Cooking Up Magic
The seventh annual Illumination Foundation OC Chef’s Table took place on Sunday, March 1, in a setting that could only be described as magical—the Disneyland Resort.
More than 440 guests took a seat against homelessness along with 44 acclaimed chefs from restaurants across Orange County, Los Angeles County, and Palm Desert. Each chef crafted a menu specific to a table of 10 with no two tables featuring the same experience, giving their time and creativity toward the goal of raising $1.2 million for homelessness, surpassing the 2019 event’s record of $1 million.
Founded in 2007 with a mission to break the cycle of homelessness, Illumination Foundation has provided housing services for almost 2,000 individuals, and in 2019, in an experiment that has proven highly successful, they purchased a home to be used for emergency housing. This single home has helped 40 families transition out of homelessness.
The success of this emergency housing has a shown a regional need for others like it. Funds raised at the event will go toward the purchase of a second location and to funding the foundation through the summer. Illumination Foundation notes that it has a list of 200 families waiting, and hoping, for a place to call home.
Chefs at the evening’s event included Jet Tila, celebrity chef, Food Network; Andrew Sutton, signature restaurants at Disneyland Resort; Rich Mead, The Farmhouse; Clint Chin, Disneyland Club 33; Magellan Moore and Stephen LaFountain, Mastro’s; Michael Rossi, The Ranch Restaurant & Saloon; Leo Razo, representing both Villa Roma and Cambalache; and Chris Simon, Pelican Hill Resort.
Several restaurants were involved as well, including cdm Restaurant + Bar, AHBA, Scarlet Kitchen & Lounge and Strong Water Anaheim. Evening highlights included a $5,000 scholarship awarded from the alliantgroup LP to a formerly homeless student who wants to become a teacher and give back one day.
—Sumer Bowles
Shining Support
Radiant Health Centers raised more than $920,000 at its 34th annual gala at the Yost Theatre in Santa Ana on Feb. 15. Gala sponsors included Avita Pharmacy, Union Bank, Gilead Sciences Inc. and Pacific Life Insurance Co.
The evening’s festivities hosted over 225 Orange County community members, supporters and business leaders.
The event included a silent and live auction and featured the presentation of a sizeable donation from the trust of the late Leslie A. Timmons, presented to Radiant Health Centers’ CEO Phil Yaeger during the event.
The theme was Cirque Rouge and hosted a variety of performers including aerialists from SwingIt Trapeze, a stilt walker, a contortionist and a juggler alongside classic carnival games.
Radiant Health Centers is a nonprofit that offers free HIV testing, LGBTQ+ specialized medical care and comprehensive social services in Orange County.
Love Grows by Giving
Waymakers hosted its 10th annual Love Grows by Giving fundraiser on Feb. 13 at Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort and Spa to help raise over $125,000 for Waymakers Huntington Beach Youth Shelter, a safe haven for homeless, runaway, abused and at-risk youth. The event gathered nearly 500 wine lovers, foodies and humanitarians, and featured wine tastings, beer samplings, live music and an exceptional culinary experience from local fine dining restaurants.
Dennis Kuhl, chairman of Angels Baseball and a longtime supporter of Waymakers, served as event chair.
Featured participants included Jackson Family Wines, ZD, Rodney Strong, Main Street Wine Co., Cambalache Grill, Watertable at Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach, Cucina Alessa, Buon Gusto, Mesa Verde Country Club and Duke’s Huntington Beach. The event also offered live and silent auctions.
Event sponsors included the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort and Spa, Angels Baseball, Speedo USA, Chevron, AES Huntington Beach, the Woravka Family Foundation, as well as individual sponsors.
Proceeds from the event will benefit the Waymakers’ Huntington Beach Youth Shelter.
Banking on the Future
Last month, Bank of America pledged its financial support to the Laguna Playhouse’s
TheatreReach program, which funds the continuation of the 2-year old program for another year.
TheatreReach provides high school students with the workforce skills and knowledge necessary that helps them enter the performing arts industry in Orange County. The program brings in working theatre professionals for a 13-week period, where they teach students the professional aspects of theatre, including how to act on and off stage, how to audition for a role, and how to interview for professional cast and crew positions. Students are also provided hands-on training in the technical aspects of producing a play, such as sound, lighting, costume and set-design, and character building through research.
“The arts matter in Orange County as both an important cultural driver and a local economic engine and exposing students to the creative arts industry is a terrific way to prepare them for many careers in business. Organizations today operate in a highly competitive, global environment, making creativity crucial,” said Allen Staff, Orange County market president, Bank of America. “We love Laguna Playhouse’s TheatreReach program that introduces students to the arts and to professional pathways because it reflects our own focus on the arts and on workforce development for teens and young adults.”
Bits & Pieces
On Feb. 12, the Orange County Community Foundation partnered with 12 local nonprofits to host “Love Is, A Giving Day” in support of healthy teen relationships in Orange County. The 24-hour event raised $117,918 with participation from 421 donors. … Girls Inc. of Orange County received a $100,000 grant from Newport Beach-based Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian, which will directly benefit all of Girls Inc of Orange County’s elementary programming through its Building Blocks program, which includes emotional literacy, academic support, resiliency, leadership and community service, and health and wellness. … Kingston Technology Corp. gifted $28,000 to San Juan Capistrano’s College and Completion Program, a partnership designed to help first-generation students from low-income backgrounds overcome the odds to become college graduates.
