In Good Taste
The Illumination Foundation hosted its annual Table for 10 culinary extravaganza on March 15 at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa in Anaheim.
The event raised $580,000, which will be used to provide interdisciplinary services to help clients break the cycle of homelessness.
The sold-out event, which featured gourmet food and fine wine, attracted 300 attendees. Guests had a five-course tableside meal with wine pairings and on tables uniquely decorated by each participating restaurant.
Chefs from Newport Beach restaurants included Andy Arndt of Newport Beach Marriott Hotel & Spa; Jimmy Chang of Tommy Bahama Island Grille; Brian Doherty of bambú, Fairmont Newport Beach; Vincent Lesage and Rachel Haggstrom of Balboa Bay Resort & Spa; Stephen Kling of Five Crowns; Ryan Pitt of Lark Creek; Pascal Olhats of Café Jardin and Pascal; and Louie Jocson of Zov’s Bistro.
Dinner costs were absorbed by the chefs and restaurants, and the other expenses were underwritten by title sponsors Disneyland Resort and Wells Fargo, and presenting sponsor Pacific Investment Management Co., allowing the money raised to benefit families served by the foundation.
An anonymous donor matched the $185,000 raised for the Fund-A-Need portion of the auction.
Technically Speaking
More than 75 business leaders attended a March 18 Advancing Women in Technology panel discussion about women in the technology industry at Toyota Motor Sales in Irvine.
The panel included moderator H. Lynn Ryan, executive vice president and chief information officer of loanDepot; Michelle Bergquist, chief executive and cofounder of Connected Women of Influence; Maryandra Walters, director of IT applications at Hoag Hospital; Laura Pantages, information technology director of Walt Disney Parks & Resorts Technology; and Sharon Matthews, vice president of IT at Pacific Life Insurance Co.
“Managing your career—take your seat at the table” was the theme for the evening, with a special forum celebrating Women’s History Month. The panel addressed topics that included how businesses advocate for women in technology and foster inclusiveness, and what can be done to foster creativity and innovation by women and men.
Event proceeds will benefit Advancing Women in Technology’s charitable foundation, which provides scholarships for women pursuing technology-related degrees. To date, the group has awarded more than $85,000 in scholarships.
Courage to Fight
2015 Walk MS title sponsor Fish & Tsang LLP, an Irvine-based intellectual property law firm, kicked off MS Awareness Week March 2 through 8 with the West Coast premiere of “The Courage to Create” at UltraLuxe Anaheim Cinemas.
More than 100 supporters attended the event, which celebrated the firm’s personal ties to artist Virginia Phillips and its commitment to the fight to end multiple sclerosis. Phillips is an acclaimed artist living with the disease. She is profiled in “The Courage to Create,” a short-subject documentary that depicts her ability to create vibrant works of art despite daily challenges and a lack of mobility.
This year’s Walk MS is scheduled for April 11 at the University of California-Irvine.
Isn’t it Romantic?
Audiences on March 14 were treated to a night of music at Casa Classic: An Evening with pianist Garrick Ohlsson.
The sold-out event took place at the Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens in San Clemente. It included a gourmet dinner and live auction that raised $25,000 for the 2015 Casa Romantica Music Festival and Academy, a two-week summer intensive music training program in violin, piano, viola and cello for students ages 8 to 13. The event was underwritten by Fluidmaster Inc. in San Juan Capistrano.
Bits & Pieces
Wienerschnitzel, whose parent Galardi Group Inc. is based in Irvine, and Skate For Change, a nonprofit organization that encourages youth to help homeless people, have partnered for the month of April for the Hot Dogs for Homeless Tour. … Charles Antis, owner of Antis Roofing & Waterproofing in Irvine, was named Habitat for Humanity Orange County’s volunteer of the year on March 9 at a special ceremony. … UniHealth Foundation awarded Moms Orange County with a $75,000 grant to help Vietnamese families have healthy babies. … An anonymous donor pledged $1 million to the Environmental Nature Center in Newport Beach.
