Lyon Foundation: $5M to Performing Arts Center
Gen. William Lyon’s foundation has pledged $5 million to the Orange County Performing Arts Center’s $200 million expansion campaign.
The gift from the General and Mrs. William Lyon Family Foundation brings the Performing Arts Center’s fund-raising total to $138 million.
Lyon, 83, is chairman and chief executive of Newport Beach-based homebuilder William Lyon Homes Inc.
The Costa Mesa arts center is set to debut the 2,000-seat Ren & #233;e and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall and 400-seat Samueli Theater on Sept. 15 and Oct. 14, respectively.
“It is our honor to support this important project, which will have long-lasting benefits for generations of Orange County’s residents,” Gen. Lyon said in a release.
The expansion will boost the center’s performances and educational programs, said Roger T. Kirwan, co-chair of its fund-raising campaign.
The opening of the 250,000-square-foot center is set to star Pl & #225;cido Domingo, with Carl St.Clair conducting the Pacific Symphony.
The Lyon foundation will be added to the Circle of Honor in the Cesar Pelli-designed concert hall.
Donors of $5 million or more will be recognized in the main lobby space.
Gen. Lyon was chairman of the center’s board from 1990 to 1993. He is a member of the executive committee of its board of directors.
The 11th annual JMG Security Systems Benefit Golf Tournament raised about $70,000 for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Huntington Beach. The amount is the largest the tournament has raised, bringing its 11-year fund-raising total to about $400,000.
The 5K Walk for Independence, which was hosted by the Blind Children’s Learning Center in Santa Ana, raised about $50,000 to support the center’s programs. Corporate sponsors of the event included LNR Property Corp., UCI Medical Center and Tustin Community Bank. Volunteers from Fountain Valley Hospital and Disney VoluntEARS, among other groups, helped with event setup and registration.
The Ocean Institute’s third annual Build-a-Boat challenge raised $58,000 to help preserve the institute’s two tall ships, the Spirit of Dana Point and Pilgrim. Eighteen teams competed to design, build and race a boat at Baby Beach, which is near the institute. Irvine’s Toshiba America Business Solutions Inc. won first place and GE Capital Solutions won second place in the classic class for boats 8 feet and shorter. Dana West Yacht Club won first place and Pacific Western Bank won second place in the cruiser class for boats longer than 8 feet.
Dana Capital Group in Irvine gave $15,000 to HomeAid Orange County, a nonprofit that builds and renovates shelters for homeless people in the county. HomeAid recognized Dana Capital as a member of its President’s Circle because of the company’s donation.
The Irvine Health Foundation gave a $10,000 grant to Stop-Gap, a nonprofit that uses theatre to inspire positive changes in people’s lives. Stop-Gap is one of 20 groups honored by the foundation with its 20-20 Vision Grant.
Warren and Janet Siegel donated $6,250 toward the preservation of the 14 Stations of the Cross paintings in Mission San Juan Capistrano’s Serra Chapel. The paintings are from Spain and date back to the 18th century. This is the second donation received for conservation of the Mission’s historic paintings.
Costa Mesa’s Rutan & Tucker LLP donated $5,600 worth of clothing to three nonprofits: Share Ourselves in Costa Mesa, Friendship Shelter in Newport Beach and the U.S. Adaptive Recreation Center in Big Bear. The law firm gave sweatshirts and caps to the groups, which provide outreach services to people and families in need as well as those with disabilities.
Time Warner Inc. donated $5,000 to Huntington Beach’s Project Self-Sufficiency and another $5,000 to the Boys and Girls Club of Stanton. The donations are part of Time Warner’s Community Service Team award, which recognizes a group of employees that reflect Time Warner’s values of responsibility and teamwork. The project and club were selected by Time Warner’s employee group to receive the money.
Coast Community College District faculty members Debra Secord, Ron Gibson and Georgie Monahan each were awarded $1,000 scholarships by the district’s foundation. The scholarships will be used for professional development. Each faculty member can choose the activity, which must focus on improving their teaching. Secord is a health professor at Coastline Community College, Gibson is a geology professor at Golden West College and Monahan is a professor at Orange Coast College.
