This event had a ton of pizazz.
I am referring to the annual Celebrity Waiters Night held on Thursday, Sept. 21, at the Santa Maria Country Club, where 230 locals gathered to raise money for the Boys and Girls Club of Santa Maria Valey.
There was so much going on—it made the beat of a hobnobber’s heart hasten.
Mayor Alice Patino, Santa Maria City Councilwoman Etta Waterfield, breakfast Rotary President Kristine Mollenkopf, and noontime Rotary President Heather Weare, and the Sun’s General Manager Kim Rosa. were among the celebrity waiters serving dinner to guests.
Judy Hearn, whose birthday happened to be that day, enjoyed a serenade by the whole room singing “Happy Birthday.” Judy’s BFF Blanche Fugate provided a birthday cake at their table.
Here’s the deal with this event: Various groups host tables of eight or 10 that creative people decorate around a theme. Guests were encouraged to dress accordingly. So there were people in cowboy hats and boots, people in serapes and big straw sombreros, and people in football jerseys.
Notable table decor included that of the Rotary Breakfast Club—their table resembled a mini football field. Another fun display had a miniature cowboy-type campfire—with flames represented by orange cellophane. Is that clever or what?
Hosts provided favors. Cookies from Gina’s Piece of Cake were at my table, while boxes of strawberries were at the table next to mine.
Tom and Jani Martinez have a long history with the club and with this dinner. Tom remembers the first such dinner, 17 years ago, when the event raised a little more than $5,000. Last year, he told a group of us that the dinner netted more than $80,000. Awesome, Tom and Jani!
Dinner was a thick slice of pork with mashed potatoes and yellow and green beans. Salad and rolls were included, of course, and table hosts provided the wine with dinner.
The live auction had an all-star lineup: auctioneer (and master barbecuer) Jim Glines and spotters Tony Branquinho and John Glines. Jay Turner performed DJ duties.
The most unusual live auction item was the “Private Horse Show and Taco Picnic for 50.” Unbelievable. This item includes a show by the Manriquez Andalusian Dancing Horses to be followed by a feast of tacos provided by Fernando Legaspi of Mercado y Carniceria Su Mesa, accompanied by the beverages du jour: Mexican beer and margaritas. This glorious event will take place at Jesse Manriquez’s Rancho Harvest property in Nipomo—lots of bidding excitement on this one.
Weekends away (including a trip to Las Vegas for four), dinners, barbecues, cases of lip-smacking good wine, and a gourmet cooking class for six were among the other enticements bid on by generous attendees.
The events attracted board members Tim Murphy, Mark Huerth, and Shannon Elliott (aka Mrs. Kevin Walthers), as well as Rob and Sandy Buchanan, Jerry and Delores Luis, Eric and Francesca Bartell, John and Sharon Henning, Fred and Sheryn Pratt, Buck Waterfield, Dottie Lyons, and the ebullient auction chairperson Paula Van Galin.
Tickets for the dinner (buy your own drinks) were $50. Boys and Girls Club Executive Director Jeremy Demming and event manager Kathryn Scott looked happy about the turnout and success of the evening. It takes a big budget to run all the programs for the club.
If you want to hobnob with Helen, you may contact her at helenthom232@yahoo.com.
This article appears in Sep 28 – Oct 5, 2017.