Wildfire donations accepted at City Hall Residents...

Wildfire donations accepted at City Hall

Residents who want to help victims of the Southern California

Wildfires can drop off donations of goods, gift certificates and cash

at Newport Beach City Hall.

Items needed include nonperishable food, blankets and towels,

empty ice chests, diapers, car seats, clothing and shoes in all sizes

for children and adults, and other necessities. Gift certificates to

discount stores, department stores, sporting goods stores and toy and

children’s stores are also needed. All monetary donations will be

used to purchase gift certificates.

Bring donations to City Hall, 3300 Newport Blvd., between 9 a.m.

and 5 p.m. The drive will continue until further notice.

Items collected during the week will be driven down to a San Diego

drop-off location each Sunday until further notice. For information,

call Debbie Alcaraz at (949) 644-3131 or e-mail her at

[email protected].

Inaugural adventure run set for Saturday

The Newport Coast Adventure Run will take place Sunday at Crystal

Cove State Park. The event, which is the inaugural run of what is

planned as an annual event, kicks off at 6 a.m. and includes a 10K

run, a 5K run/walk and a “Kids’ Crazy Costume Fun Run” for children

with and without Halloween costumes. Proceeds from the event go to

charitable causes in Newport Coast including local schools. Other

beneficiaries of the nonprofit fund-raiser event include the Crystal

Cove Interpretive Center and the Crystal Cove Conservancy.

Registration is $15 for children and $25 for adults. Online

registration is at https://www.NCAdventureRun.com. For more

information, call (949) 566-1118.

Disney presents awards to three local groups

The magical spirit of Disney whooshed into the office of Parent

Help USA Monday as well-known characters presented an award for

$15,000 to the organization.

Aladdin and Jasmine presented the Tribute Award to Parent Help for

its focus on families through its Peaceful Parenting classes and

family crisis prevention services.

Disneyland’s “Magic Carpet Ride” showered 39 county organizations

with $430,000 in grants total.

Parent Help USA founder Sally Kanarek said the cash-strapped

organization would put the grant to use right away.

“We’re going to continue to provide our parenting classes and our

food bank will open up, which has been closed for over a year,”

Kanarek said. “We’ll feed a lot of at-risk children. I’m just

delighted to be in the company of other recipients for this award.”

Kanarek received another dose of good news from property owner

Richard Dick, who said the organization could stay, free of charge,

at 330 W. Bay St. for another eight to 10 months, Kanarek said.

Two other organizations in Costa Mesa -- the Anti-Defamation

League and Project Cuddle -- and one in Newport Beach -- FISH Harbor

Area -- will also receive Community Service awards on Thursday and

Friday. The organizations don’t know how much they will receive until

they are visited by Disney representatives, but it will be at least

$7,000.