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Since 1948, the Las Damas organization has acted as the de facto “Woman’s Club” of Sunset Beach, raising money each year through its annual Mother’s Day Art Festival and awarding grants to local schools and art classes to promote the celebration of art.
With its annual weekend festival fast approaching this year (May 10 and 11), the organization earlier this year announced the recipients of this year’s awards.
Through the years, the Las Damas organization has also honored community organizations, including the local Firehouse and Firefighters, Brownies, Girl Scouts, Camp Fire Girls, AFS, Dollars for Scholars, Kiddies Parades, Fashion Shows, wine tastings, Art Shows, Olympic Athletes, our local Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station and the Seal Beach Animal Shelter.
According to Philanthropy Chair Monica Brady, Las Damas honored five nonprofits and eight schools with various financial awards this year.
Before introducing this year’s recipients, Brady, who has served in this Las Damas role since 2018, said “I absolutely fell in love with this position.”
One year later, Brady said she named the Philanthropy Awards Night the “heart and soul” of Las Damas.
“It all started way back in May of 1948,” she said, when a group of young women, mostly young mothers who were not able to attend daytime meetings but did find the time to come together to promote “education and social activities for their local community.
According to Brady, their first ever project was the organization of a fashion show for which the admission price was 75 cents.
“Then in July of 1948, which was 77 years ago this July, these extraordinary women held the Beachcomber’s Carnival, which is now our Mother’s Day Weekend Art Festival,” said Brady.
“The money they made was donated to a community fund, which was used to purchase the lot on which the Sunset Beach Fire Station NOW our Community Center stands today,” she added.
“This very building that we are so VERY proud of,” said Brady.
The former Sunset Beach fire station has become the Community Center which today houses many local events, including the Mother’s Day Weekend Art Festival.
“It is the Art Festival that makes it possible to give grants to our local charities, arts in the schools and our school scholarships,” said Brady.
She said the Las Damas tradition continues as “our ladies work hard to fundraise to give back to our community.
Brady thanked Natalie De Moss and Caryn Parks for stepping up as co-chairs of the Philanthropy Committee for next year.
“I want to extend a big hug and huge thank you to you both for sharing your enthusiasm and passion for this most rewarding, meaningful, and wonderful position,” she said.
De Moss and Parks then presented the awards for 2025, which Las Damas said included scholarships and funds donated to five charities that consist in aiding the mentally ill, shelters for homeless families, shelter for our youth, shelters for runaway teenagers in abusive situations and a shelter for pregnant, homeless mothers.
This year’s awardees included:
Nonprofit
organizations
awarded
• Waymakers Huntington Beach Youth Shelter (Nancy Galeana, Program Director), a safe haven for youth runaways.
• Thomas House Family Shelter, Shakoya Green Long, CEO, a family shelter instrumental in getting families together and helping them through hard times.
• Casa Youth Shelter, Megan Day, Director of Development), Jessica Hubbard, CEO.
• Nami of OC, Amy Durham, CEO, Jennifer Lewis, OV Development Manager and Lori Fisher, Head of the Creative Artist Guild, the department where the funds will be dedicated.
• Precious Life Shelter, Theresa Murphy, President, CEO, a shelter that provides a safe environment for homeless pregnant women.
Schools
awarded
• Huntington Beach High School, Garret Stryker and Matt Harwood (Art Teachers).
• Marina High School, Mike Dowdell (Head of Art Department).
• Dwyer Middle School, Courtney Ries (Art Teacher and Author).
• Smith Elementary School, Principal Maria Ashton and Front Office Manager Timarie Sicoli.
• Los Alamitos High School, Karissa Ferrell, Visual Arts Chair.
• Oak Middle School, Carrie Harbour, Art Department Teacher.
• McAuliffe Middle School, Katia Swihart, Art Department.
• McGaugh Elementary School, Wendy Wood, Principal, Anya Cappon, Art Teacher.
Brady thanked everyone with a reminder.
“Teachers don’t forget what an important part you have in so many student todays, tomorrows and their future,” said Brady.
“The world seldom notices who the teachers are, but civilization depends on what they do and what they say,” she said.
This year’s Mother’s Day Art Festival is slated for May 10 and 11.
