The crowd enjoyed trips down major highways and boulevards throughout the country. Special venues represented locations such as Coney Island, where midway- and casino-style games were set up and David R. and Bradini entertained; Chicago, where Tulsa's Blues Brothers boogied it up on stage along with the Oscillators and special guest Jimmy Junior Markham; Bourbon Street, where Earl Clark got raves; and the San Francisco stage, which featured MidLife Crisis and '60s stuff like a giant peace sign and a VW van decorated with vintage signs.

"We were thrilled by the community's response to our event," said Sarah Hansel, co-chairwoman of the event and the Street School board president, who was there with her husband, Mike Cooke. Board member Susan Scott was also a co- chairwoman of Street Party.

Some of the city's most popular restaurants had food stations set up around the mall, so it was a eat-and-drink-as-you-travel kind of evening.

Participating restaurants included Baxter's Interurban Grill, Biga, The Bistros of Tulsa, The Blue Rose Cafe, Bodean's, Bourbon Street Cafe-South, Celebrity Club, Camille's Sidewalk Cafe, Charleston's Restaurant, Chimi's, Creative Catering by Sherian of Freddie's, The Fountains, Enchanted Evenings, Genesis Grill, Hebert's Specialty Meats, Hideaway Pizza, Mexicali Border Cafe, Outback Steak House - 71st Street, St. Louis Bread Co., Steamroller Blues BBQ, Texas Tamales, T2, Two Sisters Catering & Deli, Uno Pizzeria Chicago Bar and Grill, and White River Fish Market.

Major sponsors included Williams, Bank of Oklahoma, Woodland Hills Mall, the Anne and Henry Zarrow Foundation, the Jack and Maxine Zarrow Foundation, the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, the George Kaiser Family Foundation, American Airlines, AEP Public Service Co., Bryan Close and Close Bend, Class Act Party Rentals, Arthur Andersen, BlueCross BlueShield of Oklahoma, Central Plains Concrete Cutting, KTUL Channel 8, Gordona Duca Realtors, Donna Hiner Investments, Dollar Rent A Car, Gardere & Wynne, Fabwell Corporation, Fox Cleaners, Gary Sparks Cos., GT Industries, Hogan & Slovacek, Home Depot, the Bama Companies, Institute of Management Accountants, Sewell & Taylor, Tullius Taylor Sartain and Sartain, ONEOK, J.C. Penney, and many more.

In-kind donors included Anheuser-Busch Sales of Tulsa, Home Depot, Mrs. DeHaven's Flower Shop, Pepsi, Stokely Outdoor Advertising, and Jack Wills Patio and Fireplace Shoppe.

Since Woodland Hills Mall and all the restaurants donate to the event, the school keeps more than 80 percent of the money raised. Proceeds help with the school's operating expenses, equipment and programs.

Hispanic Chamber holds first Awards

The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce celebrated the contributions of Hispanics to America's economic development during its first Excelencia Awards dinner held at the Doubletree Hotel Warren Place

Chamber CEO Robert Tobias spoke on "The Emerging Billion Dollar Market," and presented the Hispanic Business of the Year award to Fred Bendana, CEO of Tulsa based Ben-Trei Ltd., a multimillion-dollar international chemical fertilizer marketing, production and investment company.

Bendana attended with his wife, Flor de Maria, and business partner Ken Treiber, there with his wife, Marcy.

Sara Martinez, the new coordinator of the Tulsa City-County Library Hispanic Resource Center, presented the Amigo of the Year award to Paula Marshall-Chapman in recognition of a grant that the Chapman family offered, which made possible the first year of Sara's position.

Jim Epperson, president of Southwestern Bell Oklahoma, presented the Corporate Partner of the Year award to Dave Lopez, president of Southwestern Bell Texas and formerly president of Southwestern Bell Oklahoma.

A special thank-you went to outgoing chamber board chairman Martin Hernandez of Dollar Rent A Car Systems.

KJRH, channel 2's John Walls, the evening's emcee, introduced honorary chairwoman Yolanda Charney who thanked event sponsors Williams and the Bama companies.

Other sponsors included Southwestern Bell, Doubletree Hotel Warren Place, State Farm Insurance, Adam's Mark Hotel, AEP Public Service of Oklahoma, Anheuser-Busch, Bank of America, Bank of Oklahoma, Ben-Trei Ltd., Citgo Petroleum, Great Plains Coca-Cola, John Zink Co., MidFirst Bank, Oklahoma State University-Tulsa, Tulsa Community College, University of Tulsa and Visteon Corporation.

Among those attending were Mayor Susan Savage, U.S. Rep. Brad Carson, Carlos Jorda, Harold Charney, Randee and David Charney, Ryan Tobias, Julie and Tom Adelson, Laura and Dr. Jose Medina, Gary and Sandra Trennepohl, Sylvia and Nelson Schmidt, Victor Orta, Chris Gentges, Maria Diaz and Andy Phillips, Dixie Reppe, Pat and Bill Fennell, Luis Diaz, Carlos Hernandez, and Maria Yolanda and Dr. Julio Cuadra.

Danna Sue Walker, World staff writer, can be reached at 581-8342 or via e-mail at dannasue.walker@tulsaworld.com.