PRESS RELEASE

FOR INFORMATION CONTACT:

Melanie Norton, Director of Public Relations

(760) 839-7976 office/ (760) 505-9893 cell
[email protected]

UNDER CONSTRUCTION AFFAIR TOPS RECORD

FOR ESCONDIDO HUMANE SOCIETY
Proceeds Double that of Last Year

ESCONDIDO, CA—August 29, 2002—Over two hundred guests gathered around a candle lit plaza at Escondido’s City Hall Saturday night, to help raise vitally needed funds for the Escondido Humane Society. The event, the 9^th Annual Dinner of Champions, set a record as the society’s highest yielding dinner fundraiser yielding over $25,000.

“Thanks to our sponsors and generous guests, this is the most successful Dinner of Champions this organization has ever seen”, said Jerry Buckley, vice president of development for EHS. “The committee, headed by Dr. Gary and Laura Gallerstein, along with our junior host committee did a marvelous job of helping with the decorations and selling raffle tickets. The junior committee sold nearly $1,800 worth of raffle tickets that night alone.” Two of the junior hosts, Emily Wilson and Adrienne Giese of Rancho Santa Fe, became involved with EHS through the National Charity League.

The excitement of the evening came after the buffet dinner, during a live auction. With professional auctioneer Larry White manning the bids, guests fought it out for items like a VIP day at the new EHS shelter. Beth Gruff won the item for $600. The highest yielding item was a trip to Cabo San Lucas which went for over $2,000 to Tim and Heidi McBride.

A highlight of the evening was a STOMP-inspired performance by San Diego percussion group, The Crew. The dancers, dressed in orange construction jumpsuits, made their way to the stage by zig zagging through the audience, swooshing brooms and tapping wooden handles along the way. Guests like Escondido Mayor Lori Holt-Pfeiler and honoree Christine Bellport of KUSI News clapped along to the beat of the performance. 
Themed “An Under Construction Affair”, in light of current construction on the new shelter, construction paraphernalia filled the plaza.  From afar, the gala was a sea of yellow and black. Centerpieces were constructed of yellow hard hats filled with ivy. Grey, moss-filled cinder blocks anchored down towering table-top displays. Flowers composed of bundled up caution tape accented the table arrangements. Proceeds from the event will go toward the society’s rebuild fund, animal care programs and education program.

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