Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "david sobon"

Second Annual Tapas and Tutus

2012-05-26T07:35:01Z

The Sacramento Ballet’s second annual Tapas and Tutus fundraiser was a great mix of music , dance and food. It all took place at the Center at Twenty Three Hundred on Wednesday.

Great food, drinks and a terrific atmosphere helped with the fundraising and auctioning event to benefit the Sacramento Ballet.

The organization is coming to the end of its 57th season and continues to entertain, educate and inspire young and old alike. The Sacramento Ballet continues to bring notoriety to the city as they have become a nationally renowned dance company.

The Sacramento community was invited to participate in raising needed funds that bring the wonderful world of dance to various venues and stages in our area.

Tapas and Tutus brought over 150 dance and art enthusiasts to the event sponsored by long time supporter James Hargrove.

Many of the dancers mixed with the audience as they too celebrated the event. Their enthusiasm also helped during the live auction as their spirit brought higher bids on certain items.

Several tables featured tapas from around the world, wine and desserts. Silent auction items also occupied tables in the back.

Live music entertainment was provided by the Brandon Au Quartet. Their jazzy tunes brought several visitors to the dance floor. The drummer for the band was Vanessa Cruz, who also plays with Cave Women.

Auctioneer extraordinaire David Sobon took the stage to offer the evening’s auction items. Each item included their fair market value, and some were marked as “priceless.”

Individuals and businesses provided the items, which included walk-on roles for two adult guests in the party scene of Ron Cunningham’s “The Nutcracker,” donated by Dr. Drosselmeyer and the Stahlbaum family. This item was also the first of several auction items that went to more than one bidder.

Although the bidding began on a quiet note, Sobon’s humor and personality quickly had guests competing in several bidding wars before a win was secured.

A portion of the auction was set aside for “Fund a Need” items. These items allowed the bidder to choose where donations went. These included sponsoring a dancer, sending a class to “The Nutcracker” or “Romeo and Juliet,” providing financial aid for youth classes and several other similar items.

The evening gave guests the opportunity to mingle with the dancers and special guests. It also allowed the company to see how much the community values their work and performances.

Artistic director Ron Cunningham addressed the audience just before the live auction began, saying, “What did you think of those great dancers? Weren’t they awesome?”

Cunningham is the icon of the Sacramento Ballet, and his long tenure has provided many great events during his term as the ballet’s artistic director.

“Next year will be my 25th anniversary as the artistic director of the Sacramento Ballet,” he said. His wife, co-artistic director Carinne Binda, will celebrate her 25th anniversary a year later since he came to Sacramento a year earlier.

Cunningham explained that during his 25th season, there will be much to see.

“The following year will be Carinne’s 25th year, and she says it will be even better that year,” he laughed.

Cunningham announced that “Romeo and Juliet” will be brought to the stage for the first time, and in February they will host a Valentine’s ballet performance of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby.”

Tapas for Tutus helps Sacramento arts and artists showcase their talents in our area and throughout the world. Sacramento Ballet has been an integral part of our community for 57 years and continues to perform with support from the community.

Keep the arts in your heart this Wednesday

2012-02-07T18:18:48Z

At this Wednesday’s Hearts for the Arts Benefit Event (6pm-9pm at Alex Bult Gallery) artists, community leaders, and Sacramento’s finest convene to celebrate and raise funds for Any Given Child Sacramento. This initiative, spearheaded by For Arts’ Sake, strives to ensure that art experiences are accessible to every child in grades K-8.

As a part of this fun, alternative event you can treat your Valentine to a night like no other, all while supporting a great cause and enjoying an evening of art, music, cocktails, and refreshments.

Esteemed auctioneer David Sobon will auction off “heart-works” donated donated by over 24 local artists, including Raphael Delgado, Shane Grammer, and Micah Crandall-Bear. Live music will be provided throughout the evening by Clemón.

All proceeds from the $30 tickets ($40 at the door) go to support Any Given Child.

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Find more detail on this event along with many more at Sacramento365.com, the year-round source for Sacramento events.

