Night of the Butterfly Gala

Coming in January is our Night of the Butterfly Gala, a Japanese-themed event which promises to be a slightly different, and really special event. The Hayashi Family, a third generation family involved in San Luis Obispo county in the fields of agriculture, law and medicine, are our honorary hosts for the evening.

I am always excited about the creativity that goes into planning our January events - whether they be balls or galas, and this year we've really taken it to a new level.

In planning this year's event, we've tried to really listen to our patrons, so we've simplified the event so that it will give you a lot more time to socialize with your friends and enjoy the evening with less interruption. We are including performances from this year's two Vocal Scholarship Competition winners, of course, and will have a couple of stunning live-auction packages, but we've left off our "Sing for your Supper" this year to give more time for our patrons to visit, or perhaps enjoy some of the other things we're preparing.

These include a beautiful display of kimono, including very special antique kimono as well as simply stunning contemporary ones. You'll also be given the opportunity to try your hand at calligraphy and origami, learn about the raising of the lovely orchids from a master. There will be orchids at each table in an Ikebana centerpiece which you can enjoy - these will be available after the event as part of our fundraising efforts. Our own Board Member Sharon Harris Schneider has arranged for an art project that's hard to describe accurately - let's just say we've provided the laquered boxes to several area artists, and they've done the rest. I'm including the photos Sharon recently sent me of her own (rather stunning!) box to give you an idea of what I mean.

I'll be posting more information as it becomes available, but in the meantime, Happy New Year!