It’s easy to love the little town of Guadalupe, and even easier to be totally enamored of the Dunes Center on its main street, also known as Highway 1.
Situated in a lovingly restored, cozy, Craftsman-style cottage with a fireplace, the Dunes Center is dedicated to preserving the local ecosystem and educating the public about it.
Its many programs also need money to run, so on Dec. 13, with great seasonal and save-the-environment spirit, two friends and I traipsed over to the center’s Christmas fundraiser. The Dunes Center’s Fourth Annual Trees of the Season Holiday Gala is modeled after the Christmas tree festivals of the Santa Maria Altrusa clubs. This gala raffled off 21 gaily-decorated trees, all roughly 4 feet high.
The timing was eerie. At almost the very moment when the Santa Maria Town Center was no doubt filled with screams (as winners of the giant, generously endowed-with-gifts trees gathered by the noontime Altrusa group were announced), winners of the Gala’s trees were being selected. Miles away from the mall, charming Dunes Center Executive Director Mario Castellanos announced winners of the Holiday Gala trees to a most congenial group in a most congenial setting.
It could not have been more enjoyable. There was a reception for all at the Dunes Center from 3 to 5 p.m., where board members like Santa Barbara’s Sharon Kayser with husband Bud, Santa Maria’s John Karamitsos, and Los Osos’s Robin Hayhurst congregated with families and supporters.
There was wine, cider, and coffee to accompany the chips and salsa, sandwiches, and sweets. The atmosphere was homey and pleasant. Guests wandered about, chatting and chewing the fat (as well as the food). Santa Maria’s Nancy Fraim remarked, “It’s like a personal party.”
Guadalupe Mayor Lupe Alvarez enjoyed homemade cookies and conversation before the town’s Christmas parade started at 6 p.m. He and wife Olivia sponsored one of the trees, as did Santa Maria’s Diane-Aleman-Stevens and Donna Cota.
Heaven forbid that that there be a Christmas tree raffle without an entry decorated by Sylvia Ng of Ng and Ng Dental and Eye Care. Compulsive tree decorator Sylvia produced a festive tree with teapots and cups for the Gala.
Lupe told me about the recent ceremony held to celebrate the building of a shrine next to the Royal Theatre. The shrine is covered in another article this week (see page 23), but Lupe did report that “a lot of people from Santa Barbara came up for the program.” With a satisfied smile, he added, “Everyone loves Guadalupe.” I’ll drink to that.
For a while, I sat on the wide front porch of the Dunes Center, enjoying the ambience and sipping the excellent coffee from the local JMZ Coffee Shop, donated by Judith Zapeda. Upstairs, children could watch a movie while eating popcorn and cookies prepared just for them.
People came and went, buying raffle tickets and depositing them in the raffle tubs. Just before 5 o’clock, the room magically filled with people anxious to see if they bought a winner.
Guess who won a tree! Yes! After countless tree raffles, the gods of chance came through and I walked out with “A Whippity Snippity Christmas” decorated by the stylists of Whipper Snippers.
Haircut, anyone?
If you want to hobnob with Helen, you may contact her at helenthom232@yahoo.com.
This article appears in Dec 18-25, 2008.