Disclosure: Written by Sacramento365.com Assistant Editor, Alison Kranz

Muriel Lee and Her $10,000 Piece of Art

2011-10-10T20:58:49Z

I became familiar with Muriel's art before I ever got a chance to meet Muriel herself. Evie Turner organized another one of her wonderful "Bent Twig" art shows in September, and Vox Sacramento was hosting. Muriel was one of the artists involved in this show.

Muriel's pieces were on the smaller side, but were very, very vivid. The bold colors and lines she used really made her work stand out. Muriel's artist statement mentioned that Muriel took up art as art therapy when she was first diagnosed with breast cancer, but it didn't really take until she recieved the diagnosis of "terminal."

I met Muriel on Second Saturday. She was in a wheelchair and looked a little fragile, but she had a lot of friends with her, and she was obviously very happy to be there. We arranged a separate night for Muriel to host more of her friends at Vox Sacramento, and it was then that I was able to talk to Muriel about my work with Komen and that I was helping to organize some of the silent auction art pieces for Komen's big Gala event. Muriel very enthusiastically agreed to donate a piece of art, and indeed said she wanted to go home and figure out what to create for the Gala.

Unfortunately, before she could create her new piece, Muriel passed away. Her partner, Laurie, very kindly donated one of Muriel's other pieces, and I was able to bring it with me to the Komen Gala event on October 9th.

We didn't have a bid sheet for Muriel's art, so the Director of Development at Sacramento Komen, Kris Kirkpatrick, decided that instead of Muriel's art being a silent auction piece, that it should be a gift for whomever had the highest bid during the live auction's "fund a mammogram" drive. Our fantastic auctioneer, David Sobon, agreed.

After all the other "live auction" items had been sold, David introduced Anne Marie Scully Gold. Anne Marie is a breast cancer survivor, and she talked about how important mammograms are for early detection and treatment. She then read from Muriel's artist statement, and introduced the crowd to Muriel's story, and her art (I admit it, I cried).

David took center stage again, and told the crowd that his goal for the evening was to raise $10,000 to fund mammograms. The person with the highest bid would receive the piece of art that Muriel donated for the event. He asked the audience if anyone wanted to bid $10,000. In the background I heard a man say a little sarcastically, "Yeah, good luck." David asked again, and then amazingly, a pink bid number went up.

Joyce Raley Teel.

The crowd was floored. Mrs. Raley Teel's bid and David's enthusiasm electrified the audience, and although David joked that his work for the evening was done, he went on to raise thousands of dollars more to help fund mammograms for underfunded and uninsured women.

As one of the live auction runners, it was my job to go over to Mrs. Raley Teel's table to get her credit card information. I'd been doing this all night, and up to this point it had been all laughter and excitement. I was completely unprepared to come to the table to find Mrs. Raley Teel crying.

I introduced myself, and crying too, i told her that Muriel had shown in my gallery, and I was so honored and so happy to be able to tell Muriel's family about what her art inspired. I told Mrs. Raley Teel that Muriel had been an educator, and was a very well loved person, and that her friends and family would be so proud of her. Mrs. Raley Teel and I hugged, and she told me that she was very honored to have Muriel's art.

Because of Muriel's generosity in donating a piece of work for the cause, because of Mrs. Raley Teel's generosity in donating $10,000 to fund mammograms, many women will be given the opportunity to survive.

I am so thankful to have met Muriel, and I hope that she knows what an impact she made on so many people, even those whom she never met.

Disclosure: I'm the artistic director of Vox Sacramento, as well as a frequent fundraiser and volunteer for the Sacramento Valley Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen For the Cure.

Susan G. Komen's Bid For The Cure

2010-10-21T00:09:52Z

Pink! Pink! Pink!

Pink is plastered everywhere. From the NFL and the MLB players wearing pink, to hundred of placements in the grocery stores, on the TV and in print, it’s impossible to go anywhere without seeing pink. Does anyone not know that it’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month? In Sacramento, the Susan G. Komen Foundation twist is “In the Pink”. They started the month off with “Call for the Cure,” a very successful telethon sponsored by KCRA/MY58 that raised an incredible $84,000. Local restaurants, including all in the Paragary chain, are participating in the “Dine Out for the Cure” by donating proceeds from special pink items on their menus. The Baron Gallery is one of many art galleries involved with “Create for the Cure,” where proceeds from donated pieces of art will go to the cause.

