Alpha's "Circle Of Life" Luncheon 2015

One of the highlights of my photographic year is having the opportunity to capture the magic and beautiful moments of Alpha Resource Center's "Circle of Life" Fundraising Luncheon hosted by long-time Alpha Fan and comedian Dennis Miller.

Committed to empowering individuals, supporting families, and building a community that values the contribution of all people, Alpha is an incredibly invaluable, SB-based nonprofit. Featuring music performances by Alpha participants, stories by family members whose lives have been touched by Alpha, and testimonials from local business owners who are employing Alpha participants, there's usually not a dry eye in the house by the end of the lunch. 

It's truly a joy to have been a photographer for Alpha over the past 5+ years! 

Please make sure to check out the slideshow I've put together below. If you enjoy this post and the slideshow, please "like" it and share it on Facebook as well! Thanks so much!

Sit back, relax, and enjoy the show!

 Enjoy the slideshow! ;-) 

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If you'd like to view all of the photos in the whole gallery or purchase any prints from the day, visit here: http://rsthurston.zenfolio.com/rachelsarahthurstonalpha2015bestjpegs

Alpha's Annual "Circle Of Life" Luncheon With Dennis Miller

I've lost track of how many years I've been photographing the Alpha Resource Center's Annual "Circle Of Life" Luncheon but I'm no less moved today by their events than I was many years ago when I first started shooting for them.



The work that they do in our community--providing support to families with children of all ages who have developmental disabilities- is impactful and deeply moving. I am inspired by both the staff and the participants at Alpha who all seem to have a zest for life and a passion about what they are doing.

From testimonials by Alpha participants and family members to witty remarks from long-time Alpha supporter Dennis Miller to music performances by participants….I always come out of any Alpha Event buoyed, humbled, and uplifted by the beauty of the human spirit!

Enjoy the slideshow below!

Please feel free to leave your comments below and share this link with your Alpha friends and supporters~

Enjoy the Slideshow!

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You can enjoy full screen mode by clicking on the square icon in the lower right hand corner of slideshow. 

Alpha's Diamonds & Denim 60th Anniversary Celebration!

*Make sure to enjoy the slideshow right below! 

Location: Santa Barbara Carriage House Museum

Saturday, November 2 2013

I've been working with Alpha Resource Center for the past three or more years. They are one of my favorite SB organizations to work with b/c of the heart they put into everything that they do. It's impossible to attend or participate in one of their events without feeling buoyed by the love and support in this community.

Their 60th Anniversary Celebration "Diamonds and Denim" was no exception. From Gabe and Jerry Donovan's beautiful rendition of "Upside Down" by Jack Johnson to watching an entertaining auctioneer--Zachary Krone--spin his magic and rally for some very generous sponsorship from major Alpha Supporters to enjoying a super fun dance set…it was difficult to not smile and feel celebratory!

I think the photos say it all…Alpha is truly giving so much to this community and you can feel the sense of "family" when you attend their events. I'm grateful to be a part of the Alpha "Family" as their photographer and as a proud supporter of all that they do!

Bravo to the Alpha Staff, participants, participants' families, the Alpha volunteers, and all of the generous families and sponsors who have been such a vital part of keeping Alpha going all these years. 

It's a pleasure to know each of you! I hope you enjoy this slideshow~ Feel free to leave your comments below and share this link with your Alpha friends and supporters~

Cheers, 

Rachel

r.s.thurston photography

*Enjoy the slideshow right below. Be patient and wait for the grey box to show a circle with an arrow in the middle appear. Once it appears click on it to "play." If it doesn't load, try refreshing your browser and waiting a few moments. 
*If the music doesn't come on at first, try refreshing your browser and clicking "play" again. 
**You can make the slideshow full screen by clicking on the rectangular box in the lower right hand screen of slideshow. Voila!
***Feel free to leave your comments below and share the link with your friends~ ;-)

Alpha's "Circle of Life" Annual Luncheon and 60th Anniversary with Dennis Miller

r.s.thurston photography
*Please feel free to leave comments after the slideshow

This is what I love about my job. I get to work with people who inspire and uplift me. And I get to be a part of amazing organizations like Alpha Resource Center who I might otherwise never have know about.

For those of you who only know of Alpha's Thrift Stores in town, you'll be surprised by how much this organization really does and the passion with which they operate in this world. In short, they exist to give support to families and their loved ones who have developmental disabilites. This was my second year photographing their Annual Circle of Life Luncheon and I am never any less moved or touched by the emotion and passion in that room!

