Discover the Future of Science
Microsemi Corp. partnered with Discovery Cube for the company’s Corporate Cube Challenge on May 19, a first-of-its-kind fundraiser that took in $250,000.
Hundreds of employees, vendors, customers and community leaders gathered at the Santa Ana nonprofit organization with their families for a night of fun featuring science presentations, food and drinks.
The proceeds will go to support outreach programs for students and professional development for teachers in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math.
Discovery Cube is a hands-on science museum that seeks to inspire the next generation of leaders in science through early childhood education, proficiency in STEM fields, and lifelong learning initiatives.
Fine Dining and Fine Art
Orange County Museum of Art’s annual fundraiser, the Art of Dining, was held May 21 at the site of the museum’s future home, the Segerstrom Center for the Arts. The formal affair—OCMA’s most successful in decades—raised $535,000 to benefit its exhibition and education programs.
New York artist Marilyn Minter, whose work is currently on view at the museum, was honored with OCMA’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Louis Vuitton was the evening’s presenting sponsor. City National Bank, BMW, Nolet Fine Spirits, Ketel One, and South Coast Plaza also were key benefactors.
More than 300 guests attended the dining-themed event, which featured creative fare artistically presented by the Kitchen for Exploring Food. The four-course dinner included foie gras terrine, sea trout and bulgre tartare, and bone-in beef short rib, followed by ganache-glazed chocolate cake bombes. Each course was paired with selected vintages.
Shine a Light
El Sol Science & Arts Academy hosted nearly 300 community members as it celebrated its position as one of the top-performing schools in Santa Ana at its 15th Aniversario Benefit Celebration on May 20 on its campus in Santa Ana.
El Sol raised a net profit of $175,000, which will be used to support the El Sol preschool program, as well as educational enrichment for students. The event also honored Marshall Kaplan for his work in advancing the mission of the dual-immersion charter school.
Kaplan, who serves as an adviser to The Merage Foundations, has helped the school develop a network of donors. Before joining The Merage Foundations, he directed the Wirth Chair on energy, climate change, and community development issues and policies, and served in the administrations of former U.S. presidents Jimmy Carter and John F. Kennedy.
‘Fore’ a Good Cause
The Outlets at San Clemente and Citadel Outlets Los Angeles were the presenting sponsors of the fourth annual KidWorks Classic Golf Tournament, which was held May 18 at the Pelican Hill North Golf Course in Newport Beach. Financial support also came from diamond-level sponsors KPMG and CBRE and from gold-level sponsors Banc of California, Bomel Construction Co., Ben’s Asphalt, and First American Title Company. The Orange County Register was the tournament’s media sponsor. All registered golfers received TravisMathew golf shirts sponsored by Wells Fargo.
The event raised $110,000 to support KidWorks’ outreach programs for youth living in some of Santa Ana’s most challenging neighborhoods, to help place them on a path toward college.
Bits & Pieces
The Allergan Foundation invested a $50,000 cash grant and nearly $100,000 of in-kind donations into the Plasticos Foundation, enabling the organization to send doctors across the world to perform reconstructive surgery on children with traumatic injuries or severe deformities. … The Home Depot Foundation awarded a $100,000 grant to American Family Housing in support of its Potter’s Lane housing site for homeless veterans. … St. Joseph’s Medical Center, Anaheim White House Restaurant, California State University-Fullerton, and the Satori Law Firm are taking part in an eight-week paid internship program designed to give students from the Anaheim Union High School District real-world work experience. … The RGK Foundation, which supports innovative education projects, gave Science@OC a $20,000 grant.
