Classic Cars & Cures

By Lisa Duncan

The Music Academy of the West hosted the Alzheimer’s Association annual fundraiser this week, blending celebrity sparkle, classic cars, and heartfelt humanity into one memorable Montecito evening.

Film and TV stars Patricia Wettig and Ken Olin, newly minted residents of our Eden by the sea, presented the Hearts and Hope Award to honorees Andrea and Dana Newquist. Wettig shared one of the evening’s most emotional moments, saying, “In the last two years, we have had three friends die from this disease. It seems like every family we know has been affected by Alzheimer’s.”

Parked proudly out front was a concours-worthy lineup: Dana Newquist’s 1937 Fire Truck, Lee Lathouwers’ 2007 Ferrari F-1 Spider 60th Anniversary Edition, Orwin Middleton’s 1963 Ferrari Lusso 250 GTL V12, Alan Porter’s rare stick-shift 1955 Corvette, Jim Harris’s legendary Ford GT40, Ron Hein’s 1997 Porsche Carrera 2S, Bob Morgan’s silver 1969 Z28 Camaro, and Mike Cleary’s bright-red 1966 Corvette bearing the delightfully cheeky plate: “Alwys Fun.”

Guests also heard remarks from local wellness legend Dr. Steven Gundry, moving reflections from Amber Pepito, and updates from David Troxel, fresh from the International Alzheimer’s Conference in Lyon, France. Vocals by young Maile Kai Merrick added poignancy.

Meanwhile, the live auction highlight – a private tour of Jay Leno’s legendary car garage – sent paddles flying faster than a Ferrari on Hot Springs Road. Guests enjoyed wine-and-cheese tables beneath gorgeous purple blooms donated by Ron and Patricia Caird of Por La Mar Nursery.

Among those attending were Bobbie and John Kinnear, the Hein Family, Alma Rose Middleton, Dennis Forster, Terry Garay, Charlotte Williams, Geri Bidwell, Adrienne Schuele, George Leis, Cynder Sinclair, Joyce Sharr, and Arlene Larsen. Gala committee members Brenda Blalock, Cathy Cash, Tony Morris, Houghton Hyatt, and Leslie Schneiderman kept the evening humming beautifully along.

By evening’s end, one thing was clear: this glamorous gathering carried a genuinely golden heart.