Yacht Club event held on 100th anniversary of club’s first dance
For the Islander
The Avalon Casino ballroom was transformed into a 1924 style dinner dance party in honor of the Catalina Island Yacht Club’s 100th anniversary. The Club’s original opening dinner dance was held on the fourth Saturday of August in1924 at the St. Catherine Hotel with 130 people in attendance. This year’s gala was held exactly 100 years later on the fourth Saturday of August 2024 with over 280 people attending.
Among the invitees were Annie Marshall, mayor of Avalon; Dave Maistros, city of Avalon Manager and his wife Mary Beth; Sheila Bergman, executive director of Catalina Island Museum; Cinde MacGugan-Cassidy, former city of Avalon council member and her husband Mike; Chuck Lenz, vice president of Maintenance Santa Catalina Island Company; Kevin Schmid, assistant harbor master; Marty Saldana, senior Harbor Patrol officer and his wife Tiffany; Jamie Hmielak, city of Avalon Maintenance superintendent, and his wife Gail Fornasiere; Tim Kielpinski, chief strategy officer for Catalina Island Health and his wife Michelle; Rosa Valenzuela, director of Nursing Catalina Island Health and Captain Matthew King, Los Angeles County Sheriff Station chief.
At the Gala, with Commodore John Wells as Master of Ceremonies and auctioneer, the Catalina Island Yacht Club Foundation held its annual fundraising auction raising more than $92,000. The Foundation was founded in 2001 to benefit the city of Avalon and Catalina Island. Since that time, the Foundation has donated over $700,000 to Avalon charities such as Avalon High School Scholarships, Avalon Fire Department, Avalon Kids’ Baseball, Catalina Island Search and Rescue and Catalina Island Humane Society.
The foundation was founded by yacht club members, has always been run by yacht club members and relies exclusively on yacht club members for its funding. This year, as befitting the 100th anniversary of the Club, the Catalina Island Yacht Club Foundation has pledged to donate $100,000 to the Catalina Island Health Foundation.
The magical evening ended with dancing to the melodies of the Dan Baker Big Band Orchestra.
