Laguna Beach Presidential Inaugural Gala Draws 300 Guests

LAGUNA BEACH, Calif. Jan. 21, 2009 –Three hundred people celebrated at the nonpartisan Laguna Beach Presidential Inaugural Gala on Tuesday night at [seven-degrees]. Guests in tuxedos, floor-length gowns and cocktail attire were inspired by the evening’s program and visibly moved by the videos covering a timeline from the end of the Civil War to the swearing-in ceremony of Barack Obama on the steps of our nation’s capitol.

The party’s vibe was one of inspiration, joy and optimism. A Dixieland–style band from the Laguna Community Concert Bands played as guests arrived on a red carpet. Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Stephen Stone led the Pledge of Allegiance, and Rev. Mark Whitlock from Irvine’s Christ Our Redeemer AME Church gave the invocation. Laguna resident and award-winning poet Kate Buckley read her original poem, Of Hope, Of Light, written expressly for the occasion. The evening’s events were streamed live on the gala’s website and are archived at www.atthisdefiningmoment.com.

The Praise Team, a seven-member choir from the AME Church, sang four inspirational songs that had the crowd swaying and clapping. When the recorded video of the inauguration and highlights from President Obama’s speech were shown, many partygoers shed tears of joy and hugged one another.

Organized by a 25-member volunteer committee, the gala was the brainchild of longtime Laguna resident Denny Freidenrich, who remarked during his keynote address, “Barack Obama’s election as this nation’s 44th president is as important as the elections of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Franklin Delano Roosevelt.”

Music for the evening was provided by Southland jazz favorites, duo Ron Kobayashi and Debi Raven, local acoustic band Soulfood, and deejay Mike Soto. Event sponsors included [seven-degrees], the Election Committee of the County of Orange (ECCO), the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) and the Laguna Beach Democratic Club.

Members of the inaugural gala committee included Kathleen Abel, Max Brown, Kate Buckley, Robert Cassard, Chuck Carstensen, Denny and Leah Freidenrich, Betsy Gosselin, Joe and Jane Hanauer, Maggi Henrikson, Michael and Lauren Howell, the Hon. Toni Iseman, Cort Kloke, Barbara McMurray, Carrie Pohlhammer, Chris Prelitz, Audrey Prosser, Herb Rabe, Jorge Rodriguez, Diane Valentino, Sandie Ward, Bara Waters and Denise Wheeler.