Newport Beach-based homebuilder John Laing Homes, which is building homes at the former Tustin Marine base, gave $1 million to the city of Tustin for its library project. The city also received $1.8 million from Vestar/Kimco Tustin, a partnership of Vestar Development Co. and Kimco Realty Corp. that’s developing shops at the former base. The Tustin Community Redevelopment Agency also gave money to the project. The money is set to go toward a library to replace an existing one and be 2.5 times bigger. The project is set to be done by summer 2008. It will house several expanded areas, including 100 computer stations, a community plaza, a self-checkout, private study and tutoring rooms.
The Children’s Hospital of Orange County Breathmobile, a mobile asthma clinic, received a $500,000 grant from the South Coast Air Quality Management District. The money will be used to expand asthma treatment and education services in OC for children.
J.F. Shea Therapeutic Riding Center in San Juan Capistrano received $365,000 from two couples. Jenny and Bill Klein of Laguna Hills gave $250,000. Belinda and Peter Kiesecker of Newport Beach donated $115,000. Part of the money will go toward renovating the center’s riding facilities. The center provides horse-related programs for people with disabilities.
The High Hopes Head Injury Pro-gram in Tustin raised more than $100,000 at its eighth annual Eric Marienthal & Friends benefit concert. The event raised the highest amount yet for High Hopes. The money will go toward rehabilitation and retraining of local adults who are brain-injured from traumatic injuries.
The Orange County chapter of Commercial Real Estate Women donated more than $50,000 for local charities this past summer. They included: Santa Ana’s WisePlace, Fountain Valley’s Working Wardrobes and the Building Block Foundation Fund. WisePlace is a homeless shelter. Working Wardrobes provides resources for getting a job to people in need. Building Block Foundation Fund, formed by OC real estate professionals, supports youth-oriented programs.
Irvine-based mortgage company Dana Capital Group donated $50,000 to the Lincoln-Juarez Opportunity Center in Santa Ana. The center provides resources and educational programs to Latinos for jobs, healthcare, high school diplomas, college enrollment, learning English and citizenship.
The Maternal Outreach Management System in Santa Ana received a $10,000 community-service grant from the March of Dimes, California chapter. Maternal Outreach is a community agency for prenatal healthcare. The funds will go toward labor risk screenings, preterm labor education and preterm labor management to at-risk, poor, pregnant women.
Mark Payne, a partner at Costa Mesa-based law firm Rutan & Tucker LLP, donated $10,000 to Orange County United Way. Payne is a member of the firm’s employment and labor law section. He and Robert Fish, a partner at the law firm and chair of the intellectual property and technology group, are founding members of the Bench & Bar group.
Tustin-based HMWC CPAs & Business Advisors donated $5,000 to St. Anne’s Elementary and Middle School in Laguna Niguel. The donation was presented by partner Jeff Hipshman, who’s a board member at the school with sons who attend. The money will go to improvement in education as well as student programs and projects.
Simon Youth Foundation, the charitable arm of the Simon Property Group Inc., awarded a $1,200 scholarship to Douglas Long, a Mission Viejo high school graduate. Indianapolis-based Simon Property Group owns The Shops at Mission Viejo and other OC malls.
