"We'll be having a 'Hero For A Night Auction', where guests can bid to spend an evening date with an Avenger, or an X-Man, or Fantastic Four member, Johnny Storm. We'll be auctioning off some items, including Sue Richards old wedding gowns, which will be given to a lucky young woman, whose name will be drawn by the auction winner, who can't afford a wedding dress on her own. Designer Janet Van Dyne is planning a fashion show to share with us, and Saturday at midnight will see a Midnight Poker Party - the buy-in price going to the charity, with a small percentage to the winner."
All the while she spoke, the areas the events were scheduled for highlighted on the ship's hologram. "In keeping with the 30s theme, there will be Big Band, Jazz, and Swing music being played by ensemble groups throughout the ship for dancing. We'll be urging guests to dress in period appropriate clothing in the evenings. I'm arranging for security detail to be dressed in tan khaki slacks, black sweaters or polos, with the word "Henchmen", "Hired Goon", or "Thug" across the chest in white. This was a time of gangsters as much as music, so let's have some fun with it.
"I like, if we can arrange the proper security," she looked at Tony again. "To try something else that could be fun. We could plan for Saturday night during the evening's event to have the guests 'robbed' by gangsters - possibly Avengers or actors with familiar faces to avoid real thieves crashing, dressed in classic gangster attire - the object, of course, being that anything the audience has 'stolen' goes to the charity."
Looking over her notes, Pepper scratched the back of her leg with the toe of her shoe, absently making sure she covered most of the important parts.
"Last but not least, we have our charities. We've chosen two this year. First is Share Our Strength. This is a local organization that works nationwide, as well as in several other countries, to help ensure that no child goes hungry. They work with local and state officials wherever they are, and help institute programs in schools, in churches, in community groups, in the cities, states, and within families, that teach nutrition, or establish school lunch programs, or a before school breakfast program. They've taught communities how to grow crops to feed people, and how to work together, so that their children, at least, are getting the food they need."
Looking up, Pepper made sure to meet everyone's eyes as she began talking about the second charity, already anticipating danger. "The second charity is Children of the Night - and it's one that I feel very strongly about. It's a growing organization that started here in Los Angeles, and their mission is to rescue children ages eleven to seventeen from prostitution, and the domination of pimps." She ignored the shift in the room. " Most of these children have no proper home to return to, as they were victims of abuse from a parent or guardian. The organization provides them with whatever they need, including counseling, rehab, medical treatment, emotional support, education, job training, or just time to recover and get on their feet, even beyond the age of eighteen. They have medical staff working around the clock, work closely with the authorities, and have a network of policemen, FBI agents, medical personal, and so on, across the nation, working together to help find these children and bring them to safety. A 24-hour hotline is available for them to call, and a taxi will take them to the nearest location, even if it's far away. It's an excellent organization, with a job requiring heroic effort - I'm very proud to represent it to all of you."
She knew where the trouble would come from, even as she sat down, but she didn't look that direction. What she did do, knowing temperaments and experience, was bring her left arm under the table as if draping it across her lap, and placed it on Tony's knee, preemptively quelling his reaction. She could fight any battles thrown her way without her knight jumping in to rescue her.