Hospital caroling in the holiday spirit

B.W. COOK

At Hoag Hospital, Christmas may come any day of the year for patients

receiving treatment for life-threatening illnesses. The health

profession, perhaps more than any other, is our most vital. It is no

wonder that excellence is cherished by any community fortunate enough

to have both a state-of-the-art facility and a team of health

professionals dedicated to the population’s well-being. Hoag is such

an institution.

And it is no wonder that Christmas is a special time of year for

those dedicated to making Hoag such an important member of the

Newport-Mesa family. For the 38th year, Hoag’s support wing known as

The 552 Club gathered to welcome the holidays with hope and passion.

The annual Christmas Carol Ball unfolded at The Ritz-Carlton Hotel in

Laguna Niguel, attracting some 450 guests who wanted to make sure

their support for Hoag was front and center at Christmas time. By the

end of the black-tie evening, $425,000 had been raised for Hoag and,

in particular, the Hoag Vascular Institute.

Chaired by Sandie and Richard Haskell, a Hoag cardiologist, the

evening attracted local stars including Ron and Sandi Simon, Dick and

Mary Allen, Maralou and Jerry Harrington, Nora and Jim Johnson and

Marilyn and Dave Wooten. Also supporting the affair were Gail and

Roger Kirwan of Newport Coast, Patti and Jim Edwards of Harbor Island

and Pam and Jim Young representing the Private Bank of Union Bank of

California, one of the event’s underwriters.

A warm and wonderful holiday dinner was served by Turnip Rose on

behalf of Parent Help USA. The nonprofit organization founded by

Sally Kanarek in 1986 is dedicated to helping parents “learn more

effective ways of child-rearing through free, peaceful parenting

classes and individual counseling,” said Newport activist Viviane

Oglevie of Bayshores. Oglevie continued, “The goal of our holiday

dinner was to raise money for office space in which to provide these

free classes and counseling for both the community at large as well

as court-ordered cases.”

Oglevie confided that the challenge is great, but community

support is strong. The recent dinner attracted Parent Help USA

founder Kanarek and local donors Richard Dick; Jeffrey and Sue Czeck;

Fredrick Birnberg; Kait Matthews; Donald Massee; Heather Brien;

Steven Oglevie, husband of Viviane Oglevie; and Charlotte Kies, board

president of Parent Help USA.

The Junior Auxiliary of the Assistance League of Newport Mesa

celebrated the glittering Candy Cane Ball at the Balboa Bay Club &

Resort. A forest of trees, aglow and festooned with ornaments and

ribbons greeted the young Newport crowd of 250 guests who came to bid

in one of the holiday season’s talked-about silent auctions.

Organizers set up auction tables throughout the Bay Club’s reception

area for guests to bid on a fabulous array of donated merchandise.

Chaired by Jane Owen, attending the elegant affair with husband

Timothy Owen, the auction and party raised $75,000 for the Assistance

League. In the crowd were Newport’s Nancy and George Wall, Debi and

Jerry Guibord and Diana and Bob Brookes. Also supporting the league

were Bruce and Jill Ayres, Bob and Marilyn Bendetti and Susan and

James Callas.

* THE CROWD appears Thursdays and Saturdays.