By Lauren Wiseman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Elika Hemphill had a rule. When she saw a homeless person, she would reach into her wallet, grab the largest bill and hand it over.
It might not have always pleased her husband, as there were a few occasions on which Ms. Hemphill doled out a $100 bill, but Richard Confalone understood his wife's desire to help those less fortunate.
"It was part of a bigger philosophy so those people don't feel that they are alone," Confalone said.
Elika Anne Hemphill, 41, who died Nov. 7 after a two-year battle with colon cancer that spread to her brain, was professionally and personally an event planner.
In 1999, shortly after she moved back to Washington from Los Angeles, she was looking for a way to create community in her Northwest Washington neighborhood of Chevy Chase.
Her son Leo was almost 2 and interested in Halloween. Working with Pumpernickel's Deli on Connecticut Avenue, she created Chevy Chase's SPOOK-tacular, an annual event in which parents and children trick-or-treat along the avenue as merchants greet the flock with candy and pumpkins.
"SPOOK-tacular was an extension of her philosophy. It was a big community event that people needed," Confalone said. "When you have a city, things seem inaccessible. Elika took a small-town idea, allowing people to meet, mingle and have fun."
Today, almost every merchant along the row and hundreds of families participate each Halloween. This year, Ms. Hemphill missed the ritual, but her three children, Leo, 11, Gus, 4, and Daphne, 2, attended in her honor, accompanied by Confalone and Elika's mother, Nancy King.
When Ms. Hemphill went back to work in 2002, she took her expertise for organizing to the National Building Museum as the development events director. Through 2006, she helped host ceremonies and events at the museum, including galas for visiting royalty.
Her most notable party, though, was when she was the director of global events for Discovery Communications in Silver Spring, a position she held from 2006 until her death. During the 20th anniversary celebration of Discovery Channel's "Shark Week" programming, Ms. Hemphill created drink bars atop tanks of live sharks.
She also volunteered at the Washington Ballet and was president of its Jeté Society of younger patrons from 2001 through this summer. She created the society's annual "Beer and Ballet" event, a series of open rehearsals and micro-brew tasting, to raise money for ballet programs. The series also helped introduce young professionals to the ballet.
Her greatest achievement, though, is not each individual event but rather her intention to create a community.
"She had a big-tent approach to life," said Septime Webre, artistic director of the Washington Ballet. "There was always room for one more chair at her table."
Ms. Hemphill's party planning prowess, gift for community engagement and influence were evident at her memorial service on Nov. 15 at Discovery headquarters in Silver Spring.
Surrounding the 40-foot Tyrannosaurus Rex in Discovery's lobby were hundreds of chairs covered with hot pink seat cushions, near a "walk of fame" of promotional items Ms. Hemphill created.
"Elikatinis," or kir royals, were served to more than 500 guests as music from Ms. Hemphill's iPod was piped into the lobby. A compilation CD of her favorite songs was handed out to guests.
"Whatever the motivation, [Elika] just loved to be that collective tissue that brought people together. Her memorial was like trying to put the Oscars on in a week, but it was a nice project for everyone to honor her," said David Leavy, executive vice president of communications at Discovery.
It served as one last party for the consummate host.