Social Circuit

Steppingstone Scholars turned up the heat at its annual salsa party at Sherman Mills at East Falls on May 11, raising over $375,000. Among the hot auction items were experiencing the thrills and chills of flying in a fighter jet provided by Air Combat USA that went for $5,000 and a Phillies game in the comfy executive suite at Citizens Bank Park, which Steppingstone founder Michael Danziger won for $6,500. Danziger donated the suite to the six Steppingstone Scholars, who are college bound this fall. The proceeds support Steppingstone's mission to identify academically talented inner-city fourth graders, prepare them for admission to top secondary schools, and mentor them until they get into college. The event, chaired by Mary and Peter Austen, Gretchen and Steve Burke, and Kimberly and Bill Curley, drew 400 guests, including Marsha and Jeffrey Perelman, Christine and David Martinelli, Ana Maria and Chase Lenfest, and Libby and Steve Wojdak.

Purring like a tigress in her slinky red velvet dress, Eartha Kitt, age 80, performed a program of cabaret favorites before 400 guests at the Kimmel Center's fifth annual Summer in the City gala on Thursday night. The evening, which re-created turn-of-the-century Paris, 1920s Berlin, and 1950s New York supper clubs, honored Gov. Rendell for his contributions to art and culture in Philadelphia. Chaired by Carole Shanis, the gala raised about $400,000 to support both the Kimmel's education and community-outreach programs and its performance series.

Still making headlines are former Inquirer and Daily News publisher Bob Hall and his wife, Ronna, who were honored for their contributions to the arts in Philadelphia at the annual Rock School Scholarship Benefit on May 11. More than 300 guests attended the black-tie gala at the Independence Seaport Museum, which featured the theme "What's Black and White and Read All Over?" The event, cochaired by Deborah and Robert Chiumento and Margaret and Michael Tierney, raised nearly $200,000 for the Rock School scholarship fund for young dancers. The school, which provides ballet training for more than 1,000 local students, also serves 10,000 or more inner-city youth through RockReach.

On Saturday night, the 44-year-old Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, led by Ignat Solzhenitsyn, held its annual spring gala at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, raising $140,000, up from $101,000 last year. The orchestra recognized its longtime supporter, Blank Rome, whose managing partner, Carl Buchholz, cochaired the gala. The orchestra also presented its first annual Lifetime Achievement Award to internationally renowned French composer Michel Legrand. With Legrand, 75, on piano and his wife, Catherine Michel, on harp, the duo began a half-hour program with "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?", followed by a medley of tunes from his famous film scores.

The National Museum of American Jewish History is thinking ahead - way ahead - to July 4, 2010, when it will open its new building at Fifth and Market Streets, the former site of KYW studios. The museum's annual "Only in America" gala on May 10 at the Park Hyatt at the Bellevue raised about $700,000 to preserve the museum's 20,000 objects before its move. Among the gala's 500 guests was the museum's architect, Jim Polshek of Polshek Partnership Architects of New York, who is designing a six-story 100,000- square-foot building, expanding the current exhibition space from 3,000 square feet to 22,000. The building will also feature a four-story glass atrium, the 250-seat Dell Family Theater, and a top-floor event space overlooking Independence Mall. The groundbreaking is expected this fall.