The big event is “Bid for the Cure”. Sacramento’s Benefit Auctioneer David Sobon’s entertaining style will show you how much fun it is to help find a cure. A very rare pink diamond butterfly necklace from Michael Greene Jewelry is up for bid, along with a masterpiece created by Chaos Glass Works just for the event. A wine maker’s dinner at Entoria Restaurant for 10 with wines from Sobon Estates and art commissioned for breast cancer research are a few more of many unique ways to help. With most of us affected by breast cancer in some way, $125 is a small price to pay to save a life. That’s the cost of a mammogram.

Held at the beautiful Vizcaya Mansion, this Thursday the 21st of October, there are just a few tickets still available at www.komensacramento.org.

Think “In the Pink” for another great reason to give, Sacramento.

Rainbow Chamber of Commerce's "Simply Fabulous" Installation Gala & Live Auction

2010-10-01T16:38:27Z

For local businesses all over Sacramento, there’s nothing like making great connections, branching out your network, and reaching consumers in need of your products. The Rainbow Chamber of Commerce provides an umbrella of networking opportunities for gays, lesbians and gay-friendly business owners through monthly mixers to political and community social events. Thanks to the success of its exceptional members, the Rainbow Chamber of Commerce gives back to our city through the Rainbow Chamber Foundation. Providing college scholarships and leadership awards to outstanding gay, lesbian and gay-friendly youth, the RCC Foundation takes tremendous steps forward to help improve the lives of the GLBT community of Sacramento.
On October 5, 2010, the RCC welcomes you to come celebrate in style at the annual gala, which is set to be “Simply Fabulous”, 5:30-9:00pm at the Courtyard Marriot Cal Expo! Hosted by comedian Jason Dudely and welcoming the new board members of the RCC, come feast on a delectable dinner with friends, coworkers, colleagues and new friends! You won’t want to miss a “Fabulous” live auction by David Sobon of David Sobon Auctions. Tickets for the event are available online for $125 pre-sale, $150 at the door. Proceeds go to benefit the Rainbow Chamber Foundation scholarship program as well as Equality California, GSA Network and The Trevor Project. For information and to purchase tickets please visit rccgala.com

This article is a Collaboration with Joey O'shea, Non-Profit Specialist of Profitfornonprofits.org

Sacramento Child Advocates' A Wine Benefit For Children, Celeb Cook Off & Helicopter Golf Ball Drop

2010-09-23T22:53:08Z

When children are brought into this world, the universal hope for them is a loving, supportive, healthy life, with loving parents, a good education, and every need met with the utmost satisfaction. The sad truth is that even in our own Sacramento community, children are placed into the foster care system. Child abuse, neglect, drug addiction, and poverty are only a few of the nightmares faced by many young members of our city. These kids never asked to be in these situations nor do they have much of a say as to what happens to them including where they live or where they go to school. This is where Sacramento Child Advocates comes in! They have Given a voice and protected the rights of over 5000 abused and neglected children since 1991.
To celebrate their incomparable service to Sacramento’s youth in need and to ensure the services continue, SCA is holding a Wine Benefit for Children, this Saturday, September 25, 2010, 5:30 to 8:00pm at the private estate of Robert Buccola of Dreyer, Babich, Buccolla & Wood, LLP. We’re talking a wine party with Silver Oak, Caymus, and Rombauer and food from many local celebs like Rick Kushman and Jane Scully. You won’t want to miss a fantastic live auction with David Sobon of David Sobon Auctions. A two-bedroom condo in San Diego, a helicopter ride, and a chalet to Napa are just a few of the items up for bid!
Then to top it all off, A Wine Benefit for Children will showcase a Helicopter Golf Ball Drop! An extraordinary event where golf balls will be dropped out of the helicopter and whichever ball lands closest to the pin, wins! Prizes include: 1st place, $1,000 cash and 2 Southwest Airline Tickets; 2nd place, $500 cash; and 3rd place, $250 cash. Individual golf balls cost $25 each or you can get 5 golf balls for $100. To help the kids by purchasing golf balls, please contact Laura Fast 916-364-2342 or Lfast@sacchildadv.org.
Sacramento Child Advocates serves the young people of our city that feel alone, lost, and forgotten. It’s time to show those kids we support them and buy a ticket to this event you will never forget! Tickets to this outstanding event are $100 and can be purchased online at http://www.sacchildadv.org/fund.shtml.

