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On September 10th, 400 guests gathered at San Diego Botanic Garden for the Gala in the Garden: A Celebration of Nature, Art and James Hubbell. As our largest fundraiser, the Gala raised over $165,000 to support the Garden’s exhibits and educational programs.

The evening began in the Gala Pavilion, the Garden’s parking lot magically transformed into an artful display of greenery, natural materials, lights and artistic floral designs. Guests enjoyed champagne, hors d’oeuvres and an eclectic silent auction. They later meandered through many of the Garden’s most stunning areas including the Bamboo Garden and the Walled Garden and enjoyed music, floral displays and the very best in food and drinks. As a special treat this year, guests visited the new Lawn House Garden, which officially opened February 2011. The creation and installation of this new water-conserving backyard garden was partially funded by the 2010 Gala’s Fund-a-Need auction.

Watch the Gala in the Garden Video >>

Over forty of the finest local restaurants, caterers, micro-breweries and wineries offered their delicious specialties. Guests were welcomed and served by a team of volunteer Eco Stewards who ensured that roughly 75% of the event waste was recycled or composted at this environmentally-friendly affair. In true Garden spirit, local florists’ impressive arrangements were displayed at each food and drink station.

At sunset, guests gathered again in the Gala Pavilion for desserts and the rousing action of the Fund-a-Need auction. An all-time record of over $24,500 was raised for the new Welcome Center which will replace the existing Admissions Booth. Thanks to a matching grant from the County of San Diego and a $10,000 grant from the Charles and Ruth Billingsley Foundation, over $60,000 has been raised towards the $70,000 project budget. The Garden then paid tribute to the evening’s esteemed guest, James Hubbell, who was honored with the Paul Ecke Jr. Award of Excellence. Paul Ecke III was on hand to present the award to Mr. Hubble, world renowned artist, humanitarian and environmentalist.

The Gala in the Garden was truly a special time for Garden friends. We appreciate the support of all who attended. Thank you to our Sponsors and In-Kind Donors who provided underwriting for the event. The Gala would not have been possible without our hard working committee members and volunteers. We are grateful to Jim Ruecker, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, and Gala Chairman the past three years, for his fine leadership.

We thank everyone who contributed to the success of the Gala and by doing so, made a true commitment to the prosperity and beauty of our community’s treasure: San Diego Botanic Garden. We encourage you to take a look at the list of Gala donors and support them with your business. Mark your calendar for next year’s Gala on September 8th, 2012 – we hope to see you there! For additional Gala in the Garden information, please call Sherri at (760) 436-3036 ext. 218.

		GREEN GALA Recycling or composting all serviceware and food waste Decreasing paper use Offering a carpool incentive

Banner Photo by Rachel Cobb

Photos by Pat Bellgardt, Bill Dean and Heather Main

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