show up in 4-inch heels. Wet grass and spiky heels don’t mix.
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