Tag archives: fundraiser

Opportunities to Give Back: Unity Shoppe, Organic Soup Kitchen both raising funds for those in need
By Nick Masuda   |   November 30, 2021

‘Tis the season for our little slice of heaven to showcase its robust heart, with nonprofits across the South Coast hosting a plethora of events and fundraisers to aid those in need. Throughout the season, we’ll highlight companies that need help in order to hit their goals. This week, we take a look at the […]

CALM Before the Fundraising Storm
By Richard Mineards   |   November 16, 2021

Santa Barbara nonprofit CALM, which is celebrating its half-century, hosted its 10th Annual Calm at Heart Lunch Transforming Communities at Los Suenos, the Montecito estate of corporate attorney Robert Lieff and his wife, Susan, which raised around $300,000 from 260 guests. Fortunately, the sea mist cleared for blue skies and sunshine for the boffo bash, […]

Purple Pride: 2021 Walk to End Alzheimer’s Returns to Santa Barbara
By Joanne A Calitri   |   November 16, 2021

The Walk to End Alzheimer’s happily returned to Santa Barbara on November 6, following a two-year hiatus. A total of 551 registered participants and 79 teams met in Chase Palm Park for the 3.1-mile loop around Cabrillo Boulevard or met in their neighborhoods around the county.  Walkers sported a purple t-shirt and carried a flower […]

‘Tis the Season, Part I
By Nick Masuda   |   November 16, 2021

This community seemingly has a heart of gold, from massive fundraising projects that save farms in Summerland (read Kelly Mahan Herrick’s piece on page 8 this week) to the San Marcos Foothills. This holiday season, a new project is making the goal far more personal — the Santa Barbara Education Foundation wants to shower teachers […]

The Artist’s Table
By Lynda Millner   |   November 9, 2021

The “dinosaurs” had been put to bed and it was grown up time at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History (SBMNH). The soirée kicked off an art show in Fleischmann Auditorium with fine wines and a signature cocktail. Outside was an array of tables set beautifully with a small painting at each place done […]

Breaking Bread
By Richard Mineards   |   November 9, 2021

Gourmands and oenophiles were out in force when the Fund for Santa Barbara hosted its 28th Annual Bread and Roses event for 500 guests at Elings Park, a new venue after years at the QAD headquarters in Summerland. The bountiful bash, co-chaired by Gloria Soto and David Moore, raised $165,000 for the 41-year-old nonprofit that […]

Camp Out on the Bayou
By Lynda Millner   |   November 9, 2021

We headed north of town to Rancho Dos Pueblos for our annual Santa Barbara Rescue Mission (SBRM) fundraiser. There is always a Bayou in the theme, this year’s being “Camp Out on the Bayou.” Greeting us was a genuine camper ready for inspection, while further down the path was a very large silent auction and […]

What a Wild Night
By Richard Mineards   |   October 26, 2021

The party animals were out en masse when Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network hosted its annual Wild Night Out at the Carousel House at Chase Palm Park with 200 guests raising more than $150,000 for the popular group. The boffo bash, co-chaired by Gretchen Lieff and Connie Pearcy, had decided Hawaiian overtones with dancers from […]

‘Good to be Back’
By Richard Mineards   |   October 19, 2021

United Way’s 24th annual Red Feather Ball was a two-act affair. The 130-guest Birds of a Feather-themed fête, which raised nearly $150,000, was staged at two handsome estates on Hot Springs Road, two hours apart. The boffo bash, chaired by Shari Liu Fellows, launched at the former home of Lady Leslie Ridley-Tree, now owned by […]

An Evening in Bloom
By Lynda Millner   |   October 12, 2021

The 1920s came roaring into Carpinteria to the Girls Inc. facility recently for their annual “An Evening in Bloom” fundraiser. Two-hundred folks dug into their closets and found furs and feathers, ropes of pearls, glitter and glam, even a gentleman in a real raccoon coat that his family owned. There was a gambling casino (proceeds […]

