An Evening Worth Celebrating: La Dolce Vita and the Boys & Girls Club of Santa Clarita
Posted by Kathy Watterson | June 2026
Some evenings stay with you. Not because of the food or the décor or the auction paddles being waved in the air, but because of the feeling in the room. The feeling that your community genuinely shows up for its kids.
That was Saturday night at the La Dolce Vita Gala.
I was honored to be a sponsor of this year's 54th Annual Benefit Auction for the Boys & Girls Club of Santa Clarita Valley, held at the beautiful Bella Vida Ballroom inside the SCV Senior Center. And what a night it was.
La Dolce Vita: The Sweet Life, Lived Right Here in Santa Clarita
The theme this year was "La Dolce Vita," Italian for "the sweet life," and the team brought it to life in every detail. Guests arrived to the sound of Italian jazz band Trio Brio playing outside the doors. Inside, the Bella Vida Ballroom was transformed into something straight out of the Amalfi Coast, with lemon prints, coastal-inspired décor, and the kind of warm, celebratory atmosphere that makes you feel like you're somewhere special.
The evening was chaired by Di and Jeffrey Thompson, who did an extraordinary job creating an experience that felt as meaningful as it was beautiful. Jeffrey said it best when he described the theme as a way of understanding what's possible when a community rallies around its young people. "The sweet life" isn't just an Italian phrase. In Santa Clarita, it's what we build together.
The room was full. The energy was electric. And the giving was generous beyond measure.
Why This Event Matters
I have been part of this valley since 1989. I have watched neighborhoods grow, families plant roots, and children become the next generation of leaders right here in Santa Clarita. The Boys & Girls Club of Santa Clarita Valley is one of the organizations that makes that possible.
Since 1968, they have been providing safe, supportive spaces for kids ages 7 through 17 across 13 locations, including Canyon Country, Castaic, Val Verde, and Newhall. Today, more than 11,000 children and teens walk through their doors each year for after-school programs, academic support, mentorship, and leadership development. These are kids who need a second home, and the Boys & Girls Club gives them exactly that.
Proceeds from this year's gala will go directly toward the James T. Ventress Clubhouse in Newhall and the Thomas E. Dierckman Clubhouse, ensuring those programs stay strong and accessible for every family in our valley regardless of their ability to pay.
This is why I was proud to sponsor this event. Because real estate is about more than buying and selling homes. It is about the community those homes belong to.
A Night to Remember
The evening featured a cocktail hour out on the patio, followed by dinner and both a silent and live auction. If you have never attended a Boys & Girls Club auction, I will just say this: it is not a quiet room. The energy when the live auction gets going is something else entirely.
I may have gotten a little competitive with my bidding paddle. No regrets.
When the night was done, the event had exceeded its fundraising goal by approximately $10,000, raising $276,000 through sponsorships, ticket sales, auction proceeds, and direct donations. I could not be more proud of this community.
Thank You
To the Boys & Girls Club of Santa Clarita Valley and CEO Matt Nelson, thank you for your leadership and for the incredible work you do every single day. To Di and Jeffrey Thompson for chairing this year's event with such grace and vision. To every guest, bidder, sponsor, and volunteer who made Saturday night possible: Santa Clarita is lucky to have you.
And to the teens from the Boys & Girls Club leadership program who welcomed guests at the door, organized and poised and proud of what they had helped build: you are the whole reason we were there. Keep going.
If you would like to learn more about the Boys & Girls Club of Santa Clarita Valley or support their mission, visit scvbgc.org.
And if you are thinking about buying or selling a home in the Santa Clarita Valley, I would love to help. This community is something special, and I have spent more than three decades helping people find their place in it.
Kathy Watterson Broker Associate | RE/MAX of Santa Clarita DRE #01022836 661-510-0321 | kathy@kathywatterson.com @kathywattersonteam
Relationships matter.
