|
|
|
|
what cowboy gala 2005 guests experienced... ARTISTS INVITED BY THE ACSO ART COMMITTEE
and whO PARTICIPATEd IN COWBOY GALA 2005 werE AS FOLLOWS: MORE NEWS!!! Below, we share some highlights from prior Cowboy Gala events. Fun, fun, and more fun!
Cowboy Gala 2005 The Finale! It was quite a ride - Thank you!!! |
| |
At the 10th annual fundraiser held to benefit ACSO, Founder Bill Owen and his wife, Valerie, announced Cowboy Gala 2005 would very probably be the final fundraising event. While many supporters wish the event could continue, they are happy to know they have been a part of a wonderful cause, enabling the ACSO Board of Directors to continue funding scholarships for young people of Arizona ranching families for many years to come! BELOW YOU MAY LEARN HOW THE FIRST OF THE ANNUAL ACSO FUNDRAISERS CAME TO BE HELD IN WICKENBURG, ARIZONA, AND READ ABOUT THAT PIVOTAL EVENING. WHAT TOOK PLACE THERE ON MARCH 1, 2003 WOULD BECOME THE BLUEPRINT OF THE ANNUAL FUNDRAISERS TO FOLLOW. Since the inception of ACSO there has been one single day of fundraisers held annually to generate the funds to enable the Board of Directors to grant scholarships to young people of Arizona ranching families. March 1, 2003 was the eighth annual such event, known as Cowboy Gala 2003, and almost everything about it was different than the seven previous ones. Cowboy Gala 2002 had been a huge success, setting records in every way, including attendance and net proceeds; however, within that year another record had been set - ACSO had awarded more scholarships than ever in 2002 due to the increased exposure of the organization, and in fact, for the first time ever, they pledged more in awards than the annual fundraisers had netted. It became apparent that beginning with Cowboy Gala 2003, the annual events would have to generate more monies if ACSO wanted to maintain the claim they had been fortunate to be able to make throughout the years - that of never having to turn one qualified applicant away. The first challenge was to find a location that was suitable, with enough local support to make everything work. When Valerie and Bill Owen moved to Wickenburg, Arizona they had no preconceived ideas of what it would be like to live there, or how the organization and the annual fundraisers would be accepted and/or supported. However, several individuals from Wickenburg had traveled to Prescott for Cowboy Gala 2002, which led them to believe that moving the event to Wickenburg could potentially work, and the Board of Directors agreed it was worth a try. ACSO will forever be grateful to Dick Russell, one of those supportive Wickenburg residents, for caring enough to take the initiative to talk to the owner of Rancho de los Caballeros about ACSO and its annual fundraisers. He then took his interest and support a step further, by inviting Jan Currier, Rusty Gant, and Valerie and Bill Owen to his lovely home for dinner one evening. Rusty is the owner of Rancho de los Caballeros in Wickenburg, which is a beautiful and historic guest ranch and golf club located on over 20,000 acres, and where the spirit of the old west lives on - an absolutely perfect facility for our events! By the end of the evening, Rusty generously offered the services of this wonderful facility to host Cowboy Gala 2003! It was the beginning of a wonderful experience! There was one single denominator on which the foundation of the annual ACSO fundraising events had been built - the generosity of the talented artists who donated their fabulous creations. Without their generosity, the ACSO fundraisers wouldn't have evolved over the yearsinto the unique and stand-out event of the year. Individuals who donate to ACSO or someone who purchases a piece of art at the annual fundraiser realizes a tax deduction, but many people don't realize that the artists who donate the actual piece of art can only realize a tax deduction for the cost of materials! In other words, if an artist donates a $5,000 piece of art, they only realize a deduction for the cost of materials used in creation of the piece - paint, canvas, frame - they don't even get to claim their time! Knowing that makes it even more admirable that year after year, artists have donated their wonderful creations, and we appreciate their help. As previously mentioned, it was absolutely mandatory that Cowboy Gala 2003 grow, so the ACSO Art Committee invited more artists than in previous years, assembling the most impressive lineup of participating artists in the history of their event. They also decided to experiment to see if there was enough support for larger and more expensive pieces, inviting several of the donating artists to provide larger pieces for the auction on consignment. If it worked, ACSO would not only realize a greater income by earning a commission on these larger pieces, but the artists may finally earn something in return for their many years of unselfish support. So, plans were in place for a bigger and better event, and invitations for Cowboy Gala 2003 went out, listing more artists than ever planning to donate and consign art. As if to answer the question of local
