A Heart to Help Women
The American Heart Association’s Orange County Go Red for Women Luncheon recently raised $435,000 to fund programs and research to fight cardiovascular diseases and stroke.
The event, which took place Feb. 20 at the Hotel Irvine, attracted nearly 500 area businesswomen and community leaders.
Experian, Snell & Wilmer, St. Joseph Hoag Health, KPMG, Edwards Lifesciences Corp., Ernst & Young LLP, Abbott Medical Optics, Kaiser Permanente and Western Dental were among the sponsors.
Leaders Learn of Veterans Study
More than 300 business community leaders, donors and executives attended a presentation on Feb. 19 at the Hilton Orange County/Costa Mesa, where results were shared from a yearlong study on the challenges faced by returning military veterans. The event was hosted by the Orange County Community Foundation.
The foundation commissioned “The State of the American Veteran: The Orange County Veterans Study” with support from the UniHealth Foundation and Nicholas Endowment. The USC School of Social Work Center for Innovation and Research on Veterans & Military Families conducted the study, which surveyed more than 1,200 veterans to determine the most pressing issues they face upon return to civilian life.
Key findings include:
• 61% of post-9/11 veterans report difficulty adjusting to civilian life, compared to 30% of pre-9/11 veterans.
• And 44% of post-9/11 veterans screened positive for post-traumatic stress disorder, compared to 24% of pre-9/11 veterans.
The foundation, armed with the new findings, is creating partnerships with local community and business leaders that focus on three areas of need: employment readiness and job skills; transitioning to civilian life; and health, with an emphasis on mental health needs.
$15K for Fowler School
Orange County-based law firm Rutan & Tucker LLP committed to another annual gift of $15,000 to the Chapman University Fowler School of Law.
The grand total of the firm’s contributions to Chapman, with the addition of this year’s gift, is $235,000 over the past several years.
“Rutan & Tucker is a very special Orange County firm, and we are delighted to have their continued support for our law school,” said Fowler School of Law Dean Thomas Campbell. “We’re proud to have several Rutan & Tucker attorneys teaching practical-skills classes for us. Our partnership with Rutan & Tucker greatly enriches our law school.”
“We hold Chapman in the highest regard, and we are delighted to continue our annual support of the school’s efforts to expand its scholarship fund,” said Steve Nichols, Rutan & Tucker managing partner. “Rutan intends to support this exceptional program for decades to come as the future leaders of our legal community graduate from the Chapman University Fowler School of Law.”
Days of Wine and Giving
AES Huntington Beach; Paradigm Financial; Pelican Hill Newport Beach; Kia Motors America; Angels Baseball; Chevron; Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort and Spa; Honda World; Rainbow Environmental Services; and NuVision Federal Credit Union came together Feb. 13 to support the nonprofit Community Service Programs at the Love Grows by Giving wine tasting fundraiser.
More than 450 humanitarians and wine lovers attended the event at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort and Spa.
The fundraiser took in more than $100,000 to benefit the Huntington Beach Youth Shelter, a safe haven for abused, runaway, homeless and at-risk youth.
Bits & Pieces
The Pacific Life Foundation and Pacific Life’s Life Insurance Division donated $55,000 to Project Hope Alliance. … The San Juan Hills Golf Club has partnered with Anaheim-based nonprofit First Tee of Orange County to expand the group’s mission to provide underserved youth with translatable life skills through golf. … El Viento Foundation received a $30,000 check from the Huntington Beach Firefighter’s Association during the Feb. 17 Huntington Beach City Council meeting to aid with El Viento’s mission to help mentor underprivileged children from Huntington Beach’s Oak View neighborhood.
