Twistin’ at The Ritz

Shades of yesteryear! Does anyone remember the Twist or Chubby Checker? He was here with his Wildcats band at the Ritz-Carlton Bacara and so were his fans or new fans. The occasion was the 32^nd Amethyst Ball “Twistin’ at the Ritz” given by CADA (Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse). Dress was black tie or vintage attire. Did we know we were creating an era back then?

Legend has it that the amethyst has been considered a talisman against drinking. Bacchus, God of Wine, was offended by some neglect by Diana, Goddess of the Hunt and the Moon. He swore that the first person his caravan met should be devoured by his tigers. This luckless mortal turned out to be a beautiful virgin named Amethyst, who was on her way to worship at the shrine of the Goddess Diana. As the ferocious beasts sprang upon her, she sought the protection of the goddess through prayer and immediately was turned into pure white stone to save her from the tigers. Recognizing the miracle and repenting of his cruelty, Bacchus poured the juice of the grapes as a libation over the petrified body of the maiden, thus giving the stone its lovely purple-violet hue. Out of respect for the transformed nymph, legend has it, whoever wears an amethyst is protected from the evils of intoxicating drink. Hence the name of the ball.

As president and CEO Ed Stonefelt said,  “CADA has been here for 69 years for those who need help with addiction. Because of the recent tragedy in our town, CADA especially needs your financial help. Last year, we touched the lives of over 8,000 people in the county with our programs.” There are 23 programs that serve the area youth and adults and save lives daily.

The evening began in the courtyard with a silent auction and fun items such as tickets to see Katy Perry at The Bowl or tickets for the Ellen DeGeneres show. Dinner was served in the ballroom all eclat in black and white and shades of purple. The committee who worked their magic was Dana Mazzetti, Betsy Turner, Holly Murphy, Diana MacFarlane, Sue Neuman, and Anne Smith Towbes plus a group of gentlemen: Bob Bryant, Virgil Elings, Bob Fuladi, and Peter Hilf. Andrew Firestone lent his energy to the live auction. And the list goes on with many underwriters and sponsors.

The dance floor was jammed with twisters when Chubby Checker began playing and time went back to the 1950s and ’60s. Good times for a good cause!

If you’d like more information about CADA, call (805) 963-1433.