KING CITY — Rotary Club of King City hosted its first-ever Night Oasis event, which was a dazzling success as tickets sold out weeks before the gathering and all in attendance seemed to love the evening.
Under the leadership of Rotary President Alex Gourley, the local philanthropic group hosted an epic party in Pine Canyon on Sept. 10 at the Casey Redtail Ranch.
Night Oasis included dinner hosted by The Cork & Plough, an open bar, wine provided by Delicato Vineyards, and star gazing led by astronomer Daniel V. Cotton of the Monterey Institute for Research in Astronomy.
There were 120 lucky guests who got to enjoy a truly unique experience hosted in a spectacular location. According to Anita McKean, “The food and wine were excellent and the star gazing was amazing.”
Night Oasis was a fundraiser aimed at providing more scholarships for King City High School seniors. A total of $12,500 was raised on ticket sales and an additional $2,500 was raised from the silent auction items.
The entire evening was incredibly elegant. Upon entering the completely redesigned barn, guests were met by lovely live music provided by KCHS junior and cello soloist Hannah Ettinger. In fact, volunteers from KCHS acted as servers throughout the meal and dessert.
Even at $100 a pop, tickets sold out quickly. One lucky Rotarian bought the “Golden Ticket,” which included an overnight stay at the newly renovated Redtail ranch house for up to eight guests. The winner called the house a “perfect blend of historic charm with modern conveniences.”
The first part of the farmhouse was built in 1887. The Redtail’s overnight guests were greeted the morning after Night Oasis by several deer and wild turkeys walking around outside while two Rotarians, Claudette Lussier and James Ewart, returned to cook them breakfast.
Past Rotary President Rich Casey and wife Sharon Casey bought the Redtail Ranch in 2020. After doing extensive restoration, this was the first event to be held in the barn. In addition, this working cattle ranch has a bunkhouse, olive orchard and a horse arena.
In the words of Vournee Nolte, “The King City Rotarians should be commended for sponsoring such a well-planned and unique evening. I hope they can make it an annual event.”
Rotary International’s 2021 Mission Statement reads, “To provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through its fellowship of business, professional, and community leaders.”
King City Rotary provides grants to serve both local and international needs — from KCHS scholarships and supporting groups like King City in Bloom with funds to building a house in Uganda and partnering with an agency in India providing prosthetic limbs to those in need.
“Night Oasis was wildly successful in terms of raising money to support our local scholars as well as providing a terrific cultural and academic experience for our community,” the club stated.
Article submitted by Steve Schmidt, Communications Chair for King City Rotary.
