JACKIE SMYTHE, owner of Smythe & Associates PR firm, had quite a time getting to the Prince Hotel July 28 for the Koa Anvil Awards, presented by the Public Relations Society of America’s Hawaii Chapter. She planned to get to the awards at 5 p.m. but had to pick up her dog at doggie day care first. “In an effort to multitask, I put my hair up in hot rollers and headed out at 3 p.m.,” she said. Driving on H-1 for the quick trip, she heard a thumping noise that sounded a bit like a flat tire. She got off the freeway and pulled into the gas station on Ward. “So there I am rollers and all checking the air in my tire. I discovered a large bolt, about the size of quarter, had punctured my tire. The bolt was making the thumping noise. Fortunately, the bolt had plugged its own hole but I put in some air. With no time to waste, I proceeded to the doggie day care, drove the back roads home and called my friend Lissa Wilson to catch a ride to the awards. I’m so glad I did, because I was completely surprised to receive the best in show award.” … Huy Vo of Bright Light Marketing won the Hokupa‘a young public relations professional of the year award. Huy had the most supporters in the ballroom and was nearly smothered by lei. He got laughs on stage, talking about him and Moani Wright-Van Alst, president of PRSA’s Hawaii Chapter …

JOHN BROWNING (shown above left with Jimi Jamison) took over the Kahala Hotel’s Maile Ballroom for his 42nd birthday bash last Saturday night. About 150 people attended. John enjoys cars so the ballroom had an auto-racing theme. Good eats were laid out, including caviar, lobster and oysters. Singer Randy Ruff was at the piano. Later on, the lights began to flicker and doors to the other half of the ballroom were opened and Survivor with singer Jamison were on stage. John had flown them in to do a concert that lasted almost two hours. The concert was followed by a laser show and then dancing. John was the last one on the dance floor at 1:30 a.m. …

HAWAII’S Bruno Mars singing “Runaway Baby” is listed in the on-screen song credits for “Friends With Benefits,” the romantic comedy starring Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis, who steals the show. It’s filled with fun and heavy-duty bedroom scenes. There were two flash dances with scores in Manhattan in the picture … On July 22 there was a flash dance mob swaying Tahitian-style to Polynesian percussion on Maui’s Kaanapali Beach. The dancers were students from Te Tiare Patitifa, a halau based in Wailuku. The group’s director, kumu hula Keoni Manuel, choreographed the performance …

SOCCER enthusiast Jack Sullivan is a producer of “Kick TV Hawaii,” with Brian Ching and Leila Wai as hosts. It plays at 5:30 p.m. on KWHE Saturdays and repeats at 5:30 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays. The series is sponsored by Meadow Gold, which is a major soccer supporter, Jack says …