Gala in the Garden Review 2009
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Our Tenth Anniversary Gala in the Gardens on Saturday, September 12, 2009, was a beautiful evening and a wonderful success. Over $160,000 was raised to benefit San Diego Botanic Garden’s exhibits and programs.
Jim Ruecker, Gala Chairperson and Garden Trustee, welcomed over 530 guests to the celebration. Gourmet food, fantastic floral displays, auction items, lights, and music adorned an already beautiful setting. This year many of the 34 cuisine stations featured attending chefs offering demonstrations and culinary advice. From Jamaican cocktail patties and plantains in the Herb Garden, to oysters in the Canary Island Garden, to a scrumptious display of desserts later in the evening, the party’s savory fare was deliciously abundant. Add seven musical groups and over a dozen professional florists showcasing their individual talents at each food station, and it’s no wonder the Gala gets top honors for its unique beauty and flair.
The evening’s program showcased two very important presentations. The celebration of our name change from Quail Botanical Gardens to San Diego Botanic Garden created a perfect opportunity to pause and toast past accomplishments and future successes. The second important presentation was the Paul Ecke Junior Award of Excellence to PBS television personality Huell Howser. Paul Ecke III reflected on Huell Howser’s past visits to the area and thanked him for his passion in promoting awareness of nature throughout the Golden State.
An earth-friendly party theme was incorporated in many ways, including eco-friendly party ware, refuse collection and separation on-site for ease in composting, and donations of left-over gourmet food to the Community Resource Center. Additionally, the talented décor team was able to use the excess cut floral donations to prepare and deliver arrangements to the San Diego VA Hospital and the Navy Hospital. Also successful during the evening was a silent auction with over 100 items, including many unique and natural art pieces. The Gala enabled the Garden to fund-raise and friend-raise in a spectacular setting with a positive impact on our community and environment.
We would especially like to thank Olive Hill Greenhouses for their support as a Gala sponsor at the Conservatory Champion level. All sponsors, cuisine and floral participants, and in-kind donors are listed here on our website. We encourage you to patronize their businesses..
Very importantly, we would like to thank our volunteers. This event would not be a success without their help before, during, and after the Gala!
Be sure to mark your calendars to join us at our 2010 Gala in the Garden on Saturday, September 11. For additional Gala information, please call 760/ 436–3036 x218.
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