As the rare but menacing dark skies covered Palm Springs, many well-known good-hearted locals  arrived at Eight4Nine Restaurant to raise funds for Kathleen Schriefer’s son, Thomas, who suffered from water poisoning resulting in brain damage. Drinking excessive water can dilute the amount of sodium in the body which, in turn, can do harm to your muscle function, nerve function, and just about every other function in the body.

The patio area was designated for this event which held an abundance of silent auction items, a hosted bar, and simple, but, delicious appetizers. Sprinkles teased the event as the guests began to bid, eat, and drink.  In Palm Springs that’s what rain tends to do, tease us.  Unfortunately, not tonight. The sky was angry and it opened up with a roar.  Cruel irony, I don’t know, but we all scrambled into the restaurant as if we were all Wicked Witches of the West.

Jeff Hocker, who organized the event, along with the Eight4Nine staff swooped in to move the bar, save the food, and protect the auction items.  Needless to say, Kathy was devasted. The look on her face broke each of our hearts. You see, Kathy is a rep for Crater Lake Vodka and is extremely generous to multiple charities in the desert. She never hesitates to help these organizations whenever she can. So, it wasn’t just the sky that was angry, we, too, were upset for Kathy.

Prepping for the event

As we all waited to see what would become of the fundraiser, we did what we do best: order drinks. It wasn’t very long after that we found out all was moved into one of the back rooms. The only change would be how the auction was run. It went from silent to live and was completed in an impressive organized manner.

We cozied up to fit in the room and bring to Kathy what the night was created to do. These good-hearted people not only competitively bid, but also fought for their items in a fun and playful fashion.

Swift change to the auction

After the donated items ( from incredibly giving businesses and residents), dinner was a must. The rain had lost its rage and the night air clean and fresh brought an atmosphere to the restaurant filled with sunshine. We enjoyed Ahi Tuna Poke Bowls with house-made kimchi, green onion ginger, cucumber avocado and steamed brown rice, the Eight4Nine burger made with all natural premium Angus beef, white cheddar, butter lettuce, tomato, garlic dill thousand island on a brioche bun, Confit Chicken Tacos with avocado creama, napa cabbage, and pico de gallo, and many other fresh and delectable dishes from their eclectic menu.

The evening continued with excited conversation, friendly laughter, and, oh yes, more drinks.

An evening that began dark and ominous actually brought us all closer together to surround Kathy and her son with a successful event filled with hope for brighter days.

Renae Madore, Teresa, Joelle Stanbridge, Melissa, Fedor Rogovets, Kim Waltrip

Renae Madore, Alfie Pettit, Brenda Lynn Martin, Kathy, Teresa, Gypsy

After the rain had gone! Enjoying dinner, drinks, and fun conversation:Teresa,  Kerry Hendrix, Brenda, Kim, Tim Gross, Melissa, Renae, and Alfie