TAN honors Torchy as 2009 Red Ribbon Hero

            The Triangle AIDS Network honored community activist and longtime Beaumont businesswoman Paula “Torchy” Salter with the 2009 Red Ribbon Hero Award Thursday night (Nov. 5, 2009) for her efforts on behalf of persons living with HIV/AIDS.

            Tam Kiehnhoff, social services coordinator for TAN, announced the selection of Greenberg to receive TAN's highest honor at “Paint the Town Red: The Phantom of the Opera,” at the Beaumont Country Club. The annual event – which celebrated TAN’s 20 years of service – is the nonprofit agency’s largest source of private funding.

            Salter is being honored as a TAN advocate “whose zest for life and flair for helping others has lent a spirit of love to Paint the Town Red,” according to the inscription on her award, a custom-framed rendition of the “Phantom of the Opera” invitation cover.

            “The thing about Torchy is that she is willing to do whatever it takes,” Kiehnhoff said. “Because she is involved in so many events, she knows the nitty-gritty of pulling things together, all the way from soliciting high-dollar table attendees to gluing gemstones on the centerpieces to sweeping the floor.

            “She’s been there every single year from us, asking what we need and then doing it. She doesn’t just put her name behind an event. She does behind-the scenes stuff too. Because of  her outgoing and embracing personality, she makes people want to join in the fun, join in the work and join in the event.”

            Salter  has been a leading supporter of Paint the Town Red and TAN since the gala’s inception in 1992. The Friends of TAN enlisted her support before proceeding with the event – and she gave that support wholeheartedly, said Jeff McManus, chair of Paint the Town Red and a TAN board member.

            She was well known for two decades as the owner of the Torchy’s boutique, and, during the early years of Paint the Town Red, co-chaired the fashion show that was then part of the event. She also has served the organization as a volunteer, contributor, centerpiece designer, “celebrity spotter” and in many other capacities.

            Born in the small town of Wautoma, Wis., Salter moved to Chicago, where, while in her early 20s, she worked as a buyer for Gimble’s department store. She came to Beaumont when Gerald Klein recruited her to become a buyer for The Fair Stores. She was instrumental in establishing The Studio boutique in the early 1980s. She opened her own shop, Torchy’s, in 1987 – and the rest is history. From the original location in Old Town, she relocated in St. Charles Plaza. Lapel pins fashioned in red crystal to depict the AIDS awareness ribbon graced her jewelry counters.

             Salter has supported causes throughout the community – from the Art Museum of Southeast Texas (AMSET) and The Art Studio Inc. to the Julie Rogers “Gift of Life” program to the Lamar University Friends of the Arts and Le Grand Bal and Communities in Schools.

            She recently stepped down after six years as an AMSET board member, and, said a museum spokeswoman “raised the bar on successful fund-raising.” She chaired numerous fund-raisers, including three galas. Salter continues to serve on the art museum’s advisory board. She has supported The Art Studio, as a fund-raiser and providing refreshments for dozens of show openings. She also served on its board of directors.

            Salter served on the Gift of Life board of directors and chaired its “Champagne and Ribs” fund-raising event.  Communities in Schools roasted her at its “No-Chicken Roast.”  At Lamar University, she co-chaired Le Grand Ball in 2005 and is a longtime Ball committee member, often heading the reservations subcommittee.

            “Paula Salter came into this community and has been a ‘fireball’ of a ‘doer,’” said Carlo Busceme III, a friend for more than 20 years. “Her desire to contribute to her environment has driven her to participate in all manner of community service. Torchy is a people person. When she talks to you, she is talking only to you. She is focused on your face, your words and your person. Her intensity is based on love. I’ve known her for 20-plus years, and her fervor has not waned. When she counts you as a friend, she becomes devoted.

            “There is never a time too late or too early for sharing. Paula is a woman of great faith . . . which has served her well through these past years of trials – the loss of her father, mother, business, home, pets and health,” said Busceme.

            “When Torchy believes in something or someone, she does not give up on them. In the organizations she has been involved with, she has demonstrated her faith that ‘if it needs to be done it will be done,’ and she applies every fiber of her tiny being to seeing it accomplished. When she gives, she gives her all,”

            Previous Red Ribbon Hero recipients, beginning with the most recent, have been Betty Greenberg, Debby Stasinopoulou, Bob Wortham, Steve Bean, Greg Busceme, Don Kelly, Archie Land, Louise Wood, Lynne Lokensgard, Ed Moore, Dr. Robert Pollard, Fred Angele, Sister Maria Geheb, Pat Papania, Jeff McManus and Dr. Frank Baker.

            Paint the Town Red supports client services and educational efforts of TAN. This year, auctions featured about 300 offerings - art, fine furnishings, parties, celebrity items and an array of other items, plus centerpieces – festively decorated wine buckets – created by area designers. Since its inception in 1992, the event has raised more than $738,000 for TAN.