Tag archives: fundraising

Lunch’ing for a Cause
By Richard Mineards   |   October 24, 2023

Domestic Violence Solutions, founded in 1977, hosted its 15th annual lunch at the Montecito Club with 150 guests raising over $90,000 for the cause, which offers safety, shelter, and support for victims. Last year the organization’s advocates answered more than 4,000 calls to its crisis line, provided 110 children with immediate safety at its emergency […]

22nd Annual Santa Barbara Rescue Mission Fundraiser
By Joanne A Calitri   |   October 17, 2023

The beloved Santa Barbara Rescue Mission (SBRM) held its 22nd annual major fundraiser, Big Waves on the Bayou, on Saturday, October 7 at the Dos Pueblos Ranch with the ocean waves as the backdrop.  Over 300 guests sported beach resort attire. The event décor by Decoration Chair Dianne Davis complemented the shoreline with coral tablecloths, […]

Rona Barrett’s 87th Birthday and Beatles-  themed Fundraiser
By Joanne A Calitri   |   October 17, 2023

Rona Barrett celebrated her 87th birthday in style with her annual birthday fundraiser, this year Beatles themed and titled, “I Rona Hold Your Hand!”The event saw an intimate guest list at the Santa Ynez Historical Carriage Museum on precisely her birthday, Sunday, October 8 – which is the same as John Lennon! Here, all things […]

1st Annual Casa del Herrero Estate Sale
By Joanne A Calitri   |   October 17, 2023

In its 1st Annual Estate Sale, the team at Casa del Herrero saw six months of love and labor come to fruition to pull together the most exquisite estate sale for our town with sale proceeds to benefit the organization’s mission. There were two sale dates, a private pre-sale party on Friday, October 6, and […]

Sun, Bread & Roses
By Richard Mineards   |   October 17, 2023

Oenophiles and gourmands were out in force when the Fund for Santa Barbara hosted its 30th annual Bread & Roses event for 520 guests at Elings Park after many years at the QAD headquarters in Summerland. The bountiful bash, co-hosted by Eric Cardenas and Julia Hamilton, raised more than $200,000 for the 43-year-old charity that […]

MOXI’s Annual Gala Fundraiser
By Joanne A Calitri   |   October 10, 2023

MOXI, The Wolf Museum of Exploration + Innovation, held its Annual MOXI@Night fundraising gala at the museum on Saturday, September 30. The theme this year was “A Celebration of Sound + Light,” utilizing both throughout the museum with multi-genre live music and light show entertainment experiences. Funds raised are dedicated to the museum’s STEAM education […]

A Rawr-ing Good Night
By Richard Mineards   |   October 10, 2023

Party guests at the Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network gala got an early taste of Halloween with its theme Wild Night Out: Nocturnal. Many of the 225 party animals dressed as Dracula or sported bat wings at the beastly bash at the historic Santa Barbara Club that raised around $150,000 for the popular 35-year-old nonprofit, […]

Gala Goes Green
By Richard Mineards   |   October 10, 2023

Santa Barbara’s Community Environmental Council hosted its annual Green Gala for more than 200 guests at its new 10,000-square-foot Environmental Hub on State Street, just a tiara’s toss from the Granada Theatre. The handsome property, formerly the home of the Unity Shoppe, underwent a major $3.5 million renovation, with the boffo bash, which brings together […]

Living Legends at the Granada
By Richard Mineards   |   September 26, 2023

The capacious stage of the venerable Granada Theatre, which hosts six resident companies, was socially gridlocked with more than 200 guests for the 7th annual Legends gala, appropriately enough emceed by the ubiquitous Andrew Firestone, whose parents Brooks and Kate Firestone were being lauded. The recipients also included the historic Ensemble Theatre Company (ETC), the […]

The Beating Heart of New House
By Richard Mineards   |   September 26, 2023

A record crowd of 205 guests turned out for the 7th annual Heart of New House lunch at the Hilton, raising around $120,000 for the nonprofit which has helped men with drug and alcohol problems for the past 68 years. The charity, which has an annual budget of $1.2 million, has 100 residents in three […]

