Press Releases
San Clemente, CA – Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens, a nonprofit southern California cultural center, is proud to announce its tenth annual Mary Colby Tea fundraiser taking place on Saturday, May 7, 2022.
The 2022 Honorary Chairs are the Redmond family, honoring the memory of the late Margaret Redmond. Margaret Redmond, an elementary school teacher for over 30 years, inspired her students and others to support culture and the arts. With the influence of Mrs. Redmond, the Redmond family has been part of Casa Romantica since prior to it becoming a cultural center and has continued through the years. The Redmond family are the underwriters to Casa Romantica’s Music Festival & Academy since its inception in 2015, created the Margaret Redmond Music Education Endowment in 2022 to continue to sponsor students in Casa Romantica’s Classical Music Workshop and Music Academy, supported the major capital support for Casa Romantica’s outdoor Redmond Amphitheater by the Sea, and Dr. Ron Redmond served on the Board of Trustees as the former President.
The Mary Colby Tea takes place annually at Casa Romantica and combines a traditional English High Tea with a fundraising element. The fundraiser, which is named in honor of late San Clemente businesswoman and philanthropist Mary Colby, secures critical support for the Casa Kids programming for children at Casa Romantica.
All funds raised through ticket sales and via proceeds from the event’s raffle drawings and paddle raise will benefit programs and operational support for programs under the Casa Kids programming including Casa Romantica’s Summer Academies in classical music and dance, Paint and Play and Dance and Movement classes, Spring Break Arts Week program, and several arts education workshops for children. The majority of Casa Romantica’s programs for children include free to low-cost tuition and admission, free supplies, and no administration fees.
“The Mary Colby Tea is an important fundraiser and tradition to Casa Romantica,” says Executive Director Amy Behrens. “This year’s event is especially important to us as we get to honor a family who is instrumental to Casa Romantica’s success and to continue Mary Colby’s legacy.”
Event overview
The Mary Colby Tea is held annually in May and will be held outdoors in our open-air Casa Courtyard. Attendees will be greeted with champagne cocktails upon arrival and will be escorted to their table by Casa Romantica staff.
For the sixth year in a row, Casa Romantica is offering ‘Hostess-designed tables.’ Hostesses may reserve tables of eight seats to fill with their friends and decorate the table on the morning of the event for the competitive opportunity to win a prize.
Raffle prizes will be on display in an area adjacent to the Courtyard, where guests are allowed to view the prizes and participate. Raffle tickets will be available to purchase online prior to the event and in-person throughout the event.
Tea service begins at 3 PM with traditional English cream teas, canapes, scones with clotted cream, fresh fruit, and miniature fruit tarts, catered by an exclusive British vendor. Champagne is also served at the table.
At 4:30 PM, Casa Romantica Board President Ruth DeNault will deliver welcoming remarks. Then, Executive Director Amy Behrens will introduce alumni of Casa Romantica’s Summer Academies to share with the audience how arts education at Casa Romantica has impacted them. Afterward, Behrens will lead a paddle raise fundraiser.
Honoring the memory of Margaret Redmond: The Redmond Family
The Redmond family has been deeply connected to Casa Romantica over the past twenty years, participating in Casa Romantica’s initial renovation and the first Capital Campaign to transform Casa Romantica into the hub of culture it is today. Dr. Redmond is a past President of Casa Romantica’s Board of Trustees, and remains involved in an Emeritus capacity. He also chaired the capital campaign for Casa Romantica’s amphitheater improvements. The facility was named the Redmond Amphitheater By The Sea.
Ron Redmond, DDS, MS, FACD, is a globally-recognized expert in orthodontics practice performance who founded Redmond Orthodontics, a family-run orthodontic practice with multiple locations throughout south Orange County, and Gateway Orthodontics of Seattle in Seattle, WA. He is also the CEO of Shulman Study Group, a nationally-recognized association of dental practices, and is on the Board of Directors of InBrace, a revolutionary new alignment tool for teeth using computer-drafted custom 3-D wires.
In addition to his governance for Casa Romantica, he served on the Board of Regents for University of the Pacific (his alma mater) and as a Board member for the Pacific Dugoni Foundation.
Margaret Redmond taught elementary school for over 30 years. Beloved by her students, she inspired in them the same sense of opportunity and potential that she did for the couple’s three children, two of whom followed their father into orthodontics and dentistry and one who founded a nationally award-winning design firm. Margaret was instrumental in the couple’s decision to support the renovation of Casa Romantica into a cultural center for people of all ages to enjoy, and her influence guided their philanthropy to provide major annual support for the Music Festival and Academy and major capital support for the Redmond Amphitheater.
The Legacy of Mary Colby
Mary Elizabeth Colby (1914-2008) was the first female buyer for the Robinson’s department stores during WWII. She founded “Ports of Call” stores in Pasadena and in Beverly Hills, and then settled permanently in San Clemente. Her San Clemente-based Mary Colby Antiques stores were some of the largest antique galleries on the West Coast. Mary hosted an annual Tea each year for the community, and bequeathed her private china collection to Casa Romantica to educate young people in the beauty and value of their heritage. Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens are proud to honor her tradition, her contributions, and her goals.
Tickets and general information: https://www.casaromantica.org
About Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens
Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens maintains a robust series of year-round programs in arts, music, history, horticulture, and literature for all ages. Casa Romantica has commissioned several critically-acclaimed works, including Casa Classic: Opera Through the Seasons (2021; site-specific commission), Casa Kinetic: Tango Romantica (2021; dance), Open Casa: Who was Nellie Gail Moulton? (2020; visual art), Casa Coastal: Murals of Levi Ponce (2019; visual art), Casa Theater: The Odd-Essy (2019; theater), Casa Kinetic: Culture Shock LA Hip Hop (2019; dance); Casa Coastal: The Art of Baja California (2018; visual art), Casa Theater: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2018; theater), Casa Kinetic: Celebrating Tap Dance Legends (2018; dance), Casa Coastal: Rebecca Louise Law (2017; visual art), Casa Kinetic: Contemporary Dance Collective (2017; contemporary dance), The Beauty of the Butterfly (2017; visual art), Casa Kinetic: Carrie Lee Riggins (2016; contemporary dance), Casa Drama: Slings & Arrows (2015; theater), and Open Casa: The Photographs of Douglas Kirkland (2015; visual art). The 2021-22 Casa Captivating season includes the brand new Connections thematic program series, an expanded Casa Jazz program, and expanded arts and wellness class series.
Casa Romantica also hosts a variety of free arts education programs for children year-round. The institution’s critically-acclaimed annual Summer Music Academies includes the Music Academy, Classical Music Workshop, and Summer Dance Academy, a Spring Break Arts Week, various art, literature, and horticulture events to grades K-12, and welcomes over 6,000 children from the Capistrano Unified School District each year for STEAM-based field trips that examine the history of San Clemente and the coastal environment.
Mission Statement: Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization and is the historic home of the founder of the City of San Clemente. Casa Romantica provides programs for all ages in arts, music, history, and horticulture and is a premier Southern California cultural center.
Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens is located at 415 Avenida Granada, San Clemente, CA 92672. Hours: Tuesday—Thursday 10 AM—4 PM; Friday—Sunday 10 AM — 2 PM; closed Mondays and holidays. General admission is $5; Casa Members, active duty military with ID, and children under age 13 visit for FREE. For more information, call (949) 498-2139 or visit CasaRomantica.org
