By Jim Knippenberg
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Enjoying Youth Opportunities United's Swingin' & Cruisin' party at Coney Island are (from left) Michele Heindl, Dr. Jack Heindl and Cynthia Muhlhauser. (Philip Groshong photo)

Coney Island, already a major hit with the retro crowd, got a little more retro than usual Saturday when Youth Opportunities United threw its second annual Swingin' & Cruisin' at Coney, a '50s party complete with poodle skirts, greased-down hair, pony tails and here and there a T-shirt with a cigarette pack rolled in the sleeve.

About half of the 330 dressed '50s - and attracted plenty attention from other Coney guests riding rides after a day at the pool - while the rest showed up in something casual and comfy that would work in the open air Moonlite Pavilion on a hot and humid night.

According to Cynthia Muhlhauser, chair and wife of YOU president Rick Muhlhauser, the crowd was up 110 from last year, which means word of mouth from the first party sold a lot of tickets for the second.

No wonder - it's a fun party with cocktails and silent auction, car show where collectors show off vintage Corvettes and Mercedes, and buffet dinner (prime rib, chicken, a zillion side dishes).

The live auction was conducted in high spirits by Cincinnati Ballet executive director Alan Hills.

Oh, and lots of dancing to music by the Mistics.

That's another way to tell if it's a good party: People actually stay until the end and keep on dancing.

Early indications are that the event raised about $75,000 for YOU, a non-profit agency founded in 1990 to intervene with at-risk youth.

E-mail jknippenberg@enquirer.com