Places to Go, Children to Help
David Wilson’s Wilson Automotive Group donated a Toyota Prius c to Orangewood Children’s Foundation to celebrate the sale of its 500th car. The event took place Aug. 19 at the Toyota of Orange car dealership.
“The best way we could celebrate the occasion was by honoring an organization that has given so much hope and opportunity to the youth in our community,” said David Wilson, owner and chief executive of Wilson Automotive Group. The foundation helped more than 1,500 children and teens last year to make a successful transition from the foster care system into independent adulthood. The new Prius c will benefit its Children’s Trust Fund, which provides college scholarships to former foster youth.
Getting Steamed Up
The annual Children’s Bureau Clambake steamed up fun and funds for the Children’s Bureau of Southern California on June 14 at Upper Newport Bay in Newport Beach. More than 200 guests were on hand for the charity event that honored business and community leader Neal Aton, chairman of the bureau’s Orange County division board.
The evening netted $120,000 for bureau child abuse prevention programs in Orange County.
Its presenting sponsor was The Crean Foundation. Additional sponsors included Capital Group Cos., Carrington Charitable Foundation, Deloitte LLP, Disneyland Resort, Gnarly Head Wines, Ingram Micro Inc., KSBR 88.5 FM, QBE, R-T Specialty LLC, Sierra Nevada Investment Group LLC and Windes Inc.
Teens in Training
The third annual Teen Entrepreneur Academy, a summer business startup program for high school students presented by the John Molson School of Business at Concordia University Irvine, hosted 80 teenagers July 13 through 19. The teens lived and learned on campus for one week in an entrepreneurship immersion program. Wells Fargo provided $10,000 to help provide scholarship sponsorships to 42 low-income students so they could attend. Other businesses donated $25,000 in additional support.
“It’s never too early to teach teens business. They are our future leaders,” said Alan Epperson, Wells Fargo’s Orange County business banking president.
The academy provides teens financial literacy and practical business skills and helps jumpstart their business aspirations, providing a foundation of knowledge, an entrepreneurial outlook that sees problems as opportunities, and a better appreciation of America’s free-enterprise system.
Make Mine Math!
While others played at the beach, 4,200 children and families flocked to the first annual Math Fair: At the Square Root of Fun, a free, daylong event hosted by the MIND Research Institute at the Bren Events Center on Aug. 2.
Visitors of all ages played with math concepts through hands-on games, exhibits, workshops and rides. The event was a partnership between the nonprofit MIND Research Institute and corporate and community sponsors who want to inspire children to excel in math. According to the MIND Research Institute, 20% of U.S. jobs require knowledge in at least one of the STEM (science, technology, engineering or math) fields.
Microsemi was the presenting sponsor of the event. Other sponsors included the Beall Family Foundation, Capital Group, Cox Communications, Disneyland Resort, El Aviso, Evolution Exhibits, Hispanic 100, Horowitz Group, Orange County Register, Samueli Foundation, Staples and Wells Fargo.
Bits & Pieces
The Community Action Partnership of Orange County recognized Irvine-based Banc of California and Gary Dunn, Banc of California senior vice president, community development officer, with the Outstanding Community Partner award. Other award recipients included Wells Fargo, Southern California Edison, Pacific Investment Management Co., and St. Joseph Health. … The Orange County Adult Achievement Center, a nonprofit organization that provides community-based job placement for adults with disabilities, named Costa Mesa-based Mother’s Market & Kitchen Employer of the Year.
