Feb 26, 2004

Snow Ball event heads for exotic locales
Almaden Valley Counseling Service Auxiliary gears up for bi-annual event

By Kymberli W. Brady
Staff Writer

“Passport to Style” is the traveling theme at this year’s Snow Ball, a two-day charity event presented by the Almaden Valley Counseling Service Auxiliary to raise funds for the growing Almaden Valley Counseling Service. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the bi-annual event.

Snow Ball Chair Amy McCafferty hopes to raise $30,000 this year in what she promises will be a “light and fun trip” to exotic locations and ports-of-call.

Festivities will kick off on March 12 at the Almaden Country Club, with a luncheon and fashion show at 11 a.m., followed by a tea and fashion show at 4 p.m.

The main event promises to be a night filled with gourmet food, fine dancing, flowing gowns, fashion, and live entertainment featuring the David Osborne Band. The [black tie-optional] affair is March 13 at 6 p.m., complete with live and silent auctions as well as themed donation drawing tables that will offer items from France, England, Africa, Hawaii, and other destinations.

According to McCafferty, it’s kind of personal for Osborne and his brother, fellow band member as both are alumni models of the event.

In keeping with tradition, the production, directed this year by Annette Reavis, will include models ranging in age from 2 to 18-years-old, selected from the offspring of Counseling Service Auxiliary members. The fashion show will feature 15 around-the-world themes and showcase styles from Macy's and other fine stores at Westfield Shoppingtown, Oakridge, including Children’s Place, Forever 21, Baby Foot Locker, Papaya, Wilson’s Leather, Anchor Blue, Old Navy, Eli Thomas Formalwear, and Aeropostale, as well as Tennis 2 Tees from Los Gatos.

Auxiliary member children and others will also be featured during several other entertainment portions over the two-day period, including piano and harp performances.

“The kids are really into it this year,” exclaims Reavis. “They are all working very hard and they see the bigger picture—how important it is to raise money for the Counseling Service. My experience with this has been awesome.”

Looking for local celebrities to MC the event led organizers this year to look in their own back yard. “This time, we are going to use two outstanding students from Leland,” says McCafferty. “We’ve never done this before and I think it’s going to go really well.”

Celebrity MC honors have been awarded to Deena Shakir, a former counseling service volunteer who has won national awards in speech and debate. Student Body President Bret Hammond will serve as her co-host.

According to McCafferty, the auxiliary has raised an estimated $250,000 with the Snow Ball event since its inception in 1984. The money has enabled the Almaden Valley Counseling Service to address the mental health concerns of all ages by offering access to affordable counseling. Over the years, the program has grown exponentially to include on-campus counseling at area schools, as well as classes in anger management and parenting, marriage and family counseling, and their latest, a geriatric advisement program for seniors and their adult children.

Originally known as the Almaden Valley Youth Counseling Service during its infancy in 1980, the agency, now in its 24th year has grown to include service to all ages. Last year alone, the number of clients increased 70 percent from the year prior—over 500 in all. An estimated 400 children in 13 local schools also benefited from their services. “We’ve really grown in this past year,” says Executive Director Rocki Kramer. “That’s because of cutbacks in other agencies, the economy, and the need for service.”

The agency’s unique structure allows them to use interns and keep costs low. It also provides future therapists the opportunity to achieve the required 3,000 supervised hours of service to become licensed in the state of California—truly a win-win situation. “That’s how we are able to provide our services on a sliding scale fee,” says Kramer. “We don’t have huge employment costs, which enables us to provide low-cost counseling. However, we try not to turn anyone away if they can’t pay.”

Neighborhoods First, the Perry’s of Caldwell Banker, Hairs Inn and British Petroleum of North America are among this year’s major sponsors—important factors for the auxiliary as 25 percent of the funding for the counseling service is raised at various events throughout the year, including the Almaden Times Classic, a Santa’s Breakfast each December, and the Home Tour, held every other year.

All three Snow Ball events are open to the public. Ticket prices range from $30 to $125 per person and proceeds will continue to help fund the Almaden Valley Counseling Service’s full range of classes and counseling, all in an effort to “promote personal growth, positive family relationships and emotional well-being.”

“These are desperately needed funds,” admits McCafferty. “Especially in the budget crisis, where counselors are among the first to get nixed at the schools. The programs that the counseling service offers are needed more than ever now.”

For more information, log on to http://www.avcounseling.org/snowball.htm. To purchase tickets, call AVCS at (408) 997-0200