Atlantis Aglow

“We are so lucky to have an incredible world-class zoo right here in our little community,” said Janet Garufis, president and CEO of Montecito Bank & Trust. “The benefits are generational. Children who grew up coming to this zoo are now bringing their own children here. It crosses generations – children, parents, grandparents.”

Those generations came ready to make waves at the Santa Barbara Zoo’s Zoofari Ball: Atlantis Rising, where mermaids, sea queens, Grecian goddesses, kings of the deep and a particularly wild school of scarlet lobsters took over the grounds. Sea-glass gowns shimmered beneath the lights, while chandeliers, candlelight, and electric-blue illumination turned the lawn into a lost kingdom after dark.

“I love the people here. I love the sense of community,” said longtime Zoo board member and philanthropist Ginni Dreier. “It’s just so precious – and the kids love it.”

Ginni’s love affair with the Zoo began in 2001, when she sponsored its male African lion, Chadwick, naming him for her husband, Chad Dreier. The Dreier family, a Platinum Sponsor of the boffo Ball, has since supported every major Zoo capital campaign and helped sponsor some of its most iconic animals.

“When I picked my granddaughter up from Zoo Camp, the first thing she said was, ‘Best day ever!’” said the Zoo’s new President and CEO, Charles Hopper, who attended with his wife, Aisha Hopper. “That showed me how much kids just love being here. It’s a wonderful place for the kids, including my own grandkids!”

By nightfall, Atlantis was awash in revelry – mermaids, kings, lobsters and all. And judging by the next generation’s review, the verdict was already in:best night ever.