Ten winning-bidder Gala patrons followed active volunteer and retired Boeing executive Bob Bogash, around, under, and in some truly historic aircraft, at the Seattle Museum of Flight's Restoration Center at Paine Field in Everett. Leah Hammer provided box lunches and everyone had an awesome time. Thanks Bob and Leah!
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A Sense of Place
The Centrum Gala
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Bon Appetit at The Fort Worden Commons
more to come soon...
On Saturday February 9, 2008 Centrum Gala attendees who bid on places at the "Texas 
Hold 'em" party, arrived at the "Wild Card Saloon" (AKA Harry & Zoe Ann Dudley's house) and were "staked" to a stack of "Texas Chips." Prizes were awarded to the "big money winners" at 10 pm but the game resumed until either all the food and drink ran out (around Wednesday), or when someone had all the 
chips. Players wore their best "Texas Hold 'em" outfit “to dazzle their competition and increase their luck.”
Looks like everyone had a darn good time. On behalf of all whom benefit from Centrum’s programs THANK YOU Harry, Zoe Ann, Paul, David, Teresa, Bill, Patti and John and Donna!!!
Photos by Sarah DuBose
It’s going to be fun, we thought. Gail Boulter-Burgler and I had donated a holiday wine tasting party with Joe Euro of the Wine Seller, for the Gala auction. This would be our second year. The first event didn’t go as smoothly as we would have liked, and we were looking forward to having a party with no glitches! This year it would be PERFECT!!
We met to set up the Saturday before the event at the Saunders house and all went well. The heat was on and we zipped through in record speed. We would meet the next day at 3:00 to finish the set up for a five o’clock party.
We unlocked the house on Sunday and entered to find the temperature about 50 degrees! No heat. After trying to restart the furnace, we determined that the owner was out of oil – on a Sunday - and 2 hours before our event. Quick thinking by someone in the group sent the men to gather up space heaters while we women finished the food preparation.
(Four space heaters to heat over 4,000 square feet. What fools we were!) As the oven began heating, we discovered that it only heated to 175 degrees- and we needed 450, quickly! And we soon learned that, since there was no oil, there was no hot water. Not a good start to our PERFECT evening.
Our husbands, Harry and Kevin returned with space heaters, and, after blowing a few circuits, we managed to get them working. At about 3:45, we began to wonder where Joe Euro was. He was supposed to be here at 3:00, as well. Almost as quickly as we spoke, he appeared, looking just like a disheveled street person! Evidently, he had gone down to the store (on his day off) for just a few minutes. It was so busy, he stayed all day, and when he left the shop his car would not start.
Alas, but there is more! He brought in the glasses, while commenting that they needed to be washed, since they had been used at an event the night before. Remember, no hot water at the Saunders house. So, Harry and I, living only a couple of blocks away, rushed home at 4:00, heated the oven, washed the glasses, cooked some appetizers, and arrived back just in time for the party. While we were doing that, Joe ran home to shower and he arrived just in time, as well.
The party went on, with everyone wearing their coats. After a few glasses of wine, no one seemed to mind. Oh, the glory of being a volunteer!!
The theme was “Imagine,” but Gala chair Jean Marzan says, “I never imagined quite this level of 
generosity! Once again Centrum patrons outdid themselves.”
THANK YOU to all you Centrum supporters. You set a new fundraising record of $260,000 last Saturday night.
The amount raised goes well beyond the previous record of $230,000, set in 2006. And Gala attendees raised over $70,000 specifically for scholarships.
The Gala was run almost entirely by nearly 150 community volunteers. Table captains filled 35 tables of ten attendees each, who bid on the hundreds of silent and live auction items donated by local and regional businesses and individuals.
“We reduced the number of items we sold at the auction by half,” Marzan says, “and still, guests gave about $30,000 more than last year. The Gala is all about enjoying the best party on the peninsula while raising money for a very worthwhile organization."
George Radebaugh and Friends played jazz standards as Gala attendees walked down a red carpet to the auction and banquet floor. Dinner was catered by Dream City Catering, and auctioneer Laura Michalek and Seattle actress Rebecca Davis led the auction.
Items and experiences such as trips to New York, the Caribbean, and Thailand, as well as gourmet dinners by renowned local chefs and hosts kept paddles raised throughout the evening.
Former Centrum executive director Joseph Wheeler and 2007 jazz scholarship student Ashley Davis gave special presentations. Willene Jaqua, widow of artist Russell Jaqua, gave a presentation that raised $36,000 to launch the Russell Jaqua Fund for Artistic Excellence.
