Hats, hats, and more hats. All over the place. It was a hat-loving Hobnobber’s dream come true.
City Councilperson Alice Patino was a vision in a big white floppy hat with clouds of red tulle.
All eyes were on Dr. Dennis Shepard, who walked down memory lane in his medical school graduation beret—one of those medieval-looking, puffy, academic caps, sort of King Henry-the-Eighth-ish.
Bubbly Gloria Hoeft chose the kind of black, brimmed, flat-topped topper that you see a lot of at Spanish Fiesta days in Santa Barbara. You couldn’t miss auctioneer Jim Glines in his signature cowboy hat, nor emcee Ed Murray, who sported a retro number.
There were hats of all sorts placed as decorations around the food and silent auction tables. There was obviously not one whit of confusion about the theme of this party, held on Sunday afternoon, Sept. 12, from 1 to 5 p.m. amid winding paths, masses of bougainvillea, and lovely courtyards dotted with gazebos and benches.
The mistress of all this madness for les chapeaux was Jeannie Miranda, whose big, black hat bore a bold display of feathers. She presided over the seventh Hats of Hope event at her gorgeous Rancho Miranda Gardens estate.
More than 150 people paid $45 for the fun, which included wine, finger foods, and oh-so-many winsome and wonderful silent auction opportunities.
Patrick and Geri Ferrini enjoyed the ambience and amenities, as did Marty Willey, Keith and Margie Bowker, and Bill Orndorff.
Hats for Hope benefits cancer patients who lose their hair from radiation and chemotherapy. The organization, which provides certificates for free wigs, has given away more than 1,000 wigs all over the Central Coast, from Paso Robles to Lompoc.
Board member Miranda, one of the founders, pointed out, “We have no paid staff. Our board members do all the work.”
The big payoff for all the effort is the emotional thank you’s given by women who have written notes like, “I could not have kept on working without the wig,” and “Thank you for restoring my self-esteem.”
If there were Girl Scout badges for
hostesses, Miranda would surely hold the top honor. She has event logistics nailed. Everything runs smoothly and seemingly effortlessly on her watch.
Board member Dianne Martino was among those circling the silent auction tables. The items up for bid were so interesting that there were multiple bids on virtually every one.
One of my personal favorites was a McMansion for our feathered friends: a 3-foot-high birdhouse with its own little real gerbera daisy garden. Also of note were gift certificates for dinner at the new Rooney’s Irish Pub in Old Orcutt and for Jocko’s; several dazzling necklaces; and a tabletop, mini-barbecue grill.
Before the live auction, Patsy Ozzimo gave a moving and sometimes funny account of her experiences with breast cancer and the psychological aspects of having her hair fall out in clumps. She praised Marian’s Breast Cancer Center for their supportive staff. In the audience, pink-hatted nurse Liz Elliott from the Cancer Center cheered her on.
At the end of the afternoon, Miranda flashed non-stop, mega-kilowatt smiles.
“This has been extremely successful,” she said. “I am very, very happy. Hats for Hope can give away a lot more wigs.”
If you want to Hobnob with Helen, you may contact her at helenthom232@yahoo.com.
This article appears in Sep 23-30, 2010.