lcfc party reports

2004: General Hospital Weekend Recap
Lesley Fong

GH Weekend was definitely different this year without the Quartermaine Brunch. Some of our staff couldn't make it this year, so it was up to my fellow LCFC Staff members, Anita Harkness, Chrissy Holler, Julie Moran and I to make sure that we were well-represented. And trust me when I say that the four of us can be as loud and spirited as anyone!!

We got up bright and early Saturday morning to head over to the Sportsman's Lodge and set up the merchandise table. Fans were checking out and purchasing merchandise almost non-stop. We had a wide assortment of items available including mugs, mouse pads, hats, t-shirts (the four of us were wearing our "WANTED" shirts) and of course pictures. There were some "old favorites", but also some terrific brand new pictures as well. My personal favorites were the new shots of Leslie and Stuart and the new Quartermaine family picture which included Heather Webber that are pictured in this newsletter.

Even though we didn't have a Brunch this year, Leslie still wanted to raise money for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. We thought a silent auction on eBay was the best way to help the cause as well as give many GH fans an opportunity to own a piece of GH history. Anyone and everyone who came near our table was handed a flyer which indicated the details of the auction and listed all the wardrobe, props, and scripts that were available. The auction turned out to be a tremendous success!

I sneaked away from the merchandise table early so that I could save us four seats inside. While we had lunch the GH Fan Club announced the winners of their raffle and silent auction. Then it was that time we were all waiting for... the introduction of the actors. Every year they come out in alphabetical order and the four of us were poised and ready for Leslie to come out. We joined the crowd cheering for Leslie, screaming as loud as we could. All included, she had quite the reception.

Once on stage, Leslie went up to the microphone and apologized for Stuart's absent. He was in rehearsals for his play "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" which I actually drove back up to see. It was well worth the commute even though I had to battle Friday LA traffic.

This year's party was dedicated in memory of Anna Lee. Debbie Morris and Debby O'Connor (GH Fan Club coordinators) asked Leslie to accept a plaque from the fans to Anna. The plaque was to be hung at the studio and let's just say that there was hardly a dry eye in the house after Leslie read the inscription to everyone. The plaque is inscribed with "In Loving Memory of our dear Anna Lee, who brought charm, grace and dignity to everything she touched, will be deeply missed by her friends, her family and her fans. She was a joy and a delight, finding humor in the smallest of things, and finding strength where many of us would have simply given up. Her beauty was matched only by her wit and her caring for those she loved. Those who had the privilege of knowing Anna and having her touch their lives were all the richer for it. Godspeed, Sweet Anna Lee! We love you! Your Fans from General Hospital." Fan Club awards were handed out and then the actors headed off to their respective tables. Leslie was seated next to Jed Allen (Edward) and she consistently had a long line. Before she left, we had to make sure that we saw her and make a lasting impression. So we got to the very end of the line and when it was time we rushed her screaming "Ms. Charleson! We love you!" Of course, we do something like this every year so Leslie played along and screamed and backed up. The security guards didn't know that she knew us so they started pulling Anita and Chrissy away from her. You should have seen their faces after Leslie told them she knew us, and yelled "I hate you all!" then laughed. Leslie then proceeded to take pictures with us.

I had a great time seeing Leslie again and hanging out with some friends, but GH Weekend isn't quite the same with the Quartermaine Brunch. Hopefully there will be party next year and I'll see more of you out in LA.