Checking in
An avalanche of amazons descended on the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort, formerly Fess Parker’s, for the 14th annual presentation of grants by the Women’s Fund of Santa Barbara.
Checks totaling $535,000 – $50,000 more than last year – went to seven local non-profit agencies, voted on by the membership of 868 women and were presented by Laurie Tumbler and Shelley Hurst.
Since it began in 2004, the fund has awarded grants totaling more than $6.6 million to 93 local non-profit programs impacting more than 97,000 women, children, and families in Santa Barbara, Carpinteria, and Goleta.
Recipients included CADA – Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse – , the Santa Barbara Rescue Mission, which received $100,000 to expand and improve its women’s facilities, the United Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Barbara County, and $95,000 to the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County to partially fund the purchase of a refrigerated food box truck.
“Our grants enable our recipients to dream big and achieve those dreams,” said Tumbler.
Among the tony throng were Ginni Dreier, Barbara Ben-Horin, Patrica Gregory, Kathy Dunlop, Victoria Hines, Anne Towbes, Meg Burnham, Diana Zipperstein, Janet Garufis, Sybil Rosen, Judy Egenolf, Lalla Brutoco, Mary Garton, Perri Harcourt, and Christine Riesenfeld.
Sightings: Bo Derek and beau John Corbett noshing at the Bluewater Grill…Oscar winner Michael Keaton checking out the Sacred Space in Summerland…Author T.C. Boyle quaffing vino at Lucky’s