Hannah and Friends Dinner

From RocketShark on Rock's House:

After seeing the announcement on ND Nation regarding the Hannah & Friends benefit dinner, I decided "why not?" and bought a ticket (although it meant missing a great hockey game at the JACC this evening).

The event was held at Ruth's Chris Steak House in Granger. After descending the stairs into the private area, you immediately meet Coach Weis who shakes your hand and veteran photographer Mike Bennett takes your picture together. Then into the main dining area where a silent auction was underway. Most of the pieces there were Bennett photographs with mattes plus some unique collages. Personally, I have more than enough ND stuff to hang on the walls so I wasn't in the market. Autographed footballs, helmets and assorted nick nacks were also available. Interestingly, there were a few NY Giants items. Pete Schivarelli, who is on the board of directors of Hannah & Friends, started the bidding on about 75% of the items offered. The leprechaun from 2005, Kyle Chamberlin, got his green suit out of mothballs to make an appearance in celebration of St. Patrick's Day.

It was a fairly intimate gathering as seating was limited to only 100 people. I have to say we were really well taken care of food and libations-wise. An open bar and plenty of wait staff walking around with platters full of various appetizers started us off. Both Coach and Maura Weis gave short introductory speeches and we set to eating. A generous cut of Filet Mignon was the main course, served on small plates heated to 500-degrees (so the staff cautioned). Mashed potatoes, creamed spinach, and a delicious sweet potato casserole were the sides. For dessert, a rich chocolate mousse cheesecake was served.

After dinner, Maura Weis gave an award to Larry Griggers of Ruth's who was responsible for the venue and meal. Mrs. Weis is an absolute rock with a command of the issues facing families that include members with special needs. An informative video detailing some of the work and goals of Hannah & Friends was shown.

Coach Weis called a live auction for an official ND helmet signed by a multitude of Irish coaches and football stars. The winning bid was $2,500 and two other helmets were sold to other auction participants for the same amount. Next were four tickets to the San Diego State game, plus four pre-game sideline passes. Those went for $2,000 and again, two other auction participants were able to buy similar lots for the same price (I thought about jumping in and saying my name was Andy Cross, class of '87 or '88 -- just bill me). Finally, there were four tickets to the Michigan game. Pete Schivarelli won the bid at $3,000, plus he offered to pay $1,000 more if he could also get pre-game sideline passes for that game. Done.

Throughout the evening, Charlie Weis was both amusing with his quips and moving with his eloquence regarding the families that deal with the special needs of members and how the Notre Dame community was an integral part of the success of Hannah & Friends.

It seemed to me that a significant amount of people attending the event (if not the majority) were were already in some way affiliated with the organization. It was a very friendly group of people to meet and talk with. I chatted with Mike Bennett about his job covering the football team. He travels with them, and one thing that stuck out in his mind was the amount of food the players consume on the plane. I talked a bit with Mr. Schivarelli about the statue of Coach Parseghian. He is trying to get it moved outside the stadium so people can see it better throughout the year and not just during home football games. Jeff Jeffers was also in attendance and that rounds out the people I recognized.

I'm glad I went, and look forward to attending future Hannah & Friends events.

(I am also glad the hockey team beat the daylights out of Ferris State.)