22nd Annual Tiara Ball
The renowned 22nd Annual Tiara Ball by the Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital Foundation (SBCHF) was held in all its elegance at the Ritz-Carlton Bacara Resort on Saturday, March 8. This annual beyond the black-tie soirée showcases guests in bejeweled tiaras, formal gowns, fine wool tuxedos and more ahead of Paris Fashion Week.
While the gala follows the formal program of reception, dinner, announcements, and dancing, there is one key element here not seen at other galas that makes it such a great party; there are no auctions or asks – as the funding is taken in prior to the event via ticket sales, sponsors and donors. This makes the flow uninterrupted for genuine connecting and proper thank-you’s.
During the champagne red-carpet reception, I captured with my camera the event co-chairs Heather Hambleton and Lisa Iscovich with their event committee Gina Andrews, Katy Bazylewicz, Andrew Brown, Allison LaBarge, Mari McAlister, Sue Neuman, Alex Nourse, Cathy Quijano, Esther Takacs, Betsy Turner, Mary Werft, and Margaret Wilkinson. Hambleton took another moment with me to provide her quote for our readers; “We are so honored tonight to be hosting the 2025 Tiara Ball. This year we are honoring Ron and Mary Werft, and Mary has served on the Tiara Ball committee for over 20 years, so we are honoring her as well as Ron, the wind beneath her wings. They are both leaving a tremendous legacy in
our community.”
I also met and photographed SBCH President and CEO Ron Werft with wife Mary; Board Chair Eric Seale and wife Sandy; prior Tiara Ball event committee members and funders of SBCHF Jelinda DeVorzon with her son Daniel and Anne Smith Towbes; First District Supervisor Roy Lee with Goleta City Councilmember James Kyriaco; and the SBCH surgical residents.
As we were called into the Grand Ballroom, I sat at a lovely table next to the stage. The amazing Ben Mallare14-piece band entertained until it was time for the formal remarks and dinner.
Seale welcomed the guests, acknowledged the co-chairs, the event committee present and past, and the volunteers on the Board at all three centers – SBCH, Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital, and Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Health. He introduced the next speaker, Dr. Anne Rodriguez, Chief of Staff.
The Werfts were recognized by Dr. Rodriguez. She said they have been a force for positive change in the community with integrity and compassion, asking how they can help and then helping even more. As she thanked Mary Werft for her 22 years serving on the Tiara Ball committee and other hospital events, Dr. Rodriguez chided her by saying, “Though Ron is retiring, you’re not going anywhere!” Rodriguez mentioned that there have been over 30 Tiara Balls, the first ones were held in a tent behind the Coral Casino. She presented the Werfts with a digital photo frame of photographs from 20 years of Tiara Balls, and then introduced Ron Werft.
Werft began by apologetically mentioning that due to his absence at the ball last year, he would be indulgent in his remarks. His remarks spanned his time from arriving in the area from Michigan, through all the SBCH accomplishments and growth through the years. He thanked Naomi and Ben Bollag for the ER Trauma Center, Pediatric Center, Rehab Hospital in Goleta, and SYV Cottage Hospital Master Plan, and he thanked Dick and Mary Compton for the Center for Innovation and AI, as well as work with tech companies and UCSB, and bragged in that context about the SBCH’s five-star rating for the past six years placing it at the top 4% of U.S. hospitals. Werft mentioned Seale, saying “Eric, you’re going to be a fabulous Board Chair.” He pivoted next to his replacement, Scott Wester, “who will bring much to the position.” Also mentioned was “Mama Bear” Linda Yawitz for sponsoring again this year the SBCH surgical residents. Tearful at the conclusion of his speech, Werft said, “Thank you for the privilege of working at SBCH for 38 years. Thank you, Mary, my rock, partner and BFF – for everything that is good that happened to me.”
A short video was shown of the remarkable journey of Kyle McKittrick, who experienced a traumatic spinal injury from a motorcycle crash that left him paralyzed. It provided McKittrick’s account of his emergency, recovery and the lifesaving care he received from the Cottage Health team. He was present and acknowledged by Werft and the guests.
Top sponsors were Chivaroli & Associates Insurance Services, Sandra L. Lynne, CenCal Health, Dancing Tides Foundation, David and Anna Grotenhuis, Lisa M. Moore, Ginger Salazar and Brett Matthews, and Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians.
The event raised over $730,000 in support of emergency and critical care services at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital (SBCH).
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