(By Anthony Almeida)

This year’s President’s Dinner, honoring A. Jon Prusmack, brought a full house of Salmagundians together for a very special evening of  fun, fare and enchantment.

Jon’s spirited and colorful biographical talk, seemingly springing spontaneously from his recollections–a veritable wellspring of  rich and diverse experiences–allowed us to share the life of a man whose whirlwind journey through time was replete with creativity and accomplishment. All present were delighted by his informative and extremely humorous anecdotes describing his early life, his initial choice of art as a career, his entry into the art world and his meeting and courtship of his wife, Patti.

In 1968 Jon became a scholarship member of the Salmagundi club and soon thereafter became an artist member.

In addition to his love of art and rugby, Jon has been described as a serial entrepreneur who has built businesses in the defense industry, technology, sports, (specifically rugby), and real estate. Needless to say, we were all moved and graced by his presence.

Here at the Salmagundi Club, Jon, a Rugby enthusiast, definitely scored a goal! We will continue to celebrate him as he continues on his adventurous journey.

To further add to the delight of the evening, singers from the a cappella choral group, Thokoza, captivated  all with a diverse repertoire of songs which excitingly combined diverse elements of African traditional songs and elements of African American music