DPIE Celebrity Waiter Dinner Garners $82,000 for Schools

Dublin Partners in Education held its ninth annual “Dinner Partners in Education Celebrity Waiter Dinner” on Oct. 17 at the Shannon Community Center in Dublin.

The sold-out gala, which was hosted by a long list of local “celebrities” who worked as waiters, earned $82,000 for Dublin schools.

“I’ve been to nine ‘Celebrity Waiter’ dinners and this one was my favorite to date,” said Dublin Unified School District Board of Trustees President Amy Miller. “I love seeing our business, school, city, county and parent communities all come together for a night of fun to raise money for the students in Dublin. Next year is the 10th anniversary and I can’t wait to do it all again. I know I can speak on behalf of my board and express our appreciation to DPIE for their continuous efforts to keep the momentum going in order to raise much-needed funds for DUSD students year after year.”

Hosted by local “celebrities” who perform as waiters, the evening includes high-spirited antics in which each table is themed and waiters vie for tips to help drive donations.

“Each waiter buys a table and invites ten guests,” said Susan Campbell, Executive Director of Dublin Partners in Education (DPIE). “We offer 25 tables of ten. The waiters come earlier in the day and decorate their tables according to their theme and their guests dress in costume for the night.”

This year’s themes included Candyland, WWII, Naughty and Nice, Superheroes, Elegant Magic and The Dublin Gaels. The hit of the evening was the Star Wars and their live-action Robotic R2D2, who was an excellent dancer.

The prize for “most creative table” was awarded to Clubsport Pleasanton for Candyland, second place was the “Superheroes” theme. Third place was given to the “Anyone for Tennis” table.

The event’s co-host was Amador Valley Industries’ Bob Molinaro, the sponsor was Carl Cox of Cox Family Stores, game sponsor was Chevron and the dessert sponsor was Fremont Bank. Masters of Ceremonies were Brad Kinney and Autumn Johnson, editor of the Patch News.

Auction items and game prizes included donations from, Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar, Urban Plates, The Tesla Experience, El Monte RV, Barons, Whole Foods, Wente and ClubSport Pleasanton.

According to Melissa Strah, who raised the most funds for the event with her Harlem Globetrotters, “It was such an honor to serve our community and raise money for Dublin schools. I had an amazing team and many generous donors who helped us to raise funds for Dublin students.”

Supervisor Scott Haggerty was the largest funder for the event fund-a-need this year, Challenge Day.

“We have supported the Challenge Day program for many years with the support of our partners Kaiser Permanente and Palo Alto Medical, said Campbell. “This year we plan to expand the program to Dublin High school. Challenge Day is a world leader in providing empowering and transformation workshops for teens and adults. Bullying, violence and emotional trauma are addressed and reduced with peaceful conflict resolution solutions.”

Mayor David Haubert was the evening’s head waiter showcasing an elegant Great Gatsby theme while Melissa Strah was named “Most Appreciated Waiter” with her Harlem Globe Trotters and Assemblywoman Catharine Baker earned the coveted “Top Tipped Waiter” spot with her Giants-themed table.

“Fundraising for education in Dublin is important on several levels,” said Mayor David Haubert. “It raises public awareness for the need for school funding, it brings our community together for a common cause and allows them to work together, and it is a fun way to raise much-needed funding for our children.”

Did you attend the DPIE Celebrity Waiter dinner? What was your favorite part? Tell us in the comments section below.

Photos courtesy DPIE, Autumn Johnson, Kerrie Chabot