POSTPONED: The Bridge Builder Award Gala

NOTICE: Due to the quickly evolving coronavirus concerns, and in order to be abundantly cautious, the 2^nd Annual Bridge Builder Award Gala will be postponed. A new date will not be finalized until the regional impact of COVID-19 is more decisively known.

We are very sorry to have to delay, but we look forward to hosting you all later in the year to share the story of the extended families of Isabel Winemiller and William Dewey Hobson. Guests will be informed of the new date at least 4 weeks in advance.

Many thanks to the patrons who are supporting this event:

Ventura River Bridge Patrons

Margaret and John Given
Esther and Tom Wachtell
Janice P. Willis

Casitas Vista Bridge Patrons

Nancy and Spencer Garrett
Rod Gilbert
Elise and Bill Kearney
Karen and Tom Pecht
Andrea Pfister
Rebecca and Jeffrey Smith
Union Bank
Ventura County Community Foundation

Santa Clara River Bridge Patrons

Valerie and Joe Chrisman
Mr. and Mrs. Milton Daily
Toni Gardiner
Leslie Leavens
James Lloyd-Butler
Kate McLean and Steven Stone
Montecito Bank and Trust
John and Stephanie Orr
Carolyn Pidduck
Whitten and Sally Yount

Tributes

James and JJ Birkenshaw
Ann Cooluris
Jorge Corralejo
Jonathan Light and LightGabler
Al and Petra Lowe
Laura McAvoy and Sol Chooljian
Rosena McConica
Bruno and Victoria Pozzi
Martha Spriggs

… as well as to the many people who are supporting the event and the Museum through reservations. You all help the Museum celebrate this amazing County and region.

ORIGINAL STORY:

The Bridge Builders Award Gala returns to the Museum of Ventura County for its second year to celebrate the accomplishments of community leaders and their significant impact in Ventura County.

The Museum of Ventura County is privileged to honor the extended families of Isabel Winemiller and William Dewey Hobson at this year’s Bridge Builder Award Gala on Saturday, April 4, 2020 form 5—9PM. Individual tickets and patron opportunities are now available. The Hobsons arrived in Ventura County in 1854 and the vision and drive that they had and shared with their families has forever changed the way we experience our environment.

William Dewey Hobson is known as the “Father of Ventura County” when he won Ventura County’s separation from Santa Barbara County in 1872, after two unsuccessful attempts. He, his wife, and the six generations that followed them created some of our county’s most recognizable institutions, donated multiple public parks, built almost all of the original brick buildings in downtown Ventura, led the campaign to build the Museum of Ventura County in the 1970s, and much, much more.

“The sheer number of achievements of this family is awe-inspiring,” says Elena Brokaw, the Barbara Barnard Smith Executive Director for the Museum of Ventura County. “This is a family who has passed on a tradition and legacy of contribution to the community for seven generations. It is astonishing to consider how different our daily life would be if William Dewey Hobson had not led that cattle drive to Ventura in 1851.”

The Museum of Ventura County strives to inspire vibrant communities by connecting the past, present, and future. The Bridge Builder Award brings those eras together; it celebrates the accomplishments of leaders who have made significant impact on the community—those who have changed the fabric of our community, creating a new and better future.

The evening will include a cocktail reception in the Museum’s galleries and courtyard, followed by dinner and the award presentation, and finally dessert and dancing on the Museum’s Plaza with musical support by The Hollywood Stones.

For media passes to the pre-dinner reception contact the Museum’s Marketing & Outreach Specialist, Jonathon McGee, at jmcgee@venturamuseum.org.