Children Museum parties to Wizard of Oz

The scarecrows, tin men and cowardly lions were off to see the wizard at the Minnesota Children Museum's Grand Family Ball last month.

For the "Wizard of Oz"-themed event, paired with the recently opened exhibit, guests followed the yellow brick road to support the museum's Access program, which offers free or reduced admission for more than 110,000 people each year.

It was the first time that kids have been part of the annual fundraiser. "It makes sense to have a multigenerational event," said Dianne Krizan, president of the Minnesota Children's Museum. "Children are the main focus and the most important focus of the museum."

Kids of all ages explored the Land of Oz, the Witch's Castle and the Emerald City, and adults enjoyed cocktails such as the green "I'm Melt-ini" martini.

It was a fun night over the rainbow for many of the attendees, including 4-year-old Ruby Spurbeck, who wore a blue-and-white checked dress and sparkly ruby slippers and carried a stuffed Toto. Ruby, who said she has seen the Judy Garland movie "100 times," admitted she has tried clicking her heels together, but said "it never works!" Maybe she was having too much fun at the family ball and didn't want to go home, after all.

At Peter Buffett's "A Concert and Conversation" last month, it was easy to forget that the award-winning composer is the son of billionaire Warren Buffett, not musician Jimmy Buffett.

Indeed, Peter Buffett stopped at the Dakota Jazz Club in Minneapolis to share his story in music, support the Courage Center, raise awareness about his own philanthropic efforts through the NoVo Foundation and promote his New York Times bestseller "Life Is What You Make It."

While it was a full agenda, the philosophy toward giving is relatively simple for Buffett, who grew up in Omaha. "There's something to solid Midwestern values," he said, adding that his father is "a fantastic man of integrity."

Sara Glassman • 612-673-717