*Hulaween* Halloween 2012

As I'm wandering around the streets of Williamsburg trying to find good coffee and make sense of the fact that the night before Hurricane Sandy wiped out my hometown, my parents house, and significant portions of the city I love, I get a phone call saying " THE SHOW MUST GO ON!! " Within a few hours I was in a taxi cab detouring disaster zones with Douglas Little and his team to go install the decor for Bette Midler's Halloween party at the Waldorf Astoria. Hulaween is the annual fundraiser gala for Bette Midler's non-profit organization New York Restoration Project that creates and restores parks and gardens, and plants thousands of trees around New York City every year. I believe that the fates permitted this party to happen because it was for such a great cause. All the while the joke of the evening was guest speaker Al Gore couldn’t make it to the party because of global warming. HA! It was truly an amazing fete to pull off a production of this level in the two days following the storm. However this was Douglas's third year designing the decor for Hulaween and if anyone could make it happen, it would be him. And there was hot wax involved. Lots of it. Dripped all over a sea of roses to complete the nights theme "Paris in Hell." Blondie sound checked while we did the install homestretch. That was Awwwesome! Despite the great hardship taking place in New York City, those who could still attend Hulaween came with great style and flair and raised 1.8 million dollars for restoration that will directly benefit parks and gardens destroyed by Hurricane Sandy.  I have so much respect for Bette Midler for the great work that she does and believe it is of dire importance that more people use their wealth and influence to cultivate stewardship of the planet and give back to the community. Go Bette! That’s what’s up.

Douglas, Bette, & Sparkles after Hulaween planning meeting at the Waldorf.

                                                                          "Paris in Hell"
                                                           Decor designed by Douglas Little.
                                Production and installation by Sarah Sparkles, Jessie Flynn and crew

                                                                  A sea of decorated tables

                                          Party time at the Waldorf. Happy Hulaween!

                                           
                                                          Hulaween Press WWD
                                                                     Page 6