Business Leader Honored
S. Paul Musco, founder of Gemini Industries, was honored at the second annual “Let’s Be Frank About Cancer” gala on Feb. 20. The event, held at Balboa Bay Resort, drew 400 of Orange County’s leading business professionals, philanthropists and community members, grossing more than $2.6 million to benefit City of Hope, $1 million of which was donated by Milan Panic, former prime minister of Yugoslavia and current president of MP Biomedicals.
Funds from the “Swingin’ Sixties”-themed, black-tie affair will support the search for ways to better understand how cancers develop and metastasize, how to better predict cancer recurrence, and how to improve treatments and achieve fewer side effects.
Panic and Musco were platinum sponsors of the event.
To Make a Difference
Irvine Public Schools Foundation, a nonprofit organization focused on enriching the educational experience of Orange County children, hosted its second annual Top 100 VIP Reception on Feb. 18 at The Resort at Pelican Hill in Newport Beach. The 100 businesses were honored for their commitment to supporting the foundation’s efforts to improve and enhance educational opportunities.
Companies represented on the foundation’s Top 100 List include global brands such as Google Inc., Broadcom Ltd. and Kia Motors, as well as some of Orange County’s most influential corporations, including Irvine Company, Hoag Hospital and FivePoint Communities.
Corporate giving to the foundation last year, including city of Irvine challenge match grant funds, totaled nearly $2.4 million.
Napa in Newport
More than 420 guests gathered at the St. Regis Monarch Beach on Feb. 27 to enjoy the fruits of 41 Napa Valley wineries and help find a cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The second annual Napa in Newport wine auction raised more than $700,000 to support CureDuchenne’s mission to find a cure for the genetic disease that causes muscle degeneration.
Napa in Newport sponsors include AlphaPrime, BioMarin, Cedars-Sinai, GE Capital, GWFG Golden West, Integrated Oncology Network, Kenny the Printer, Meadowood Napa Valley, Province Group, The Resort at Pelican Hill and PTC Therapeutics.
Darioush and Shahpar Khaledi, owners of the Darioush vineyards and winery, served as honorary co-chairs of this year’s sold-out event.
Participating wineries included Darioush, Alpha Omega, Amici Cellars, Arkenstone Napa Valley, Arrow & Branch, Blackbird Vineyards Bespoke Collection, BOND Estates, Sequoia Grove, Vineyard 29, Zakin Wines and ZD Wines.
Cherish the Children
The CHOC Cherishes Children Gala, held Feb. 6 at the City National Grove of Anaheim, attracted a record number of community and business leaders. The sold-out evening event, called “Healing Families Together,” was dedicated to raising funds for and awareness of pediatric mental health. It raised $2.6 million.
Sponsors included Argyros Family Foundation, UC-Irvine Health Affairs, The Daftarian Group and American Honda Motor Co.
Highlights included a performance by Grammy Award-winning artist Keith Urban, a $250,000 matching gift from the Rev. Rick Warren and his wife, Kay, and $100,000 donations from the Argyros Family Foundation and Dr. Fariborz Maseeh, founder of Picoco LLC.
During the event, Children’s Hospital of Orange County President and Chief Executive Kimberly Chavalas Cripe presented the Children’s Champion Award to Sandy Segerstrom Daniels, who has a long-standing relationship with CHOC, including serving on the hospital’s foundation board of directors and on various committees.
Bits & Pieces
Pacific Symphony has partnered with Orange County startup NoteStream to bring program notes to symphony-goers via a mobile app in order to make it easier for patrons to read their evening programs in the dark. … On March 2, United Way President and Chief Executive Max Gardner visited Heroes Elementary School in Santa Ana to celebrate Read Across America day and the birthday of Dr. Seuss by reading to the students. … On March 6, the Anaheim Ducks, California Highway Patrol and Mercury Insurance teamed up with a local driving school to impart safe-driving habits to local Anaheim Ducks High School Hockey League players. … Ray D. Weston Jr. of Taco Bell Corp. and Nicole Cross of Hudson Jeans have been appointed to the Project Hope Alliance board of directors, and nonprofit development veteran Suzy Gardner joined the organization as its director of development and communications.
