Question: When does a gym not look like a gym? Answer: When it’s a St. Joseph High School spring BASH event. This year’s fun filled BASH was held on March 13 and 14 at the school’s gymnasium.
A crew of creative minds, led by Decorations Chairman Julie Carr, transformed the athletic facility into a very hip, trendy metropolitan club with flashing lights, multiple video screens, and specialty margarita and martini bars (the latter had a waterfall!). It was all so chi chi.
Stunning table centerpieces, some with underwater lighting, contributed to the evening’s glitz and glam. Shana Medrano of Creative Events donated her time and talent to fashion these showstoppers. The most spectacular was a mass of lime green orchids and sea grass at the special VIP table, access to which was auctioned off to the highest bidder.
For the second year in a row, Dr. Norman Hoffman and wife Mary Louise won this special table. VIPs are treated to their own wait staff, non-stop champagne, a deluxe table setting and centerpiece, and favors. This year, the gents received flasks and cigars, and the ladies took home picture frames, martini shakers, and martini glasses.
It was my good fortune to be the Hoffmans’ VIP table guest for the second year in a row. Thank you, Mary Louise and Norman!
Since 1986, St. Joseph’s has held an annual BASH event as one of its major fundraisers to supplement tuition costs. It’s a two-day affair, with Friday night festivities costing $10 per ticket. There’s a no-host bar, food to buy, and silent auctions galore, as well as a live auction.
Saturday night tickets are a little pricier at $150 each and include drinks, wine with dinner, and a gourmet meal. Dinner included artfully presented steak mignonette, salad, asparagus soup, and chocolate cake with banana ice cream, all conjured up by Chef Rick, who is, by the way, writing a cookbook!
“Because of the economy, we were braced for a lesser turnout,” BASH staffer Stacy Verbryke told me. “We were pleasantly surprised to have to add a table—there were 170, more than last year.”
Father Ed Jalbert, director of development, was more than pleasantly surprised—he was gobsmacked at the results of a special addition to the program.
For the first time ever at BASH, there was an impassioned plea for scholarship funds. Immediately following the live auction, Father Ed asked for help from the audience. There are students, he said, whose parents need financial aid in order to keep their children at St. Joe’s during this difficult downturn in the economy.
Within five minutes, auctioneer Todd Ventura raised $35,000 from the BASH-goers. Tuition at St. Joe’s is about $6,600. Father Ed told me that tuition at comparable Catholic schools in larger areas is twice that.
After the auction excitement died down, hip Santa Marians crowded the dance floor (which had to be expanded) for disco dancing. No doubt about it, Santa Marians love to boogie.
Bob Engel and Rob Buchanan were two BASH staffer husbands strutting their stuff.
State Senator Abel Maldonado and wife Laura were part of the clubbing crowd, as were Ted and Cheryl Maddox, and John and Karen Ransome.
If you want to hobnob with Helen, you may contact her at helenthom 232@yahoo.com.
This article appears in Mar 26 – Apr 2, 2009.