B.W. COOK -- The Crowd

The 34th annual Christmas Carol Ball, chaired by dedicated hostess

Joey Evans, was a smashing success for Hoag Hospital, Newport Beach. The

winter-themed ball held at the tony Four Seasons Hotel, Newport Beach,

attracted some 300 guests attired in the holiday best.

Proceeds of more than $115,000 will benefit Hoag Hospital’s new

Women’s Pavilion, set to open in 2004.

The Christmas Carol Ball, which is produced by Hoag’s long standing

support wing known as the 552 Club, dazzled their supporters with a

performance by the U.S. Marine Corps Color Guard. The military procession

set the tone for the formal evening.

Committee members decorated the ballroom with shimmering golden

overlay tablecloths and candelabras standing 2 feet tall with tapers

illuminating the room with their magical flickering.

The evening was underwritten by title sponsor Bank of America, with

significant additional support coming from Jerry and Maralou Harrington,

Robert and Georgia Roth and South Coast Plaza.

Following a very social cocktail reception, the Marines kicked off the

evening after an appropriate welcome by Hoag Hospital Foundation chairman

William S. Thompson, Jr., and an invocation by John F. Dean.

Evans and her committee thought of every detail, providing music by

the Bobby Korda Orchestra to accompany a meal of steamed sea bass with

ginger soy infusion, a salad of organic mesclun greens with maple glazed

pecans, apples and Gorgonzola, a main course of tournedos of beef with

black truffle cabernet, and for dessert, a warm Christmas pudding with

cranberry orange ice cream and English hard sauce.

After dinner, the George Thompson Orchestra picked up the pace, and

the crowd kicked up their heels on the dance floor.

Supporting Hoag and enjoying the evening were Walter and Jerry

Schroeder, Ray and Lisa Ricci, Howard and Suzanne Nakashioya, Winston

Whitney, Aiden and Ann Rainey, Brian and Sharon McKinnon, Sandy Sewell,

Walter and Darlene Gerken, Norm and Clarice Dahl, David Stein, Alana

Urbanis, Dick and Jean Bectel, Bob and Gini Robins, Elizabeth Colyear

Vincent and Alan Beyer.

The dinner committee deserving recognition included Joyce Almas, Arden

Flamson, Trish Frohling, Nora Jorgenson Johnson, Jayne Lally, Catherine

McLarand, Christine Miller, Catherine Thyen, Lina Vandercook and Billur

Wallerich.

* THE CROWD appears Thursdays and Saturdays.

STAND ALONE PHOTO CAPTION

One of Orange County’s young businessmen/social activists is William

Thomas, West Coast director for the Mikimoto Co. of South Coast Plaza.

Thomas, who opened the Mikimoto jewelry boutique several years ago in

Costa Mesa, has become a very visible supporter on behalf of Mikimoto for

the arts, education and culture in Orange County. Thomas, at right, is

pictured with Cowcatcher Ishii, chief executive officer of Mikimoto

America; Kevin Lane, vice president of marketing; and Ken Fujimoto,

manager of Mikimoto’s new Beverly Hills store.