The sunset was glorious as people arrived at the QAD campus overlooking the ocean in Summerland for Heal the Ocean’s 2nd Annual Benefit – once again sold out weeks in advance. There was the orange and purple sky to admire, as well as a gigantic and magnificent sand castle at the entrance created by artist Greg LeBon, with stingray, shark, whale, fishes and Heal the Ocean’s logo artfully carved in yellow sand. As guests proceeded into the building, they were awed by a spectacular spread of tables on the lawn below, each one glittering with crystal vases filled with blue waters. The fabulous scene was created by the Big 17 Committee, chaired by HTO board member Laura Lodato, who had worked on this party for months.
Our generous lead sponsors of the evening were Divecon Services/Ted Roche and the Barels Family Trust/Larry & Wendy Barels. The ever-wonderful Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who had just won an Emmy for her television series role in “New Adventures of Old Christine,” served again as honorary chair of this Second Annual Heal the Ocean Benefit Concert, and she opened the evening with hilarious, salty but serious talk about ocean pollution. HTO executive director Hillary Hauser introduced the 4-minute film “Grassroots for the Ocean,” created by Jim Knowlton of Blue Ocean Productions, and this film showed the audience how a gathering of citizens can make powerful changes – and included the Chinese proverb,“Tell me and I’ll forget, Show me and I may remember, Involve me and I will understand.”
For the second year in a row, the ever-outrageous radio star Matt McAllister did the honors of running the successful, live auction. And then, under a clear night sky, blues star Amos Lee and his band performed for the enthusiastic audience, and many people danced the night away. As Hillary Hauser told the crowd, the feeling of this night was represented by the hearts on new HTO t-shirts created by Big 17 Committee member Eileen Haber – it was an evening of love, for each other and for the ocean.
The Heal the Ocean Benefit Concert has become known as “the best party of the year!” The energy is wonderful, the music always great, the dinner, catered by Mondial for the second year in a row, was exquisite, and the wines, donated by Melville Winery as well as Brander Winery and Foxen Winery, were outstanding. HTO board member Laura Lodato deserves a gold medal for her wonderful work as chair of the Big 17 Committee, which worked hard all year for the success of the event – over $150,000 was raised this night! The committee is already at work planning the Heal the Ocean Benefit Concert 2007 – all of this a labor of love and serious dedication that makes it possible for Heal the Ocean to pay researchers, scientists, lawyers, plumbers and experts, as well as DNA and virus laboratories, so that we can continue to make progress in our campaign to heal the ocean’s ills.