After Hours Event: Huge Success

2010-09-20T16:30:19Z

400 friends & I attended the best party Fairytale Town has ever seen and the generosity of the Sacramenten's was truly evident. Benefitting the Sacramento Area Emergency Housing Center, the wining, dinning and dancing added to the highlight of the event, the live auction. Every paddle raised went towards helping the homeless issue in Sacramento. David Sobon of David Sobon Auctions entertained and engaged the crowd into a bidding frenzy. It was fun to watch and got me raising my paddle too.

The participating restaurants were fabulous, a mix of comfort food and elegant dishes. The wine was enjoyable and satisfying with all the local favorites in the house. A perfect event at Fairytale Town that was fun and simple. It felt good knowing that everything was going to help a great charity, another great reason to give Sacramento.

Alternative Pregnancy Center's Catch A Falling Star - Annual Gala For Life Dinner

2010-09-15T18:10:55Z

   How do words like helpless, lost and hopeless turn into words like support, confidence, and healing? They do, with the resources and services of the Alternatives Pregnancy Center. The center lifts up an individual struggling with the fear, decision, and consequences of an unplanned pregnancy by providing possibly life saving services including counseling, prenatal care, pregnancy checkups and sonograms, as well as parenting classes and aftercare.
   To help celebrate and continue their unmatched work in the community, Alternatives Pregnancy Center is having their “Catch a Falling Star- Annual Gala for Life“, on Sept. 24th, 2010 at 6:00 pm at the Sacramento Hyatt Regency Grand Ballroom. The event will include a wine tasting, dinner, a raffle of a brand new Jacuzzi, and a special appearance by a former Miss Sacramento. The live auction by David Sobon of David Sobon Auctions will help raise money to ensure these FREE services will continue. A few of the items up for bid include airplane rides for 4 to The Monterey Ritz Carlton and Napa for wine tasting Plus a Deluxe Spa Package with an overnight hotel stay in The Governor’s Suite at La Rivage, dinner at Scott’s Seafood and spa services at LaLe Spa. The Margie Ruiz Jazz Band will be providing a delightful ambience of live music throughout the night. The tickets for the event are $65.00 or $600 for a table of ten.
   The Alternatives Pregnancy Center provides teen/parent education for prevention, medical support and honest, up-front information about pregnancy alternatives, as well as after-care and ongoing healing for women. The center’s services are unprecedented in the lives women and men facing the struggle of an unplanned pregnancy since the early 1980’s. Their medical clinic is fully licensed by the State of California and they offer their services at free or little cost to the parents in need, and the effects last a lifetime! For more information and tickets, please visit http://alternativespc.org/index.php/announcements/catch-a-falling-star-2010.html.

Contributions from Kathy Heggum, M.F.T. of profitfornonprofits.org

Sacramento Area Emergency Housing Center's After Hours: Wine Event & Live Auction

2010-09-03T00:42:02Z

In every fairytale the good guys always win, the bad guys always lose, and there’s always a “Happily Ever After“. Real life however, is a very different tale. Financial woes, unemployment, addictions, and lack of support hit so many Sacramento residents who then find themselves with nowhere to go. Thankfully there is a program like the Sacramento Area Emergency Housing Center that helps and supports these families in their time of crisis. Just like a real life fairy godmother.

Seems only fitting that on September 10th, 2010 Sacramento Area Emergency Housing Center will be having their 18th annual After Hours: Wine Event & Live Auction fundraiser at Fairytale Town in William Land Park. Tickets are on sale for $50.00 per person for an evening under the stars filled with fine wines, delicious food tasting, and live music. There is a newly added live auction performed by Benefit Auctioneer David Sobon of David Sobon Auctions. Some of the items up for bid are A San Francisco Getaway at The Ritz Carlton, Golf for A Year & A Beach Cruiser Bicycle. Featured live music acts include The Retronaunts and The Putah Creek Crawdads. Be sure to look for the Wall of Wine, a Lottery-Style wine purchase!

