As I was accidentally flushing my $100 Fitbit down the toilet, I thought - gee, Sacramento and I share something in common: we can’t have nice things.
Yes, I’ve been bitching and moaning about Sacramento for a long time. And pretty much doing nothing about it. Apparently, I expect “them” to do something about it. And I’m enabled by the fact that sometimes, someone does.
Remember when I bemoaned our sports arena gracing the name of a fraudulent magic bracelet maker? The world mocked us. This company did not pay their bills for such a privilege, yet still enjoyed the free advertising because the arena owners allegedly couldn’t afford to take the sign down. And TV and radio people were still calling it Power Balance Pavillion - GAHHH!! Australians called it “Placebo Pavillion” and “Snake Oil Arena”. Finally, blessedly, another company came along and saved us from ourselves. Thank you, Sleep Train!
And remember that time I came back from New York singing the praises of food trucks and how cool they were and why doesn’t Sacramento have them? Since then, a movement began (even though city ordinances continue to virtually outlaw them) and now we’ve got food trucks growing on trees.
I even whined about how Sacramento didn’t have a blogging community and it eventually occurred to me and another blogger to start it ourselves and now we have Sacramento Bloggers.
So you see, sit on your ass and complain about something long enough and somebody else fixes it. Well, except for the Sacramento Bloggers. I did help fix that.
I’ve been to some faboo big parties in my day, none of which occurred in Sacramento. Until this past weekend.
Which means that somebody has done something about that, too. And it wasn’t me. Because my job is primarily kvetching. I’m a kvetcher.
Enter, Reason To Party, an organization that throws “parties with a purpose”. I was invited to cover this recent gala event at the Elks Tower to benefit the Verge Center for the Arts.
So, what was so great about this party? Well, if you’d sit still for one lousy minute, I’ll tell you: It was the closest thing to a “cool city” party, I’ve ever seen here in this red-headed stepchild of a city.
When you entered the lobby to check-in, members of Core Dance Collective were strewn about, moving around, silently dancing, posing. Like animated decorations. I felt like I wasn’t supposed to talk to them. And they were everywhere: in the lobby, on the stairs, in the ballroom, adding color and raising the coolness factor.
A VIP ticket gave you access to a champagne reception on the 14th floor in the ironically-named Rail Bridge Cellars Penthouse Lounge and Wine Tasting Room. And more dancers. I think there were like, 147 of them.
The Penthouse Lounge
The Verge Center provided a couple installations for the party, one of which was interactive where you stood behind a glass wall with cutouts for your head and your images were projected onto a screen on another far wall in the ballroom.
That’s Amy, of Limit Reached, on the left, who came with me to the gala event.
And there was this room with circles of straw or hay or something where masked women tiptoed in circles.
And Wrings, a local band I’ve never heard before but totally enjoyed, performed for more than 400 guests.
That’s right, they sold 400 tickets. Who does that? To me, it’s a sign that they are definitely on to something.
As stated on their website, Reason to Party is a “movement to make philanthropy fun, cool and accessible”. They “design unique events to raise funds, inspire awareness of worthy causes, and cultivate future philanthropic leaders”.
That last part means helping to grow young philanthropists. And I’m pretty sure I was old enough to be nearly everyone’s mother. So many young people there, all dressed up and donating their dollars, supporting local culture…it’s enough to bring a tear to this cynic’s eye. That is, if I were a crying person. Which I’m not. But that’s another blog post.
Until recently, Sacramento partied like it was 1999. But now that young people don’t even get that reference, they might very well take over this city and make it chic, man.
The Reason to Party staff are primarily young, native Sacramentans who seem to have a passion to change this town into something hip (trendy? phat? I don’t know, what are the kids saying these days? Groovy? Are they saying groovy?). And instead of blowing this popsicle stand, I may have to stick around now and watch it happen. (Link to Reason to Party Facebook Page).
I told you they were everywhere. I think I got one stuck on my sleeve and accidentally brought it home with me.
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By the way, if you’re floating down the aquaduct in an innertube and you see a Fitbit engraved with “This belongs to Klutz McKluttzerstein”, could you grab it for me? There’s a reward.
