THE CROWD:A gathering of friends honor Al Auer

One of Newport’s most distinguished citizens was honored by Adult Day Services of Orange County at its seventh-annual gala “A Gathering of Friends.”

An overflow crowd filled the ballroom of the Westin South Coast Plaza Hotel in Costa Mesa to honor Al Auer, who helped to create the center that is dedicated to caring for patients with Alzheimer’s disease.

In a further connection, which made the evening even more meaningful, Auer is also a patient at the Adult Day Services Center.

Surrounded by his wife Lin and family members as well as a multitude of friends and admirers, many of whom have also played important civic, business, educational and charitable roles in this community, Auer was lauded for a life of accomplishment and service. A video tribute left not a dry eye in the house.

From his youth as a high school football player under the wing of Coach Woody Hayes to his Marine Corps service during World War II to his graduation from Harvard University with an MBA, Auer’s leadership course was set.

Landing in Orange County in the post-World War II years, he was an active participant in the development boom that eventually made Orange County — and Newport Beach in particular — a global model for “the good life.”

Along with the challenges of business growth came the building of a strong community. Auer ranks among a small confederation of individuals responsible for turning a small local hospital — Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian — into a powerful arm of community service and health care.

In recognition of such exemplary service, Auer’s fellow citizens stood up and donated nearly $300,000 the night of the event. Among the generous contributors were Ray and Elsa Watson, James Knapp, Michael Haynes, Karen Johnson, Robert Lucas, Nancy Pettijohn, Ron and Judy Shenkman, and Jack and Jan Stephenson.

Also front and center for Auer and Adult Day Services were Charlene Prager, Janet and Walkie Ray, Terry and Suzanne McKenna, Dan and Sarah Hogan, Sandy Sewell, Daily Pilot Publisher Tom Johnson and his wife Vicki, former Hoag CEO Michael Stephens and his wife Diane, as well as current Hoag CEO Dr. Richard Afable and his wife Sally.

Prominent community members also lending support included the Ueberroth family, Melinda and Tony Moiso, Frances and Dr. John Applegate, Clarice and Norman Dahl, Don and Felicity Sodaro, Adult Day Services executive director Cordula Dick-Muehlke and her husband Malcolm, Mary Lou and Wayne Shattuck, and so many more.

In yet another emotional moment, Cindy Picquelle, also honored as a “Distinguished Friend of the Year” by Adult Day Services, took the microphone and sang Gershwin’s “They Can’t Take That Away From Me” as a further tribute to Auer.

Picquelle, a realtor based in Huntington Beach, has served on the Adult Day Services board for the past six years and is credited with advancing the agency’s mission throughout Orange County attracting both human and financial resourcesfor the facility.

The evening, created around a 1940s Cocoanut Grove nightclub theme, featured the mellow sounds of Moonlight Express. It was a perfect blend of nostalgia and hope for a future without Alzheimer’s disease.

To learn more about the programs offered by Adult Day Services, call (714) 593-9630 or visit www.adultdayservices.org .