Under the Mistletoe

Balloonacy reigned at the Coral Casino’s La Pacifica ballroom where hundreds of balloons festooned the ceiling of the oceanside hotspot for the 26th annual Catholic Charities Mistletoe Ball, which attracted 217 guests and raised around $100,000 for the 93-year-old organization serving 44,000 people with an annual budget of $1.8 million.

The Yuletide beano, co-chaired by Carol Wathen and Debbie Saucedo, honored my Journal colleague Erin Graffy and her psychologist husband, James Paul Garcia, as community stars, presented by Anne Towbes.

Neal Graffy emceed the bustling bash, while regional director Dan Grimm introduced guest speaker Los Angeles author and theologian Bishop Robert Barron after a prayer from charismatic Mission monk Larry Gosselin.

KEYT-TV senior reporter John Palminteri auctioned off a number of items, including an Old Spanish Days Fiesta Frolic, a week’s vacation in Portland, Oregon, and a skiing sojourn in Beaver Creek, Colorado.

Among the tony throng turning out to support the cause were Charlie Alva, Hiroko Benko, Terry Ryken, Ricardo Calderon, Hal and Haley Conklin, Missy DeYoung, Lynn Kirst, Ralph and Diana MacFarlane, Tom and Eileen Mielko, Julian Nott and Anne Luther, Tony and Sabrina Papa, Christopher Toomey, and Dana Hansen.