MICHAEL WYKE/Tulsa World

PEOPLE AND PLACES

This is going to be big.

You can party like you have never partied before when Oklahoma's largest shopping mall hosts Street School's Street Party on Feb. 27.

It all gets under way at 8:30 p.m. when crowds will arrive to enjoy fun, music, food and frolic as the lower level of the facility becomes a series of famous streets and boulevards.

Familiar locales such as Bourbon Street will be back along with a new place to visit. Bourbon Street and 42nd Street will feature new entertainers Mark Bruner and Shelby Eicher and the Brad Absher Band, and Route 66 will feature the Fabulous Fleshtones.

Add to that a chance to enjoy cabaret-style entertainment in Las Vegas with Bradini the Magician as emcee and host.

T. A. Hollis is chairman of the fund-raiser for the second year in a row, and Coleman and Sharon King Davis are on board as honorary chairmen.

Coleman said that the party is "not a stuffy black-tie optional event. It is one of the events that Sharon and I love to attend every year."

Sampling some of the favorite fare at popular local restaurants is always one of the most fun activities along the boulevards.

Participating restaurants include Back Street Bistro, Bellini's, The Blue Corn, The Blue Rose, Bodean's, Bourbon Street Cafe, Chimi's, Creative Catering by Sherian, Enchanted Evenings, Finales, Michael Fusco's Flavors, the Hideaway, Kodiak Bar & Grill, Mondo's Italian Restorante, Paradise Bakery, Java Dave's, the Rib Crib, S&J Oyster Co., St. Louis Bread Co., The Spaghetti Warehouse, Steamroller Blues, White River Fish Market and Woody's.

Williams is the major sponsor.

Other big sponsors are Woodland Hills Mall, Tulsa World and Sisk Charitable Trust.

Also, Gardere & Wynne, Zarrow Families Foundation, Bank of Oklahoma/Kaiser, Crow Creek Foundation and Southwestern Bell.

Others include United Video, Thomas Naugle Foundation, SolArc, Schusterman Family Foundation, PriceWaterhouse Coopers, the Helmerich Trust, Central Plains Concrete Cutting, Amoco and J&H Marsh & McLennan.

Also, the Bama Cos., Class Act Party Rentals, Hogan & Slovacek, Johnson Allen Jones & Dornblaser, Oklahoma Natural Gas, Public Service Company of Oklahoma, Urban Tulsa and Whirlpool.

In-kind donors are Citgo, Complete Computer Consulting, Great American Carousel Co., Harrah's Prairie Band Casino, Home Depot, PAX Television/KTPX Cable Channel 3, Southwest Airlines, Tulsa Comedy Club, Tulsa Press Club and Jack Wills Patio & Fireplace Shoppe.

Street School's board of directors include Cindy Allen, Lien Alsup, Brad Anderson, DeeAnne Ayles, Caroline Benediktson, Gina Carroll, Stephanie Cipolla, Maralene Coggins, Tom Crotty, Tuck Curren, Rebecca Dozier, Brad Evans and Lynn Fesperman.

Other board members helping coordinate the Street Party are Martin Fiscus, Lou Fitch, Deborah Fleming, Sarah Hansel, Jean Ann Hudson, Curtis Long, Kerry Malone, Steven Nell, Kathryn Offermann, Rick Palazzo, Mary Parker, Michael Pierce, Susan Scott, Maggie Thomas, Doris Williams and statet Sen. Penny Williams.

Street School Executive Director Mike Dittus noted that the proceeds from the party help the United Way agency to fund special projects to help young people cope with problems and get back in school.

The school annually serves about 250 high school students who have dropped out of schools or are at risk of dropping out. Students receive credit through Tulsa Public Schools, which provides in-kind services including Street School's building.

In the past 25 years, Street School has served more than 10,000 young people and has a 70 percent success rate in helping kids reach their educational goals.

Dittus said the Street Party is the school's only fund-raiser of the year.

"We constantly struggle to fund continuing sources for such programs as Wilderness Adventure, parenting, life skills, computer education, vocational planning, and individual, group and family counseling. We must also raise funds to keep our student-teacher ratio to about 15 to 1. This is critical for many of our students who have failed in the traditional school setting because they did not receive the individual attention they need to grasp the concepts."

Street School also will get a boost during Street School day Feb. 13 at Woodland Hills Mall. As part of the mall's Valentine's Day promotion, patrons will be able to win pairs of tickets to the Street Party. Mall marketing director Barbara McCarthy said Woodland Hills Mall Merchants association sponsors the ticket promotion.

Tickets are $50 per person or $99 for a couple. Dress is black-tie optional.

For tickets, sponsorships and more information about Street School and the Street Party call 834-4300.

Tickets also are available at Tulsa Comedy Club near 71st Street and Lewis Avenue, at Woodland Hills Mall's Customer Service Center at 71st Street and Memorial Drive, at the school at 11th Street and Yale Avenue and at Street School's web site at streetschool.org.

Danna Sue Walker can be reached at 581-8342.