Shopping and Sharing
The Outlets at San Clemente hosted its inaugural Shopping Extravaganza charity fundraiser on Dec. 5, raising $37,465 to benefit 18 local nonprofit groups. Consumers received exclusive discounts at more than 25 stores, and Outlets at San Clemente donated $25 for every purchased $35 ticket to the local nonprofit organization of the shopper’s choice.
Participating organizations included Costa Mesa-based Girls Incorporated of Orange County; Irvine-based Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation; Irvine-based Tilly’s Life Center; Laguna Beach-based Pacific Marine Mammal Center; Laguna Hills-based Western Youth Services; Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County, Court Appointed Special Advocates of Orange County, Goodwill of Orange County, and the Wellness and Prevention Foundation, all of Santa Ana; and Tustin-based ALS Association’s Orange County chapter.
Steve Craig, managing partner of Craig Realty Group, began applying the Shopping Extravaganza events to Craig Realty Group-owned and operated centers in 1998. There have since been more than 80 Shopping Extravaganza events at centers across the country that have raised more than $3 million for local nonprofit organizations, according to the company.
Friends, Fashion Show,
Holiday Spirit
Friends of CASA, a fundraising auxiliary of Court Appointed Special Advocates, hosted its 2015 Holiday Luncheon on Dec. 10 at the St. Regis Monarch Beach in Dana Point.
The luncheon and fashion show smashed all previous records and budget expectations, netting more than $302,000. Funds will support Friends of CASA’s mission of recruiting, training, and supervising community volunteers who mentor and advocate for children in the foster care system. Main sponsors of the event included the Harry Bronson & Edith Knapp Foundation and Lugano Diamonds.
More than 600 guests bid on 185 auction packages during the champagne reception, which was followed by a spring 2016 fashion show presented by Saks Fifth Avenue.
Bite Out of Hunger
Irvine-based The Habit Restaurants Inc. presented a $200,000 check on Dec. 21 to Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry Campaign.
The Habit’s chief marketing officer, Matt Hood, and Share Our Strength’s manager of corporate partnerships, Mallory Moler, represented the two organizations. The donation will provide healthy meals to children in need.
The Habit Burger Grill raised the funds during September. Thousands of guests at more than 125 Habit locations made donations to benefit No Kid Hungry and in return received a certificate to enjoy a complimentary charburger with cheese.
“Ending childhood hunger in America is something we take seriously,” said Russ Bendel, chief executive officer and president of The Habit. “Since 2010, The Habit has partnered with No Kid Hungry by donating 100 percent of proceeds from more than 20 grand-opening events.”
Tasty Holiday
On Dec. 17, 101 employees from Hyundai Capital America’s Irvine headquarters and 117 from its new “HQ2” office in Newport Beach donned Santa Claus hats to pack nearly 50,000 meals. The food was delivered to the Second Harvest Food Bank to help feed those in need during the holidays.
The effort was part of a companywide partnership with the nonprofit Meals of Hope to pack 100,574 meals, which were distributed to member food banks in Atlanta, Dallas, and Orange County. Events were held at each Hyundai Capital location Dec. 15 to 17, during which more than 467 Hyundai Capital employees packed meals for the hungry.
Bits & Pieces
The L.A. and Orange County branches of the NuVision Federal Credit Union served as collection sites for the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys For Tots program for the 10th consecutive year, collecting eight bins of new toys for children in need … Restaurants The Deck on Laguna Beach, and Driftwood Kitchen and the Bungalows at Pacific Edge Hotel raised $7,000 for the Laguna Playhouse at the recent Third Annual “Sip & Shuck” event, which attracted nearly 400 guests … Junior League of Orange County, California Inc.’s 40th Annual The Christmas Company, which was held at the OC Fair & Event Center November 6-8, took in approximately $200,000 for local charities … the 10th Annual Newport Beach Santa Pub Crawl raised more than $13,000 for Project Access in Newport Beach on Dec. 12.
