Santa Ana-based Pacific Symphony raised $1.3 million at its largest fundraiser of the year.
The Parisian-themed event was held at the Hyatt Regency Irvine. About 350 guests attended, many of them dressed in 1890s Parisian attire.
Vivian McCluney, Hope Miller and Pat Poss chaired the event, which featured music by JT and California Dreamin’. The band is fronted by Kingston Technology Co. cofounder John Tu, who also made a $100,000 donation to the symphony.
Los Angeles actor and comedian Gerry Katzman emceed a cabaret show, which included dancers from the University of California, Irvine’s dance department. Other entertainment included Valentina Fleer, who sang Musetta’s Waltz from the opera La Bohème, accompanied by pianist David Clemenson and Pacific Symphony Youth Orchestra harpist Melody Swen.
Jeweler David Yurman sold 100 gift boxes, each worth $100 except for one containing a gift worth $10,000 that was taken home by Nick Greenko. The evening also featured an auction, led by auctioneer Jim Nye.
A bid of $35,000 by Jim and Sheila Peterson won them for a trip to Houston to meet Thomas Stafford, former NASA astronaut and commander of the Apollo 10 space mission in 1969.
Neglected Kids
Court Appointed Special Advocates of Orange County Inc. raised a net of $880,000 at its annual gala, Celebration of Children Black & White Ball.
The Santa Ana-based nonprofit organization advocates in the legal system on behalf of abused and neglected children.
About 800 people attended the event, held at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach.
Actor Alan Thicke, best known for starring in the TV series Growing Pains, presented awards, and former advertising executive and author Laura Schroff delivered a keynoter. Elizabeth An, chief executive of House of An restaurants and a member of the nonprofit’s advisory board, also spoke.
Gratitude
Costa Mesa-based Girls Inc. of Orange County honored Newport Beach-based DPR Construction at its recent Day of Gratitude lunch, which was underwritten and hosted by First American Financial Corp.’s banking office in Santa Ana.
Donors to the event—which drew about 70 attendees—also included the Ueberroth Family Foundation, represented at the event by Vicki Booth.
Girls Inc. is an after-school and summer program that gives girls a boost in school and business. DPR Construction and several subcontractors remodeled Girls Inc.’s Youth and Family Center in Costa Mesa at a project cost of more than $100,000.
School Donation
David Pyle, founder and chief executive of Irvine-based American Career College, donated $610,000 to Newport Harbor High School’s foundation and athletic programs. Two of his teens graduated from the school this year.
Pyle—whose latest donation will benefit girls’ field hockey and boys’ lacrosse programs—has given $1.1 million to the school in the past 14 years.
School Volunteers
Deloitte Services LP’s Orange County office volunteered in Santa Ana schools in June as part of its 13th annual Impact Day on June 8.
More than 500 Deloitte volunteers participated in a number of activities at Pio Pico Elementary School, Mendez Fundamental Intermediate School and other sites. Volunteer activities included painting murals and leading students in an interactive math game show.
The local events were part of a nationwide company effort to encourage volunteerism by Deloitte employees.
Tennis Event
Retired tennis pro and Orange County resident Michael Chang will host the 2nd Annual Michael Chang Tennis Classic on tennis courts in Newport Beach and Irvine. The July 27 to 29 event will benefit Habitat for Humanity Orange County.
