The stars were out that night in Banff
by Shari Bishop Bowes
I'm watching the Golden Globes, curled up under a warm blanket with a cup of tea. The camera pans the crowd to settle upon one of the world's most beloved comic faces of all time: Robin Williams.
"I rubbed shoulders with him just last weekend," I think to myself. Hmmmm, not bad considering I was nowhere near the glittering lights of Hollywood.
A first class ticket to LAX may get you closer to the stars, but this January in the Canadian Rockies you might have found yourself in the checkout line at The Bay department store in downtown Banff, or on the ski slopes behind Marcia Gay Harden, Meg Ryan, Carrie Fisher or Alec Baldwin. Or better yet, as I had the good fortune to enjoy on Jan. 8, during a night out at a gala auction and dinner where celebs hobnobbed and drank champagne with the rest of us.
The Fairmont Banff Springs Sports Invitational is an ongoing celebrity tradition at the opulent "Castle in the Rockies" just up the road from Canmore, especially since Robert F. Kennedy Jr. got involved to raise funds for his environmental organization, the Waterkeeper Alliance.
Chris Noth, or "Big" of Sex and the City fame, at a casual reception for invited participants at the Celebrity Sports event in Banff.
Kennedy has been back to the Banff Springs three times to raise funds for a cause he highlighted again last year in his book "Crimes Against Nature". He rallies the troops amongst his celebrity friends, and brings them all together for four days of fun at Sunshine Village ski resort and four nights of fine food and revelry back at the Banff Springs.
This year, Kennedy and friends, along with the help of venerable event-organizer-to-the-stars and live auctioneer Marjoe Gortner, raised a whopping $750,000 US.
Meg Ryan, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Daphne Zuniga enjoy the limelight at the reception prior to the dinner and fundraising auction at the Fairmont Banff Springs.
The Calgary Herald and our local newspapers all have a heyday covering celebrity antics on snowshoes, toboggans and cross-country skis, and in the more paparazzi-esque moments that include airport arrivals, sightings about town, and of course in their evening finery at the closing gala event.
As I remind myself that three-inch heels require a more delicate gait than hiking boots, I enter the packed foyer of the Van Horne Ball Room with my friend Helen. I am surprised to see many familiar faces, not just those of celebrities in attendance, but also of people I know from Canmore and the Banff business community. It's the party of the year, with nary a $325 ticket to be had for those who waited too long to secure their attendance.
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Chris Noth, or "Big" of Sex and the City fame, at a casual reception for invited participants at the Celebrity Sports event in Banff.
As I wander about amongst my smartly dressed fellow partygoers, I wonder why Hollywood celebrities return again and again to the Canadian Rockies and events like this. After all, isn't there a party in Aspen somewhere, or a private beach in Anguilla with their name on it?
I think they keep coming back because they're far less likely to be disturbed by the polite Canadians who, even tonight, keep the respectful distance that ensures no one need be mobbed for autographs, cordoned for photo opps or otherwise inconvenienced. Almost as a reaction to this ability to be left alone, many of the stars in attendance let down their guard and chat companionably with the locals. I watch as Chris Noth, of "Big" Sex and the City fame, discusses the merits of silent auction items with a group of fans. Treat Williams, whom I've adored in his role as Dr. Andy Brown in the family drama Everwood, ambles by to the bar with nary a coterie of followers. I find myself cutting it up with Camryn Manheim of "The Practice' at the silent auction tables, where we peruse a doll-size suede jacket donated by Heather Locklear. Even with a roomful of stars, there aren't many who would fit into this child-size garment on display.
I learn that Woody Harrelson, of Cheers and Natural Born Killers fame (and, of course, the whole hemp scene) is a favourite of the staff at the Springs. Along with Robin Williams, they make a point during their time in Banff to chat with one and all, on the ski hill, enroute to the loo, or waiting for a driver outside the hotel.
If star-sightings in Banff raise a few eyebrows, the live auction for the Waterkeepers leaves jaws gaping. Bids of $30,000 and $50,000 fly back and forth across the ballroom as celebs and other lesser known, heavily padded wallets open up for the cause.
Auctioneer Gortner, a former television evangelist, could be moving steers at market, but if you pay attention you find he's hustling much, much fancier - and pricier - wares.
How about a day of falconry for six, with Robert F. Kennedy and family, and his good friend Glenn Close (a latecomer at the gala this evening); or rather a long weekend as guests at the royal digs of the Montaltos in Italy? Wannabee stars big furiously to spend a day on-set with Larry David of Curb Your Enthusiasm (and Seinfeld) fame; and for a walk-on role with Woody Harrelson in his new film, Class Action.
For the ultimate in luxury, bidders vie for a driving tour of Jordan in a fleet of Bentleys and Rolls Royces, as guests for five nights at the royal palace of His Highness King Abdullah Hussein and Queen Rania. Hmmm, hard to beat that - even at its princely bid of $50,000 US.
Alas, even in Banff the stars must set sometime. After stand-up comedy by Robin Williams, a two-performer act by Cirque de Soleil stars, and a concert by Kenny Loggins and his band, it was time to say our goodbyes.
The stars will come out again, and you're going to want to be there.
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