There may be 24 of them now, but the 13 Ugly Men will be up to their old tricks with a Halloween bash.
By BABITA PERSAUD
Published October 17, 2003
TAMPA - The 13 Ugly Men are partying again.
On Oct. 31, the nonprofit group is hosting a Scary Party Halloween Bash at the Rusty Pelican restaurant on Rocky Pointe Drive. The party starts at 9 p.m. and runs until 3 a.m. Tickets cost $20.
There will be a cash bar, hors d'oeuvres, and dance music by DJ Damien, DJ Arlyn and South Town Fever. Cash prizes will go to the best costumes.
"No costume - no candy. This means you have to dress up!" says the flier.
"We are very serious for people to play along and have fun," said Ugly Men spokesman Jonathan Wax, a local financial planner.
The sixth annual Halloween bash will benefit Seniors in Service of Tampa Bay, which pairs senior volunteers with children and homebound elderly people. The volunteers visit with seniors, help with housework and pick up prescriptions.
"They do what friends do for friends," said Grace Puterman, executive director of Seniors in Service.
Nearly 1,500 people are expected at Scary Party, said Wax.
The 13 Ugly Men, co-founded in 1996 by local financial and insurance adviser Lee Mezrah, has held some 40 parties, all for charity.
The group has raised $10,000 for Metropolitan Ministries, $7,000 for Cystic Fibrosis and $1,400 for Children's Cancer Center, among other organizations.
Many parties are themed. At the Black and White Party two years ago, all guests donned black and white. Every year before Thanksgiving, the Ugly Men host Get Roasted.
Recently, they held a lingerie party at Profusion restaurant at International Plaza called Red, White and Profusion. The event raised $5,000 for breast cancer research.
The 13 Ugly Men actually number 24 now. They range in age from 30 to the late 50s. Some are doctors and lawyers. One is a financial planner who also plays violin and tinkers with British cars. Another owns a placement firm and likes offshore power boat racing.
The group's current president is Patrick "Smitty" Smith, a lawyer in downtown Tampa whose role model is Dean Martin.
The 13 Ugly Men will host a Scary Party Halloween Bash from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. Oct. 31 at the Rusty Pelican, 2425 N Rocky Pointe Drive. Tickets cost $20 and can be bought at the door or online at www.13UglyMen.com
