[Click here for a Noozhawk photo gallery from the event.]
The Coral Casino at the Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore Santa Barbara was enlivened with the spirit of the roaring ‘20s at the 27th Annual Amethyst Ball “The Great Gatsby Gala” fundraiser benefiting youth programs of the Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse and honoring years of dedication from the retiring Penny Jenkins.
In her role as president and CEO for the past 28 years, Jenkins has grown the organization from eight employees and an annual budget of $180,000, with no facility or endowment, to a staff of nearly 100, an annual budget of more than $5 million and assets of more than $10 million in facilities.
Jenkins spoke to Noozhawk about the overwhelming community support at the event and what the evening meant to her.
“This means that I have been on a very long journey building the Council on Alcoholism, helping kids and the community, and I’m so proud of all that has been done,” Jenkins said.
The nonprofit organization was established in 1949 by a small group of Santa Barbara citizens who met with Marty Mann, the first woman to achieve sobriety in Alcoholics Anonymous, to discuss alcoholism in Santa Barbara. As a result, the assembly formed the Santa Barbara Committee on Alcoholism and opened its first treatment clinic, the Alcoholism Information Center on Anacapa Street, in 1950.
Although the organization changed its name to the Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse in 1986, its objective remains the same: to build a safer, healthier community by preventing and treating alcoholism and drug abuse in Santa Barbara County through a series of education and public outreach programs in an effort to battle the disease and raise public awareness.
A VIP reception for underwriters and patrons commenced promptly at 5 p.m. on the Coral Casino’s seaside terrace, with guests dressed in black tie and vintage 1920s attire.
More than 250 guests surveyed more than 100 silent auction items, including a two-night stay at a nearby Padaro Beach cottage, tickets to The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, five nights at King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel and a September stay in a five-bedroom home in an exclusive Dionis area of Nantucket.
The theme of the evening by co-chairs Sue Neuman, Bob Bryant and Dale Marquis creatively transformed the La Pacifica Ballroom into a festive atmosphere with décor by John Daly, lighting and sound courtesy of SHINE and floral arrangements by SR Hogue, Maureen Anderson and Planta Flor USA.
Live rhythm and blues tunes by April Doyle and Haute Chile accompanied diners, who settled in to enjoy a meal of wild mushroom soup, organic field greens, herb brioche crusted filet mignon and olive fennel dusted halibut paired with fine wines from Brander Vineyard.
Live auctioneers Janet Garufis of Montecito Bank & Trust and John Palminteri of KEYT-3 generated an enthusiastic bidding atmosphere for a host of luxury vacations and items, including a Wimbledon VIP tennis package valued as priceless, a five-day trip for two to Oaxaca, Mexico, and a $10,000 shopping spree at Bryant and Sons jewelers.
Emcee Debby Davison Phelps welcomed guests, introducing Jenkins and the announcement of the Penny Jenkins Endowment Fund to honor her legacy and provide funding for the continuation of the council’s critical programs.
A video was shown with messages from 18 supporters of CADA, and Jenkins sharing words of support and admiration for the organization, programs and the beloved outgoing president and CEO.
The successful night raised $350,000, with $82,000 going toward the Endowment Fund and a long-term goal of $1 million.
“Penny has been the heart and soul of thecouncil because she has given so much to this organization and our community,” said Joyce Dudley, Santa Barbara County district attorney. “We owe it to her to maintain her high standards of success after she retires.”
The Fighting Back Mentor Program includes trained adult mentors providing confidential counseling and prevention education for students in fourth to eighth grade attending Carpinteria, Santa Barbara and Goleta secondary schools. Equally important is the Fighting Back Parent Program, an educational interactive program aimed to help parents communicate with adolescents ages 10 to 18.
Additionally, the Teen Court Program is designed to keep kids out of the criminal justice system, the Key Class teaching social skills, and the Youth Service System utilizes trained youth service specialists to provide a continuum of prevention and intervention programs and services on local junior high and high school campuses, as well as the Daniel Bryant Youth and Family Center, where youths ages 12 to 18 years can find treatment and counseling for drugs and alcoholism.
CADA provides a wide range of adult treatment, prevention, intervention programs and on-site treatment centers, including the Project Recovery Treatment Center, Adult Outpatient Treatment and the Perinatal Treatment Program, which assists pregnant women and parents of both genders with substance abuse issues, and Court Mandated Treatment Programs.
Jenkins was clearly overjoyed with the gala and shared her pride for the evening’s success as well as her years of contributions toward building CADA into the successful organization it is today.
“Every time we’ve started a new program — I have started 22 new programs — and they are all exciting,” Jenkins said. “We started Project Recovery, which was adult treatment, we started Daniel Bryant, which was adolescent treatment. We’ve started many programs, and they are all very successful in helping lots of people.”
CADA graciously thanks all of the underwriters and patrons for support of the 27th Annual Amethyst Ball, including the following patrons:
» Emerald level: Gregg Hackethal and Penny Jenkins, Jim and Sue Neuman, and the Wood-Claeyssens Foundation
» Ruby level: Perri Harcourt, and Dale and Rosanne Marquis
» Sapphire level: Chad and Ginni Dreier, the Hutton Parker Foundation, James Petrovich, Recovery Road and Volentine Family Foundation
— Noozhawk iSociety columnist Melissa Walker can be reached at mwalker@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkSociety, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Become a fan of Noozhawk on Facebook.
