Compiled by Kelly Ryan
The Down Syndrome Association of Orange County raised $ $305,798 at its Orange County Buddy Walk fundraiser held at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. More than 3,500 people attended to raise money for the program Changing Perceptions to Change Lives. Additionally, the association donated $1,200 in books and DVDs to local libraries to inform the public about Down syndrome.
The Tustin Unified Board of Education received a check for $123,221 from the Tustin Public Schools Foundation. The donation included $53,696 for school-wide projects, $30,000 to continue after-school sports at all five Tustin Unified middle schools and $39,525 for classroom materials and supplies. The money was raised at the Dinosaur Dash Run for Education event.
The Irvine Valley College Foundation raised $82,000 to fund scholarship endowments. The Bernard Osher Foundation has pledged to match half of the funds, creating $123,000 in total endowments. Four endowments will be created: Charter 100 Scholarship, Lyle and Ethel Davis Scholarship, Wyoma Hamilton Scholarship and Associated Students of Irvine Valley College Scholarship.
The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Orange County chapter and Working Wardrobes each received $50,000 from the Pimco Foundation in Newport Beach. Judy and Ray Brandt and Bobbitt Williams received the foundation’s cash Awards of Excellence and donated the money to the nonprofits.
The Child Abuse Prevention Center in Orange raised $75,000 for its parenting education and mental health programs. The money will be used for the Families Helping Families program. It also was used to provide holiday gifts and meals for families.
Laguna Niguel-based Art & Creativity for Healing Inc. received $50,000 from the Employee Community Fund of Boeing California as part of the Crystal Vision Awards program. The local nonprofit will use the money to support the Art for Healing for Heroes and their Families program at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton.
The Blind Children’s Learning Center in Santa Ana received $42,435 from Alcon Laboratories Inc. in Irvine. Alcon employees raised money with their Vision For Our Pounds Weight Loss Challenge. They lost 1,415 pounds in 11 months.
The Ralphs and Food 4 Less Funds donated $25,000 to The Children’s Hospital of Orange County’s Cancer Institute Adolescent and Young Adult Program. The program is designed to give young cancer patients access to the latest clinical services.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County received $20,000 from The George Hoag Family Foundation.
Irvine-based Nationwide Support Services Inc. donated $10,000 to Irvine families as part of a holiday donation program. Nationwide offers back-end processing for several debt settlement companies.
The Newport Beach office of McCarthy Building Cos. built outdoor pathways, a
patio and an elevator for Alec “Bunk” Wurth in Orange. Wurth suffered a spinal cord injury in 2006. His house is being modified to allow him to comfortably maneuver in his wheelchair. Some other volunteers came from: Jezowksi & Markel Contractors/Marne Con-struction, Conco Concrete Pumping, Standard Concrete, Pinnacle Disposal and California Sanitation.
Local Pinkberry Inc. yogurt stores gave $2,300 to Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County as part of a holiday charitable fundraising campaign. The stores donated $.25 for every pomegranate flavored frozen yogurt purchased. Pinkberry stores in San Diego and Los Angeles participated in similar donations.
Womenade Newport Beach raised $2,025 for Costa Mesa-based nonprofit Share Our Selves at its first charitable dinner. The dinners are scheduled to take place every quarter. At each event, guests are asked to bring a donation of the amount they would have spent on a dinner out with friends. Randy Rozak of Rozak Vintners in Central California donated wine for the evening.
Goodwill of Orange County received KidSmart Young Explorer computer learning stations as part of a grant from IBM Corp. The computers help disabled children succeed academically. Goodwill received the grant through its collaboration with the Pacer Center, a Minnesota nonprofit that helps disabled children and their families.
The Salt Creek Grille in Dana Point held a two-week food drive and donated an additional $1,000 to Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County. Co-owners Tim McCune and Pete Truxaw invited former San Francisco 49er Jerry Wilkinson to help raise money.
Access Executive Network, an OC networking and charity group for executives, held a holiday toy drive in Tustin at the Chaparosa Grill at The District. Charities that received toys were Share Our Selves, Web Wise Kids and the Child Guidance Center of Orange County.
The County of Orange gave a grant to the La Habra Family Resource Center to distribute 400 bike helmets to low-income residents. The center is operated by La Habra-based nonprofit Institute for Healthcare Advancement.
