The Santa Barbara Education Foundation (SBEF) raised a record-breaking $300,000 at its recent 40th Celebration in support of students and public schools in the Santa Barbara Unified School District.

The event welcomed some 200 guests and brought together community leaders, educators and supporters to honor the people and programs shaping student success.

Highlights included a $100,000 gift from Sara Miller McCune through the Léni Fund supporting the BRAVO! afterschool music program; $10,000 lead gift from the John C. Mithun Foundation; and $15,000 matching gift announced by keynote speaker Angel Martinez in support of teachers.

Proceeds from the event will support SBEF’s signature programs, including Teacher Grants, Student Grants, and Keep the Beat, which provide critical resources for classrooms, expand access to music education, and create opportunities for students across the district.

Since 2018, SBEF has invested more than $1.1 million in Teacher Grants, directly supporting local educators and their classrooms; and the Keep the Beat program has provided more than 2,500 instruments to students.

The event featured live performances by current students and alumni, including La Cumbre Junior High School Drumline, Lucien Dempsey, the Lito Hernandez Quartet, and Makena Tate and Friends.

Emcee for the evening was Gwyn Lurie, CEO/co-founder of The Giving List Women, and CEO/executive editor of the Montecito Journal.

Speakers highlighted SBEF’s impact across the community, including Patricia Madrigal of the PEAC Foundation who reflected on her organization’s start as a fiscally sponsored program of SBEF.

“Santa Barbara Education Foundation is family to us. Not only did they serve as our fiscal sponsor, they served as an innovator and partner in our growth,” she said.

“I am standing here today because my village believed in me. Strong communities do not happen by chance, they are built by people who support and inspire. When you invest in educators, you invest in the communities they build every day,” said Alejandrina Lorenzano, an AVID and English teacher at Dos Pueblos High School and a product of Santa Barbara’s public schools.

As a student, Lorenzano participated in SBEF-supported programs, including PEAC and AVID, and today continues to receive support from SBEF through Teacher Grants.

In a keynote conversation between Lurie and Martinez, former CEO of Deckers Brands, Martinez shared his journey as a Cuban immigrant who attended public schools.

His remarks underscored the transformative power of public education and the importance of investing in future generations, organizer’s said.

“When a community supports its public schools, extraordinary things can happen,” said Vanessa Pelton, executive director of the Santa Barbara Education Foundation.

“The Santa Barbara Education Foundation serves as a bridge, connecting the generosity of our supporters with programs that empower teachers and open doors for students,” Pelton said “Together, we are part of a movement shaping Strong Roots Supporting Bright Futures.”

The Santa Barbara Education Foundation extends appreciation to the Hope Awards sponsors, including  Platinum Sponsor Tisha & Packy Jones; Gold Sponsors McGillivray Construction and Trusted Legal.

Silver Sponsors: Arroyo Seco Construction, Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo, Camino Real Marketplace, Michael & Marni Cooney,  KBZ Architects, Lazy Acres Natural Market, Santa Barbara Airbus, and Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians Foundation.

Bronze Sponsors: 19six Architects, Terri & Rob Allison, Debbie & Jim Arnesen, Chaucer’s Books, Cottage Health Systems, Edward Jones-Kane Financial Group, Griffith and Thornburgh, Nancy & Dr. Lawrence Harter, Hayward Lumber, Hohbach-Lewin, Inc.

Also, HUB International Insurance Services, Killer B Fitness, M.F. Strange & Associates, Montecito Bank & Trust, Montecito Journal, Nick Rail Music, Santa Barbara Foundation, Scott and Sons Electric, Smart & Final, and Virginia Benson Wigle.

Founded in 1985, the Santa Barbara Education Foundation promotes private support for Santa Barbara’s public education system, which serves nearly 12,000 students across 21 schools. For more, visit santabarbaraeducation.org.