May 19, 2022

CCEF Celebrates 40 Years at The Ruby Gala

Ruby Gala Photo Collage

Thanks to tremendous community support, the Ruby Gala surpassed its goal of raising $175,000 for the programs CCEF funds across the district!

Nearly 200 community members and CCUSD families attended the beautiful evening at Playa Studios as CCEF culminated its milestone anniversary celebration – it’s because of each supporter that the foundation has been able to sustain dynamic arts and STEM programming at Culver City schools for 40 years. Guests enjoyed plentiful food and beverages from local restaurants Allegra California Café, Chicas Tacos, George Petrelli’s Steak House, Harajuku Taproom, Hatchet Hall, Hotcakes Bakes, Lonzo’s Restaurant, Mayura Indian Restaurant, Nankai Shochu, and Simonette Restaurant at the Palihotel Culver City. The audience watched inspiring performances as middle school students shared a song from their spring musical production of “Matilda,” and the CCHS Academy of Visual & Performing Arts (AVPA) presented a moving duo featuring a music and dance student.

A big highlight from the night was a special announcement from Presenting Sponsor, Amazon Studios, that they would make an additional $40,000 gift that night – this inspired 100 others to make a gift during the event and helped the event reach its fundraising goal!

Our deep gratitude to all of the event sponsors, partners, and volunteers for making this memorable evening a success. Special thanks to the event committee and our guest emcees, Howard Behnken and Brian Vabulas, for their invaluable contributions!

Be sure to check out the Step & Repeat photos by CFP Photography from the Ruby Gala, and additional images on Facebook. We hope that everyone, even those who could not attend, feels inspired to build the yellow brick road into the next 40 years of education.