Chapman University’s annual American Celebration Gala earlier this month raised about $2 million for the Chapman Scholarship Fund.
Attorney and Chapman trustee Wylie Aitken and his wife Bette also announced a separate $2 million donation that will go toward building the 1,068-seat Center for the Arts. The Aitkens chaired the gala, attended by 700 people.
Mindy and Glenn Stearns, founder of Santa Ana-based mortgage lender Stearns Cos., were the vice chairs of the gala. Honorary chairs were Julianne and George L. Argyros, real estate developer.
The gala executive committee members included Marta and Raj Bhathal, founders of Tustin-based Raj Manufacturing LLC; Kathleen Bronstein, former chief executive of Wet Seal Inc.; and Marybelle and S. Paul Musco, founder and chairman of Santa Ana-based Gemini Industries Inc.
Held on Chapman’s campus at Memorial Hall, the university’s students entertained the crowd, putting on a Broadway-style show. University President James Doti also performed, dancing a number from The Pajama Game with Julianne Argyros.
Songwriter Mike Stoller, who with his late partner Jerry Leiber wrote songs such as “Hound Dog” and “Stand by Me,” received the university’s 2011 Lifetime Achievement in the Arts Award.
Chapman Trustee Emeritus Dick Schmid and his wife Patty, and Marty Schmid—widow of Dick’s late brother Don—were selected 2011 Chapman Corporate Citizens of the Year.
The Schmid family, longtime supporters of Chapman, built the Waltmar Theatre, the Walter Schmid Center for International Business, the James J. Farley Professorship in Economics and the Schmid College of Science and Technology. Schmid Gate, which marks the main entrance to the campus, is named in honor of the family.
Dale A. Merrill, acting dean of Chapman’s College of Performing Arts, directed and produced the show. Dr. William Hall, now in his 48th year teaching at Chapman and newly named the dean of Chapman’s planned Center for the Arts, directed the orchestra. Alicia Okouchi-Guy, Edgar Godineaux, Denny Newell and Brandee Williams choreographed the show.
Fountain Valley-based Hyundai Motor America Inc., a subsidiary of South Korea’s Hyundai Motor Co., paid for a new math lab at Urbain H. Plavan Elementary School in the Fountain Valley School District. Hyundai didn’t disclose the donation amount.
The curriculum for the Hyundai ST (Spatial Temporal) Math Lab was developed by the Santa Ana-based Mind Research Institute. The curriculum is designed to boost student interest and achievement in science, technology, engineering and math.
Students at Urbain H. Plavan will now be able to access the Web-based ST Math program used at four other schools in the district and more than 1,000 schools across the country. Each student will visit the lab for two 45-minute sessions per week.
“Funding for our public schools continues to drop to levels not seen since 2005 and resources to support our California public schools are now lower than almost any state in the union,” said Marc Ecker, superintendent of Fountain Valley School District. “Business partners are needed now more than ever and we thank Hyundai Motor America for their support of public education and the Fountain Valley School District.”
Bruce Brainerd, general manager of The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel, presented Pet Project Foundation President Sue Walsh with a $7,500 check at its “Howl-O-Ween Yappy Hour” in October.
“As a pet-friendly resort, we take great pride in extending our love for canines by supporting compassionate causes such as Pet Project Foundation,” Brainerd said.
Yappy Hour is part of The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel’s Community Footprints program, which raises money for charity and encourages volunteerism among its employees.
