An Excellent Cause
Irvine Public Schools Foundation (IPSF) hosted its 25th Annual Spirit of Excellence Gala on March 5 at the Great Park’s Hangar 244 in Irvine.
The celebration welcomed civic and business leaders, IPSF board members, parents and individual community members, who together helped raise more than $1 million to fund programs and classroom support for Irvine Unified School District (IUSD).
“Our sponsors, board of trustees and gala committee showed tremendous leadership, which resulted in one of our most successful events to date,” said Neda Eaton, president and CEO, IPSF. “The funds raised will make an impact in the educational experience of over 36,000 students in our community.”
The evening also celebrated the accomplishments of two honorees who each received the Spirit of Excellence Award in their respective fields. These included the IUSD school nurses who support the well-being of the students in grades K-12 districtwide and Bardia Shah-Rais, a 1991 University High School graduate and five-time Emmy Award winning producer who oversees studio production for MLB on Fox, Big Noon Kickoff and Fox’s Big East and Big 10 basketball shows.
Major sponsors included presenting sponsor FivePoint, FUTEK, Total Wine & More, Angels Baseball Foundation and Kading Briggs LLP.
Recognizing Ethics in Business
More than 675 area business leaders came together on Feb. 18 at the JW Marriott Anaheim Resort to show their support and commitment to The Orange Catholic Foundation’s 19th Annual Conference on Business & Ethics. Farmers & Merchants Bank was a co-presenting partner in the event.
The Conference on Business & Ethics focuses on ethical business practices in Orange County by recognizing business leaders who have made an honorable difference in their spheres of influence.
The event raised more than $850,000, in support of tuition assistance to the Diocese of Orange Catholic elementary schools and Foundation programs.
This year’s Bishop’s Award for Exemplary Business Integrity was awarded to Al Baldwin, chairman of the board, Baldwin & Sons, board member, National Parks Foundation; and Roger Kirwan, chairman and CEO, Woodside Credit, chairman, investment committee, Orange County Performing Arts Center, for having demonstrated a positive example of ethical practice in all aspects of their lives.
The Farmers & Merchants Bank Lifetime Achievement Award was given to the Gonzalez family of Northgate Market, for making a significant contribution to the Orange County community and beyond.
Gourmet all the Way
Table for Ten held its 16th annual culinary extravaganza at the Festival of Arts/Pageant of the Masters grounds in Laguna Beach on March 6, raising more than $300,000 in net proceeds to provide grants to deserving culinary arts students through the Pascal Culinary Scholarship Program.
“The scholarships provide monies to offset or cover the students’ tuition, fees, books and equipment,” said renowned Chef Pascal Olhats, chef scholarship chair, Table for Ten, whose culinary scholarship program was the recipient of the evening’s proceeds. “The college foundations select the recipients based on need and merit.”
More than 300 gourmet food and wine lovers attended the sold-out event, with guests enjoying multi-courses tableside from 30 chefs, along with wine pairings and tables uniquely decorated by each restaurant.
Participating table chefs included Ron Duprat, Amarillo Country Club; Prabeen Prabathan and Jacob Davis, Balboa Bay Resort & Club; Victor Soto and Daniele Cambria; Keith Prante, Haute Productions; Tetsuya Isogami, Nobu Newport Beach; Chef Adam Navidi, Oceans & Earth; David Martin, Pacific Club; Pascal Olhats, Saddleback Culinary Arts; Peter Moon, Seabutter; Ron Fougeray, Splashes, Surf & Sand Resort; Kyle St. John, The Ranch Laguna Beach; and Brandon Hall, Thyme Well Spent Catering.
Prior to the dining experience, guests enjoyed a reception on the festival grounds that featured area chefs and wineries offering hors d’oeuvres and wines. The cocktail reception counted among its host chefs Antonio Roa, Blue Lantern Inn; Jackie Gomez, Chef Board Stylist; Linda Johnsen, Filomena’s Italian Kitchen; Brook Cazier, Flaky Apple Pie Company; Leslie Nguyen, Miss Mini Donuts; Donald Lockhart, Terra Laguna Beach; and Heather McLeod, Three Pug Bakery Dessert Shot.
The event’s Honorary Chef, Ugo Allesine, Prego Restaurant, was honored by Olhats for his culinary skills, as well as his giving his time and energy to a multitude of charitable causes in Orange County for many years.
Event sponsors included Chalk Hill and Three Sticks wineries, Dierberg Star Lane, Duckhorn, Melville, Babcock, Crown Point, LVE, JCB, Notorious Pink Rose, Pride Mountain, Ketel One Vodka, Nolet’s Gin, Melissa’s, Chakra Shack, Moongoat Coffee, Fort Point Beer, Guidance Whiskey, Acqua Panna and S. Pellegrino.
More Than Meets the Eye
Beyond Blindness held its 60th Anniversary Gala on Feb. 26 at the Marconi Automotive Museum in Tustin. More than 250 guests came together to honor Beyond Blindness’ legacy and its vision of creating a world where all children, no matter their abilities, are equipped to live full and rewarding lives.
The gala raised $240,000, which will directly support Beyond Blindness’ Early Intervention, Education + Enrichment and Family Support Services for children with visual impairments and other disabilities.
The Thompson Family Foundation was the event’s Diamond sponsor. They were joined by additional sponsors EideBailly, Glaukos Charitable Fundation, OSRX, Wine Country Gift Baskets, FivePoint, Kelemen Company, TheoPacific Corp., MCA Realty, Wright Ford Young & Co., Movement Mortgage, STAAR Surgical and several others.
Dr. Ashish Mehta, chief of ophthalmology, Southern California Permanente and board member, Beyond Blindness; and Dr. Catherine Heyman, assistant dean, Marshall B. Ketchum University and board member, Beyond Blindness were given the Dr. Wilhelm de Nijs Vision Award, which is named for the organization’s founder and first executive director.
The event also featured Becca Meyers, paralympic swimmer and advocate for disability equality, who shared her inspiring journey of overcoming the obstacles of being deaf-blind to win gold.
Bits & Pieces
Girls Inc. Orange County received a $50,000 grant from The Boeing Company to directly fund the yearlong specialized STEM and SEL instruction through the SMART Girls initiative (Science, Math, and Relevant Technology) which serves at-risk middle school and early teen girls. … The AirCal exhibit at the Balboa Island Museum will be on display through the end of May and features the story of owners William Lyon and George Argyros, memorabilia, employee photos, model planes, uniforms, and a slide show.
