Art for Everyone
Segerstrom Center for the Arts opened its new Julianne and George Argyros Plaza and Center for Dance and Innovation on Oct. 28 with music, dancing, performances, family activities and live bands. More than 10,000 people, including families from around the neighborhood and throughout Orange County, explored the 56,100-square-foot plaza designed by Michael Maltzan, with its fountain entry; grand spiral staircase that wraps around a new Center 360 outdoor cafe leading from the Segerstrom Hall terrace to the plaza; shaded seating and dining areas; tree-flanked picnicking corners; and permanent stages for year-round entertainment. The plaza is named for Julianne and George Argyros, who provided funding for the transformation of the center’s campus.
Julianne Argyros said, “George and I believe so deeply in the plaza’s ability to bring people together, to be a place where families feel welcome, where people can socialize, make new friends, and enjoy free performances … one where all of us can enjoy our community at its very best.”
All-Time-High Giving
Nearly 700 philanthropists and business and community leaders came together at the Orange County Community Foundation’s 2017 annual meeting. Addressing the sold-out Nov. 8 event at Hotel Irvine, foundation President Shelley Hoss announced its assets grew to $302 million during the fiscal year ending June 30, more than doubling from $144 million in 2012.
“During the same five-year period, OCCF also granted more than a quarter of a billion dollars to philanthropic causes in Orange County, across the nation and around the world,” Hoss said.
For the second consecutive year, foundation grants and scholarships reached an all-time high of nearly $60 million.
“OCCF has been through a period of dramatic growth over the last five years in particular,” said outgoing Board Chairman Doug Holte, president of Irvine Co. Office Properties. “Our financial strength puts OCCF in the top 5% in grantmaking among U.S. community foundations and in the top 10% in assets among more than 780 U.S. community foundations.”
Among the event sponsors were the Peter and Ginny Ueberroth Family Foundation, Anaheim Ducks, Honda Center, Hoag Hospital Foundation, Angels Baseball, Bolar Hirsch & Jennings LLP, Edward Lifesciences Foundation, Antis Roofing & Waterproofing, Disneyland Resort, Pimco Foundation and Deloitte.
Helping Rebuild
During a two-week campaign, customers and associates of Northgate Gonzalez Market and financial firm Prospera Gonzalez rallied to donate more than $136,000 to help people affected by the recent earthquakes in Mexico City, Morelos, Puebla, Guerrero, Chiapas and Oaxaca and hurricanes Irma, Harvey and Maria. An additional $100,000 was matched by Northgate and Prospera Gonzalez; vendor partners chipped in $35,000; and corporate employees added $4,170, bringing the total to more than $275,000.
“Although much of the media attention has dwindled at some of these sites, many men, women, children and entire families are still recovering from the devastation these natural disasters took on their homes and communities,” said Miguel Gonzalez Reynoso, co-president of Northgate Gonzalez Market.
Building a Foundation
The 2017 KidWorks’ Foundation for Success Luncheon, held on Nov. 2 at the Doubletree Hotel Santa Ana, again set a record by raising more than $768,000 to help fund after-school education and leadership development programs conducted by the nonprofit headquartered in central Santa Ana.
It’s the largest sum raised since the 2007 inception of the luncheon and represents the majority of the after-school program budget funding academic enrichment, tutoring, leadership development, and college readiness programs at the expanded KidWorks Dan Donahue Center.
The 2017 Dan Donahue Leadership Award was presented to David A. Pyle, philanthropist, founder and chief executive of American Career College and shareholder of West Coast University.
“I have been a supporter of KidWorks because these young men and woman are being developed as our future leaders and will be making a difference in our communities,” Pyle said.
Event sponsors included American Career College, West Coast University, Toyota Financial Services, Bank of America and Donahue Schriber Realty Group.
Bits & Pieces
In a Nov. 9 ceremony, Visit Anaheim and American Heart Association launched a Heart-to-Heart campaign, a community give-back program to equip Anaheim high schools with CPR kits and training over the next three years. … In June, PIMCO, in partnership with Anaheim-based nonprofit Access California Services, launched an employee-driven Refugee Housing Campaign to raise money to cover a year’s worth of rent for five refugee families living in Westminster and Anaheim, successfully attaining its $83,000 goal this month. … Hands Together-A Center for Children received a $20,000 grant from the Hoag Community Benefit Program to benefit healthy-living education for low-income families with preschool-age children in downtown Santa Ana.
