Legal Aid Celebrates 50th Anniversary at the Sunken Garden of the Courthouse in Santa Barbara
For half a century, The Legal Aid Foundation of Santa Barbara County has served Santa Barbara County residents living at or below the poverty level with free, high-quality legal services.
On May 16, 2009, Legal Aid celebrated this remarkable achievement at the beautiful Sunken Gardens of the Superior Courthouse in Santa Barbara. Over 300 guests attended, including honorees who have made unforgettable contributions to Legal Aid throughout the years: Honorable Thomas P. Anderle, Nancy Davis, Thomas Hinshaw, Lessie S. Nixon, Gerald Parent, Ronald K. Perry, Selma Rubin, Harris Seed, Stanley Schwartz, Philip F. Sinco and Michael Towbes.
Harris Seed and Stanley Schwartz, two of the three original founding fathers (Lloyd Iverson, deceased) of Legal Aid Foundation accepted awards to a standing ovation.
Early in the event, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors honored Legal Aid with a proclamation, sponsored by Supervisors Doreen Farr, Salud Carbajal and Janet Wolf. It was accepted by the honorary chairs of the event, The Honorable Frank J. Ochoa and KEYT newscaster Paula Lopez. The proclamation reads in part, “… BE IT ORDERED AND RESOLVED that this Board of Supervisors honors the Legal Aid Foundation of Santa Barbara County for fifty years of dedicated service and further commends Legal Aid for its focus on assisting our most vulnerable populations access the legal system,”
The evening was a fabulous mix of speeches, food and fun. The food was catered by Elements restaurant, featuring culinary delights ranging from the 60s through today. The wonderful and eclectic entertainment ranged from Retters Academy of Dance, Rhythm Machine Dancers to the legendary Doug McClure of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame group ‘The Flamingos’ who belted out hits ‘I Only Have Eyes For You,’ ‘You Send Me,’ and ‘Ain’t Nothing Like The Real Thing,’ a duet with Catherine Clegg. The night ended with dancing to rock and roll from LongStoryShort whose lead singer is Ronald Perry, honoree and former executive director of Legal Aid.
Legal Aid provides free legal services in civil matters to low-income persons, seniors, and victims of domestic violence and elder abuse. They offer a full range of services, including providing legal information, advice and counsel, and legal representation in all Courts and at administrative law hearings. In conjunction with Santa Barbara County Superior Court, Legal Aid also operates the Legal Resource Center program. As funding from grants and the government decrease, Legal Aid’s reliance on private donations has increased. They are grateful to all those who attended and have contributed throughout the years, however great or small.
For more information or to make a donation contact the Legal Aid office at 805.963.6754 x109 or nrichardson@lafsbc.org.
