La Pietra's fund-raiser goes Italian

By Paula Rath
Advertiser Staff Writer

•	'Up at the Villa' A fund-raiser for La Pietra- Hawaii School for Girls, with proceeds going toward financial aid Silent auction at 5:30 p.m. March 15, followed by dinner and live auction at 7, and dancing, music and after-dinner cocktails at 10. La Pietra, 2933 Poni Moi Road, on the great lawn. $150 per person Reservations: 922-2744

When Walter and Louise Dillingham built La Pietra in 1920, it was styled after an Italian villa called La Pietra (which means "milestone"), a mile outside of Florence.

Now the gracious property, site of Hawai'i's only nonparochial girl's school, will play host to a plethora of things Italian for its silent auction to raise money for student financial aid.

Parent Peggy Fields, who lived in Italy, was the inspiration behind the Italian-themed event. Her connections, and those of other board and committee members, enabled the school to score a six-day foodie adventure in Florence at the Tenuta de Capezzana estate, owned by Count Ugo Contini Bonacossi. The estate dates to the days of Charlemagne and has been one of Italy's finest wine and olive-oil producers since 804 A.D.

Another travel item: Seabourn Cruise Line's 14-day Mediterranean cruise through the Italian and Greek islands and the French Riviera.

Italian luxury products will also be auctioned: Deruta ceramics, Loro Piana cashmere, handbags from Prada and Furla.

Of course, not every auction item is Italian. Local jeweler Hildgund at the Kahala Mandarin donated a necklace with 19 round sapphires set in white gold and a 14-karat Burmese black jadeite tiger.

Some items for auction help raise awareness of Hawai'i's environment, including a tour to Coconut Island, the University of Hawai'i's research facility off Kane'ohe; a hike from the Nature Conservancy Center; and a weekend in the rain forest at the Hawaii Nature Center's 'Iao Valley facility.

Scholarship money enables the school to continue its commitment to diversity. Throughout the school's history, more than 40 percent of its students have received financial aid.