acceptance and/or support of our annual fundraising effort, for the
first time in the history of ACSO, we experienced a complete sell-out
for Cowboy Gala 2003, which more than doubled the attendance in the
previous year! The original plan was to hold the event to 16 tables,
but soon after invitations went out the decision was made to add four
more, then eventually the 21st table was added. We couldn't add any
more tables after that and still have room to display the art, so
we had to start turning people away and began keeping a waiting list
of people hoping for a cancellation; with a full two weeks left to
go! Not a single person changed their mind, so the ACSO Cowboy Gala
of 2003 debuted to a full house for the first time ever! That evening,
we began to realize what a wonderful community Wickenburg is. It is
full of caring individuals who have recognized the need for the beneficiaries
of this cause, and the support has been phenomenal! We couldn't be
more pleased! Thank you!
Read on to learn more!
click for large imageGuests attending ACSO's evening fundraiser festivities, Cowboy Gala 2003, were greeted by six tuxedo-clad ACSO Scholarship Recipients on horseback, who led the vehicles to their respective parking spaces. As guests exited their cars and began to approach the Palo Verde Conference Center where the 5:00 Cocktail Hour was being held, they were drawn by the festive strains of Mariachi Alma del Sol - a Mariachi ensemble made up of nineteen wonderful children ranging in age from 10 to 17 - courtesy of Rosie's House.
During service of the salads, Red was assisted by Don Hedgpeth, Dean Cameron, George Vensel, Bill Blake, and Bill Owen as they worked their way throughout the room, conducting card and dice games. Final playoffs took place at the end of the evening for the prizes of six limited edition prints donated by Bill Owen. Canvassing the Four Winds donated their services, canvas transferring the prints, and custom frames were donated by Montgomery Frames. A special Thanks to Debbie and Tony Apodaca and to Kathy and Gerald Montgomery! You do great work and we appreciate your support. The lucky winners and the prizes they won are as follows:
One of the highlights of the evening was the opportunity that guests had to see and meet the scholarship recipients who were in attendance. These young people were the reason for the evening - the true stars! As Red introduced each one, Bill Owen, Founder of ACSO, presented them with their ACSO Scholarship Voucher for the 2003-2004 school years. It was a proud moment for each and every person in attendance; they knew their support meant they played a part in each and every one of those young people's lives! Then, Red entertained the crowd with some of his wit and song, which was a true treat. To the left, you may learn more about Red's talents and accomplishments. He's our friend, and we love him. Finally, Red introduced Mr. Carson Thomas, our official auctioneer for the evening. As ACSO scholarship recipients assisted, the live auction portion of the evening began...and oh, what an auction it was! Carson trained five years ago to become a professional Auctioneer, specializing in calling antique, collectible, Native American, and western shows. The talent he has isn't a part of the training he received. His ability to keep people laughing during the auction only added to the high-energy activities. As Carson auctioned off the wonderful, original art; the donating artists who were in attendance were introduced to the guests. There were great moments throughout, but one really had to be there to experience the magic that took place. At the end of the evening, it was an exciting and indescribable pleasure for everyone in attendance to learn the total amount that had been taken in; in excess of $160,000! What a night! Everyone who participated in any way the evening of March 1, 2003 helped to make possible a wonderful and memorable event that those in attendance will not forget anytime soon; and established the blueprint for Cowboy Gala events which followed! |
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
home | for
students | fundraisers | donate
| recipients | supporters
| letters | contact |
|||||||||||||||||||||||
