Honoree H. David Nahai with boardmember Julia Louis-Dreyfus at Heal the Bay's 17th Annual Benefit Dinner held on May 29, 2008. Photo: Derek Goes

It’s always exciting to see businesses advertise their products through donations to benefit events for worthy causes because it not only promotes social responsibility, but it also gives businesses an opportunity to advertise their products to key leaders of activist circles. 

One such event is Heal the Bay’s annual benefit dinner, “Bring Back the Beach.”  The kinds of products and services that are donated to be featured and auctioned off to support the important work that the organization does to protect our rivers and ocean and the type of environmental justice work that I’ve been doing in South Central L.A. (PDF Document-scroll down to pages 8 & 9) receive a lot of exposure.  Here’s an excerpt that describes them, straight from the www.healthebay.org site:

This year’s Bring Back the Beach Live Auction once again includes a variety of exciting and unique items, featuring the all-new 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid. Other Live Auction items include a walk-on role for the New Adventures of Old Christine, exclusive game suites for the Lakers, and a sumptuous stay at the Four Seasons at Wailea.

This year’s Silent Auction offers guests nearly 300 items from which to choose, ranging from exquisite, collectible art works from Jillian Kogan, Jay Lewis, Laraine Mestman and many others; guest accommodations including the Ambrose Hotel, Casa Del Mar, the Fairmont Newport Beach Getaway, Loews Coranado Bay Resort, and Shutters on the Beach; as well as exclusive life-style experiences ranging from private surf lessons and helicopter sight-seeing tours, to an incredible, one-of-a-kind culinary experience with LA Weekly’s Pulitzer-prize winning food critic, Jonathan Gold.

Plus, as part of our continued focus on making Bring Back the Beach a sustainable event through reducing, reusing and recycling, our Auction will once again highlight a number of ‘experience-based’ packages; for example a dining-out adventure with Pulitzer-prize winning, food critic Jonathan Gold was a past favorite.

This benefit dinner will take place on May 28th so there is still time time to support this event (this is especially important and urgent because the state budget crisis has impacted Heal the Bay’s operational budget): you can donate a product or service by calling (310) 451-1500.  In addition, if you or your business would like to purchase a ticket ($500.00 individual) or better yet, purchase an entire table, please visit this site.

I can tell you from personal experience (I’ve worked at this event for the past two years-this will be my third one I will be attending) that this benefit dinner is very fun.  They start with an open bar out in the entrance of the hangar.  As you mingle throughout the display of items that are part of the “silent auction”, you never know who you’ll run into (last year I actually shared a joke with Chef Ramsay).   In past dinners, I’ve actually seen up close and personal  various personalities such as Alex Trebek, Amy Smart, Kelly Slater, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bob Saget, and many more.  Best thing is that although the dinner itself is quite “chic”, it’s not a formal attire event … so basically you just dress “beach chic” (whatever that is, LOL).