Fortunately, Katie O. was able to attend for me and share her experience.  Once you’ve enjoyed her recap, go check out her blog Call Me Trouble!

First and foremost, I would like to thank Amanda for the opportunity to attend MedWish’s BandAid Bash. MedWish is an international philanthropy that collects and re-packages medical supplies to send abroad. Founded in 1993 MedWish is celebrating its 20th Anniversary this year and the energy in the air at the event was palpable.

I felt so lucky to be a part of the event with my lovely date, Julie from Wearing Mascara. This event somehow made me feel like a red carpet celebrity while not disguising the meaningful work MedWish does each and everyday.

Location: The Bash was held in MedWish’s warehouse facility. It’s located on the east side of Cleveland and my GPS did not do a great job of taking us directly there. Our scenic route through the east side of Cleveland was an exciting way to begin the evening and was a good initial reminder of how lucky we are to be in a place where we’re not worried about basic needs of food, water, and shelter.

Instead of a red carpet you walk up a concrete sidewalk into the warehouse lined with volunteers, registration tables and the backdrop of rows upon rows of the supplies that are awaiting shipment to go change lives.

The way they transformed the space of the warehouse into a high class club was breathtaking. If they ever need to move to a bigger space I think we could open Cleveland’s hippest nightclub there. The party space was the result of some very talented visionaries.

MedWish warehouse transformed for Band Aid Bash

Food & Drinks: They were  everywhere. The best part? They were everywhere throughout the evening. I wasn’t feeling my best but the good news was I brought along an expert taste tester.

I enjoyed the Dutch Mule Cocktail, a simple concoction of Ginger Beer, Grapefruit, and vodka. Other recommended drinks included the Zombie, watermelon punch, and cherry cider. No one was going thirsty.

Hodge & company were on scene to keep our bellies full. There was some mushroom gnocchi to die for, asparagus risotto (my favorite), and mac’n’cheese. (Can you tell I pay attention to carbs more than anything? Oops.) The food areas were always buzzing but not quite as much as the auction tables…

Mushroom Gnocchi from Hodge’s

Auction Items: The spread at the silent auction table was fit for Kings and Queens and fortunately for MedWish, so were most of the the bids! Julie did manage to score a Deagan’s gift basket, complete with beer mugs and gift card. The only item I was really dying to bid on was the labradoodle puppy but I know she went to a nice family!

Puppy Auction (yes, this was real life)

People: Yes, the food was yummy. Yes, the auction items were wicked. However, my favorite part of the evening was the company I was in. Hosted by Mark Nolan, held together by a lovely lady I met, Reanna, and pulled off by the most active group of volunteers, we were well taken care of. The volunteers cleared plates and empty glasses more quickly than at a nice dinner.

I was also able to feel the blogger community love, as always. In addition to being at the event with Julie, whom I know through Twitter, I also got to see Julie from ROJ Running and her hot date, Jason. We met Sarah & Derek from Our Journey for the first time, what a lovely lady! Last but not least, I got to meet Jess from Jess{ly} and her mom. It’s always wonderful to finally pose for a picture with the people who (it feels like) can write just the post you needed that day.

Sarah, Julie and Katie (photo courtesy of Sarah at Our Journey)

P.S. There was also an event called a Wine Pull! I had never heard of this, so…there’s a wall of wine (great start, right?). You pay a flat rate for a chance to randomly pull a cork with a number and then you get to open up that bottle number and the wine is all yours, baby!

I pulled a red wine, from Italy. I don’t know much more than that because I can’t read Italian, but I’m sure I’ll love it. Rarely have I ever met a red I didn’t like!

Band Aid Bash Wine Pull

MedWish’s 2013 Bandaid Bash was a great success and I had an amazing time. Major thanks to Amanda for trusting my reporting skills and allowing me to take over her blog for a post. It’s been an honor!

Disclosure: I was invited to attend this year’s Band Aid Bash but was unable to because I was out of town. MedWish graciously allowed me to pass these tickets to Katie O. in exchange for her writing a guest post. Opinions expressed here are 100% the post’s author.