The Crowd: Fundraising with Childhelp and 1221 Club, then going ‘home’

It is a fascinating fact that national and international politics can in fact spill over, influencing local social and charitable endeavors.

Specifically, the restoration of diplomatic relations with Cuba was the basis of a theme event sponsored by the Orange County Chapter of Childhelp. Event co-chairs Kristen James, Linda Burns and Krista Arce produced “Havana Nights” on a recent Saturday evening at the Balboa Bay Resort.

The party attracted more than 350 patrons, many of whom arrived in Caribbean attire, poised to celebrate an evening featuring Cuban cuisine, including authentic and exotic rum-infused cocktails. Inasmuch as the pre-Castro Cuba was a mecca of gambling and all-night partying for well healed American tourists, Havana Nights was a nod to the days when the likes of Meyer Lansky ran the nightlife of this once-glamorous Caribbean port city.

Party organizers erected casino gaming tables, and the crowd jumped from the dance floor to the silent auction room to the dining room. A cigar roller on the terrace also entertained the gents. By the end of the Saturday night soirée, Childhelp netted more than $260,000 in support of its child-abuse-prevention and welfare programs.

Childhelp President Debra Violette welcomed the arriving crush and opened the party by introducing the Childhelp Children’s Village Choir, which performed. In the crowd were two celebrities from the mega-popular ABC TV series “Dancing With The Stars,” Childhelp ambassadors Maxsim Chmerkovskiy and Peta Murgatroyd.

Also front and center for Childhelp was Dru Hammer, representing the Hammer Heart Foundation. Special honorees of the night were Michelle and Jim Yang, accepting the Benevolent Heart Award for Outstanding Mentorship for their work with abused children living in Childhelp facilities in Costa Mesa.

Childhelp VIPs spotted in the crowd included Patti and Jim Edwards, Katherine and Cory Meredith, Pam and Bud Pharris, Joyce and Mark Simon, Shan and Alix Vincent, Christine Bren, Susan and Jade Earlabaugh, Diana and Chris Miner, and Jacquie and Michael Casey.

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On the runway for the 1221 Club

More than 100 Newport-Mesa women came together for an elegant Christmas luncheon, an annual occasion recognizing a year’s worth of fundraising for the 1221 Scholarship Fund, which assists graduating seniors from the Newport-Mesa school district heading for college.

The fund has surpassed $1 million. Current annual contributions of about $150,000 make the 1221 one of the most generous private scholarship funds in the Newport Beach community.

1221 Club President Kathy Hamilton, wife of Wells Fargo private banker Noel Hamilton, who also serves as the leader of the Orange County Philharmonic Society, welcomed guests dressed in holiday finery. Social standouts in the crowd included the classy Marion Pickens of Lido Isle, marketing guru Madeline Zuckerman, and the always-best-dressed Loretta Haugen of Newport Beach and Paradise Valley, Ariz.

Also front and center for the 1221 were the philanthropic Carole Pickup and daughters Devon Martin and Natalie Pickup, who have established a very significant endowment fund for the scholarship. The queen of Costa Mesa’s “Harbor Boulevard of Cars,” the lovely Gini Robins, wife of Ford dealer Bob Robins, former Balboa Bay Club board chairman, joined fellow scholarship donors including Catherine Emmi of Corona del Mar, Kristilyn Goff of Laguna Beach, Sue Edelstein of Newport Beach, and the beautiful Anne Wortmann with daughter Devon Wortmann.

A luncheon of butternut squash soup paired with herb-marinated grilled chicken breast over watercress salad was served as a holiday fashion show hit the catwalk, which was lined with poinsettias and bisected the dining room. Fashions from the Bayfront Boutique were presented as models showed off the latest fall and winter trends. The energy level was elevated by the infusion of the resort valet staff of young men walking the walk and gyrating to the delight of the female audience.

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The holidays are all about home

The second annual Costa Mesa Home Tour unfolded last week, opening six unique and creative Costa Mesa residences to the public for a tour that benefited the Costa Mesa High School Foundation.

The massive undertaking was the brainchild of Costa Mesa Councilwoman Katrina Foley, who rallied tremendous community support to pull off a major event that will benefit the educational goals of Costa Mesa students.

Major support for the home tour came from a long list of community businesses, most notably SoCo, CJ Segerstrom and Sons, South Coast Plaza, Pottery Barn, Gatehouse, Williams Sonoma and Surfas Culinary District. Also sponsoring the event were Ayres Hotels, BLVD Hotel, Greenleaf, The Triangle, the city of Costa Mesa and local realtors including Jay and John Kelly, Darlene Stinson of REMAX, and Star Real Estate.

The six homes included:

•A Mesa Verde traditional with a fabulous yard that included a lagoon pool and outdoor kitchen. It is owned by the Fait family.

•A vintage bohemian modern residence owned by the Rothmans.

•A classic traditional with a fabulous kitchen in Wimbledon Village owned by the Jenkins family.

•An industrial modern multistory townhome on Costa Mesa’s Westside known as Poet’s Place.

•A mid-century California ranch in the Marina Highlands owned by the Lowes family.

•And a 21st century traditional American home in the Del Cerro neighborhood owned by the Dittas family.

Foley engaged a dedicated volunteer committee that included support from Debbie Speer, Jennifer Christ, John Kelly, Jana Sullivan, Linda Brumbaugh, Jackie Blair, Stephanie Benvenuti-Rill, Jesi Pearce and Vanessa Hatch, to mention only a few. In addition to the tour, a reception was held at SoCo in the Surfas Culinary Outlet, featuring food from the Greenleaf Gourmet Chopshop.

An additional reception was held at Room & Board at South Coast Plaza Village. On hand at the receptions to greet Costa Mesa families was Principal Jake Haley from Costa Mesa High School. Supporters included Tim and Tracy Taber, John and Amy Stephens, Mary and Jim Swanson, Kelly and Joe Wolf, Dena and Nigel Fisher, Assemblyman Mathew Harper and Kirby Piazza, chairman of the Costa Mesa High School art department.

Entertainment was provided by talented signers and musicians from Costa Mesa High School under the direction of choir director John Lindfors and band director Sandy Gilboe. Also in the crowd were PTA President Cori Juncker and a number of Costa Mesa city officials, including Tony Dodero, Brad Long, Matthew Jennings and Dane Bora.

B.W. COOK is editor of the Bay Window, the official publication of the Balboa Bay Club in Newport Beach.