More than 300 friends and supporters of Allan Hancock College athletics turned out for the 13th annual Joe White Memorial Dinner and Auction on Saturday, Aug. 16, at the Fairpark.
Not only did folks turn out, but they bid stratospherically high (and we mean high—how about $1,000 for a cake?) on a number of live auction items and raised big bucks for AHC’s athletic programs.
AHC Booster president and auctioneer Jim Glines was a happy camper as he watched his friends and neighbors congregate in the Fairpark’s Pavilion building. Glines was chairman of the event committee.
“This [dinner] is a labor of love,” he told the guests. A labor of love that raised more than $100,000 this year, we might add.
There were lots of familiar faces in the crowd. This was AHC president Kevin Walthers’ first Joe White dinner and one more reason for him to be loving his job. This kind of stupendous community support has got to warm a college administrator’s heart.
Among the hardy and hearty bidders were Stu and Jan Bartleson and the energetic president of Santa Maria Energy, David Pratt.
At Pratt’s table were his wife Gayle Pratt and the company’s public affairs and government manager, the affable Bob Poole (with Gina Hendrikson Poole).
But who is Joe White, you say? (Inquiring minds want to know!) Joe White was the athletic director and a coach at Allan Hancock College.
His sons, grandsons and friends made up the barbecue team that transformed Harris Ranch New York strip steak into a feast for dinner that also included corn tamales, salad, and éclairs.
Every year since the event began, Bill Bertka, special assistant to the general manager of the LA Lakers, has come north to attend. He’s much beloved in the hearts and minds of Hancock’s athletic department, because he took the basketball team to a state championship.
“Bill hasn’t missed one Joe White dinner,” Glines said.
While hobnobbing with Wayne and Brenda Sullens in a line, I found out from Brenda that her dad, Dale Hyatt, along with Rodger Brown and several others—all Akron, Ohio, natives—were recruited by fellow Ohioan Bertka to come and play basketball at Allan Hancock College in the ’50s.
A familiar face to all sports fans, former television sportscaster Andrew Masuda, now with the college’s public information department, told me, “This is my first Joe White dinner. I didn’t realize it was such a big deal until tonight.”
Former mayor of Grover Beach, John Shoals, and his wife Staci (who we found out is the daughter of the late, great catcher for the LA Dodgers, John Roseboro) were at my table.
Others in the crowd were softball coach at AHC and event committee member Jada Clark and the athletics department’s Kim Ensing.
Hobnobbing also spotted former television weatherman Jim Byrne, Bruno and Jackie Brunello, Agnes Grogan, and Laurie and Jeff Tamura.
Former mayor Larry and Donna Lavagnino enjoyed watching son (and county supervisor) Steve Lavagnino emcee.
If you want to hobnob with Helen, you may contact her at helenthom232@yahoo.com.
This article appears in Sep 4-11, 2014.