The Crowd

B.W. COOK

Newport Beach celeb Bobby Hatfield of the Righteous Brothers

hosted an all-volunteer charity golf classic last week at Newport Beach

County Club -- benefiting the Lupus Foundation of America, Southern

California Chapter.

Some 171 golfers joined Hatfield and his partner, Bill Medley, the

other half of the Righteous Brothers, who rose to international fame in

the 1960s with an individual sound of folk/rock/blues. Both Hatfield and

Medley are active in Newport-Mesa social/charitable circles, often

stepping up to the plate to help a variety of causes.

For Hatfield, lupus is a disease he fights with vigor. His wife,

Linda, has suffered with lupus for 26 years. The couple has helped raise

in excess of $1 million in the last decade to fund research.

For those unfamiliar, lupus is a chronic, autoimmune disease that

causes inflammation of various parts of the body, primarily the skin,

joints, blood cells and kidneys, per an explanation provided by the Lupus

Foundation. Further, lupus, while not infectious, presently affects more

than 2 million Americans. Each year thousands of people die from

lupus-related complications.

Make no mistake, the insidious disease is serious and debilitating.

So for one marvelous day on the golf course, lupus patients such as

Linda Hatfield, who served as tournament director with Carolyn Goode,

enjoyed a perfect round of golf for a very personal cause.

Longtime TV newsman Ed Arnold served as master of ceremonies for the

program following the event. And the golf committee included club

President Jerry Anderson and Dennis Bustarn, Mac Chapman, Joan Coleman,

Gay France, Jason Gendron, Keith Goode, Roy Hardick, Noel Lew, Gary

McGraw, Greg Nordbak, John and Joanne Ossenmacher, Jim Owens and Carlos

Pimentel. Christina Kelly served as executive director of the event.

The ninth annual tournament was played in memory of Anna Polley.

Following the day on the greens, a lively dinner reception was dished

up at the club with warm and gracious presentations made to Hatfield and

Medley.

Rodney Bluestone, Lupus Foundation chairman, said to the duo: “I am

grateful for your willingness to help raise funds to support lupus

patients and their families. Your participation in this golf classic each

year makes a tremendous difference.”

Chairwoman Goode stood up on behalf of Hatfield and Medley’s friend

Dick Clark, unable to attend in person. She read a note Clark sent for

the occasion.

“Congratulations, Bobby and Bill,” Clark wrote. “I know that you have

received many awards in your career, but to be recognized by the Southern

California Lupus Foundation is a very special honor.”

Clark added, “ ‘You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling’ recently became the

most played record in the history of American radio and has been voted

the Song of the Century. Once again, congratulations to both of you.”

Clark’s note ended with a postscript: “By the way, I always pay great

respect to my elders.”

A lively auction held during the dinner-program, which was attended by

more than 500 local guests, included the chance to sing the Song of the

Century with Hatfield and Medley. Charlene Berger and Leslie McClure

donated $3,000 to lupus research to live their musical dream with The

Righteous Brothers, as they shared the spotlight with the singers.

The applause was thunderous.