29th Annual Redlands Symphony Gala Makes Money for Music

The Redlands Symphony Gala Committee threw the 29th Annual Redlands Symphony Gala at the Orton Center in University of Redlands last Saturday. The event included both silent and live auctions, a dinner ceremony, and concluded with a dancing showcase. Proceeds from the event went to underwriting the cost of the six concert season and to OrKIDstra, a charity focused on providing musical education for kids in the Inland Empire. The gala started with the silent auction, which included travel packages, art pieces, sports packages, and much more. Tim Martin, an alumni of University of Redlands who ran the silent auction, hoped that the silent auction alone would bring in “... about a hundred thousand dollars.” The silent auction allowed patrons to mingle, eat hor d'oeurvres, and participate in bidding wars. A live auction followed the dinner. Redland's version of “Dancing with the Stars,” allowed local celebrities to showcase dances they had prepared with professional dancers over the past few months. Dance instructor Germaine Lewis said, “We had 15 lessons and covered a lot.” He and his partner, Jackie Meyer, danced the swing. The aim of the competition was to fundraise at a dollar per vote. All dances were given tens, with Dr. Bob Bourne winning the Mirror-Ball Trophy. Paul Ideker, president of the Redlands Symphony, was very pleased with the money raised by the dancing showcase, “Our aim was twenty thousand dollars and we exceeded twenty five.”