All In For Kids: Over $132,000 Raised at the 2026 Stephen Vogt Celebrity Poker Weekend – Thank You for Going All In!
Stephen Vogt (2x MLB Manager of the Year, 2x All-Star Catcher)
What an extraordinary weekend it was! All In For Kids Stephen Vogt Celebrity Poker Weekend brought together sports legends, community champions, generous sponsors, and our incredible supporters for one shared mission: ensuring children with autism and developmental delays have every opportunity to learn, communicate, and thrive at School of Imagination & Happy Talkers.
Together, we raised over $130,000—funds that will directly power scholarships, breakthrough therapy sessions, adaptive equipment (like buggies and communication boards), and our full-inclusion programs.
A special thank you to Stephen Vogt (2x MLB Manager of the Year, 2x All-Star Catcher) and Alyssa Vogt for leading with humility and heart. For more than a decade, the Vogt family has been part of the School of Imagination story—showing up as advocates and friends since Stephen's days with the Oakland A's in 2014.
The poker action was electric, thanks to an incredible lineup of MLB All-Stars, legends, and friends who brought energy and serious competitive spirit:
Hunter Pence (World Series Champion, Giants Icon & Broadcaster), JT Snow (6× Gold Glove Winner), Dallas Braden (Perfect Game Pitcher, A’s Broadcaster), Sergio Romo (3× World Series Champion, Giants legend), Noah Lowry (former Giants Pitcher and 2005 Giants Pitcher of the Year), Shooty Babbitt (Former A’s Infielder & Broadcaster), Ricky Watters (5× Pro Bowl RB, Super Bowl Champion), Stephen Piscotty (Former A’s & Cardinals Outfielder), Dan Feinstein (A’s Assistant GM), Tony Arnerich (MLB Coach & Player Development Leader), Andy McKay (Cleveland Guardians coach and respected baseball leader). Emceed by Mark Ibañez (Emmy-winning KTVU Broadcaster), with Charlene & Mitch Sigman (School of Imagination Co-Founders) and Melissa Hernandez (Honorary Chair).
Caption: Hunter Pence with a lucky live auction winner of his signed bat
Caption: Ricky Watters (5× Pro Bowl RB, Super Bowl Champion) and McGrail Vineyards
Other highlights from the weekend:
On Friday, friends gathered for an intimate evening at Honeycomb Lounge in Livermore to celebrate champions of baseball and community. Special thanks to sponsors Don Routh, Josh Routh, Emma & Jeff Tortorici, and Paul & Catherine Svagdis (Stephen Vogt’s college baseball coach at Azusa Pacific University), and Wine Sponsor McGrail Vineyards.
On Saturday, we celebrated 25 years of extraordinary children with a social and playground dedication at the school. Stephen Vogt sat down with KTVU’s Emmy Winning Broadcaster Mark Ibañez for a conversation about baseball and giving back.The dedication also celebrated the generosity of Shiv Kumar Gupta (Eagle Scout Project Lead), Michelle Haubert (Project Visionary), and Sue Marchand (artwork donor), who made possible the final stages of the playground refresh .
Thank you to Honorary Chair Melissa Hernandez, former Mayor of Dublin, and Alameda County Supervisor David Haubert. Dedicated public leaders, championing equity and inclusion throughout the weekend, and always!
Deep Gratitude to Our Sponsors and Supporters This event was made possible by an amazing community of sponsors and donors. Heartfelt thanks to:
Fair First Food Management
Supervisor David Haubert
McGrail Vineyards & Winery
The Routh Family
Alameda County Fairgrounds
Insperity
The Clift Family
Livermore Casino
Reed Smith LLP
Ferber Law Group
Hall Law Group
Gameday Men's Health
Aila's Magical Ribbons
The Carlucci Family, The Johnson Family, The Just Family, The Pulido Family, The Tortorici Family, The Vidano–O'Malley Family, Michael Cheang & Cheyenne Martins, The Saraogi Family, The Weng Family.
Auction donors: San Francisco Giants, Golden State Warriors, David Behring, Tortorici Family, Cindy & Eric Everson, Hunter Pence, and many more
Michelle Weng, Dave Parker, Chris Crossley, our Parent Development Committee, and Apple volunteers.
Reflect Kindness, Mikey Thalblum, Bertha Fajardo
To our guests: Your presence and generosity fuel our mission, and your support honors our 25-year legacy, ensuring working families stretched thin can continue to access the care their children need.
