August events benefit local causes

They graduated into the world of fine fabrics and elegant

furnishings.

The 2005 commencement ceremony and awards for the Interior

Designers Institute of Newport Beach took place at the Irvine

Marriott Hotel last week. Members of the 2005 graduating class

received their diplomas, as internationally recognized designer Nancy

Corzine addressed the assemblage and accepted an honorary bachelor’s

degree in interior design from the school.

Corzine, one of America’s most successful interior designers,

oversees a textile line with more than 2,000 selections. Her firm

distributes products through 17 showrooms, and she manages two major

production houses.

Corzine’s clients have included celebrities Madonna, Brad Pitt and

Sharon Stone. She has designed for Donald Trump and President Bill

Clinton.

More than 450 people attended the graduation ceremonies,

highlighted by the introduction of the Corzine Scholarship Fund --

which will benefit deserving students at the institute.

A small but serious contingent of some 55 Orange County women

gathered recently at the Balboa Bay Club & Resort in Newport Beach

for a luncheon by The American Heart Assn. The get-together was part

of an educational series the group is calling Women in Health.

The recent meeting featured nurse practitioner Nancy Siskowic, who

shared with the ladies a talk she called “Maximizing Mid-Life:

Options in Menopausal Therapy.” Siskowic’s talk was an intimate

sharing of therapies and information, including the latest data on

hormone therapy for menopausal women.

The luncheon and lecture also included an open discussion,

enabling the women to share their personal perspectives. It was the

second in a series of four Women In Health luncheons that are being

staged at the Balboa Bay Club.

The next American Heart Assn. gathering will take place Sept. 27.

This meeting will be an evening event sponsored by Tenet Health Care

Foundation and Irvine Regional Hospital and Medical Center. The topic

will be “Learning How to Cook in a Healthy Manner.”

Josef Lageder, executive chef at the Balboa Bay Club, will front

the cooking demonstration. Tickets are $40 per person, with proceeds

benefiting the American Heart Assn.’s research and education

programs.

Please call Erika Holland to make your reservation, (949)

885-1525.

The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation has put out the call

for volunteers to assist in the operation of the 14th annual Komen

Orange County Race for the Cure.

Set for Sept. 25 at Fashion Island, the race is anticipated to

draw a mighty turnout of more than 30,000 people. The foundation is

hoping to attract some 1,800 volunteers.

Local media contact Sally Coombe reports that volunteers need no

experience, just a willingness to help. Coombe adds that volunteers

are especially needed on the day of the race.

Statistics tell us that one in seven women in Orange County will

be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime.

To volunteer for the Komen Race for the Cure, please contact o7

[email protected].

* THE CROWD appears Thursdays and Saturdays.