Jack London comes to life at Call of the Wild gala

The annual gala for Jack London State Park attracted 320 supporters of the Jack London Park Partners (JLPP) which oversees management of the park. The Partners receive no funds from State Parks to subsidize the management and operation of the park, so the annual gala - this year titled "Call of the Wild" - is an important source of revenue.

The gala brought in about $300,000 from the ticketing, donations and the "fund-a-need" auction following the dinner and stage entertainment.

"It's amazing the support the Park has from the community," said Mike Benziger, chairman of the JLPP and host of the auction. "We are so lucky to have this land in the middle of Sonoma Valley preserved for us and future generations."

The dinner was prepared by Glen Ellen's Ari Weiswasser and Stellar Catering; the play "Storyteller" celebrating the inspiration of Jack London's stories and life was written by Libby Oberlin and Moira McGovern, and performed by the Beauty Ranch Meadow Performers.

Click through the photographs to see some of the people, fun and theatrics of the Call of the Wild Gala, Sept. 23, 2017.