10th Annual Alumni Gala - August 6, 2011

2011 Return to Cathedral Gala Pictures by Joe L. Sandoval

10th Annual “Return to Cathedral Gala” “The Biggest Party Ever" The 2011 “Return to Cathedral Gala” - A Retrospective By Willie Marin, '67 Chairperson, Return to Cathedral Gala

“This is the Best Gala of all” is what we kept hearing from many alumni throughout the evening. Perhaps it was because we were again close to Cathedral, because of the spectacular view of the downtown skyline, or because, as expected, everyone in attendance was just having a great time. The 10th annual “Return to Cathedral Gala” was the biggest party ever produced by the Alumni Association. The event once again brought out alumni from all eras, from the 50s to the 2000s. The Gala hosted the celebration of the following class reunions.....1966, 1971, 1976, 1981, 1986, 1991, 1996, 2001 as well as a special recognition for the class of 1961, celebrating their 50th class reunion. As Hector recalls, "Every year the Gala has grown in attendance and the committee behind each gala has always introduced new elements to make it fresh and exciting. With this being the 10th Anniversary, we knew we had to make this the best one yet. Because of the Rose Bowl renovations the committee had to search for a new venue, we knew it had to be special and Dodger Stadium was the perfect choice. It was close to Cathedral and it is one of the most beloved landmarks in Los Angeles". As people arrived that evening, you could feel the excitement in the air. Paul Villarreal ’94 commented, "When I parked my car and looked toward the set-up area, we could see the Cathedral High School flags waving in the wind, signifying a powerful Phantom presence. As everyone entered, you could see the smiles on their faces as they reunited with old classmates, friends, and alumni of all eras. I began to sense this was going to be a memorable and special evening". Opening up the event, Councilman Ed Reyes ’77 presented the Alumni Association with a Certificate of Appreciation from the City of Los Angeles, honoring the 10th Anniversary of the Return to Cathedral Gala. After the introduction of both school President Martin Farfan '86 and members of the entire gala committee Principal Brother John Montgomery led all in a gala-opening prayer. It was now time for dinner. One element of the Gala the committee takes prides in is the food. This year we served a delicious meal: tender sirloin, chicken piccata, and shrimp pasta, with side dishes of potatoes, rice, salad, and various fruit tarts which were perfect for the occasion. A special thanks to Alex Pena ’93 from “La Morenita Bakery” who donates the desserts every year. The entertainment for the evening was the talented Top 40 band Cold Duck, who rocked the Gala a few years ago. The band offered old school, Latino and Motown sounds. They performed from 8 to Midnight, with one of their highlights being a special dedication of a “Line Dance” for the female audience. During each break, keeping the party going was the gifted DJ Phil Perez '84 who continued to keep the dance floor jumping until 1am. The “Victor Balzano Class Spirit Award” for having the largest class present went to the class of 1991, celebrating their 20th reunion, with the most class members present at 40. This year marked the 2nd time in just 3 years that a class from the 1990's has won the award. A close 2nd was once again the class of 1967, who has won the award 6 out of the gala's 10 years, and finishing in 3rd place was the class of 1971. As with every gala, the highlight of the evening was inviting all the reunion classes on the dance floor for the singing of the Alma Mater. As for other attendance awards, they were presented to: “Eldest” - Richard Betance ’53, “Youngest” - Adrian Barcenas ‘2006, “Person who traveled the farthest to attend” - David Espinoza ’81 (Chicago, IL.), and the “Phantom Brother Award” for having the most CHS alumni brothers in attendance - The Reyes Family. Another tradition of the gala is for each reunion class to select an individual from their class who has made a difference in their community or has reached the highest level of their profession. The committee also asked each reunion class to select a teacher that had an impact on their class. These individuals and teachers were invited to come to stage and be recognized by everyone in attendance. I encourage you to read these individuals' enlightening stories in the Gala magazine. The Gala magazine is available online through the alumni website at www.CathedralAlumni.com To kick up the gala a couple of notches, this year we brought back the “Phantom Big $10,000 Sweepstakes”. Ticket sales were going strong during the event as no one wanted to be left out on the opportunity to walk away with the big bucks. As we got closer to the drawing you could feel the excitement in the air. The Phantom Big $10,000 winner was Xavier Vega ‘73, a Salesian High School grad (the Mustangs love the Gala). One of the most impressive and moving experiences of the evening was the dancing and partying at Club CP. As Tony Chang ’91 said, “This feels like a Cathedral High School dance! Do you remember walking into the old gym during a dance and feeling the vibration and mystique in the air with the music bouncing off the wooden walls?” The Alumni Association introduced the night club atmosphere Club CP at last year’s gala this year it was held under a large tent. Club CP was hosted by DJ Eddie Soto '84 and included a great light show and featured disco, freestyle, and contemporary music starting at 10pm and also ending at 1am. Club CP was a hit with the classes of the 80’s, 90’s & 2000’s as well as the rest of the alumni who loved this music. The Gala committee would like to thank all of you for making the last 10 years an enjoyable affair. The first 10 years of the Gala will always be remembered not only as a major fundraiser for the Alumni Association, but where alumnus reconnected after many years, keeping memories alive, enjoying great food and entertainment! “After 10 years as chairperson for the “Return to Cathedral Gala”, I must say, the 10th annual was special for many reasons; a great turn out, great food, great entertainment, but most important, to see the enjoyment the alumni and their friends were having and to see that many of them did not want to leave Dodger Stadium, this is when you know you’re having a great time”....Willie Marin. One of the special moments of each gala is when the reunion classes are invited to the stage for the singing of the Cathedral Alma Mater. As I watched and listened I could not get out of my mind how the aura of the Cathedral experience is instilled in all of us, and how it just takes a spark to get those Phantom juices flowing. This event will continue to grow but it is dependent on the continued support of our alumni, family, and friends. The CHS Alumni Association challenges you to make an effort to attend future galas, to contact classmates for reunions, and to invite friends to share in this wonderful experience of raising funds for students of low income families. We encourage all alumni to join us at the monthly meetings held the first Wednesday of every month at 7:00 pm at Cathedral High School. It’s time to give back and get involved. The only question remaining now is, “How are we going to top this for next year?” Be there and find out.