What woman doesn’t love a little blue box? On September 27th, the attendees at Lexington’s Pink-Tie Gala had the chance to bid on Tiffany & Co. pink-themed jewels to benefit the Susan G. Komen Foundation. In addition, Tiffany & Co. generously donated gifts for all the event organizers with a special pink Tiffany scarf to the committee chair woman.

All in attendance had a great time raising money for a wonderful cause. Don’t forget October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month!

Danielle
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(President of Belmont University, Bob Fisher and I.)

Tuesday, October 7 marked the much anticipated Debate ’08 celebration at Belmont University. For the first time in history, a presidential debate was slated to unfold in the state of Tennessee – more specifically, at my alma mater.

The weeks preceding the debate were filled with guest speakers, movie screenings and debate preparation. Despite the daily deterioration of available parking spots, the Belmont community was overflowing with excitement.

I was fortunate enough to experience the action first hand through a volunteering opportunity. I represented the Myspace Impact team. In the same vein of Myspace music sites, Myspace has created impact sites that cater to non-profits and political candidates. You too, can add Sarah Palin to your ‘top 8’ by visiting www.impact.myspace.com.

As a Myspace Impact team member, I handed out various freebies and encouraged media representatives to submit a question for the presidential debate on our giant, portable computers. Volunteering proved to be a unique way to actively engage in Debate ’08.

It is an exciting time in our nation’s history. Presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama have a daunting task awaiting them in the White House. Participating in this debate was monumental for me, as I will be voting for the first time this November. This election will become a key part of our nation’s history and I couldn’t be happier to have been a part of it.

Sara
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We are always looking to recruit top notch students. Steve and I had the opportunity today to talk with several University of Louisville Business School students about our internship program. We met some great students, toured the Career Center and were able to score some pizza as well. Thanks to the University of Louisville for hosting us!

Kelly
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The wait is over. The Peritus Pundit has arrived! Visit www.perituspundit.com and predict the winner of the election, not only will you be crowned the Peritus Pundit, we’ll also donate $1,000 to the charity of your choice!

Peritus staffers from three offices gathered recently at Barren River State Resort Park to lay the groundwork for future growth. Pictured above are our proud Peritussians in their team jerseys!

After working for almost six years in catering and event planning I thought I knew a good bit of the industry. I know the lingo, the vendors and many tricks of the trade which led me to Peritus and continues to be something I enjoy. After assisting in the planning of several large scale events with our firm and having the chance to plan the Museum Plaza groundbreaking last fall I felt pretty experienced, until yesterday.

As I stepped onto the expansive carpeted entrance at the 2008 Ryder Cup, I was immediately in awe. I couldn’t take it all in fast enough. It was tent after tent, banner after banner, image after image, large statues, ample security, convenient concessions and golf gift shops - all of which was just the impressive entrance.

As I made my way through Valhalla Golf Club during the first day of practice rounds I couldn’t help but think how much time, energy and extensive planning had gone into such an extraordinary event. The entire course was adorned with beautifully decorated tents, perfect landscaping, well placed advertising and brand recognition, thousands of staff members, strategically placed media risers as well as convenient telephone stations for those addicts like me without their Blackberries.

I left Valhalla with golf being an afterthought. I sat back and realized planning a PGA Championship Tournament is the big leagues, the event planning Superbowl if you will. It was nice to be able to step back and understand how much I have to look forward to in the industry and how many other areas I have yet to explore. So hats off to the PGA and everyone involved in the 2008 Ryder Cup, I was blown away.

For all the live Ryder Cup action visit www.courier-journal.com or www.thegolfchannel.com

Kelly
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This weekend I attended the Denver Broncos home opener against the San Diego Chargers. The game was one of the weekend’s best with Denver winning 39-38 and improving to 2-0 on the season.

Head coach Mike Shanahan made the gutsy call to go for a 2-point conversion with just 29 seconds left and it proved profitable when quarterback Jay Cutler hit rookie Eddie Royal over the middle for the win.

The crowd at Mile High was so loud you could feel the ground shaking beneath your feet. (Of course, the touchdown prior to the 2-point play was setup by a controversial call that was later ruled incorrect, but that is a discussion for another day.)

While it was the premier ticket on Sunday’s slate of games, the play on the field was an afterthought for me. I had the privilege to attend the game with Tim McKernan, a Denver Broncos legend. McKernan never played a down of pro ball, but his legacy is forever solidified in Broncos lore.

McKernan is known among Broncos fans lovingly, but simply as “Barrel Man”. For over three decades, McKernan never missed a game, while wearing only a barrel, a pair of Tony Llamas boots and a Broncos cowboy hat. He was the first Broncos fan to be inducted in the NFL’s Fan Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.

