The Dream Foundation Holds Glamorous Dreamland Gala

An Emotional and Exciting Program Features Dream Recipients and Top Performers

Thu Nov 10, 2016 | 07:00am
Board chair Kenny Slaught with his wife, Elizabeth Slaught (left) and CEO Kisa Heyer (right).
Gail Arnold

On Saturday, November 5, the Dream Foundation held one of Santa Barbara’s premier annual events — the Dreamland Gala at the Bacara Resort & Spa. The final number is still being tallied, but the foundation hopes that the event raised about $1 million.

About 400 guests mingled on the ballroom terrace and then enjoyed an emotional and exciting program during dinner. Writer/producer Nigel Lythgoe (American Idol, So You Think You Can Dance) shared a touching story stemming from his role in granting the Dream request of a cancer patient.

Daniella Enriquez, age 22 and living in Tennessee with a brain cancer diagnosis, eloquently shared her gratitude to the Dream Foundation for enabling her to spend three weeks with her family in California, where she “got to hug so many people.”

Jonathan White, 36, a music lover from Brooklyn, New York, with a lung cancer diagnosis, related how meaningful it was for him when the Dream Foundation presented him with a guitar side-bending machine from world-renowned craftsman Roger Sadowsky as well as a private mentoring session with him. The machine will allow him to fulfill his dream of crafting guitars. He plans to craft one as a lasting memory for his son. At the event, an elated White received yet another gift from the Dream Foundation, a guitar signed by his favorite musician, Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits.

The evening shifted to a lighter note when Grammy Award–winning artist Estelle took to the stage and enthusiastic fans leaped to the dance floor. The crowd was spellbound by dance and musical performances by Quixotic. Andrew Firestone and his wife, Ivana Bozilovic, led a passionate and entertaining auction and paddle raise.

Then the doors opened for 200 more guests who came for the after-party hosted by Generation Dream, a young professionals group supporting the Dream Foundation. The party lasted well into the night.

Since its founding in 1994, the Dream Foundation has granted more than 25,000 Dream requests for adults with a life expectancy of 12 months or less. In 2015, the largest share of Dream requests were for vacations (37 percent), basic needs items (30 percent), and family reunions (19 percent). More than half the cost of airline travel is met by donations from airlines.

The Dream Foundation also operates the Flower Empower program in which volunteers prepare arrangements made from donated flowers and deliver them to hospitals, hospices, cancer centers, and personal residences in the Santa Barbara area. It has more than 3,000 volunteers in this program and more than 16,000 volunteers in all of its programs.

The Dream Foundation has a four-star rating from Charity Navigator. For more information about the organization, go to dreamfoundation.org.

Andy Winchester, Jill James, Amie Parrish, and Dr. Scott Dahlquist.
Gail Arnold
John Kochis, Lisa Lynch, and Brett Escalera.
Gail Arnold
Ken Ferrone, Susan Ferrone, Raj Sinha, Jim Venturino, Heike Venturino, Tanum Davis Bohen, and Dr. Sean Bohen.
Gail Arnold
Board chair Kenny Slaught with his wife, Elizabeth Slaught (left) and CEO Kisa Heyer (right).
Gail Arnold
Writer/producer Nigel Lythgoe.
Gail Arnold
Hayley Firestone Jessup, Richard Mineards, and co-auctioneer Ivana Bozilovic at the Dream Foundation's Dreamland Gala.
Gail Arnold
Guests mingle on the ballroom terrace before dinner.
Gail Arnold
Kelsey Martin, Jennifer Martin, honorary committee member Holly Murphy, event committee member Lynette Hall, and Paul Hall.
Gail Arnold
Guests dance while Estelle performs.
Gail Arnold
Estelle performs with dream recipient Daniella Enriquez.
Gail Arnold
CEO Kisa Heyer and dream recipient Jonathan White.
Gail Arnold
Auctioneers Andrew Firestone and his wife, Ivana Bozilovic.
Gail Arnold
Quixotic member entertains the guests while they dance.
Gail Arnold
Guests enjoy dinner in the ballroom.
Gail Arnold
Guests enjoy the after-party.
Gail Arnold

More like this

Exit mobile version