The Midtown Association’s Midtown Love Benefit was on May 18 at Faces Nightclub in Sacramento. The evening attendees enjoyed drinks and food provided by local restaurants. The mission of the Midtown Association is to make Midtown the city’s center for culture, creativity and vibrancy.

Photography: Tia Gemmell

Hundreds of local community leaders gathered for a luncheon on May 19 at the Doubletree Hotel in Sacramento to celebrate the American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women movement to raise awareness about heart disease. Guests this year were treated to educational sessions and shopping opportunities with local vendors, and heard from a local heart disease survivor.

NAIOP, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association, held their annual Person of the Year dinner May 25 at the Golden 1 Center, benefiting City Year. Mark Friedman, president of Fulcrum Property, was named as Person of the Year.

The UC Davis Graduate School of Management’s held their 17th annual Big Bang! Business Competition on May 25. Five finalists — out of a record 70 teams in this year’s competition — pitched their startups to the award ceremony audience for a chance to win more than $60,000 in prizes.

Unity Ball 2017, held April 20 at the Hyatt Regency in Sacramento, featured a guest performance from singer Freddie Jackson. Mayor Darrell Steinberg, Sierra Health Foundation President Chet Hewitt and Greater Sacramento Economic Council President and CEO Barry Broome were honorary chairs for an evening of celebration and partnerships.

The 4th annual Habitat for Humanity “Hard Hats & High Heels” fundraiser gala was held April 28 at the Sacramento Railyards. The evening included a collaborative project with local artists, VIP reception, gourmet feast, musical entertainment and high-end live auction led by David Sobon.

California Music Theatre celebrated its 65-year history of bringing Broadway musical theater to Sacramento at Music Circus and Broadway Sacramento. More than 400 business and community leaders enjoyed a reception and gourmet dinner on May 6, with performances from Jessica Grove, a nationally-recognized Broadway singer, and the CMT Gala Signers. The proceeds from this event support performing arts and education experiences for our community.

The annual One Party Gala presented by RV’s of Sacramento on April 22 raised funds and awareness for life-changing research to support those impacted by Type 1 diabetes. The event honored Greg Vaughn, four-time All Star and Major League Baseball player. The event raised $290,000 to help find a cure.

Sacramento State’s Green & Gold Gala is the university’s annual black tie event celebrating the impact of philanthropy on students’ lives. This year’s celebration, Reflections of Gratitude, raised more than $373,000 for student scholarships and the Emergency Grant Fund program, including $162,000 raised during an 11-minute “fund a need” auction led by David Sobon.

Sacramento City College celebrated its centennial on March 25 with a sold-out gala attended by alumni, faculty, staff, special guests and students.  The evening featured entertainment by students from the college’s performing arts department and David Sobon hosted an auction raising  $45,000 to support student issues.