By ODA Volunteer and Event Hostess Darlene Summers
Be sure to visit our photo gallery below for lots more photos of the fun night!
What a fabulous time we had Saturday night at the fundraiser! We had a record crowd of well over our expectation of 70 people. ODA’s flagship vessel Mr. Barker’s LegaSea was at dock for the guests to tour, and we had a spectacular band that got everyone up on their feet to dance!
Our host, Huntington Harbour Real Estate, provided the lovely venue on the waterfront in Huntington Harbour on April 7th. We dined on the patio and enjoyed the boaters and paddle boarders cruising by. The weather was perfect as it was one of the first warm and sunny days of the year. It seems like this was the catalyst for bringing out our record crowd. We had vegan food from Veggie Grill, that got gobbled up and delicious cakes from One Veg World that didn’t last very long either.
Upon arrival, everyone received a T-shirt or a mug as a keepsake with the ODA logo and again, those were a hit! We held a raffle and silent auction with beautiful portraits donated by several local artists, an office chair from True Designs, which is where awesome ODA volunteer and Advsiory Board Member Cheryl McCarthy works. A duffy ride and yacht cruise were offered by Matt Crochet. Overall, the winners and guests were thrilled with their gifts and prizes.
We had to share this pic of the hard-working and cheerful Lisa Davis (seated). She's an indispensable member of the ODA Team!
The Shenanigan’s Band, led by Christy Coffey, a local HB resident, brought dance tunes we could all enjoy and while this year they were donated by Huntington Harbour Real Estate, they were so impressed by our membership and mission that they are donating themselves for our future events. How cool is that!?! Thank you Christy and Shenanigans!
ODA's comment: Darlene was such a great hostess! Even kicked off the dancing for us!
Of course, the guest of honor was the LegaSea. While she has given our staunch leader Kurt fits over the past year, she showed exceptionally well after a good scrubbing by Kurt and longtime, dedicated ODA volunteer Lisa Davis with all systems go!
Lisa and her team of eight volunteers from high schools in Palos Verdes worked tirelessly to ensure our guests had a fabulous time. Lisa and fellow ODA volunteer Brooke LaDouceur made sure we had appetizers, food and cake and clean serving dishes. They also did a great job of setting up and tearing down all of the equipment and chairs and tables. Thanks to these tireless women, our guests were pampered all during the event.
These volunteers' energy really helped make the night a succes. Thank you, ladies!
It was wonderful to see some familiar faces, but the topper was seeing so many people who are new to ODA and our message of debris-free oceans.
The grand finale was a presentation by Kurt that really impressed our guests. It’s amazing how far he has brought our organization in such a short time. The addition of the Hawaii Chapter of ODA, the expansion of the harbor and beach clean-ups will all serve to keep our oceans and waters safe and clean for our precious sea life. The best part of this event was witnessing the camaraderie and shared bond of the guests with a common goal. Not only has Kurt brought tremendous growth to this organization but he has brought like-minded and like-hearted people together.
What a great venue! Thank you Huntington Harbour Real Estate!
Thank you to one and all who attended, supporting the accomplishment our mutual mission: To make our oceans cleaner and safer for wildlife and their habitat!
