2009 Festival of Children -
            AABC Serving the Community

   For the past five years, the AABC has proudly been a part of the Festival of Children, held each weekend during the month of September at the beautiful South Coast Plaza mall in Costa Mesa. 

   The Festival of Children exists to improve the lives of children by strengthening the charities that serve them.  The organization was founded in 2002 by Sandy Segerstrom Daniels, a leading business professional and children’s advocate who saw an opportunity to bring charities together to collaborate.

   This year more than 75 children’s charities were represented in booths set-up throughthroughout the mall.  The charities had displays and volunteers on hand to explain their programs. 

   In addition to it’s booth display the AABC performed two short shows for appreciative and enthusiastic audiences.

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   A bevy of cowboys and cowgirls showed up on Saturday, October 24th at the AABC’s 6th annual Fall Gala — ready to whoop it up at the silent and live auctions and ready to cheer on, and sing along with, the AABC choristers when they performed a rousing 35-minute set of western songs.  The highlight of the evening was quite possibly the moment when all of the alumni in attendance, ranging in age from 13 to 50+ years in age, took to the stage to join the boys for the final song (a decidedly non-western rendition of “Waitin’ for the Robert E. Lee). 

   The event drew nearly 200 people, and featured more than 80 silent auctions items and an exciting array of 14 live auction items.  AABC alumni parents Ken Zumbek and Verne James served as auctioneers and delighted the crowd with a few anecdotes and antics while cajoling them to bid on the various items. 

   The finale event of the evening was when six “cowboys” hit the trail in a quasi-horse race.  The six cowboys included music director Wesley Martin as Wild Bill Wesley, and executive director Tony Manrique as Bat Masterson Manrique.  The cowboys all sold tickets to gala attendees and then stepped onto a grid with squares.  A large die was rolled  and each cowboy advanced when his number came up.  The cowboy who got from the Livery Stable to the OK Corral first was the winner.  This year’s winner was Bat Masterson Manrique! 

   Event chair Rita Pipta was proud to announce that over $23,000 was raised in this year’s gala; down a bit from 2008, but nevertheless impressive (and very much needed and appreciated) in a very challenging financial climate. 

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