Miracle Mission
Free Wheelchair Mission held its 16th annual Miracle of Mobility Gala at Segerstrom Center for the Arts on July 25.
The sold-out event raised over $1.8 million, enough to transform the lives of more than 22,500 individuals living with disabilities in poorer nations around the world. Event sponsors included Advisors Mortgage Group, Diamond Hill Capital Management, KPMG, and PR Construction Inc.
The 600-plus guests enjoyed an internationally-themed cocktail reception with food stations offering global cuisine, a silent auction, and a performance by Infinite Flow, the first-ever wheelchair dance company.
The evening’s featured speaker, Victoria Arlen, ESPN host, who was paralyzed from age 11 to 15 due to a rare neurological disease, spoke about her journey back to health and offered a message of hope and the importance of being thankful each day.
Following Victoria’s speech, a live auction led to the donation of more than 21,900 wheelchairs to be built and distributed in 93 countries.
Exceeding Expectations
The 37th annual Stars and Stripes Luncheon was held on Aug. 8 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Orange County by the Orange County Council-Boy Scouts of America. More than 460 leaders in the grocery industry came together to honor this year’s Good Scout, Matt Reeve, group vice president of sales and merchandising, Smart & Final. The event surpassed its goal and raised $222,800, benefitting the Scouting program and youth of Orange County.
The event sponsors included Smart & Final, JBS Beef Co., Minute Maid, Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling, Crystal Geyser, Foster Farms, Frito-Lay, MillerCoors, Pepsi, Smithfield Foods, Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, Bimbo Bakeries USA, Bristol Farms, Gallo Wine Co., General Mills, Mission Foods, Nasser Co., Nestlé, Northgate Markets, NuCal Foods Inc., Stater Bros., and Young’s Market Co.
Investing in Nonprofits
On Aug. 5, Bank of America announced $647,500 in grants to 30 Orange County nonprofits that will advance economic mobility for individuals and families and put them on a path toward success. The grants focus on workforce development that help people to better economic futures, as well as basic needs fundamental to building lifelong stability. Â
“Through strategic philanthropic investments into Orange County’s incredible nonprofit network addressing needs such as hunger relief, shelter and career access, Bank of America can deploy its capital to advance more economic opportunities in the region,” said Allen Staff, Orange County market president, Bank of America.
Local organizations that received the grants included Solutions for Urban Agriculture, Mercy House, California State University-Fullerton Philanthropic Foundation, Goodwill of Orange County, Orange County Community Foundation, Working Wardrobes, Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Orange Coast, Girls Inc., KidWorks, Think Together, The Wooden Floor, Angels Baseball Foundation, SeniorServ, Second Harvest Food Bank, and Families Forward.
Tee and STEAM
Irvine Public Schools Foundation hosted its ninth annual Tee It Up for Education Golf Tournament on June 6 at Strawberry Farms Golf Course in Irvine. Civic, business, and education leaders throughout Orange County came together to golf and help IPSF raise more than $65,000 to support public education initiatives, including an emphasis on STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) programming.
The Travis Mathew Ice Cream Truck was on-site to serve up fresh ice cream, Patch Coffee kept everyone caffeinated with its cold brew coffee bar, and Taps Fish House & Brewery provided on-course refreshments.Â
More than 35 companies and community organizations sponsored the tournament. IPSF welcomed an extended list of new and returning sponsors, including Strawberry Farms Golf Club, Konica Minolta, Kaiser Permanente, Aviles Real Estate Group, Travis Mathew, and The Resort at Pelican Hill.
Bits & Pieces
Tuttle-Click’s Tustin Jeep dealership is supporting the Semper Fi Fund, which provides resources and lifetime support for combat-wounded, critically ill and catastrophically injured members of the U.S. Armed Forces and their families, by donating the proceeds this summer from the sale of every specially designed “Hero” Jeep, a 2019 Rubicon four-door, loaded with off-road equipment and other unique components … Nonprofit WYW, which provides the unemployed and underemployed with the skills and resources they need to get and keep a job, has received a $15,000 workforce development grant from Bank of America … Human Options, an Orange County-based nonprofit dedicated to ending the cycle of relationship violence, received a $3,000 grant from the Maximus Foundation to support the Therapeutic Children’s Program at Human Options’ emergency shelter for victims of domestic violence.
