On March 4, the Pacific Pride Foundation (PPF) held Santa Barbara’s wildest fundraiser of the year, the Royal Ball. Nearly 400 supporters of the LGBTQ+ center converged on the Coral Casino’s extravagantly-decorated La Pacifica Ballroom, enclosed terrace, and Coral Café for an outrageously fun evening.
Many guests heeded the invite’s call for “chic metallic glamour” with stunning, glittering outfits, while some stuck with the Royal Ball theme and dressed elegantly as queens. Guests relaxed in exquisite, royal boxes with silver velvet walls, comfy lounge furniture, gold leaf cocktail tables, and dim lighting. VIP dining tables were clad in metallic linen and softly lit with candles. A buffet dinner open for hours let guests indulge in such treats as lobster mac & cheese and mini gourmet burgers at their leisure. Timo Nunez gave a seductive flamenco performance. Wandering Abbey go go dancers and scantily-clad stilt walkers (former Cirque du Soleil performers) added to the light, high energy tone. The silver dance floor, enveloped in an every-changing light show, was full all night with 20-somethings to 80-somethings. High spirits reigned throughout the night.
PPF is celebrating its 40th anniversary as the LGBTQ+ center of our county. It engages in advocacy work and provides customized sensitivity trainings for businesses, nonprofits and individuals. It offers free and anonymous HIV testing, counseling for families, individuals and couples, and programs for youth, young adults and seniors.
The short program featured executive director Colette Schabram, who shared that because of the recent increase in hate crimes, PPF has partnered with 10 other regional organizations to launch the Coalition Against Hate to combat hate incidences in the tri-county area. The coalition just released a statement against the Trump administration’s anti-transgender actions. Noting the difficult times we are now in, Schabram vowed that “we will stay vigilant and act directly and boldly against any harm that this administration brings to our diverse LGBTQ community.”
This was the fifth Royal Ball, the next one is slated for 2019. For more information about Pacific Pride, go to pacificpridefoundation.org. Event Production: Merryl Brown Events, Event Design: Rrivre Works Event Rentals.
Send event invites to Gail at society@independent.com.
