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Santa Barbara, CA (November 10, 2024) – Passionate to ensure every child in the foster care system gets a personalized gift for Christmas, hosts Allison LaBarge and Jackie McBride created the Palm Royale Beach Ball for CASA! Straight from the Apple TV show, LaBarge and McBride transformed the Montecito Club into a Palm Royale-style Christmas celebration – all to benefit the Christmas wishes of children served by CASA of Santa Barbara County.
More than 50 women walked the pink carpet and posed for their photos as the inaugural guests of the Palm Royale Beach Ball for CASA. They were immediately wowed by the 9-foot pink Christmas tree covered in 90 wish cards, each representing a gift request from a child in the local foster care system. Wishes included a new bicycle and helmet, Barbie dolls, Squishmallows, and more! Each wish was personalized with a real child’s name and age. Guests carefully selected a wish list and donated the value or planned to do the Christmas shopping themselves! Thanks to the generosity of Beach Ball guests, 100 children in foster care will receive precisely what they wished for this Christmas.
The afternoon featured mixing, mingling, and jingling in the Montecito Club’s festive rotunda, enjoying champagne along with wines donated by LaBarge Winery. A spirited auction featured three exclusive packages, including a gift card from DOEN, a Champagne Brunch for Two donated by San Ysidro Ranch, and a one-of-a-kind pair of earrings by Daniel Gibbings, inspired by Palm Royale. The earrings, featuring pink sapphires, green tourmaline, and 18k yellow gold, were generously donated by Setenay and David Osman.
Additionally, guests who sponsored a child’s wish list were entered into a raffle to win exciting prizes, such as a Montecito Market Bag donated by Clic, a Lucky’s Steakhouse gift card, a three-pack of LaBarge Winery Pinot Noir, or one of the beautiful floral arrangements donated by Hogue and Co.
Demonstrating their commitment to CASA, LaBarge and McBride opened the evening by sharing their motivations for supporting local children. McBride shared, “When I moved here, I was looking to get involved with a charity, but I really wanted to feel a connection. When I met Kira, and others from CASA, I knew I had found my place. They are the most amazing women who have boots on the ground every day and are changing the lives of local children.” LaBarge added, “Support, comfort, and care is what the CASA organization provides for abused and neglected children right here in our community. With your generous help today, we will be able to ensure every child will get their personalized Christmas presents.”
The evening’s keynote speaker, Estefany Can, a bright young woman who benefitted from having a CASA volunteer while navigating the foster care system in Santa Barbara County, shared her heartfelt story. She reflected on the challenges of growing up in foster care and the profound impact her CASA volunteer had on her life, particularly during the holidays. Can vividly recalled how her first foster family didn’t celebrate the holidays, remembering having throw away her Christmas crafts from elementary school. However, once she was assigned a CASA volunteer, everything changed. With a smile, Can shared, “As I stood on that hill with my CASA, the city lights sparkling below and the ocean stretching beyond, surrounded by my brothers’ laughter, I felt the magic of Christmas for the very first time.”
As guests departed from the first annual Palm Royale Beach Ball for CASA, they left with the satisfaction of knowing their generosity would bring joy to local children this Christmas. To get involved with CASA or to sponsor a child’s wish list, visit https://www.sbcasa.org/beach-ball.
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About CASA of Santa Barbara County:
CASA of Santa Barbara County is a nonprofit organization dedicated to recruiting, training, and supporting volunteers who advocate for abused and neglected children in the foster care system. Our volunteers ensure that every child has a voice and the opportunity for a safe and permanent home. During the holidays, we succeed in ensuring every child CASA serves, along with children identified by our partners at Child Welfare Services, receives Christmas gifts that bring them joy – totaling more than 550 local children. You can learn more about CASA at https://www.sbcasa.org/.