Montecito Union School Foundation Annual Gala
The Montecito Union School Foundation (MUSF) held its annual fundraiser gala on Saturday, May 20 at the Montecito estate of Blaine and Valerie Lando. The event was sold out at over 200 guests, with sponsors also donating tables to MUS staff and teachers to attend the gala. Everyone was upbeat in their more-than-Sunday-best, with mostly floral midi-dresses and heels accompanied by gents in suits. We were welcomed at the reception with roses, VIP bracelets, and a classic Anine Bing tote complete with AB sunglasses, perfume, and goodies – donated by Bing who is a Montecito Union School mom.
The lavish evening, themed Una Notte in Toscana, had a VIP Lounge with Grecian columns and drapes framing leather chairs. Adjacent to the outdoor fireplace, the bar served specialty cocktails named after the MUS Superintendent, Principal, and Vice Principal – the Ranii ‘Rita, The Bruski, and The Ito Mojito respectively. The Silent Auction tables lined the back hedge row area and had immeasurably handsome gifts – including spa days and treatments at the Montecito Med Spa, tennis camps, surf lessons, tutoring sessions, San Ysidro Ranch Sunday Brunch, Rosewood Miramar Resort dinners, fine wines, a vacay at the North Shore of Kauai, dinner at Mattei’s Tavern Restaurant Los Olivos, and tickets to the final day of the U.S. Open on June 19.
The event was headed by co-chairs Amanda Lee and Cate Stoll who shared, “This year we are very excited to be bringing back a full-scale event – our first seated dinner gala since before Covid! We are gathering at the beautiful home of the Lando Family, who have two children at the school. We are thrilled to be able to come together as a school and a community to raise necessary funds for Montecito Union School’s many amazing extra programs that make it so special. Our funding goal is $200,000 and we walked into the gala this evening with $110,000 thanks to our ticket holders and wonderful generous sponsors! We also thank our spouses Travis Lee and Matt Stoll –who were real troopers putting up with all of the time we spent planning!”
Noted guests – top tier donor and Rosewood Miramar Beach Senior VP of Hospitality Philipp Posch with wife Calle Combes Posch; and Buck Joffrey, Philippe and Jennifer d’Offay, Diana and Tod Spieker, Angela and David Loya, RNof Montecito Med Spa Karen Neary, MUS Principal Dr. Nick Bruski and wife Heather, Vice Principal Rusty Ito and wife Rebecca, and Superintendent Anthony Ranii, at whose table I was seated alongside MUS teachers and their spouses. Lauds to Silent Auction Chairs Alexis Courson and Maggie Herlihy, along with Sponsorship Chair Cathy Bunnin.
Emcee Andrew Firestone, talked about raising his own kids and learning, “…We need to provide two things – have them be curious and ask questions, and have them be empathetic to the world around them.” With that, he began the live auction of 10 items from a vacay in Fiji to dinner made by our Montecito Fire Fighters, a Depeche Mode full-on VIP package and concert with signed electric guitar, MUS Principal of the Day for two students, and the naming of the new MUS goat and its barn. Following that 20-minute feat, he did the Ask donations starting at $10,000 to support the MUS teachers, a $5000 STEAM program, $2500 for class supplies, $1000 for end-of-year grads events, and $500-and-less donations – till all paddles had an opportunity to make their contributions. With this, the co-chairs estimated another $150,000 was raised.
Ranii thanked the guests, sponsors, and Firestone, “Andrew has three things he has to say every year – how handsome Nick is, how not I am, and how we can raise funds for MUS! MUS is a partnership, and you helped build our track, playgrounds, Nature Lab, and more. Thank you all!”
The event concluded with dancing at the gala and later at the Rosewood Miramar Beach After-Party. Society kudos to the Luca Ellis quartet during cocktail hour for crooning jazz standards, and lusciousness all around from Duo Events SB.
Corporate and Family Sponsors were many, and included Montecito Wellness Clinic, Berkshire Hathaway Home Services/Marsha Kotlyar Estate Group, Riskin Partners Estate Group, Montecito Med Spa, Bunnin SB, American Riviera Bank, Ferris Orthodontic Group, Hazelwood Moving & Storage, Stad Family, Osley Family, Calcagno & Hamilton Estate Group, Sunset Management Services, Gore Family, Litchfield Builders, Robertson Partners, LaBarge, Lopez-Hollis Family, Haan Family, and Hyatt Family.
Founded in 2018, the MUSF provides funds for enrichment and extracurricular school programs such as Art at Lunch, Running Club, Poetry-in-Residence, African drumming with Sowah, the school play, STEAM program, the Nature Lab grants, funds for support of teachers’ classroom improvements and materials, and books for the MUS library.
