SANTA BARBARA, CA – October 26, 2026 – St. Vincent’s Santa Barbara raised $214,000 at its 25th Annual Charity Golf Classic, held Monday, October 5, at the Montecito Club. Twenty-one teams, 84 golfers in all, played in support of St. Vincent’s Family Strengthening Program, and a record 21 Birdie Sponsors backed the tournament in its milestone year. Taking top honors:
- Men’s First Place Gross, with a score of 53: Bhavik Patel, Mike Valpredo, Colby Lewis, and Chad Brock.
The tournament, presented by The Sarah Lee Pascoe Foundation, benefits St. Vincent’s Family Strengthening Program, the only long-term transitional housing program in Santa Barbara for single mothers with young children. Mothers live on the St. Vincent’s campus for 27 months, working with a licensed trauma therapist and a case manager, taking parenting classes, receiving career and legal counseling, and finishing a GED if they need one. Their children attend St. Vincent’s Early Childhood Education Center, steps from where they live, so their mothers can go to work or school.
“Twenty-five years of this tournament says a lot about this community,” said Rosa Paredes, President and CEO of St. Vincent’s. “The program it supports isn’t a shelter, it’s a home, and it runs 365 days a year. The generosity of everyone here is what keeps it going. We’re grateful to Sally Valpredo and Connor Limont of The Sarah Lee Pascoe Foundation and to our co-chairs Bill Cordero and Drew Wakefield, and to every golfer, sponsor and volunteer who was part of the day.”
A Graduate Who Came Back to Serve
This year’s speaker, Alicia, knows the program from the inside. She arrived at St. Vincent’s homeless, with a young daughter and pregnant with her son. She spent 27 months in the Family Strengthening Program, worked her way from a hospitality job into management, and graduated in 2023. When a position at St. Vincent’s opened in 2025, she came back, and today she is a Peer Support Specialist and Case Manager, guiding other mothers through the same program. Alicia spoke to golfers before the shotgun start and returned in the evening for a conversation with emcee Drew Wakefield.
“When a new mother walks in on her first day, I tell her I know exactly how scary it is, because I had a first day here too,” Alicia said. “The program isn’t always easy. There were times I wanted to give up, but someone here believed in me before I believed in myself, and now I get to do that for other moms. My kids are doing great. They’re happy and thriving, and that’s what I want for every family that comes through our door.”
Passing the Torch
The 25th Classic also marked a transition for the tournament’s founder. Bill Cordero, Sr., who started the Charity Golf Classic 25 years ago and has chaired it ever since, introduced his granddaughter Bella Fredericks, who will succeed him as co-chair. Cordero’s mother was raised at St. Vincent’s by the Daughters of Charity, and many members of his family play in the tournament each year. He and his son, Billy Jr., also sponsor the Putting Challenge, which has become one of the day’s traditions.
Event Highlights
The day included 18 holes on the Montecito Club’s Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course, a putting elimination contest, a brunch reception, a silent auction, and a dinner awards program, followed by the Putting Contest Final. Connor Limont of The Sarah Lee Pascoe Foundation spoke about the Foundation’s support for the event, and Fr. John Hardin, OFM, blessed the day before the shotgun start. Co-Chair Drew Wakefield served as emcee.
The Sarah Lee Pascoe Foundation, the event’s Presentation Sponsor, has been a steadfast supporter of St. Vincent’s Family Strengthening Program for many years.
Birdie Sponsors
A record 21 Birdie Sponsors, up from 19 last year, supported the 25th Classic: Ann Jackson Family Foundation, Bako Sweet, Brophy & Sons, Inc., Community West Bank, Cordero Painting Company, Cordero Real Estate, David and Louise Borgatello, Farmers & Merchants Bank, John Knopf, Lash Construction, Lumi Funding Group, Matilija Pure Water Systems, Montesano Group Inc., Paul Cashman State Farm Insurance, Sattler Trust, Taylor Farms, The Kogevinas Group, The NewMont Foundation, Valpredo Farms, Vantage Point Media, and Wakefield 805.
Wine, Auction and Volunteers
St. Vincent’s thanks Vincent Vineyards, the event’s Signature Wine Donor and a family-owned estate winery in the Santa Ynez Valley, and the local businesses that donated silent auction items. Students from Bishop Garcia Diego High School, members of the Santa Barbara Newcomers Club and St. Vincent’s staff volunteered throughout the day.
About St. Vincent’s
St. Vincent’s is the oldest continuously operating social service agency in Santa Barbara County, running since 1858. Founded by the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, the organization serves nearly 600 residents and clients daily through programs addressing homelessness, childcare, and basic needs with an emphasis on education, counseling, and family strengthening.
For more information about St. Vincent’s programs and volunteer opportunities, or to make a donation, please visit https://www.stvincents-sb.org/ or call 805-683-6381.