Flora & Fauna Mission Creek Gala Raises $665,000 for S.B. Museum of Natural History
The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History’s twenty-fifth annual Mission Creek Gala: Flora & Fauna took place Saturday, April 12 at the Museum. Under the giant Coast Live Oak at the heart of the Museum’s campus, 207 guests enjoyed a lovely creekside reception that included interactive stations and a mushroom tasting station. The Rattler signature cocktail along with tasty bites from duo catering & events made for a delightful cocktail party.
As the doors to Fleischmann Auditorium opened, guests stepped into a breathtaking transformation. The grand reveal unveiled a woodland scene, with the centerpiece—a majestic oak tree—rising from the heart of the room. Its limbs formed a sweeping canopy over the candlelit tables below, casting a dreamlike glow throughout the space. The visionary design, brought to life by Joy Full Events, Inc. and Hogue & Co., transported attendees into a world that combined nature and elegance.
Five spectacular tableaux, each sponsored with remarkable generosity, added the final amazing touches to the scene: Moss & Mushroom, Mountain Lion Den, Rattlesnake Canyon, Poppies & Lupine, and Citrus Orchard. Each vignette was a tribute to the natural world, artfully interpreted and meticulously designed to captivate and inspire.
Museum Board Chair Salvatore Milazzo welcomed guests and set the stage for an entertaining evening. Speakers included two participants in the Quasars to Sea Stars program, a life-changing work/study/internship opportunity for teens at the Museum. Dorian Scheim shared details about their time in the program and Sophia Copeland spoke passionately about why the Museum is so important. Museum President & CEO Luke J. Swetland made an appeal to the crowd and quickly raised $300,000.
The four-course dinner included gingered mushroom dumplings, halibut, and beef tenderloin. Duo catering & events provided the delicious dinner, and 13 Napa Valley wineries donated wine for the evening. The night ended with guests enjoying a late-night bite in the side annex.
The sold-out event was a huge success for the Museum, raising $665,000 in total. The Gala Honorary Committee consisted of Stacey Byers, Sheri Eckmann, Venesa Faciane, Lucy Firestone, Elisabeth Fowler, Heather Hambleton, Ken Kelly, Amanda Lee, Bobbie Kinnear, Karen Nicholson, and Susan Parker.
The Museum aims to spark curiosity and ignite a passion for nature, and maintains a commitment to providing exceptional educational programs for the Santa Barbara community. The Mission Creek Gala sustains the Museum's outstanding nature and science education programs, touching the lives of thousands of schoolchildren each year through school field trips, camps and classes, and other programs at the Museum and its sister campus, the Sea Center on Stearns Wharf.
Since its inaugural year in 2000, the annual Mission Creek Gala has raised more than eight million dollars for the Museum’s school programs. One of the most remarkable programs supported by the event is the Museum Access Fund (MAF), a scholarship program provided by the Museum to visiting school groups in need of financial assistance. Title I schools (with a 50% or greater enrollment in the federal Free or Reduced-Price Meal Program) are eligible to visit the Museum and enjoy a field trip program for just $50. With the help of generous donors, the Museum is expanding the number of schools covered by the program.
Visit sbnature.org for more information about the Museum and how to support its programs.
