Combine a beautiful courtyard with a bountiful buffet, an enchanting PCPA musical, and enticing silent auction items and—voila!—you have a winner.
Solvang’s lovely Theaterfest grounds were the site of the Santa Maria Youth and Family Center’s annual fundraising party on Aug. 9.
The center has perfected the formula for success. They combine good food (and lots of it), outstanding entertainment (the mellow tones of Bubba Ramey and his saxophone), and enticing silent auction and raffle items.
About 300 center supporters bought $40 tickets that included a seat for Music Man and supper (orange chicken, meatballs, spinach dip, cabbage salad, and brownies) along with excellent wines (from Cottonwood, Buttonwood, and Stolpman).
Staff members and their mates do all the work for this event. Husbands and wives pitch in for whatever, whenever.
“This is very much a spouse-involved organization,” Associate Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer Judith Nishimori told me.
Her own husband, self-taught magician Richard Ellis, has been known to fix a faucet or two at the Lincoln Street office.
Computer guru Richard, by the way, will be making his magic debut at the PCPA Foundation’s October gala. After seeing this budding David Copperfield in action, I predict the Central Coast will soon be more magical.
The ebullient caterer, Maria Mandziara, is a case manager at the center. Clinic Director Nancy Johnson bustled about, arranging the silent auction table and selling raffle tickets. Therapist Monique Bendzick and husband Bryan, as well as board president Cole Kinney, were involved with set-up.
PCPA’s group sales manager, Suzanne Rose, assisted the center in getting the event together. The center has held its one big fundraiser at Solvang Theaterfest for the past several years.
The center provides drug and alcohol treatment, counseling, and prevention services for families and youth up to 17 years old. It also provides outreach services in schools. While the center receives substantial funding from government sources, the funding is targeted toward specific programs.
According to Nishimori, the annual theater-buffet gala is held for two good reasons. First, “Government agencies like to see that there is a local level community buy-in, that the locals support the center,” she said. “Secondly, we need some discretionary resources.
“We are very busy,” she elaborated. “We always have a waiting list. These are tough times. Parents try to cope any way they can. Sometimes they turn to drugs and alcohol to relieve stress, but it just makes things worse, and then they come to us for help.”
Central Coast Voices member Marjorie Gjerdrum, who was waiting for daughter Karen Gjerdrum Fothergill (a center board member) at the theater entrance, reminded me that Coastal Voices will have a holiday concert in December. Serious silent auction shopper Scotti Ortiz, there with husband Frank, forewarned me about “CASA at the Vineyard,” coming up next month.
Chocolate and Wine on Sept. 27
Noontime Altrusa members Dee Martini, Kathy Boyd, and Christine Gerber contacted me via a conference call to talk about “A Sunday Afternoon Chocolate Delight” that will take place on Sept. 27 in a beautiful Orcutt garden with magnificent views. Tickets cost $25 for wine, chocolate, musical entertainment, and a silent auction. For more info, call Kathy at 264-5756 or Dee at 934-5244.
If you want to hobnob with Helen, contact her at helenthom232@yahoo.com.
This article appears in Aug 27 – Sep 3, 2009.
