Challenges Start at Aitkens’ Place

Holiday fun can become more meaningful with a challenge or two, which was the case at Wylie and Bette Aitkens’ recent party at their spread in Anaheim Hills. The couple asked guests to bring some articles of clothing for the Salvation Army, and to select some others to wear themselves as “holiday attire.” The crowd responded in swell style—plenty of donations, and sartorial choices that were eclectic and somehow added up to more than a bunch of greens and reds without going over the top … Chapman U President Daniele Struppa met the challenge with a light-colored, patterned sport coat, while his wife, Lisa Sparks, dean of the School of Communication, opted for an athletic edge with a polar vibe. Struppa isn’t one for the immaculate tailoring of his predecessor, Jim Doti, but he’s bringing a distinct, breezy style that suggests his native Milan … Struppa had extra reason to celebrate, with a $15 million gift from the Charles Koch Foundation and several other donors recently in hand for the Smith Institute for Political Economy and Philosophy—an example that he’s up to another challenge that comes with following Doti … Among the donors to the Smith Institute is Allergan founder Gavin Herbert Sr., who’s facing a new challenge at Roger’s Gardens in Corona del Mar, where he recently hosted a lunch in his office because the Farmhouse restaurant was completely booked. The place is 50% ahead of expectations for its first few months, and already adding a second kitchen … Last week the Insider issued a challenge of sorts, suggesting a follow-up on the Bowers Museum’s exhibit on the Virgin of Guadalupe—something with additional insight on the sociological status of the Roman Catholic image of veneration. “Seek, and ye shall find,” responded Catherine Holland, a partner at Knobbe Martens and graduate of Notre Dame, whose alumni association sponsored Timothy Matovian, a professor of theology and director of the Institute of Latino Studies at the university, for a talk on the “ever-expanding influence of Guadalupe in both the Church and society” last week at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church on the Balboa Peninsula … Guadalupe comes from Mexico and has counterparts around the globe, including Our Lady of La Vang, venerated for more than 200 years by Vietnamese Catholics. Last week also brought word that OC’s Vietnamese-American community has taken on the challenge of raising funds for a shrine to her at Christ Cathedral … TVT Community Day School in Irvine rose to quite the challenge in time for Hanukkah, earning an A+ from NICHE, a website with a strong reputation for research on public and private education. NICHE recently named TVT the best K-12 private school in Orange County, the best Jewish school in California, and the best Jewish high school in California … The Segerstrom Center for the Arts met the challenge of its 43rd Annual Candlelight Concert on Dec. 2, taking in $2.6 million and giving a night filled the sounds of incomparable songstress Carole King … Sullivan says: Leonardo Inn & Suites in Santa Ana is a hipster boutique waiting for someone to take on that challenge.