On June 7, about 500 people gathered at the Hilton S.B. Beachfront Resort for the annual South Coast Business & Technology Awards, which honored local entities and individuals and raised funds for the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara. The event grossed a record $310,000.
Guests enjoyed a networking reception in the Rotunda followed by dinner and the program in the Grand Ballroom, where they were welcomed by Event Co-Chairs Kirsten McLaughlin (Cox Communications market vice president) and Janet Garufis (Montecito Bank & Trust chair and CEO).
Scholarship Foundation Board Chair Matt Rowe expressed gratitude for everyone’s support, but noted that there is more to do. Even though the Foundation has become the nation’s largest community-based provider of scholarships, Rowe noted, deserving applicants are still turned away due to insufficient funds. Last year, 1,300 deserving students did not get funding.