Host Your Next Event With celebrate The Jewish Community Center in West Bloomfield a guide to simchahs 2g, "■3 ■ 3 continued from page C22 THE CENTER From Bar/Bat Mitzvahs to Wedding or Baby Showers, we can do it all! Whether you're hosting a wedding or just a small gathering with friends, we have the perfect space to accommodate your group. Believe it or not, we have already hosted more than 60 Simchas this year at the JCC in Handleman Hall Prentice Wagner Teen Center Greenberg Suite Charach Gallery The possibilities are endless! Pat Blackwell makes sure the ice cream cart is ready to go. even in families where fathers play an active role with the chil- dren, party planning is almost always the mother's domain, she says. They go through the event step by step, with Blackwell asking questions from her long checklist. Even very organized moms don't think of everything, she says. Before the party, Blackwell loads up her car with supplies and makes sure everything gets set up at the site. "My record is 32 trips," she said. "The mom had created elaborate basketball-themed centerpieces in her basement for a bar mitzvah at Adat Shalom Synagogue in Farmington Hills. I could only take one at a time in my car. "Instead of running back and forth, the mom had that time to visit with her out-of-town com- pany." Each Red Coat Ladies lead worker carries a suitcase of sup- plies to handle emergencies: needles and thread, glue, static guard spray, scissors — even a steamer to take care of wrinkled clothing. They also carry an extra uniform for themselves. At one wedding, a groomsman split his pants as Theresa L. Thompson Events Manager tthompson@jccdet.org (248) 432-5536 6600 W. Maple Rd, West Bloomfield, MI 48322 www.jccdet.org-Private Events-West Bloomfield 1903870 C 2 4 celebrate! I March 2014 he was lifting the bridal chair for the hora. Duct tape didn't work. Blackwell is tall, so she got her extra pants — and they fit the guest well enough. After the party, the Red Coat Ladies pack up everything that needs to go home with the family. At weddings, they make sure the bride and groom have whatever they want in their limo and hotel room. The company now handles about 180 b'nai mitzvah parties a year and almost as many wed- dings. The Red Coat Ladies have worked at more than 200 venues, from the Adoba Hotel in Dearborn to the Zap Zone in Farmington Hills. Prices vary, depending on how many Red Coat Ladies are needed and for how long; pack- ages start at $750. Most parties have two Red Coat Ladies on hand. The most Blackwell has had at one event is six. It was a "magical mystery tour" party; she needed one chap- erone on each of the three buses and one at each site the buses visited. Detailed information about the company's services is available at the company's website, www. partyassurance.com .