Out in Force

A sea of blue swept over Bella Vista, the sprawling Summerland estate of polo playing hotelier Pat Nesbitt and his wife Ursula, with 500 guests raising around $300,000 with the annual Fun with the Force bash for the Santa Barbara Police Foundation.

The popular organization provides financial support for ill police personnel. 

The bustling bash, co-chaired by James Nigro and Arlene Montesano, featured welcomes from John Van Donge, foundation president, and Santa Barbara police chief Kelly Gordon, with the National Anthem sung by Brandon Wattz.

A lifetime achievement award was presented to Pamela Geremia who served as the organization’s president, and Greg Hons, who started with the police department in 1997, was recognized for his dedication to the foundation after becoming a board member in 2013 and now executive director.

Silent auction prizes included a 10-course Ladies in Red dinner in December at Bella Vista, dinner for ten couples prepared by Caruso’s executive chef Massimo Falsini and an overnight stay in a beachfront room at the Rosewood Miramar, Christmas shopping and dinner with Kathy Hilton and friends, and a Jeroboam of 1975 Château Lafite Rothschild, and a $500 gift card for Lucky’s.

Among those listening to the music of Ilya Serov and Ty Westbrook while sipping on the Code Red cocktails – a heady concoction of vodka, blood orange with a splash of lemon – and noshing on food from Ca’ Dario, Jeannine’s, Joe’s Cafe, Los Agaves, Lucky’s, Nick the Greek, and Tre Lune, were Bilo Zarif, Ginni Dreier, Holly Murphy, Denise Stanford, Kathryn Martin, and Mayor Randy Rowse.

A splendiferous event for a good cause before the marine mist enshrouded the event – making it more like a scene from Wuthering Heights.