They may have been driving the kids to soccer or digging in the
garden Saturday morning but, Saturday night they shone.
They may have been driving the kids to soccer or digging in the garden Saturday morning but, Saturday night they shone.
More than 250 locals from Morgan Hill, San Martin and Gilroy arrived at the CordeValle Country Club for an evening of dining, dancing and schmoozing. And fundraising. The black tie event collected more than $75,000 for the Morgan Hill Community Health Foundation from ticket sales and the auction-of-the-season.
While black tie was optional most men – and all the women – wore their best, highly glamorous outfits.
At the high point of the evening, Mayor Dennis Kennedy and Councilwoman Hedy Chang, with the help of event co-chairs Muni Ambrozaitis-Fry and Anne Shipley, presented an impressively large $70,000 check to health foundation President Bill Brown.
The City Council had reserved funds for the MHCHF to use to recruit physicians and medical services – the foundation’s purpose – but each dollar had to be matched with foundation funds. And, while the event’s final total was not yet available, Chang said it was surely more than $70,000.
“We grossed close to $100,000,” she said. “We did better than the Silicon Valley Ball.”
“It was just an overwhelming success,” Kennedy said. “Everybody had a wonderful time and we exceeded our goal of raising $75,000. It shows that there really are a lot of generous, good-hearted people in South County and I’m very grateful for their support.”
“The band was wonderful,” Chang said. “We danced until midnight to Joe Sharino’s great band.”
Part way through dinner Chang said Lerner Sabatina, an associate of John Fry at Fry’s Electronics, stooped down near Chang’s chair and picked something off the floor.
“Hedy, you dropped something,” he said. “He gave me a folded piece of paper and sat back down,” Chang said.
“It was a check – from Fry’s – for $10,000 for the foundation.”
After dinner Morgan Hill’s host-with-the-most, Bernie Mulligan, introduced “Jackpot Tony” Tramontano – from Las Vegas, no less. Jackpot Tony took center stage and went into his auctioneer mode. He was so vivid, one almost expected a race horse to parade across the stage. And he was effective, urging the crowd to higher and higher bids.
“Remember what it’s all about,” Tramontano said. He auctioned off – for amazing sums – trips to Mexico, to the Calaveras Big Trees, a custom Home Theater system, special furniture, a wine and dinner for 12 at Clos la Chance, tickets to San Jose Ballet Silicon Valley and the SaberCats plus a stay and golf at CordeValle itself.
The silent auction table offered a few dozen opportunities to contribute also and, judging from the bids late in the evening, did quite well for the MHCHF.
Chang has become the “queen of Morgan Hill fundraisers.” A barbecue with entertainment in October raised $35,000 for the proposed Dayworker Center. She is already planning a formal New Year’s Eve party at the community center to benefit the center that should be operating by then.
On Saturday guests were whisked by golf cart from the parking lot to the tented party rooms where they were checked in by Sharon Hamilton and Daryl Manning. Hamilton and Marilyn Librers had been hired to organize and manage event and, Chang said, organize they did.
Manning volunteered her services as did the rest of the fundraising committee, headed by Shipley and Ambrozaitis-Fry – and Chang and Kennedy. Each member of the committee contributed, Chang confirmed, in a huge way, to collect auction items, arrange for CordeValle, music by Joe Sabatini’s and Italica, flowers, wine from Clos la Chance and Guglielmo’s, the bar and auctioneer, flowers and decorations, raffles and door prizes, art work and publicity.
“A good committee makes it work,” Chang said, “and I want to especially thank Muni and Anne who did a terrific job.” “One person cannot do it alone but this is an effective group. The dayworkers fundraiser was that way too. It’s people power.”
“I thought it was a great success,” Shipley said. “The community had fun.”
“A good time was had by all,” Eileen Kennedy agreed.
The event committee, besides Kennedy, Chang, Ambrozaitis-Fry, Shipley, Librers and Hamilton: Brooke Bailey, Pam Borzone, George Chiala, Tom Divittario, Ramona Etchebarne, Glenda Garcia, Mark Grzan, Carol Holzgrafe, Yarmila Kennett, Joe Mueller, Bernie Mulligan, Richard Oliver, Bob and Judie Profeta, John Sorci, Diane Tewes and John Varela.
