Gere, Mears, Short, Hernandez, HGTV…All CT News

Hartford’s David Gere has been busy what with running his Shadow Room Club in Middletown and doing his movie thing.
His venue was recently the site for a breast cancer support fundraiser, “Pink Tie Affair” for Theo Coitrone, who is being treated for the disease. Organized by her children Danielle Coitrone and James Peracchio, along with Gere and his business partner, Nick Cacaci, the fundraiser got a little extra star power. Seems Gere happened to be meeting here with Jason London, who starred in “Dazed and Confused,” mentioned the event and London stepped up as the unexpected celebrity host.
Gere by the way, is working with another Ct native, director Al Signore, on a feature film called “Sensory Perception” starring former “LA Law” and “Major League” star, Corbin Bernsen.
Need a laugh?
Mark your calendars. Comic Martin Short will be the headliner for Lite 100.5 WRCH’s 15th Annual Nite of Lite Laughter on Oct. 13. “A Musical Evening of Comedy” will benefit the Helen and Harry Gray Cancer center at Hartford hospital. Tickets, starting at $37.50, go on sale Monday. Call 860-987-5900 or go to www.bushnell.org.
Need an autograph?
It’s “Connecticut Days” this weekend at Mohegan Sun and that means some CT celebs will be on tap. On Friday, Connecticut native and star of Bravo’s reality show “The Real Housewives,” LuAnn de Lesseps will be signing autographs at 8 p.m. On Saturday, at 2 p.m. CT celeb athletes, New England Patriots Aaron Hernandez and Niko Koutourvides will be doing signings.
Need a Father’s Day gift?
And speaking of Mohegan, and since it’s Father’s Day weekend, the Mohegan Sun Country Club and its better than ever golf course in Pautipaug has reopened. The course was closed for extensive renovations and officially reopened on June 9. New pro is Andrew Ouellet. For information go to mohegansun.com/golf.
Got milk?
Kudos to Rockville High School student/athlete Jenny Mears, who received the 2012 Scholar Athlete Milk Mustaches of the Year(SAMMY) Award. She was one of 25 high school seniors selected by a panel of athlete Milk Mustache judges including Chauncey Billups, Dara Torres and Tony Hawk. As one of the winners, Mears received a $7,500 college scholarship and a trip to an awards ceremony at Walt Disney World.
But she still needs some help. One of the 25 finalists will be featured in their own special milk ad.
Mears, who is headed to Quinnipiac University in the fall, is one of the leaders right now in the on-line voting contest that will determine who gets the special ad. Log into www.SAMMYMVP.com to cast your ballot for the local gal. Besides the ad, the winning SAMMY scholar will have an addition $5,000 donated to an organization of their choice. Mears choice? Make-A-Wish. See her video at http://sammymvp.com/jennifer-mears
Voting ends June 25.

Need a cause?
Also in need of on-line votes, Hartford’s Billing Forge. The community non-profit has been nominated to win $100,000 from the StrattonFoxon law firm in New Haven. On-line votes in the firm’s Community Builder Contest will determine the winner. Go to http://www.strattonfaxon.com to cast your ballot by July 7. There is also a write-in ballot for a chance at $25,000 and Billings Forge is asking supporters to nominate the “Boys and Girls Clubs of Hartford” for that award.
And finally:
If you noticed an attentive tv crew traipsing around a potential home buyer in Bristol several weeks ago, there was a good reason.
HGTV was filming an episode of its popular “House Hunters.”
The show features individual, couples or families searching for a new home in a particular market, tracking that emotional search and then the angst of choosing one of three homes. Several months ago, a West Hartford search was featured on the show.
In Bristol, the lucky agency was Bottom Line Realty, and the client, Sylvia Narciso, a first time home-buyer who was considering both condos and single family home.
The episode was filmed in April and slated to air later this month or in July.