October16

VML Knows How to Throw a ... Punch?

Every year, VML (the place I currently work) throws three parties. The first of the year is the Summer Party (which I, and the rest of the Fun Committee, plan). The last party of the year is the Christmas (or Holiday) Party, which is held at the Fairmont. A month before the Christmas Party, VML holds its annual Anniversary Party, to celebrate the opening of VML in 1992.

The Summer and Christmas Parties are fun and are family/friends oriented. The Anniversary party is an entirely different beast. You see, VML has a reputation for throwing good Anniversary parties, this reputation has become bigger over the years. The reputation has become large enough that people who aren't involved with VML at all attempt to get into the party.

This past Thursday VML hosted their 12th Anniversary Party. The Anniversary Party is always held at VML, and this year over 1,000 people RSVP'd – easily our biggest party ever.

The party started at 5:30 and there wasn't an end-time slated, which was Bad Sign #1. A little past 9:30, the bartenders were giving out full bottles of wine and fifths of liquor, that was Bad Sign #2. The last Bad Sign (#3) was that after 11:00, neither of the cops we hired to watch the party were there.

Around 11:15, a scuffle occurred upstairs. A friend of mine (Janelle Laube) noticed some guy pouring alcohol out of a bottle and onto the floor. She asked him why he was disrespecting VML and asked him to stop. He didn't. So, Janelle's date asked him to stop a second time. Instead of stopping, the guy threw a martini glass at Janelle's date.

Edd Timmons and Robert Popper broke the scuffle up and Ray Haynes was upset and telling the guy to leave. So, he left, went downstairs and out the front door. At this time, Ray came outside to the tent to listen to what was left of the band.

Suddenly, two guys ran into the tent and tackled Ray who was sitting to the right of me and Kevin Kline. We were both stunned and thought this was some type of joke, until we saw arms slinging. We both jumped up and pulled the guy off of Ray. The two of us had a hard time containing this guy, he was a bit upset. He started throwing elbows at us and we let go.

He instantly went for Ray again, and on the way he knocked Phil (Erin Miller's husband) in the face and broke his glasses. Then, Nick Centofante got in the way and was sucker punched. The attacker finally hit Ray and they went to the ground. Ray got up and the attacker almost got up, until Craig Fulton grabbed him and Scott McCormick (the "M" in VML), McCormick's son, and Jordan Cochran all dog-piled him.

There was blood everywhere, broken wine bottles, tables and chairs turned over, and just a stunned silence from everyone. The guy got away with his friends and no one has heard anything since. Janelle's date (the guy who got martini glasses thrown at him) received 12 stitches and two staples for his injuries, no one else was seriously injured.

As Scott McCormick said, "great party, bad ending."

+ original post date: October 16, 2004 11:47 AM
+ categories: Work