Lovin’ Literacy
By Richard Mineards   |   October 12, 2021

Santa Barbara’s 36-year-old Education Foundation hosted its first Love of Literacy lunch at Godric Grove at Elings Park, attracting 150 guests and raising $50,000 for the cause. The boffo bash, the first in-person event since March 2020, featured Montecito uber philanthropist Sara Miller McCune, who said she became “angry and upset” when she read about […]

A Force To Be Reckoned With
By Richard Mineards   |   October 12, 2021

A sea of blue swept over Bella Vista, the sprawling Summerland estate of hotelier Pat Nesbitt and his wife, Ursula, when they hosted the seventh annual Fun with the Force, with a record 1,000 guests raising a record $2 million for the 12-year-old Santa Barbara Police Foundation. The popular organization provides financial support for injured […]

Beyond ‘Fun’: 911 At Ease International Offers Community Chance to Save Lives
By Sara Bush   |   October 5, 2021

The annual Fun with the Force is more than just another fundraiser. It is an opportunity to support the men and women who risk their lives for the communities they serve every day. Money raised at this year’s event goes directly to the rapidly expanding 911 At Ease International (911 AEI), a nonprofit that offers […]

The Show Must Go On
By Richard Mineards   |   September 28, 2021

COVID-19 reared its ugly head when Natasha Bedingfield, considered one of the top 100 vocalists of all time, who was scheduled to be one of two principal performers at the One805 fundraiser at the charming Montecito estate of Alastair and Ann Winn, and Travis and Amanda Twining, cancelled just 48 hours before the sell-out boffo […]

Bringing Down the House
By Richard Mineards   |   September 28, 2021

Ubiquitous KEYT reporter John Palminteri hosted the Heart of New House fifth annual lunch at the Hilton, which raised around $30,000 for the nonprofit that is staffed entirely by clients recovering from problems from alcohol and drugs. The charity was founded in 1955 with the first New House, followed in 1978 with a second version, […]

Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation Is Dreaming Big
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   September 21, 2021

Each September, Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation (TBCF) invites the community to join it in recognizing National Childhood Cancer Awareness month through its much-cherished Gold Ribbon Luncheon. After multiple cancellations last year, TBCF has announced a smaller luncheon event, to take place under a tent at the Hilton Santa Barbara’s Plaza Del Sol on Wednesday, October […]

A Rockin’ Good Time
By Richard Mineards   |   September 14, 2021

Social gridlock reigned at the Montecito home of Justine Roddick and Tina Schlieske when the dynamic duo hosted a Coney Island-themed, sold-out bash for 120 guests, raising nearly $200,000 for CADA (Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse). The fun fest, entirely underwritten by local real estate magnate Earl Minnis, featured singer-songwriter Patti Smith, 74, dubbed […]

A ‘Wild’ Party
By Richard Mineards   |   September 7, 2021

The party animals were out in force, vaccination passports in hand, when the Santa Barbara Zoo hosted Zoofari Ball XXXV Return to Basecamp, attended by more than 630 supporters and raising nearly $200,000 for the popular menagerie. Guests in their safari gear and Harrison Ford lookalikes joined the party on the hilltop for sunset cocktails, […]

Petal to the Metal
By Lynda Millner   |   September 7, 2021

Lotusland’s fabulous summer soirée was dazzling as usual, this time mixing motors (cars) with Ganna Walska plants. As quoted by the Los Angeles Times, “For Walska, plants were more than plants; they were colors to paint with, a family to nurture, characters to direct.” The 30 cars were all privately owned and all Italian, who […]

‘No Substitute for Live Theater’: ETC Raises its Curtains
By Richard Mineards   |   August 31, 2021

It was just the ticket when the venerable Ensemble Theatre Company, which is fully reopening after 15 months of pandemic lockdown, hosted 150 guests and raised a hefty $250,000 with its “Curtain (Back) Up!” bash at the Santa Barbara Club. “When the New Vic theater opened in 2013, we had a Curtain Up fête,” says […]