Superheroes save the day at Social Advocates for Youth gala

Catwoman meets Cyclops meets The Hulk meets Black Widow meets Captain America meets Superman meets Invisible Woman meets the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

The heroic convergence happened Saturday night at “Here We Come to SAY the Day,” a dashingly costumed benefit gala of the Santa Rosa-based Social Advocates for Youth.

SAY, provider of myriad services to struggling young people and creator of the new Dream Center residential complex at Hoen and Summerfield avenues, encouraged guests to come to the Friedman Event Center disguised and in the characters of superheroes or everyday heroes.

Festivities began with cocktails served at the open-air courtyard’s Gotham City Lounge. Inside the hall, characters posed inside a photo booth and alongside comic-book cutouts, nibbled on appetizers prepared by Ceres Community Services and examined the riches up for grabs in the silent auction.

The sit-down dinner by Park Avenue Catering offered a choice of lemon-pepper New York strip steak, baked sea bass or stuffed, roasted eggplant.

A live auction included a date-a-month with a chauffeured classic car, dinner and a movie. There was a special appeal for donations to help fund the future of a teen or young adult.

Dancing concluded the evening for the supporters of SAY who’d sipped, laughed, mugged and tasted all the while helping to save the world.