From the beginning of the event when Gabe (an Alpha Participant) and his father Jerry Donovan sang and performed "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" to Dennis Miller's funny quips (he's been a passionate supporter of the organization for many years and has donated much of his personal time to Alpha) to another musical number featuring two more of Alpha's Participants and a few community members whose lives have been so indelibly touched by support from Alpha, it was hard not to be moved by the magic and love in the air. 

Since the event took place and while I was finishing up this slideshow, I discovered that a beloved Alpha Participant--Tom Sayovitz--passed away unexpectedly. I would like to dedicate this slideshow to him and to his family and friends at Alpha. My heart goes out to his family and friends and all those at Alpha who had grown close to Tom. 

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Alpha Resource Center’s Circle Of Life Luncheon
With Host Dennis Miller
rsthurston photography

April 3, 2011

I had the honor of photographing Alpha Resource Center of Santa Barbara’s Annual “Circle of Life” luncheon this past month which was hosted by comedian and talk show host Dennis Miller. I was truly touched by the amount of love and dedication in that room.

To many people, the name Alpha evokes images of their favorite thrift stores throughout town. But many Santa Barbarans may have no idea that behind these nifty threads lies a much bigger cause: Alpha is a non-profit devoted to empowering “individuals with developmental disabilities, supports families and fosters a community that values the contribution of all people.”

Many of the top sponsors have had personal friends and family members with disabilities so the organization’s mission is close to their hearts. It's an incredible organization to become involved with here in Santa Barbara driven by a very hard-working group of individuals.



Alpha will be holding a fundraiser and party this coming fall on Saturday, September 24th at Molly Houston's that will be a party not to be missed! For more info visit www.alphasb.org~

*For the slideshow, I picked the music track "One Tribe" by The Black Eyed Peas which I thought especially captured the love felt in the room that day~ If the music doesn't play with the slideshow, make sure to refresh your web page and click play again~

Enjoy!

Alpha Resource Center Holiday Thank You Party, Montecito, California

Photography by r.s.thurston photography

What do you get when you take a beautiful Spanish-style Montecito Home, mix in mini-cupcakes, a make-up artist, jeweler, Artiste Wines, a tarot-card reader, masseuses, loads of scrumptious plated cheeses, breads, and stuffed mushrooms, and a costume room full of hundreds of alter-ego possibilities?

A dang good time right before the holidays!

Alpha Resource Center wanted to give back this year and thank some of their top donors for their generous support. For those of you who wonder what Alpha does besides operate those killer-good-deal thrift stores around town, they're a Santa Barbara based non-profit committed to empowering individuals with developmental disabilities. The rewards event was spearheaded by Alpha’s Outreach Coordinator Marisa Pasquini. My good friend Michele Sakakibara was in charge of helping to orchestrate the night at Molly Houston’s gorgeous home in Montecito (she generously donated her place to be the event venue).

In my humble opinion, I think I had the coolest job of all! In my photography I absolutely love to “style” my clients and I’ve always been a glutton for costumes. I’m known for bringing several pieces of my own clothing, accessories, and props along to pump up fun in the shoot. Molly’s costume room is an absolute dream for anyone who loves to dress up…for all of you who love to try-on different personas….you wouldn’t believe the quality of costumes she’s both collected and created over her past many years in theatre and events….hand-beaded mermaid dress with matching slippers, Spanish dresses with layers of ruffles and matching hats, Chinese headdresses, weighty beaded flapper dresses, and whimsical chiffon princess skirts and bustiers…..and there’s a room full of Tupperware packed to the brim with every color feather boa and wigs you could imagine and hope for.

For four hours I helped to style, dress, and then photograph the guests at the party. I know, I know, it was rough work but we made it through the night….laughing, cajoling each other, and having a ball encouraging these beautiful women live into their alter-egos.

Of course, we had to have a costume contest and the winners were given some fantastic prizes. I’ve posted the top three winners here but definitely take time to check out the slideshow as well!

Molly is hoping in future years to grow this event and possibly hold a fundraiser here. Her place is an absolute dream to celebrate in and I hope to be a part of it next year~

Thank you again to all of Alpha’s Donors as well as to Marisa, Molly, Michele and the rest of the amazing men and women who came together to donate their time and help to create this event.

Happy New Year~!

Enjoy the Slideshow~

r.s.thurston is available for events and private portrait sessions. To see more of her work, just click on “portfolio” above or check out some of her photo sessions here on her blog. You can contact her at rachel@rsthurston.com

*The slideshow does have a music track. If the sound doesn't come on within a second or two, refresh your page and then click "play" again.

For those of you who attended the party and would like to download some of these photos, please follow these easy steps:

1) Click in the upper right corner to “visit gallery.”

2) You will be redirected to my Zenfolio Professional Gallery. Double click on the picture you would like to download. Roll your cursor over upper left portion of picture and select “Download Original.”