Superheroes, Super Supporters
Nearly 350 Orange County philanthropists, business leaders, and community members gathered on Sept. 28 in support of Discovery Cube Orange County, Santa Ana’s interactive, science-based, and STEM-focused children’s museum, for its 21st annual gala.
This year’s event, themed Superheroes & Legends, celebrated the local heroes that support the museum each year and raised more than $475,000 for the nonprofit’s education and STEM programs for children.
Guests at the event dressed up as their favorite superheroes and legends. Attendees were welcomed with a cocktail reception, followed by dinner, a live auction, and an awards ceremony.
Discovery Cube Orange County presented its annual Arnold O. Beckman Award to retired attorney and business leader Douglas Freeman, founder, National Philanthropy Day. Freeman, a longtime Discovery Cube supporter, helped secure funds for Discovery Cube Ocean Quest and the Dive into Citizen Science program, in partnership with the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation.
Sponsors included Edison International, the Horowitz Group, Chiyo and Stan Rowe, and the UCI Foundation, and SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union.
A Million Reasons to Smile
On Oct. 5, supporters of the Irvine Public Schools Foundation gathered for the 10th Anniversary Spirit of Excellence Gala at Kia Motors headquarters in Irvine.
The celebration, with guests that included a mix of civic and business leaders, as well as individual community members, raised a record $1.8 million to fund critical programs and classroom support for IUSD.
FivePoint, presenting sponsor since the event’s inception, announced a record breaking $1 million donation, reinforcing its commitment to educational excellence in Irvine.
“Providing children from all walks of life and corners of the globe with equal access to a high-quality education is essential to improving our community and elevating society as a whole,” said Emile Haddad, chairman and CEO, FivePoint. “FivePoint is proud to expand our longtime partnership with Irvine Public Schools Foundation and advance the impact of a well-rounded education in creating a sustainable future.”
In addition to presenting sponsor FivePoint, other major corporate sponsors included Futek, Total Wine & More, Cox, UPS, Kading Briggs LLP, Kia Motors, and Neiman Marcus at Fashion Island.
Music, Art, Education,
Celebration
Pacific Symphony rolled out the red carpet for an evening celebration on Sept. 26 as 316 guests were welcomed to the 2019-20 Classical Opening Night Celebration and Concert, a sold-out black-tie affair honoring Carl St. Clair’s 30th season as music director of Orange County’s premier orchestra. The evening was the most successful opening night ever, raising $315,000 to benefit the orchestra’s award-winning artistic and education programs.
Festivities for the celebration took place in the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall and the Samueli Theater. The evening featured a cocktail reception, pre-concert dinner and post-concert reception. The presenting sponsor was South Coast Plaza. Longtime supporters of Pacific Symphony’s Classical Series, the Hal and Jeanette Segerstrom Family Foundation, returned as the presenting sponsor.
Race Across the Finish Line
Caterina’s Club crossed the finish line of its biggest annual fundraiser with a $450,000 purse thanks to the generosity of more than 400 guests who attended the 14th annual Red Carpet Gala. The event was held on Sept. 15 at Marconi Automotive Museum in Tustin.
Sir Bruno Serato, founder, Caterina’s Club and owner, Anaheim White House restaurant, presided over the evening’s festivities, which included a cocktail reception during which guests mingled alongside some of the rarest and most expensive cars in the world. The gala also included a multicourse dinner, silent and live auctions, entertainment, and dancing.
Among the top earning auction items was dinner for eight with future Hall of Fame inductee and Los Angeles Angels baseball player Albert Pujols and Serato at the Anaheim White House.
Among the event’s sponsors were Southern California’s highest-rated talk radio station, KFI-AM 640, Smart & Final, Anaheim White House, and KPC Health.
Bits & Pieces
Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County was awarded a $311,111 grant from Starbucks to support the sustainment of the innovative Starbucks FoodShare program, which provides nourishing, ready-to-eat meals to children, families and seniors who face hunger in Orange County … The Literacy Project, a nonprofit organization enabling disadvantaged youth to increase their reading skill levels, is celebrating 10 years of achievement during which the organization helped 9,000 struggling students learn how to read through a one-of-a-kind program that is provided at no cost to the students or schools throughout Orange and Los Angeles Counties …. Community Action Partnership of Orange County announced the acquisition of the Southwest Community Center to continue its outstanding service of providing food, shelter, clothing, guidance, health and referral services to assist economically disadvantaged individuals and families.
