On Sunday, September 11, 2016 the Santa Monica History Museum will hold its annual Gala Tribute Dinner at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows at 101 Wilshire Boulevard, Santa Monica, CA, 90401. In recognition of the opening of Metro’s Expo Line to Santa Monica earlier this year, the event is themed “Tracking History: Celebrating the Return of Passenger Rail to Santa Monica.” The event will honor Dee and Jim Menzies; the Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows with Ellis O’Connor, MSD Hospitality, and Matt Lehman, General Manager; and The Santa Monica Public Library. Monika White is Chair of the event committee and Eddie Guerboian will serve as Master of Ceremonies. Cocktail hour begins at 5:00pm followed by a gourmet dinner, exclusive silent auction, and exciting entertainment.
When the Expo Line pulled into the Downtown Santa Monica station on May 20, 2016, it was the first time that a passenger rail line connected downtown Los Angeles, or any city for that matter, to Santa Monica since 1953. Passenger rail was once an integral part of life in Southern California connecting cities as wide spread as Santa Monica, Riverside, San Pedro, Inglewood, and Santa Ana. Residents from all social strata rode the rails, including the wealthy decedents of Santa Monica’s city founders. A historic event over 60 years in the making, a passenger rail line once again connects Southern Californians with the beaches of Santa Monica Bay. The Santa Monica History Museum’s annual Gala Tribute Dinner will commemorate this historic reconnection and the rail lines that used to crisscross our urban landscape.
Individual tickets to the Gala Tribute Dinner can be purchased for $150.00, sponsorship opportunities start at $900.00, and ads in the Souvenir Gazette start at just $25.00. Tickets, sponsorship, and Souvenir Gazette ads can be purchased online at www.santamonicahistory.org/2016-gala/ or by calling (310) 395-2290. Donations to the silent auction are currently being accepted and donation forms can be found online a santamonicahistory.org/2016-gala.
All proceeds from this event will benefit the collections, exhibitions, and programs of the Santa Monica History Museum. The Santa Monica History Museum is closing out its 40th anniversary year in October and this event will help raise much needed funds to continue the work of preserving and promoting the history of the Santa Monica Bay area for another 40 years. Each attendee will receive a copy of the Souvenir Gazette, a special edition newsprint publication that includes photographs and information about Santa Monica’s historic passenger rail lines, the event’s venerable honorees, and more.
The Santa Monica History Museum would like to recognize the local businesses and organizations that have become Pacific Electric Red Car level sponsors of this event: Bob Gabriel Insurance Co.; Kaiser Permanente, West Los Angeles; One West Bank; and Santa Monica College. Their generous support enable the museum to keep our rich, local history alive for future generations.
For more information please contact Kathryn Evans at (310) 395-2290 or kevans@santamonicahistory.org.
