The Bulldogs Boosters' annual bash was, once again, a big success.

The 7th annual Joe White Memorial Dinner & Auction took place Saturday night at the Santa Maria Fairpark.

As usual, the place was packed.

“We've got about 400 people out here tonight to support the Allan Hancock College athletics programs,” said Jim Glines, the President and CEO of your Community Bank of Santa Maria and the chairman of the Joe White Memorial Fund Committee. “We should clear $65,000 and that money all goes to help the college.”

In the live auction alone - $43,300 was the total raised.

Over the first six years, the annual dinner and auctions have raised more than $350,000.

“The boosters made a commitment, six years ago, to raise as much money as we could to honor the life and legacy of Joe White, the longtime Athletic Director at Hancock,” said Glines. “All the money we've raised has gone to upgrade the athletics facilities at the college. The first year we held the dinner in the gym so that everyone could see that it was in need of some serious repair.”

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The boosters honored their original commitment and much more.

The gym underwent extensive renovation with a new floor, new seats, a new sound system and a new name - the Joe White Gymnasium.

The boosters next turned their attention to the baseball field and raised enough money for a new scoreboard and new dugouts and re-named it John Osborne Field after another longtime Hancock AD.

“Jim Glines does an absolutely fantastic job of putting this evening together and raising funds for Hancock athletics. Without him, this would never have happened. Hancock is indebted to him and his staff forever,” said Osborne, who is currently the Athletic Director at St. Joseph High School. “People really should come out and see this event. Every coach is involved. We have students from every Hancock team - every sport - out here volunteering. They're helping seat people, serving dinners, working on the clean-up crew.

“To have this kind of turnout for seven consecutive years is a real testament to the people of this community and the support they have for Hancock College.”

“When Jim Glines says ‘dinner will be served at exactly 7:07 p.m.', you'd better be here on time and be ready to eat,” said Hancock's men's soccer coach Al Garcia.

Garcia showed up in his coaches uniform.

Why?

“I came straight from a soccer tournament in Santa Barbara,” said Garcia. “No time to go home to change. Glines says 7:07, he means 7:07. Besides, I wouldn't miss this for the world.”

Garcia's soccer program will be among the beneficiaries of this year's fundraising effort.

“We're going to put a new, electronic scoreboard on the soccer field,” said Glines. “And we're going to add a new scoreboard, a new sound system and a new scorer's table in the Joe White Gym.”

Many in the crowd have attended all seven of the Joe White dinners. It is a chance for old friends to get together, catch up and reminisce about the old days.

In that group is Hancock's first Athletic Director, Bill Bertka.

“I was living in Akron, Ohio and in 1953 I attended a coaching and teaching clinic in New York City,” said Bertka. “They had people there who helped get you jobs and I said that I'd take any head coaching job in America. They helped me get a job at the Midland School in Los Olivos.

“Well, the Midland School only had 69 students. They didn't even have a gym. But I took the job. When I got out here, I heard about an AAU team called the Santa Maria Golden Dukes. So I drove up and met Duke Webster at a gas station that used to be across the street from the Santa Maria Inn. I played for the Dukes and, when that team folded, I got hired at Hancock College.”

Bertka led the Bulldogs to their first state basketball championship.

“We won 41 straight games - that's a record that still stands - and the 1957 state championship,” said Dale Hyatt, a center/forward on that team. “That was a good time. Little Santa Maria - the biggest little sports city in America.”

“We were the highest scoring team in the country at the time. We were averaging 104 points a game,” said Bertka. “We defeated San Francisco in the first round. Then we had to beat a great Fullerton team that had Jerry Pimm (the longtime coach of the UCSB men's basketball team) in the semifinals. That game went double overtime. Then we beat Vallejo in the finals.”

“Joe White played on that team, so did Bob McCutcheon. We had a lot of great players,” said Hyatt. McCutcheon would later lead Hancock to its second state men's basketball championship.

Dinner for 400 was Cowboy Flavor served up by Sue and Billy Ruiz.

From the moment the doors opened, items we up for bid in the silent auction. After dinner, the books were closed on the silent auction items and Glines - the 2001 California State Champions Auctioneer - led the spirited bidding for 22 premium items.

On the list, “Wicked” - Broadway's biggest current hit is now playing at the Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles. The Wicked package included four premium tickets to the show, a $200 dinner gift card, transportation to LA, a Wicked CD and a show posted autographed by the entire cast. Wicked was donated by Roger Blaemire, the president of the Nederlander Group.

Closer to home, the Hummer Dunes Adventure for six. This is a three-hour ride for six with Santa Maria Police Chief Danny Macagni. Chief Macagni, the Santa Maria Police Department, Jerry Schmidt of Pacifica Realty and Damon Boggs of Global Phone and Wireless all make the Hummer Dunes Adventure possible.

“It is important to support Hancock College,” said Chief Macagni. “This is a great event and our Hummer adventure is always a lot of fun. We're all glad that we can help out.”

Coach Bertka, as always, worked some magic. Bertka has been with the Los Angeles Lakers for more years than he would care to admit - first as a longtime assistant coach and now as the director of scouting. He brought along an NBA basketball autographed by the entire 2008 Western Conference Champions and four premium seats to one of next season's Lakers' games.

“This is outstanding,” said Kim Ensing, Hancock's new Athletic Director. This is a wonderful event to be part of. The support of the community is unique. In may junior college settings you don't find this. This is a wonderful family atmosphere. It is great to see all these people come out in suppert of Hancock athletics.”

“This is a community activity where everybody benefits,” said Glines. “This benefits the students - the youth of our community - and when you do something for the benefit of our youth, in the long run everybody benefits.”

Sports Editor Elliott Stern can be reached at 739-2235 or by e-mail to elliottstern@santamariatimes.com.

August 25, 2008