The Community Traveled Through Time in Support of the Center
2026 MUSE Gala was a success for Sonoma Community Center
Sonoma, California. Sonoma Community Center held the MUSE Gala, its biggest annual fundraising event, on Saturday, August 15, outdoors at the Center. Hundreds of community members came out to celebrate the collective YOU, the true force behind the nonprofit’s enduring legacy. The event was a success and surpassed the set goals for fundraising and fun-raising.
After checking in, guests stepped through the swirling vortex, traveling through time to decade-themed activities from timely cocktails to pet rocks, all leading to 1952 and the founding of the Sonoma Community Center; the year Dr. Carroll Andrews and his wife Katherine outbid August and Sylvia Sebastiani for the purchase of the campus.
The evening’s entertainment was a really BIG SHOW, inspired by fifties variety programs like the Ed Sullivan Show. Thanks to the generosity of Center supporter Vickie Soulier, who donated funds to replace the live auction, which left more time for entertainment and community stories. Ellen Toscano was Master of Ceremonies, interviewing Hailey Murray, Victor Reyes, Larry Krieger, and Cathy Williamson, a long-time Center instructor, who led the attendees in tai chi movements.
“The Community Center has been there my whole life,” said 10-year-old Murray, who tugged at everyone’s heartstrings. “It’s been like a second home for me.”
With three generations of Andrews grandchildren in attendance, SCC Board President Anne O’Brien accepted a commendation from Sonoma County Supervisor Rebecca Hermosillo honoring Dr. Carroll and Katherine Andrews and their legacy. Puppeteering duo Adie Valavanis and Kieron Robbins then took the stage to recreate that fateful moment when the Andrews beat out the Sebastianis in the auction, including the legendary quote from Sylvia Sebastiani, “If the doc really wants it, let him have it!”
During the decadent, fifties-inspired menu from the girl & the fig, the Luv Trio filled the dance floor. By dessert, guests were encouraged by Toscano to raise a paddle for the fund-a-need, helping to ensure the continued mission of the Sonoma Community Center into its 75th year. DJ StaRJay completed the night with an afterparty in Andrews Hall, which was, of course, named after our benefactors.
“It was a magical evening made up of all the things that define the Community Center,” said Vanessa Glamore Rognlien, Executive Director. “Creativity, community, and connection! We gathered together for a successful fundraising event and had fun doing it!”
Sonoma Community Center impacts the lives of many in Sonoma Valley. With the support from the Muse event via sponsors, ticket sales, silent auction, and fund-the-future, the Center will continue to provide opportunities to learn and grow through accessible classes, events, and scholarships. The Center will further its community outreach to the underrepresented in Sonoma Valley with scholarships, free programs, and events. Funds also go to improvements and maintenance of the Center’s beautiful and historic campus, ensuring that it will be here for generations to come.
About Sonoma Community Center
The Sonoma Community Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1953 to serve the communities of Sonoma Valley with the mission of cultivating a vibrant community through extraordinary creative, cultural, and learning experiences. Originally built as the Sonoma Grammar School, which opened in 1916, the Center is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Community – Innovation – Creativity – Inclusion – Leadership
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Media Contact:
Vanessa Glamore Rognlien
Executive Director, Sonoma Community Center
[email protected]
707-931-4166