Making the Zoo Shine
By Richard Mineards   |   September 5, 2023

Our tony town’s party animals were out en masse for Santa Barbara Zoo’s sold-out 37th annual Zoofari “Sparkle & Shine” gala with more than 800 guests converging on the 30-acre hilltop menagerie housing more than 600 animal inhabitants and raising more than $400,000. Like fireflies in the night, the creatively costumed guests unleashed their inner […]

Fiesta Finale Gala
By Montecito Journal   |   August 8, 2023

The Profant Foundation’s Fiesta Finale Gala will be held on Sunday, August 6 starting at 5:30 pm at the historic open-air El Paseo Restaurant; included is a delicious gourmet dinner, a dazzling professional performance, a live auction led by Erin Graffy, a costume contest, and dancing under the stars. It was those same stars and […]

Dining Among the Natural History
By Richard Mineards   |   July 4, 2023

Oenophiles and gourmands were out in force at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History when the popular venue hosted the region’s premier food and wine event, attracting 1,400 supporters to the sprawling 17-acre Mission Creek campus, raising more than $200,000 for the museum’s programs and exhibits. Around 200 VIP tickets, giving early access to […]

Lotusland Fundraiser 
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   June 27, 2023

Save the Date for Saturday, July 22, when Lotusland hosts “Where the Wild Things Grow,” a fundraiser to support Lotusland’s diverse ecosystems and habitats. Beginning at 3:30 pm, attendees will roam the gardens sipping herb-infused cocktails before perusing an impressive array of auction items on the Great Lawn before dining al fresco with catering by […]

CSULB Shark Lab Fundraiser 
By Joanne A Calitri   |   June 27, 2023

The Santa Barbara Maritime Museum hosted a fundraiser for the California State University at Long Beach (CSULB) Shark Lab titled, A Great Night of Great Whites, on Saturday, June 17. The twenty-dollar donation yielded a sold-out house of ocean enthusiasts from university researchers, students, surfers, photographers, museum members, and town luminaries like Hiroko Benko and […]

Ranchera at La Patera
By Richard Mineards   |   June 27, 2023

More than 600 guests turned out for the 15th anniversary of Fiesta Ranchera at the 151-year-old Rancho La Patera gardens in Goleta raising in excess of $30,000 split equally between Old Spanish Days and the Goleta Valley Historical Society. The fun fête, chaired by the tony triumvirate of Janice Howell, Paula Bottiani, and Jenna Verbryke, […]

Raising a Paddle for the Hats
By Richard Mineards   |   June 20, 2023

It was really a hair-raising event when extensive millinery and glorious vintages of wine from the Birnam Wood home of the late uber philanthropist Leslie Ridley-Tree, who moved to more heavenly pastures at the age of 98 in October, were auctioned off at Moving Miss Daisy’s Consignment and Auction House and the Louis John Boutique […]

CommUnify’s Champions
By Richard Mineards   |   June 20, 2023

To the charming town of Solvang for CommUnify’s 17th Annual Champions Dinner at the Alisal Inn’s River Grill restaurant, which attracted 200 guests and raised $216,000, including a matching grant from CenCal Health of Santa Barbara. The 56-year-old organization, formerly the Community Action Commission of Santa Barbara County, serves 8,000 members of the community to […]

LifeChronicles on the Ranch
By Richard Mineards   |   June 20, 2023

Susan Strick opened the gates of her charming Hope Ranch oceanside estate for a LifeChronicles sunset soirée for 100 guests honoring the late Nancy Koppelman, who died all too soon in 2017 at the age of 63, on what would have been her 69th birthday. The festive fête, emceed by the ubiquitous KLITE radio host […]

Polo Helping People Helping People
By Richard Mineards   |   June 20, 2023

A sold-out crowd of 420, many of them in magnificent millinery, descended on the Piocho Ranch home of the Happy Canyon Vineyard owned by Santa Barbara Polo Club billionaire patron Tom Barrack for the 11th anniversary Santa Ynez Valley Polo Classic that raised around $200,000 for People Helping People, a Solvang-based organization providing human and […]