MAMMA MIA! It was a Wild Time!

from Summer 2022 Foxpaws Magazine

WILDFILE

MAMMA MIA! It was a Wild Time!

BY JAN HAWKINS, LEADERSHIP GIFTS AND LEGACY GIVING PHOTOGRAPHY BY LANI GARFIELD AND MARC GLASSMAN

Blustery conditions couldn’t keep a sold-out crowd of 350 guests from celebrating “Wild Times” at the Zoobilee Gala in support of animal care and conservation at The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens. Adorned in bright colors and animal prints, guests paid $1,000 per person to help raise more than $1.4 million to protect desert wildlife.

The festivities began with a cocktail reception in Living Legacy Garden complete with live animal encounters, unique “wild” caricatures on stilts, and the signature drink—the watermelon Rhinotini. Guests soon transitioned into the colorfully decorated pavilion— created by Frank Goldstin’s Momentous Events production company—for a three-course dinner by Carousel Catering. A meaningful program was hosted by The Living Desert President and CEO Allen Monroe, highlighted with honoring Board Member Larry Spicer for nearly 40 years of dedication and commitment to The Living Desert.

Big-hearted guests “raised their paws” to offer donations, followed by the exciting Live Auction. Board member Jim Gould and his wife Susan were the successful bidders to name the 10-day old female giraffe calf, choosing the name Cole, in honor of their late son. They will also be treated to a VIP behind-thescenes experience of the Giraffe Barn and Savanna.

Board member Jaishri Mehta and husband Raju generously provided a $30,000 opportunity to choose a diamond bauble from their store, El Paseo Jewelers, to be enjoyed by winners Sharon and Dean Baltzell at a private party with 10 of their special guests. Other exclusive live auction items included “Lunch with Nia the Rhino,” including being the first guests to give our female rhino a scratch behind the ears; an “Evening Safari” with Allen Monroe with a behind-the-scenes expedition through the Zoo including private feedings with Australian budgies, emus, and wallabies, as well as a special meet and greet with the rhinos and giraffe; and a private dinner for 16 people in the wine cellar at Toscana Country Club. After the auction, all the dancing queens were out of their seats for the rest of the evening with the well-loved songs played by ABBAFAB, an ABBA tribute band.

A special thank you to the 2022 Wild Times Zoobilee Gala Co-Chairs Dennis Flaig-Moore and Nancy Stegehuis and their Gala Committee, including Suzan Appel, Sharon Baltzell, Jon-Marc Blalock, Deborah Chapman, Marylynn Gladstein, Jaishri Mehta, Davis Meyer, Jneil Nelson, Mary Lou Solomon, Susan Stein, Sandy Woodson, and Frank Goldstin of Momentous Events.

Additional gratitude goes to our generous sponsors including Diamond Sponsor JoAnn McGrath and the Highland Street Foundation; Platinum Sponsors: Argyros Family Foundation, Sharon and Dean Baltzell, Susan and Jim Gould, Sally and Michael Schreter, and the Gordon W. and Ursula I. Johnson Trust; and Gold Sponsors: City of Rancho Mirage, Connie and Bob Lurie, Shirley A Smith, Steven Tobin, Johnny Krupa and the Grace Helen Spearman Charitable Foundation, and Rita Stec and Lance Eldred.