Take A Walk
Ronald McDonald House Orange County (RMHOC) celebrated its 17th Annual Walk for Kids on April 25 at Championship Soccer Stadium in Irvine, raising a record-breaking $430,000 to support families with hospitalized children. More than 1,300 walkers and 1,300 community donors participated in the milestone event.
Featured walkers included the Hill family, who inspired the founding of the global organization, Ronald McDonald House. Fred Hill, a former Philadelphia Eagles player, and Fran Hill’s daughter, Kim, who had leukemia when she was three years old, inspired the first Ronald McDonald House in Philadelphia, established 45 years ago.
The Hills were instrumental in Ronald McDonald House Orange County’s campaign to raise $12 million to expand from 20 to 44 guest rooms, with additional amenities. Their team included Kristin Hill and Kyle Hill, both sisters of Kim Hill.
Teams that raised the most included Talonvest Capital, Inc., which raised more than $110,000 for the fourth consecutive year; Memory Lane Inc.’s Alisha Cohen, who raised more than $37,000; and Peace Love & Happy Meals, led by McDonald’s Frisbie Management, which raised more than $22,000.
Advantech, Assurant, Cargill, Coca-Cola, Dave & Buster’s, Edwards Lifesciences, McDonald’s Memory Lane Inc., Morgan Stanley, New York Life, Orange County Soccer Club, Pinner Construction, Talonvest Capital Inc., Ventura Foods and Wild Rivers were among the event sponsors.
The World is their Classroom
Cristo Rey Orange County High School raised more than $2 million at its 3rd annual ¡VIVA! Gala, held on April 18 at the Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach Resort in Dana Point. The event drew more than 400 philanthropists, corporate partners and community leaders from across Orange County.
Funds raised will help ensure Cristo Rey remains an affordable Catholic, college-preparatory option for students from working-class families. The Santa Ana-based school, which opened in 2023, is also completing construction on a new 63,000-square-foot permanent campus on South Harbor Boulevard, set to open this fall for the 2026–27 academic year.
Cristo Rey offers a unique Corporate Work Study Program, in which students spend one day a week working onsite or remotely at area businesses, building real-world professional skills alongside their academic preparation. More than 60 Orange County companies currently partner with the school, including City of Hope, Hoag Hospital, SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union and Northgate Markets.
“Our students are dreaming big, and our loyal support base is providing critical resources and opportunities to transform those dreams into reality,” said Stephen Holte, founding president, Cristo Rey Orange County High School.
WCM Investment Management served as the Presenting Sponsor for the third consecutive year. Additional sponsors included Alanna and Tim Psomas, former CEO, chairman and board Member, Psomas, as Platinum Sponsors and Birtcher Anderson & Davis, Woodside Credit, MJP Architects and others as Gold Sponsors.
“Our goal is not just to graduate students, but to send mission-driven young adults into the world who will serve and give back,” said Oscar Gonzalez, co-CEO, Northgate Gonzalez Market and board chair, Cristo Rey Orange County High School.
“It is proving to be transformational, and I could not be more excited about the impact the school is having on the next generation of business and community leaders.”
Music Changes Lives
The Drake Gives raised $150,000 at its 6th annual fundraiser, bringing the nonprofit’s cumulative total to over $900,000 since its founding in 2021 and putting the organization on track to surpass the $1 million mark at its 2027 event.
The Drake Gives was established by Alec Glasser, founder of The Drake in Laguna Beach and is dedicated to ensuring that all children, regardless of socioeconomic status, have access to music education.
The Drake Gives achieves this through its partnership with the Save The Music Foundation, a nonprofit with more than 25 years of success in music education programs, to provide instruments and music education to underserved children across Orange County.
The fundraiser was held at Glasser’s restaurant, which set a stunning backdrop for the evening, dressed in rich burgundy tones by Elite OC Productions. Chef Paul Gstrein crafted a multi-course menu with curated wine pairings. The evening also featured a reception and live auction.
The evening’s most powerful moment came from the students themselves, as students from Savanna High School in Anaheim, direct beneficiaries of Drake Gives funding, performed live for guests.
Glasser also shared his own story, recalling how learning the saxophone in public school at age 12 shaped his life, and expressed his belief that access to music can change lives.
“As we approach our million-dollar milestone with over 17,000 local students receiving support, I’m inspired to elevate our impact to new levels,” he said. “Together we are proving that barriers can be broken and generational change can be created — one student, one instrument, one life at a time.”
Correction: The Irvine Company and Donald Bren Foundation gave $2 million to the Irvine Unified School District as part of a 20-year, $50 million funding commitment. In the April 27 issue, the philanthropy column wrongly stated the total funding commitment. The Business Journal regrets the error.