So for the same price as a restaurant dinner, come feast and dance the night away in the spirit of helping the SAEHC who has served many families and young people turn their lives around. Since 1972 the non-profit SAEHC has helped over 10,000 families receive housing services, 68 % of the participants are children. Additional programs offered include self-sufficiency workshops, living skills, parenting classes, and mental health care to name a few. Support Sacramento Area Emergency Housing Center as they shape the lives of so many people in our community. A true reason for Sacramento to give. For tickets and more information please visit http://www.saehc.org/fttah.php

Rainbow Chamber of Commerce Gala to Feature TV Host Guy Farris

2009-08-28T18:47:11Z

The Sacramento Rainbow Chamber of Commerce will hold its 3rd Annual Installation Dinner on Tuesday, Sept. 22, at the Radisson Hotel Sacramento. Guy Farris, co-host of News 10’s popular TV magazine program, Sacramento & Co., will serve as Master of Ceremonies.

The evening will begin with cocktails at 5:30 p.m., followed by dinner and live auction with auctioneer David Sobon of Maximum Benefit Auctions at 6:30 p.m. Auction offerings will include fine wine and dining packages, exotic travel and other luxury items.

All proceeds from the dinner and auction will benefit the Rainbow Chamber Foundation, a non-profit organization supporting programs for at-risk youth and other causes.

The evening program will include Foundation scholarship presentations and installation of the Chamber’s 2009-10 Board of Directors. Tickets are $75 through Aug. 31, $85 Sept. 1 and after. Sponsorship opportunities are available for as little as $100. Visit www.rainbowchamber.com for more information.

Event sponsors include Wells Fargo, Outword Magazine, SMUD, Sacramento Gay & Lesbian Center, Rainbow Pages/VRP.info, CARES, Le Rivage Hotel, Greenberg Traurig, Sestak Lighting Design and Equality California.

Before joining Sacramento & Co., L.A. native Farris began his television career as a production assistant at Sacramento’s KOVR/Channel 13, then traveled to Gold 33 News at Seven and the WB Las Vegas, where his entertainment reports and celebrity interviews aired on Sinclair Broadcasting’s 40-plus stations nationwide. As part of the NorthWest Cable News morning anchor team in Seattle, Farris interviewed some of Hollywood’s biggest stars, including Jennifer Lopez, Will Smith, Sandra Bullock and Hugh Grant. His irreverent style has earned him numerous Emmy nominations, culminating in a win for Best Entertainment Anchor in 2002. He also was named Seattle Magazine's “It Anchor.”

Nine Rainbow Chamber 2009-2010 officers and board members will be officially installed at the event:
• President/CEO Fred Palmer, publisher of Outword Magazine, elected to a third term
• Vice President Steven Walker, CEO of Fast Break Tech Inc., elected to a fourth term
• Secretary Stephanie Slagel, State Farm Insurance agent, elected to her first term
• Treasurer Jason Russell, CPA, of accounting firm Marcia Fritz & Company, elected to a fourth term
• Brian Bentzen, Pampered Chef host, elected to a second term
• Gerald Filice, Esq., of Filice Law Offices, elected to a second term
• Roy Guira, stylist, The Associates Salon, elected to a second term
• Dr. Darrick Lawson, owner of The Healing Touch Chiropractic, elected to a first term
• Bonnie Osborn, owner of public relations company WriteAway Communications Services, elected to a second term

Palmer, who was elected Aug. 18 to his third term as Chamber president, said the large field of highly qualified board candidates was a reflection of the Chamber’s recent membership growth and expansion of services. In the past year, the Chamber has doubled its membership to 260 members, hired its first paid administrative staff, and significantly increased the number of networking and professional development events it provides.

The Rainbow Chamber Foundation (www.rcfdn.org) was established in 2007 as a 501c3 organization. In 2008 and 2009, the Foundation donated approximately $5,000 to programs for at-risk gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender youth and their allies, and awarded two $1,000 college scholarships.

The purpose of the Sacramento Rainbow Chamber of Commerce is to promote networking among the gay and lesbian business community and its supporters; to enhance awareness of political and social issues; and to encourage involvement in charitable causes. For more information about the Sacramento Rainbow Chamber of Commerce, visit www.rainbowchamber.com.