Celebrating by Candlelight
More than 400 guests gathered to celebrate the holiday season on Dec. 6 for Segerstrom Center for the Arts’ 46th Candlelight Concert. The event grossed $2.8 million to support the center’s array of entertainment, artistic, education and community engagement programs, as well as the American Ballet Theatre William J. Gillespie School and the School of Dance and Music for Children with Disabilities.
The event décor featured a monochromatic winter white, including a white carpet. Ballroom dancers performed on an elevated stage inside the front doors. Receptions were held on the plaza and orchestra level lobbies and dinner on the Segerstrom Hall stage. As guests left Segerstrom Hall, they were treated to after-hours In-N-Out burgers and soft drinks.
Lugano Diamonds was the Luxury Jewelry Presenting Sponsor. Additional underwriters included leading Orange County philanthropists Marta and Raj Bhathal, founders of Raj Swim; Sandy Segerstrom Daniels, managing partner, South Coast Plaza; and Elizabeth and Paul Merage, founder, MIG Capital LLC, among several others.
A Quarter Century of Impact
Shalimar Learning Center in Costa Mesa marked its 25th anniversary at a special dinner event held on Nov. 6 at The Harper in Costa Mesa. The event celebrated Shalimar’s quarter-century mission to provide quality education to more than 5,000 Orange County children, positioning them for success in college and career.
The event, held in conjunction with Think Together, raised more than $120,000. The proceeds raised from the event will be used to add programs and resources to the Shalimar Learning Center.
The event recognized the recipients of the 2019 Signature Awards, including Pacific Life Foundation, which received the Innovator Award for its 15-year support of Shalimar’s programs that help students prepare for college; and National Charity League’s Newport Chapter, for their financial and volunteer support, which has provided everything from take-home Thanksgiving meals to seasonal parties for younger students to college scholarships for graduating seniors.
Shalimar Learning Center also presented the first-ever Legacy Award to Trish O’Donnell in honor of her late husband John O’Donnell, real estate developer and founder of the O’Donnell Group, who made a significant financial investment during the critical early days of Shalimar Learning Center, prompting other local leaders to follow his example.
Bound to Succeed
On Nov. 6, Girls Inc. of Orange County hosted its annual Champions for Girls Luncheon and raised $201,000 for the organization’s College Bound Program, breaking the previous record of $161,000 in 2018. The luncheon took place at Pelican Hill Resort in Newport Beach.
“Seeing the continued generosity and support from our Champions for Girls Luncheon guests is something Girls Inc. of Orange County is beyond thankful for,” said Lucy Santana, CEO, Girls Inc. of Orange County. “Without fundraising events such as these, programs like College Bound would not be possible … We are forever grateful to those who continue to help our girls become strong, smart, and bold.”
The event was sponsored by Union Bank, Verizon, Burns & McDonnell, Kaiser Permanente Orange County, Northern Trust, Smart & Final, Angels Baseball, Behr Paint Co., BJ’s Restaurants Inc., Boeing, Disneyland Resort, Orange Coast College Foundation and the Orange County Department of Education, among others.
Taste of Hope
Chef Masters, benefiting Alzheimer’s Family Center (AFC), held its second annual benefit for 340 guests at the Paséa Hotel & Spa in Huntington Beach on Oct. 27. The culinary extravaganza offered guests a sumptuous two-hour gourmet food and wine reception on the hotel’s terrace, featuring 31 top Orange County chefs and restaurants and an offering of upscale California wines.
Philanthropist Sue Gross, founder, Sue J. Gross Foundation and Bill Podlich, co-founder, PIMCO and his wife, Pat, were among the events major underwriters. Business sponsors included Jagermeister, Future Foods Farms, Baja Shellfish Farms, Moongoat Coffee Roasters, Melissa’s, Nestle Waters, Petal to the Meadow and more.
Following the tasting, guests entered the ballroom to enjoy dessert, followed by a live auction and raffle.
Joanna Richardson-Jones, CEO, AFC, thanked Hoag Hospital for its 40 years of support. Hoag’s partnership with AFC since then provided the 20,000-square-foot dementia-specific center in Huntington Beach, which is the only day care program in Orange County devoted exclusively to treating people with dementia.
“Hoag’s passion made it possible,” Richardson-Jones said of Hoag.
The amount raised by Chef Masters was 40% more than the same event in 2018, according to AFC.
Bits & Pieces
Jewish Federation & Family Services of Orange County elected its new board on Dec. 9, including Stephen Gordon, founding chairman, CEO and president, Opus Bank … In mid-December, 22 CBRE Group Inc. executives and staff, including Sharon Kline, executive vice president; Kurt Strasmann, executive managing director, Orange County & PSW Industrial Practice Group; David Dowd, senior vice president; Sean Conry, senior managing director, project management; and Melissa Ley, broker, gathered at nonprofit KidWorks in Santa Ana to hold a holiday carnival for 48 preschoolers with activities such as a bounce house, train, obstacle course, coloring, reading, a craft and more … Team members from Orange County’ Credit Union, including Shruti Miyashiro, CEO; Jeff Harper, senior VP and chief lending officer; Art Armas, VP, business services; and Amber Cisneros, chief member experience officer, hosted a Family Winter Party in December for Children’s Hospital of Orange County with more than 100 CHOC patients and their loved ones attending the Frozen-themed event filled with festive activities, such as building a snowman, making snowflake bracelets and meeting Disney characters like Elsa, Anna and Olaf.
