Raising funds in a Wild West kind of way

Big donors helping to underwrite the annual Cattle Baron’s Ball in

support of the Orange County Cancer Society gathered at Tangata

Restaurant in the Bower’s Museum. Dinner chair Donna Bianchi welcomed

the crowd to the dinner underwritten by the First American

Corporation and Allied Domecq Wines.

This year’s Cattle Baron’s Ball, which has the theme “Ranchero

Roundup ... Celebrating Orange County’s Western Heritage” will unfold

Oct. 25 at the Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa.

Organizers expect the ball to attract 1,000 guests in Western

attire and raise more than $500,000 to fund cancer research grants

and educational programs for Orange County families. Tickets to the

ball start at $150 per person. Call the American Cancer Society at

(949) 261-9446 for more information.

Share Our Selves joined forces with celebrity chef Martin Yan for

the grand opening of a new bistro in Costa Mesa.

Yan opened his first eatery in Costa Mesa, Yan Can Restaurant, and

donated 100% of the opening night’s proceeds to Share Our Selves, the

Costa Mesa based nonprofit agency providing medical and dental care,

food, financial assistance and much more to low income Orange County

citizens.

Yan is known for his signature cookbook “Martin Yan’s Asian

Favorites.” Many of the recipes have been featured on a variety of TV

shows. The local crowd welcoming Yan to the neighborhood and

supporting SOS included Councilman Chris Steel, Ed and Ann Hirschman,

Jane and Richard Taylor, Bill and Ellen Wright, and Jerry and Kathy

Thompson.

The Center Stage Chapter of the Guilds of the Orange County

Performing Arts Center are planning an Aug. 20 fund-raiser to be held

at South Coast Plaza Village. Restaurants of South Coast Plaza and

South Coast Plaza Village will treat guests to a sampling of the

“best of the best” cuisine of Costa Mesa.

Restaurants participating at this time include Antonello , the

Club House, Maggiano’s, Morton’s, Royal Khyber and Wolfgang Puck.

Organizers have tapped Steve Copelend and the Ranging Sun Band to

entertain the crowd. Tickets are $40 in advance and $50 at the door.

Please call Bill Lyons at (949) 474-9112 for reservations.

*

A mistake was made in Thursday’s column. Henry Segerstrom’s cash

gift to the expansion of the Orange County Performing Arts Center was

$40 million, not $4 million. It remains the largest single charitable

cash gift in the history of Orange County.

* THE CROWD appears Thursdays and Saturdays.