B.W. COOK -- The Crowd

It was a perfectly balmy evening under the stars at Fashion Island,

Newport Beach. A magnificent setting for the seventh annual “Ferragosto,”

or midsummer Italian festival, hosted by Stefano Albano of Tutto Mare

Ristorante.

More than 400 local guests celebrated o7 la vidaf7 , the life, Aug.

12 with food and wine for a very good cause: helping the children of

Childhelp USA.

Organizers report that $45,000 was raised from the al fresco evening,

with the help of opportunity drawings and a live auction. The crowd

danced to the lively sound of the Blue Machine band, as jugglers and

mimes pranced through the crowd creating magic and mystery.

The jesters spun a bit of romance as well as they played with couples

enjoying the ambience of the outdoor party, held on the mall’s grounds.

The celebration was led by Childhelp USA co-chairs Pam Arnett and

Christine Bren. Patti and Jim Edwards and Mary Ellen and Anwar Soliman

were honorary chairs, helping to underwrite the affair and bring in local

support.

The committee working with Arnett and Bren included Cleo Bluth, Nancy

Cardin, Leah Carroll, Katie Clark, Kim Doud, Lisa Gray, Katherine

Meredith, Carol Packard, Eileen Saul, Tami Smith, Libby Werner and Susan

Whitlock.

Childhelp USA is known for its very positive and involved volunteer

force, whose attitude transforms each and every Childhelp fund-raiser.

The volunteers’ aim is to maximize donations and provide the best

possible experience for the donor/guest, ultimately connecting the

participant with the organization and its purpose -- helping abused and

abandoned children.

In the crowd, Childhelp USA board members from the Orange County

chapter included Barbara Ganahl, Diana Mine, Dale San Filippo, Jana

Schuler, Tami Smith, Cathi Unvert and Corky Winters.

Nina Robinson, director of sales and marketing at Fashion Island,

commented: “Ferragosto is a fabulous opportunity for us to help a good

cause, and also share in the Italian tradition of a fun summer holiday,

similar to how we celebrate the Fourth of July.”

And there was certainly everything but fireworks for supporters of the

event and the charity, such as the Boris Ackermans, David Alfaro, Mary

Allyn and Earl Dexter, Stephanie Argyros, Olive Blystone, Pam and Jeff

Butler, Jeanne Cormier, Kelly Gray, Erin and Garrett Kreditor, Myrna

Levy, Ruth Lewis and Sandra and Fred McConnell.

* B.W. COOK’S column appears Thursdays and Saturdays.