Cabana Boys
made their way to browse the many silent auction offerings. It was hard to miss several ladies wearing pink wigs, which was part of one Cabana Boy's presentation.
The Cabana Boys incited some playful rivalry as they showed off the items they'd brought for auction, each vying to raise the most money for The Girlfriend Factor to win the title of Big Kahuna.
The amazing fresh buffet of salmon and chicken with grilled vegetables and baby roasted potatoes that was complemented by many dainty delicious sweet treats was catered by Toscana's winning chef and kitchen.
Among much noise and music came the first Cabana Boy, the Coachella Valley Firebirds' mascot Fuego. His donation package included Firebirds season tickets, parking passes for all home games, autographed “Hockey Beats Cancer” sweatshirts, and a penalty box experience for six, a priceless treat for hockey fans.
Fellow Cabana Boy Shawn Abramowitz brought his Best Date Night Ever offerings of two nights at the Marriott Desert Springs, dinner for six in your home with Chef Oscar Ayala, Firebirds tickets, a crystal evening bag and season tickets to Desert Ensemble Theatre.
Rod Vanderbos, owner of BuzzBox Premium Cocktails, brought his hugely popular “distiller for a day,” and jokingly said, “If you don't drink, turn your head. This package is not for you.”
Michael Plante, former CEO of Tiffany & Co., delighted the ladies with two packages, including some Tiffany gifts from a private donor called Divine Days in the Desert.
Don Maselli of La Quinta Resort and Club brought with him a relaxing stay package containing spa treatments, massages and delicious top-notch dinners, aptly named Pampered, Pleasure and Private Dining.
John Scardino upped the ante with
Bighorn Golf, a Little Bar cheeseburger party for eight, The Nest for dinner and wine pairing, plus golf in Thousand Oaks with friend and fellow philanthropist Patrick Warburton followed by an oceanside dinner at Nobu in Malibu with an overnight stay in the Westlake Village Inn.
Last but by no means least came “The Art of the Secret Agent,” from Alec Longmuir, director and partner at Melissa Morgan Fine Art, who brought golf at Tamarisk; golf at Bighorn; a threeday, two-night stay at Lucky Lookout in Pioneertown; a helicopter ride with a Riverside County Sheriff; a range session with a guns instructor; and a Dr. Scheers pamper-up package, including fillers and Botox.
Susan Stein was on hand to show support, as were Mr. and Mrs. Bundt Cake, Ellie Koch and Jeffrey Tropple, and a large support group from PSWIFT, including president Kate Spates and former Palm Desert mayor and council member Jan Harnik.
All silent auction items went way above their starting bid prices, and a lot of money was raised to help young women achieve their goals.
A big thanks goes to sponsors Jennifer and Robert Stephen; Natalie Driessen, MD; Conrado Bárzaga, MD; and Harold Matzner.
Additional sponsors included Norma Castaneda, HR Advantage; CDTA College of Law; Health Insurance Network, Motz-Rusin Insurance; Judith Sanders; West Coast Turf; and Lin Lines.
At the end of the evening, Alec Longmuir's offerings generated the most at the auction, so he was named The Big Kahuna for 2024.
Learn more about The Girlfriend Factor at girlfriendfactor.org.
Carole Stephen-Smith began writing in Scotland for a woman’s weekly at the age of 15 and then covered American celebrities for the London Evening Echo. Arriving in the desert, she wrote for Desert Woman in the 1990s. Carole focuses on charities that help women as well as medical causes, especially breast cancer awareness, and all aspects of child abuse.