ABCs of a Successful Funding Roundup

The Scene: The Scott Newman Center’s “Ten-Gallon Gala” Saturday at the Calamigos Ranch in the Malibu mountains. There were silent and live auctions and country-Western music. The gala benefited the charity’s new project, All Babies Count--the ABCs of a Brighter Future, a public-awareness campaign focusing on the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse during pregnancy.

The Locale: Guests were greeted by parking attendants on horseback. The party was on a football-field-sized lawn. Dozens of pink-covered tables were set before an Old West-themed stage. Bales of hay, wooden corrals and cactus decorated the moonlit scene. One guest said it was “what you’d think Roy Rogers’ and Dale Evans’ wedding reception would (have looked) like.”

Who Was There: Among the 600 guests were Mel Harris (who emceed), Teri Garr (who bought a Rauschenberg lithograph for $2,300), Bob Saget (who did stand-up comedy), Mike Farrell, Jerry Van Dyke, Ken Kragen, Julianne Phillips, Kurt Rambis, Marlee Matlin and Cristina Ferrare with husband Tony Thomopoulos.

Dress Mode: Beverly Hills goes to Santa Fe--concho belts and buckskin fringe jackets over spandex and silk. Bald men learned the value of cowboy hats.

High-End Impulse Purchase: A Lotus Elan convertible went for $33,000 in the silent auction. It’s a male, midlife-crisis, 140-m.p.h. sports car. One prospective buyer said it “looks like a Miata designed by Armani.”

Quoted: “We’re always hearing about ‘crack babies’ or ‘monster babies,’ ” said Sheryl Valentiner, All Babies Count project director. “Everything in the media is so negative. Teachers are afraid to have them in their classes. But it’s not hopeless. With the proper intervention, most of these kids are going to be OK.”

Money Matters: Tickets were $125; according to gala chair Kate Folb, more than $100,000 was taken in.

Chow: Chuck-wagon nouveau--barbecued meats and a salad bar.

Auction Philosophy: “You have to make it a party,” said auctioneer G. Ray Hawkins. “You’re asking people to spend money they don’t have for things they don’t need.”

If Vegetarians Had Tamed the West: One guest wore a gun belt with bottles of Paul Newman’s salad dressing jammed into the holsters.

The Last Word: “Honey, I’ve been here since 4 o’clock,” said volunteer Cornelia McDonald. “These boots ain’t made for standing.”