Braving all types of weather conditions, Barrel Man has been a constant at Denver games since the late 1960s. (For the record, the coldest game he ever attended was in 1983 against the Chicago Bears when the wind chill factor dipped to -30 degrees.)

The unique part of Sunday was that it was McKernan’s first game without the barrel. He retired the barrel after the 2007 season due to health complications after an abdominal aneurysm ruptured in 2003.

Even without the barrel, McKernan was treated like royalty by Broncos fans and stadium personnel. We were ushered to the front of every line until we reached our seats on the front row of the stadium’s second level. The only delay was stopping every couple steps as fans asked repeatedly to have their picture taken with McKernan. Many fans just thanked him for his years of service and wanted to shake his hand.

Sunday’s Broncos game was one of the season’s best, but thanks to Barrel Man, it is one I will never forget.

Matt
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Pictured above from left to right: Tim Mulloy, Mark Mulloy, Brett Guthrie for Congress, Congressman Roy Blunt, Scott Jennings and Bob Gunnell.

(Pictured above Mayor Jerry Abramson at the My Morning Jacket concert on August 16, 2008. Photo Courtesy of mymorningjacket.com)

It takes a rare occurrence to bring the community together in a way that My Morning Jacket did earlier this month. Over 10,000 people flocked to Louisville’s Great Lawn at Waterfront Park to watch the city’s must popular band return home. The band hails from Louisville and hasn’t forgotten its roots.

With the Derby city’s skyline and the Ohio River as a backdrop, the band played a three-hour set that reminded Louisvillians why Jim James and My Morning Jacket are one of the most popular groups on tour this summer.

The event was more than your typical rock show. The lawn was equipped with Louisville.com’s Local Village that featured information about the city and its “places to go and people to know”. The band also donated $1 from every ticket sold to benefit Louisville’s Center For Women and Families. The hometown theme was continued on stage with a performance by the Louisville Leopard Percussionists.

Over the past two years, My Morning Jacket has reached new heights and emerged as one of the hottest tickets in the music industry. The band, made up of mostly Kentucky natives, just capped an eventful summer that included appearances on Saturday Night Live and with the Boston Symphony on David Letterman’s show.

It was refreshing to see the entire community embrace the band as they returned home. Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson introduced the band and both community and corporate sponsors showed their support as well.

The band is led by singer Jim James, a 1996 graduate of St. Xavier High School who grew up in Hikes Point and still lives in Louisville. Other locals in the band include Tom Blankenship, a graduate of Oldham County High who was raised in Crestwood, and Patrick Hallahan, a drummer and Male High graduate who still resides in Louisville’s Germantown neighborhood.

If you’ve never heard or seen the band, they can be hard to explain. You would think a rock band from the Bluegrass State would stick to southern rock, but My Morning Jacket has expanded its repertoire to include a wide-ranging style that includes funk, soul and jazz sounds.
The group will stay busy this fall as it heads to Europe in November with sold-out shows scheduled in Ireland, Belgium, The Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Germany and the UK The band will finish 2008 in style with a New Year’s Eve performance in New York City’s Madison Square Garden…..not bad for a couple of local guys from Hikes Point!

Matt
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Having attended three previous Democratic conventions and two Republican conventions I decided to sit this year’s out. I’ll be watching on television. There are advantages. I will be able to avoid the long lines, the demonstrations and best of all I can turn the channel on bad speakers that say nothing. Conventions have become nothing more than infomercials and the American people have tuned them out.

The Democrats and Republicans will make promises at their conventions to bring true change the next four years. The Democratic convention does promise to be historic because of the nomination of Barack Obama. The Clintons should also make it interesting in how they pass the torch. The Republicans offer great contrast by nominating someone who would be the oldest serving first -term President. Both conventions could have made for great political theater but instead seem destined to say nothing more than rhetoric of the past. All we need as proof is to look at the actions of both campaigns in how they deal with the convention activities.

Take for example Obama’s promise not to accept contributions from lobbyists and to make his campaign free of special interests. Mark Hebert’s WHAS11 blog report on the lobbyist-paid receptions in Denver for congressional leaders points to the contradictory policy of the campaign. The Obama campaign could have shut this type of activity down but decided to turn the other cheek. The Republicans are guilty of the same contradictory rhetoric with numerous lobbyist-sponsored receptions. Now in all fairness, I am a registered federal lobbyist. I think that the ban on lobbyist influence in the campaigns was ridiculous and nothing more than empty words from the inception. Let’s hope that we have a true change in Washington this January regardless of which party wins. Come November I wonder how many voters will still believe that these candidates represent true change or just more of the same?

Bob
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