Christmas Ball raises $20K for Monmouth U. library
‘Celebration of Trees’ adds to the festivities at Woodrow Wilson Hall
By Sherry conohan
Staff Writer
PHOTOS BY FARRAH MAFFAI Barbara Parr, Rumson, admires a tree decorated in gold tone ornaments at the Monmouth University Christmas Ball and Celebration of Trees Dec. 7.
WEST LONG BRANCH — Beautifully decorated Christmas trees were right at home amid the splendor of Woodrow Wilson Hall for Monmouth University’s 28th annual Christmas Ball and "Celebration of Trees."
In an array of hues, from gold and white to blue, peach, purple and pink, the trimmings on the trees added a colorful touch to the holiday scene with all the tiny white lights that cast a warm glow over the Great Hall Saturday night.
Joan Brearley, of Sea Bright, president of the Monmouth University Library Association, was pleased that more than 300 people had turned out for the $175-per-person, black-tie gala to benefit the Murry and Leonie Guggenheim Memorial Library. Before dinner was served, she presented a check for $20,000 to Jean Schoenthaler, dean of the library, to apply to a planned addition and renovations that are expected to cost $13.5 million.
"We look forward to a beautiful new building," Brearley said.
Michael Plodwick watches as his wife, Linda, place a bid on some of the items up for auction.
Schoenthaler said preliminary work on the project would begin late Dec. 20, the last day of school before Christmas vacation and the winter recess.
Actual construction is expected to begin in the spring and take 18 months to two years to complete.
"I don’t think there’s a better Christmas present," she told the guests.
Rebecca Stafford, president of the university, joined Brearley and Schoenthaler in thanking everybody for attending and showing their support.
Susan Musica (l) was responsible for decorating the trees at the annual celebration. The event was also attended by Joan Bearley, president of the Library Association for Monmouth University.
"The library," she noted, "is the central part of a university."
Before sitting down to eat and taking to the dance floor, the guests at the gala looked over the items offered in the silent auction and made their bids.
There was a beautifully framed collection of tied knots, golf equipment, several pieces of crystal, a figure of Father Christmas, a sled carrying a big white teddy bear that was filled with a lot of smaller stuffed animals too, a ski bobsled for a child, dolls, a dollhouse and baskets of wine, among others.
Susan Musica, of Neptune, the artist who created the decorations for the 10 trees scattered around the Great Hall, enjoyed seeing the guests ogle them.
After a week of working on them, she said she took her personal enjoyment out of seeing the finished trees before the party. The night of the party, she said, it was a pleasure to see others enjoy the trees.
There were two trees decorated in red — one with Santa Clauses and one with cardinals. Another was in done in aqua. One was done in copper.
Others — one each — were done in the blue, peach, purple and pink. One was done in a combination of gold and white, while another, that stood at the top of the staircase, was all in white.
Musica, who works as a professional designer doing showrooms in stores for Bradford Novelty of Manhattan and Massachusetts, donated her time to create the trees for the Christmas Ball as a volunteer — for the 11th year.
"I just truly enjoy creating a look that pleases me," she said. "I try to make something unique. I love what I do."
Musica said everything on each tree was carefully planned.
"It isn’t just placed," she said. "There’s a lot of thought that goes into it."
Co-chairs of the event were Judy Rothenberg of Rumson, Connie Vames of Holmdel, and Patricia Jackson of Spring Lake.