A few events pique my interest each and every summer, and B.E.D. Milwaukee is one of them. Maybe it's the Tiki torches lighting up Bradford Beach. Maybe it's 100 linen-draped beds with lounging Milwaukeeans, all gathered to celebrate a great cause.
Or maybe it's the free-flowing champagne and mojitos, served by scantily-clad waiters and waitresses.
Maybe it's a little bit of everything.
The third annual B.E.D. Milwaukee party this Saturday is a fundraiser and awareness builder for Pathfinders homeless youth shelter. Organizers bill it as Bradford Beach turned South Beach, and it's not that far a stretch.
When the weather is right, it's easy to pretend you're not in Milwaukee, if only for a night.
B.E.D stands for "Because Every kid Deserves One," and you really can't argue with that logic. Tickets start at $50 (in advance) and go way up from there if you want a private cabana and masseuse.
While the event isn't inexpensive, it raises some serious money for a very serious cause.
But this isn't a somber affair, either. With raffles to the tune of $5,000 worth of diamonds and jewels, high-end silent auction items and live music on the beach, it's a great opportunity to bust out your white linen pants and get down.
Some of the more interesting packages available include a chef's table at the Pfister or Kil@watt, an escape at Green Lake Heidel House or a weekend trip to New York. Or purchase a ticket to treat yourself to a massage in the Well Spa + Janice Salon cabana to help melt your stress away.
The fun starts early with a beach volleyball tournament from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., but I'm more excited about the activities once the sun goes down.
I'll be there, and I hope to see you there, too. B.E.D. runs from 7 until 11 p.m.
Andy is the president, publisher and founder of OnMilwaukee. He returned to Milwaukee in 1996 after living on the East Coast for nine years, where he wrote for The Dallas Morning News Washington Bureau and worked in the White House Office of Communications. He was also Associate Editor of The GW Hatchet, his college newspaper at The George Washington University.
Before launching OnMilwaukee.com in 1998 at age 23, he worked in public relations for two Milwaukee firms, most of the time daydreaming about starting his own publication.
Hobbies include running when he finds the time, fixing the rust on his '75 MGB, mowing the lawn at his cottage in the Northwoods, and making an annual pilgrimage to Phoenix for Brewers Spring Training.
