On June 4, the organizers of the Kick Ash Bash, One 805, distributed more than $1.3 million raised by the spectacular event. The largest beneficiaries were first responder agencies, which collectively got about $1.1 million for non-budgeted items. Of this, $700,000 was for three mobile command centers: one for Santa Barbara Police, one for Santa Barbara County Sheriff, and one for area fire departments. One 805 funded other non-budgeted equipment for first responder agencies and gave $50,000 to the At Ease Program, which provides counseling to first responders.
Direct Relief received $100,000 for its 1/9 Victims Fund. The Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara got $25,000 for children of first responders, and the S.B. Equine Assistance and Evacuation Team and Santa Barbara County Search and Rescue each got $25,000. The U.S. Forest Service received $18,000, and the 93108 Fund got $10,000.
The Kick Ash Bash was an appreciation event and fundraiser in a whole different league than any other Santa Barbara event. In just six short weeks of time, a 70-person committee led by Eric Phillips and Pat Nesbitt remarkably staged an extraordinary event featuring a long list of top talent, who entertained from noon until well into the night at Pat and Ursula Nesbitt’s Bella Vista Estate. More than 3,000 people attended, including about 2,300 first responders and their families who attended for free.