The 2nd Annual Bets for Pets fundraiser turned out to be a Royal Flush with over 200 in attendance. The night was filled with music, gambling, wine, and fun as we raised funds in support of our Spay/Neuter, Foster Care, and Educational Programs.
The event was located at the beautiful Engelmann Cellars. Their venue is set on their winery between the grapevines with a wonderful open air grass area where you would look up and gaze at the stars. Even though it was a hot August night, being in the country provided a nice cool breeze.
Each party-goer was provided a bidding number for the silent auction items, $100 worth of gambling money, and one free drink ticket. After entering the venue many of the attendees perused over 100 silent auction items and bid on their favorites. There was something there for everyone, from gift baskets to dog beds to signed baseballs and footballs.
Engelmann Cellars has set-up a perfect permanent stage to feature our award winning band, The Trip, from Laguna Beach. The band played the entire evening and delighted the audience with cover songs from the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s and 90’s. Many songs were sung along with and some attendees even showed off some of their dance moves!
The evening began with dinner catered by Famous Dave’s. They had a choice of chicken, beef or both, salad, bread, beans and of course an assortment of barbecue sauces. Dessert was provided by Tori Hadjis and was 4-berry cobbler wrapped up in a short mason jar. Many attendees had wine with dinner, provided by Engelmann Cellars. Engelmann provided wine tasting and pouring in their wine barrel room for all attendees.
After dinner all the gambling tables opened and that’s when the fun truly began! There were Blackjack tables, Craps, Roulette and Texas Hold’em tables. Each table was hoppin’ with guests. The tables and dealers were provided by C&C Party Productions. They did a wonderful job making sure our guests were provided with excellent entertainment. Throughout the rest of the evening you heard clapping, laughter, and sometimes disappointment if a hand did not play out as planned. Winnings could be exchanged for raffle tickets. Our raffle items included several gift baskets, an iPad Mini, and the grand prize of 4 tickets to Disneyland with paid hotel room.
As the evening starting coming to a close around 10 p.m. our 50/50 Queen of Hearts, Serena Reyna, pulled the raffle tickets for each prize. The winner of the mini iPad was Tamera Johnstone and winner of the coveted Disneyland Weekend Trip was Michael Neff. Congratulations to the winners! May they enjoy their prizes!
If you could not make it, you missed out on a fun-filled night! Hoping we see you next year at the next Bets for Pets at Engelmann Cellars on August 16, 2014!