Oh, Oh, Oh—Listen to the Music
Ann Vernon
It was another beautiful night in SaddleBrooke as guests gathered on the patio at Gary and Betsy Clark’s home for a house concert featuring the talented musician J.D. Loveland. Given that it was so close to Halloween, Betsy and her co-hosts prepared delicious “spooky” appetizers, which were savored as J.D. entertained the crowd. Not only did he tell some great stories, but he shared a bit of his musical journey. J.D. began playing at a very young age and won his first talent contest at age 13. Over the years, he has experimented with many different types of music, including folk, bluegrass, blues, country, and gospel. His renditions of well-known songs were amazing, and he also treated us to some of his original compositions.
Is there any better way to spend an evening than to sit under the stars, sip an adult beverage, and listen to a talented performer who donated his musical expertise to the Oracle Schools Foundation? I think not! Also, thanks to the Clarks for hosting and to their assistants Dan and Jackie Alderman and Mary Jo and Barry Swartzberg.
The 2025 Gala/Auction will be on March 15, 2025, at the MountainView ballroom. Registration opens on Jan. 5. You can sign up online by visiting www.oracleschoolsfoundation.com. This year we will be streamlining the check-out process by giving guests the opportunity to register a credit card with us when they sign up for the Gala, thus avoiding the long lines.
This is the 10th anniversary of the Foundation, so come celebrate with us as we raise money to help fund Kindergarten Prep and other educational programs at the Mountain Vista K-8 School in Oracle.
Comida Española
Ann Vernon
One of the live auction events for the Oracle Schools Foundation 2024 auction was an authentic Spanish dinner prepared by Nile and Ann Vernon and Ruth and Dale Leman. Kurt and Sue Gelbach bought the dinner for four other lucky couples!
It was a beautiful night, so guests enjoyed sangria and a variety of tapas around the fire pit. They munched on dates stuffed with Marcona almonds wrapped in bacon, garlic mushrooms, tortilla Española, Manchego cheese and marinated olive skewers, and grapes coated in goat cheese and pistachios. Luckily, they weren’t too stuffed to drink some Spanish wine with their gazpacho and eat two different kinds of paella: a mixed paella with seafood, pork, and chorizo, and a Valenciana paella, which consisted of chicken and various vegetables. For dessert, Ruth prepared the typical Tarta de Santiago, which is an almond torte featuring the cross of St. James who is believed to be buried in the crypt of the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral in Galicia, Spain.
Proceeds from the dinner support the Oracle Schools Foundation, which funds preschool (Kindergarten Prep) and other much-needed educational programs. Our 2025 Spring Fling Gala and auction will be held on Saturday, March 15, 2025, at MountainView. You can help contribute to the Foundation in several ways:
• Attend the Gala/auction and bid on silent and live auction items and sign up for our fun fixed price events.
• Buy gift cards or solicit donations from local businesses and donate to Oracle Schools Foundation.
• Donate to the auction. Offer to host an event or offer services such as airport transportation, pet sitting, made-to-order desserts, casseroles, soups, etc. For more information, contact Ann Vernon at [email protected] or 520-405-2622.
Check the website www.oracleschoolsfoundation.com for more information about the Gala and to register for the event in January.
Also, mark your calendars. The Tributaries will be performing our annual benefit concert on March 23, 2025, at DesertView! You won’t want to miss this!
Fiesta at the Hacienda
Ann Vernon
Nestled in the foothills of the Catalina Mountains is a hidden gem, Rancho de Los Cerros. This amazing ranch began in 1907 as a small shack under a mesquite tree even before Tucson had city limits! First, it served as a stagecoach stop, evolved into a dude ranch in the 1940s, and became a girls’ summer camp in the 1960s when it was donated to the YWCA. Twenty years later, it was purchased by a prominent Tucson attorney who invested millions of dollars transforming it into a beautiful Spanish Mediterranean equestrian estate and event center. The ranch changed hands but then was basically unoccupied for several years before it was purchased by the current owner, Frank Marshall, who generously donated the use of this venue to the Oracle Schools Foundation (OSF) for the fiesta, which was held on Oct. 27.
What an event it was! Dorothy and Gary Wood just happened to find the ranch late last winter and inquired about hosting an event there. While they were given the green light, there was lots of work that needed to be done. Gary jumped in and spent the summer volunteering and working with the ranch hands to repair the spectacular hacienda. When guests arrived mid-afternoon, everyone was in awe of how stunning it was. They wandered throughout the grounds, checking out the horse corral, the barns with leaded glass panels, the carriage house, the pool, and even a mock frontier village. As they meandered with adult beverages in hand, they were entertained by the Angel Perez Project singing Latin and pop favorites. These talented musicians also donated their expertise to OSF. In addition, Mark Goodrich held court in the beautiful old bar and shared his tequila expertise as guests sampled several.
Culminating this wonderful afternoon was sitting down in the lovely adobe hacienda and eating delicious Mexican food catered by Rancheros Market. Guests lingered a while with friends and left raving about what a great experience it was.
Hats off to the major financial donors and helpers: Dennis and Janet Johnson, Kevin and Julie Simon Johnson, Dorothy and Gary Wood, and to their event crew Steve Aiken, Brian Hand, and Sheila Honey. Also thanks to silent (or “behind-the-scenes”) donors who helped subsidize the event: Chris and Larry Crum, Jack and Bonnie Gretch, Mary Riemersma, Joy Erickson, Edie Crall, Terry Tindall, Rick Watkins, Jeff McClure, and George Phillips.
This event was another one of the fixed price events held throughout the year as part of the Oracle Schools Foundation Gala/Auction. This is the 10th anniversary of the Foundation: Our theme for the 2025 Gala is “10 Years of Champions Helping Children.” Please join us on March 15, 2025, at the Gala/Auction where you can register for these amazing events and participate in the silent and live auctions. All monies raised support Kindergarten Prep and other educational programs at the Mountain Vista K-8 School in Oracle.