On April 5, more than 400 supporters of Planned Parenthood California Central Coast (PPCCC) gathered at the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort for its annual event, netting about $500,000 for the reproductive health services provided at its six centers in the tri-county area, including one in the City of Santa Barbara. This year’s fundraiser was especially important because of the recent loss of nearly $400,000 in Title X federal grant funding.
The evening began with cocktails in the foyer, with guests clad in florals for the Garden Gala theme and many still energized from the “Hands Off” protests earlier in the day. Over dinner in the ballroom, Executive Director Jenna Tosh shared that “in this fraught moment for our country, we are doing everything we can to hold our health center doors open as wide as ever.” PPCCC continues to provide high-quality care, without judgment, and serves anyone in need.
After paying tribute to former president of Planned Parenthood Action Fund and Planned Parenthood Federation of America Cecile Richards, who recently passed away, Tosh rallied the crowd by quoting Richards: “It’s not hard to imagine future generations one day asking, ‘When there was so much at stake for our country, what did you do?’ The only acceptable answer is, ‘Everything we could.’” These are our marching orders, Tosh proclaimed, to do something about injustice…