Melissa Victorino, Liza Cartmell host luncheon at Wolfgang Puck’s American Grille to raise money for the Shane Victorino Foundation
Melissa Victorino
The Celebrate Summer Luncheon at the Shore at Borgata’s Wolfgang Puck’s American Grille today (Friday, Aug. 3), was planned as a fundraising effort for the Shane Victorino Foundation.
However, as an emotional Melissa Victorino, Shane Victorino’s wife, took the podium, it became her opportunity to say goodbye to all the friends she had made after, “Eight seasons in Philadelphia.” Her husband was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers three days before the luncheon.
Victorino explained, “As a baseball wife, I deal in seasons, not years. Shane and I have been together 10 seasons. He has always been an inspiration. He does his job with a smile and doesn’t complain. It was hard for him to say goodbye to his teammates. I’ll never get used to it [the uncertainty of being a baseball wife], but this is a great chance to say goodbye to my friends in the Philadelphia and New Jersey area and to tell you that will we continue to fulfill our [charity] obligations in the future.”
Victorino also gave us some insights into what her family went through in the “extremely hectic last 48 hours.” She and her children left for D.C. to be with Shane during his off day on Monday and as soon as they arrived, the calls began becoming in about the intensified trade rumors. Shane was up till 2am fielding calls, and it was members of the press calling the next morning who broke the news to the Victorinos several hours before they got the official word from Phillies GM Ruben Amaro, Jr. “Then we had two hours to pack up the last eight years.”
Victorino added that “Shane will be a free agent after the season, and you never know what Ruben has up his sleeve. We might we back here.” This idea produced the loudest applause of the afternoon.
But let’s get back to the event. Victorino co-hosted the luncheon with Atlantic City Alliance President Liza Cartmell, and the afternoon also featured an informal fashion show presented by ENextDoor.com, as well as a raffle with prizes.
The luncheon menu offered a Caesar salad with a crisp and delicious slice of tomato bruschetta, an entrée of wild Alaskan halibut with an incredible zucchini/pesto puree and local tomato vinaigrette and for dessert, a warm chocolate truffle cake oozing with chocolate goodness, paired with vanilla bean ice cream. Wolfgang Puck is a master of plating, and he has passed his knowledge down to his chefs. The halibut plate was so gorgeous, it was almost too pretty to eat.
Shane and Melissa Victorino founded the Shane Victorino Foundation (SVF) in 2010. The nonprofit organization is dedicated to promoting opportunities for underserved youth as it engages in projects which provide children with educational, recreational and wellness programs.
There are some events in life mandatory in attendance and others that remain optional. Then there are those rarest moments, to paraphrase Marlon Brando’s Don Corleone in The Godfather, when you are made an offer you simply cannot refuse.
The evening’s longest lines, throughout the event, belonged to Austrian-born, California-based Wolfgang Puck. Snaking almost halfway across the spacious room, we wondered why? Obtaining visual range, things became clearer ...
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1. Phils Fan said... on Aug 5, 2012 at 12:11PM
“You and your hubby are a class act addition to Philadelphia and believe me we fans are really hoping on a resign so you can retire here in Phila and continue all the good you both do for the community! It's not the same without our Flyin Hawaiian!”