Miracles for Kids raised $750,000 at its annual gala held at the St. Regis Monarch Beach in Dana Point.
Tustin-based Miracles for Kids helps families with critically ill children at Children’s Hospital of Orange County and Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles.
Assistance generally includes covering the families’ non-hospital living expenses, such as rent and groceries.
About 600 people attended the fundraiser, emceed by ESPN SportsCenter anchor Neil Everett. Retired boxer and supporter Sugar Ray Leonard helped out during the live auction. Sponsors of the auction included Nolet Spirits U.S.A., jeweler Martin Katz and men’s clothing designer David August.
Goodwill Fundraiser
Orange County of Goodwill’s annual Working for Independence Fundraising Luncheon raised $225,000.
The lunch, held at the Marriott Newport Beach Hotel & Spa, was attended by 200 business and community leaders.
Santa Ana-based Goodwill trains workers with disabilities to work at local companies, among other services.
Among other speakers, Nancy Chavez, senior operations manager with Newport Beach-based Alliant Insurance Services Inc., spoke about the team of Goodwill-trained workers who work at Alliant.
Fall Lunch
Human Options Inc. raised $210,000 at its annual fall lunch, held at The Balboa Bay Club & Resort in Newport Beach.
Irvine-based Human Options helps abused women and their children by providing emergency and transitional shelter and other services.
Courtney Macavinta, author and cofounder and president of The Respect Institute, was the keynote speaker.
Human Options’ supporters and business leaders Daniel and Kerri Sonenshine, co-chaired the event. The Sonenshines own Newport Beach-based Far West Restaurant Group LLC, a Wingstop franchisee.
Black and Orange Ball
The Southern California chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation raised $120,000 at its annual Black and Orange Ball, held at the Crowne Plaza Anaheim Resort.
About 200 people attended the event.
The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation pursues a cure and helps fund research that advances medical treatments for people with cystic fibrosis.
Math Money
Costa Mesa-based Hyundai Motor America gave $46,000 as part of a partnership with TELACU in L.A. and Santa Ana-based Mind Research Institute, to provide East Los Angeles students with math programs.
Santa Ana-based Mind Research Institute developed the math programs, which aim to help boost kids’ math scores.
Math literacy is needed for jobs in science, technology and engineering.
Literacy Luncheon
The Literacy Project Foundation raised $30,000 at its fundraising luncheon, held at the Marconi Automotive Museum in Tustin.
Corona del Mar-based Literacy Project Foundation helps improve reading skills of disadvantaged children.
Sponsors included First Foundation Advisors and several others, including author Mark Victor Hansen, creator of Chicken Soup for the Soul series.
Donation Pledge
Zumasys Inc., an Irvine-based technology company, has pledged to donate 1% of its 2012 revenue to nonprofits.
It expects to exceed $20 million in revenue this year. The company has set a goal of donating $1 million total by 2016.
Zumasys helps companies with cloud computing, which allows businesses to store data on the Internet or elsewhere.
Bits and Pieces
Newport Beach-based Pacific Investment Management Co.’s cofounder, Bill Gross, and his wife, Sue, donated $20 million toward a medical building at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles; the donation was made through the Gross Family Foundation, headed by Sue Gross. … Villa Park dentist Jeff Jones donated $2,000 to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County, based in Irvine. The dentist set up a discounted dental work program and donated the proceeds to the food bank. … National Philanthropy Day Orange County, an organization that recognizes local philanthropists, honored people and organizations at a luncheon held at the Hyatt Regency in Garden Grove. Honorees included Ronald Simon, founder and chairman of Newport Beach-based Simon Foundation for Education and Housing and Newport Beach-based Pimco Foundation. … Hoag 552 Club’s 46th Annual Christmas Carol Ball will be held Dec. 8 at the St. Regis Monarch Beach resort. The gala will benefit Newport Beach-based Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian.
