Spinazzola Foundation announces its end

The Anthony Spinazzola Foundation, which has been helping the homeless and supporting culinary education in the state for the past 22 years, announced yesterday it's closing its doors. Board chairman Chris Spinazzola said the decision was driven by several factors, including the health of his wife, Marjorie Clapprood, who suffers from leukemia and recently underwent a bone-marrow transplant. "That's helped me realign my priorities in the last few months," said Spinazzola. "I've been doing [the foundation] for over two decades, and I just need to take a break and focus on my family and my business." The end of the foundation means its signature event, the annual Anthony Spinazzola Gala Festival of Food and Wine, is a thing of the past. "It's a huge undertaking," Spinazzola said of the fancy affair, which attracted some 4,000 people each year. "It's getting harder and harder to hold on to corporate sponsorship." Since 1986, the foundation has given more than $2 million to culinary education and training; more than $1 million to support hunger relief and homelessness programs; and more than $1 million to the Grow Clinic at Boston Medical Center. "We could not be more proud of what we've accomplished," said Spinazzola, who started the foundation in memory of his father, Anthony, the longtime restaurant, food, and wine critic for the Boston Globe. "We've done some pretty good stuff, and now it's time to step back."

He's the host, and you're not
Chevy Chase said it's a "huge honor" to be hosting this weekend's JVC Jazz Festival-Newport. A jazz fan from way back, the "SNL" jester told us he spent his teen years in New York clubs, befriending some of the greats. "I grew up listening to Bill Evans and we became very good friends," said Chase. "Thelonius, Mingus, Miles, Coltrane . . . I used to go to the Blue Note, the Half Note, the Quarter Note . . . Roland Kirk knew me by my footsteps before he was Rahsaan." The comic plays piano, but not nearly as well as his heroes. "It's a private thing for me," he said. "It's embarrassing to call yourself a great jazz pianist, especially when you know what great is." This weekend's lineup includes Branford Marsalis, Dave Brubeck, Bruce Hornsby with Jack DeJohnette, and Christian McBride and Joshua Redman.

Postponed a day by bad weather, the Possible Dreams auction was held yesterday at the Harborside Inn on Martha's Vineyard. Familiar faces at the annual event benefiting Martha's Vineyard Community Services included Ted Danson, Patricia Neal, Alan Dershowitz, Harold Ramis, and Kate and Livingston Taylor. Chairman Jim Shane raised his hat in honor of the late Art Buchwald, who served as the auctioneer for many years.

The folks at Esquire called to say they've tapped Tom Brady as the "best-dressed man in the world" in their September issue. Wait. Last fall, the Globe ranked the Pats QB the third most stylish Bostonian. How could he suddenly be the best-dressed man in the whole world? The mag marvels at Brady's dark, tailored suits, which, of course, go well with his three Super Bowl rings and supermodel sweetheart. Runners-up to our boy Brady include rapper Jay-Z, actor Daniel Craig, presidential wannabe Barack Obama, and hotelier Andre Balazs. The highly arbitrary list hits stands on Tuesday.

Brothers Bo and Bill Winiker have gigged for more than a few boldfaced names in their day. The boys' long and illustrious list of clients includes the late Rhode Island Governor William Henry Vanderbilt III, Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. -- on the occasion of his 50th wedding anniversary -- and even Bill Clinton at his 1993 presidential inauguration. Well, Bo's band was at it again Saturday, playing at Richard Rockefeller's wedding at the historic Rockefeller estate in Seal Harbor, Maine. Among the guests was actress Glenn Close and her husband David Shaw, both of whom joined Bo's orchestra on a version of "Waltzing Matilda." By the way, the Winikers -- Bo plays trumpet, Bill plays the drums -- play every Sunday at Skipjack's in Copley Square.

In a sure sign of the apocalypse, someone on eBay was selling boarding passes signed by Brady and Gisele Bundchen. The seller, an anonymous bootlicker from Kingwood, Texas, was asking $100 for the autographed ephemera. Judging from the photos accompanying the eBay auction, which ended yesterday, Brady and Bundchen were flying from Houston to Paris in June. By the way, the Brazilian superbabe signed "Kisses, Gisele."

If the Bobby and Peter Farrelly's "Fever Pitch" was the ultimate feel-good Red Sox film, "Reservation Road" just may be the ultimate feel-bad Bosox flick. We got a sneak peek at director Terry George's take on John Burnham Schwartz's book, and, trust us, it's a big downer. Actor Mark Ruffalo plays a dad who runs over a child while racing home from a Sox game in '04. (His character's Sox cap figures prominently in the story.) The film, due out in the fall, includes clips of Manny Ramirez, David Ortiz, Johnny Damon, and Mark Bellhorn.

The guy hasn't played a single game yet for the green team, but Kevin Garnett's Celtics jersey is already the No. 1 best-seller at NBAStore.com. And lest anyone think it's only Boston basketball fans who're buying it, we're told that KG's jersey is also the No. 1 seller at the NBA Store on 5th Avenue in New York City. Marketing won't win games, but it pays.

'I would sooner, in exactly what I'm wearing, walk on the surface of the moon.' Charlie Sheen, claiming that his ex-wife Denise Richards wants him to father a third child.

Names can be reached at names@globe.com or at 617-929-8253.