“I’m forever blowing bubbles” could have been the theme of the 10th annual “Discover Santa Maria Valley 2008” fundraiser. Opalescent spheres from a bubble-making machine floated upward and onward outside the children’s Discovery Museum on the afternoon of Sunday, Sept. 21. Such a pretty sight.
This popular silent auction item was one of many interesting packages up for bids.
The Discovery Girls is what the Discovery Museum’s staff call themselves: These resolute ladies are Cindy Ransick, executive director; Christine Gerber, development director; Carrie Rosing, managing director; and Christine Teeter, bookkeeper. They planned and executed this year’s oh-so-much-fun afternoon that allows the museum to keep family memberships affordable. Cindy Ransick pointed out that Discovery Museum family memberships cost about 30 percent less than those for the San Luis Obispo and Paso Robles facilities.
Under a big white tent in the parking lot, a sold-out crowd of 250 people drank wine from local vineyards and sampled food from local restaurants.
The Discovery Girls search high and low for the new and different. This year, they came up with “Shop Santa Barbara,” a chauffeured trip for the winner and four friends.
The highest bidder took home a $100 Banana Republic gift certificate, a $100 Chico’s gift card, and a $50 certificate for lunch at Buenos Aires. There will be wine tasting at Firestone Vineyards on the way home. Now, ladies, that sounds like fun!
Another enticing auction item was the dinner for eight to be held at the Shell Beach home of board member Jim Buttery. Spirited bidding took this event higher than $1,000.
The Discovery Girls also believe in romance. They arranged to auction off a hot air balloon ride over Paso Robles, which includes an overnight stay at a Paso hotel (with a fireplace or whirlpool) and wine tasting. What is Santa Maria coming to? At the recent Joe White Dinner benefiting Allan Hancock’s athletic programs, a Smith and Wesson handgun, “suitable for a lady,” was auctioned off. At the Discovery Museum, a Russian-made AK-47 bayonet, captured in Iraq in December 2007, was an auction item. Cindy Ransick’s son-in-law brought this home from the war zone.
The table centerpieces, donated by board members, were also silent auction items. This was a real kick. We all walked round and round the tented space to check out where we stood on the bid lists. The flower arrangements were a huge hit. There were little feathered chickens with a tiny bale of hay, Riedel wine glasses with a carafe, watches, baskets of dinosaur books and games, and a wonderful CD player that looked like a miniature jukebox from the ’50s.
Among the museum supporters bidding and socializing were Dr. Joseph and Chris Slaughter, city councilman Leo Trujillo, Karen Ransome, and Dr. Bob and Eileen Okerblom.
CASA staff member Kim Davis (also a Discovery Museum board member) forewarned me that CASA is having a barbecue the afternoon of Sunday, Oct. 19, at Firestone Vineyards.
Similarly, Humane Society Executive Director Kellie White O’Neill told me that her group’s DeVine Affair will be held on Saturday, Nov. 1, at the Loading Dock in old Orcutt (the Loading Dock has a new name: Orcutt Brew Pub).
If you want to hobnob with Helen, you may contact her at helenthom232@yahoo.com.
This article appears in Oct 9-16, 2008.
