BOOM! Festival supported Family
Partnership Charter School and young artists
The
event sold 150 VIP tickets and approximately 270 general admissions.
One
hundred percent of the money raised will be used for the school’s computer
technology and enrichment activities, according to Tom Goodman, executive
director of the school.
The
school is an independent home-study charter school, a kindergarten through 12th
grade public school that has about 150 pupils this year from the Valley.
Thirty-two seniors graduated this year.
“Different
people are there for different reasons,” said Tom Goodman, executive director.
“Our focus is on making it work —
you’ve got to make it work for the kids and families. Each child that
comes in gets an assessment and an individualized learning plan. A prime
example would be a fourth grader in pre-algebra; we take them from where their
skill level is, and we carry them forward from there. Some of the students are
enrolled in classes at Alan Hancock. We also offer a wide range of enrichment
activities, such as archery, tennis, cooking and art.”
Elisabeth Galvin, one of the event organizers
and sponsors of BOOM!, said “it was a great evening,
really nice. Everybody that came wanted to participate in the festival, and
people stayed a long time — three hours or more. The kids had a blast and
thought it was a good idea.” Elisabeth and her husband John own and operate the
ceramic studio Le Studio of Solvang and gourmet dessert and snack food
companies Delyse and Snackaroo.
Elisabeth
also said that she was thanked profusely by the young artists, who enjoyed the
venue and the chance to perform on stage. The event gave them the opportunity to
be real performers, with stage makeup, lights and cameras. The Galvins’ own daughter Gina, 9, is “And” in the trio Sweet And Sour with two other nine-year-olds, Stephanie Davidson
(Sweet) and Kaley Thatcher (Sour). Sweet And Sour performed a song, “Horizon Sun,” which they wrote
themselves and performed a capella.
Elisabeth,
who also works as a French teacher at the school, said, “I always tell children
that ‘your dreams can come true. You are what you think, and what you wish can
come true.’ This was really fun for them, to see their dreams come true.”
The
performers were local artists Jackson Campbell and The Drive, Dylan Schmidt,
Sweet & Sour, Antonio Barrett and Dane Anderson, Alec Hanna and Jordyn Shellhart. Nashville twins
Kate and Kacey Coppola, who recently took fourth
place in the first series of the TV show “Can You Duet?,”
said that they were excited to be invited to perform in the Santa Ynez Valley
and enjoyed the venue. The entertainment was organized by promoter Rick Barker.
Not
all the performers were children. Cowboy Poet Dan Hess of Missouri recited two
original poems.
The
Coppola twins are Colorado natives, and were born Feb. 18, 1983. They have been
in Nashville about a year and a half and have signed with a publicist. The rock
and blues band Jackson Campbell and The Drive members are all neighbors on a
“Drive” in Santa Barbara that formed a band, hence the name. Dylan Schmidt is a
Carpenteria musician and outfitter that Elisabeth
heard playing guitar by the campfire on a recent excursion.
“I
would like to give a special thank you to Michael Schoff
and Jeanne Hollingsworth of MJ Ranch for providing a fantastic setting for the
event. I also want to send out a special thanks to Doug and Sue Herthel; Matt and Laura Drammer;
John and Katherine Krska; Celi
and Burt Ribbet; Joe and Alice Olla Pat Roberts; Ken
and Allie Anderson; my husband, John, and to all the volunteers and sponsors
that made the first Boom Festival possible,” added Elisabeth.
A
few of the live auction items are still available, such as Alan Murray
paintings and the Tahitian black pearl jewelry.
If
you are interested in bidding on these items, contact Elisabeth Galvin at
688-8440.
For
more information on the Family Partnership Charter School, visit
http://www.sbceo.org/~fpcs or telephone (805) 686-5339.