Pacific Life to Give $6M
The Pacific Life Foundation plans to donate $6 million this year—a 7% increase over 2013, the largest amount it’s donated to charity since its founding in 1984. The grants will be directed primarily to the communities where Pacific Life employees live and work, including the greater Orange County area and Omaha, Neb. The announcement was made at the annual grants reception at Pacific Life’s Newport Beach headquarters on Jan. 30. The highlight of the evening was the presentation of the Walter B. Gerken Community Service Award to the American Red Cross of Orange County. The award included a $50,000 unrestricted cash grant.
Lazy Dog Donates $15,000
Huntington Beach-based Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar donated more than $15,000 to the Foodbank of Southern California through proceeds raised during Lazy Dog’s second annual holiday gift card program. The donation will help the food bank provide a million meals to the underserved throughout Southern California. Lazy Dog donated the equivalent of 30 warm meals to the food bank for every $25 gift card purchase made at Lazy Dog restaurants between Nov. 1 and Dec. 31.
“After the great success of our holiday gift card program last year, all of us at Lazy Dog felt passionate about making it an annual tradition,” said Lazy Dog owner Chris Simms.
A Powerful Donation
Typhoon Yolanda devastated parts of Southeast Asia on Nov. 8, 2013. It killed more than 6,000 and affected at least 16 million people.
Employees at Santa Ana-based Ingram Micro collected $48,000 in contributions to help ease the suffering of Typhoon Yolanda victims. The company matched that amount and added funds to bring the grand total to $100,000.
Theater Name Honors Founders
The South Coast Repertory complex was renamed the David Emmes and Martin Benson Theatre Center on Jan. 22. The official unveiling was celebrated with a champagne reception in SCR’s lobby. The complex was previously named after Paul Folino, former board president and honorary trustee whose $10 million gift to the theater in 2002 was honored with the renaming of SCR to the Folino Theatre Center.
Folino is a former president and chief executive of Emulex Corp. He told patrons at SCR’s 50th anniversary gala season opening ball last fall that he wanted to honor the anniversary by renaming the center after its founders.
Bits and Pieces
San Clemente-based Sambazon donated $50,000 to Whole Planet Foundation to help fund microcredit for poverty alleviation worldwide. Sambazon makes fresh organic juices, smoothies, energy drinks and frozen products. … The annual Age Well Senior Services Captain’s Ball will be March 1 at the Ritz Carlton in Dana Point. Honorees for 2014 will include representatives from Edwards Lifesciences in Irvine; Steve Geidt, chief executive of Saddleback Memorial Medical Center in Laguna Hills; and Marla Noel, president of Fairhaven Memorial Park in Santa Ana.
