A Remarkable Evening

LifeChronicles 8th annual Remarkable Life Awards at Graholm, the Montecito estate of Lynda Weinman and Bruce Heavin honoring dynamic duo Harry and Judi Weisbart was a smashing success – literally!

As last year’s honorees Rinaldo and Lalla Brutoco prepared to present the crystal award to Harry, 88, and Judi, 73, it fell and smashed to smithereens on the stone floor with Santa Barbara Councilmember Oscar Gutierrez, a former assistant to the nonprofit in his younger days, picking and sweeping up the pieces.

But Kate Carter, who founded the organization in 1998 which has helped more than 1,400 clients preserve memories and expressions of love on video, was not too fazed by the accident.

“It had the wrong date on it, so now we have time to make amends and change it to the correct date,” she calmly explained, as 84 guests helped raise $70,000 from the Dancing with Our Stars bash with award-winning DJ Darla Bea providing the disco sound.

“We both believe Kate’s work is powerful,” says Judi, whose two stepsons Alan and Jon also attended. “We want to honor her work and help LifeChronicles remain healthy by raising funds and awareness.”

Kate made a video to celebrate the couple’s 40th wedding anniversary and tells me a late friend, British jewelry and interior designer Corinna Gordon, who died from lung cancer two years ago, also filmed a video before she moved to more heavenly pastures.

Corinna, who was at school with the late Sir David Frost’s wife Lady Carina Fitzalan-Howard, daughter of the Duke of Norfolk, was also a good friend of Lord Julian Fellowes, Oscar-winning writer of Downton Abbey and the film Gosford Park.

LifeChronicles has traveled to 430 cities to film more than 2,000 videos in its lifetime.

Award-winning artist and playwright Rod Lathim, looking gloriously Teutonic in a blonde wig, auctioned off a four-hour sailing tour of the coast for $1,100, a custom life legacy video for $2,400, and a stay at a nine-bedroom villa in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, for $16,000.

Supporters turning out included Lynda Weinman, Diana Starr Langley, Christine Emmons, Laura Capps, Heidi Holly, Carol Marsch, Jan Ingram, and Marilyn Gilbert.