The Laguna Beach Education Foundation—which operates as the educational nonprofit SchoolPower—raised more than $330,000 from a pair of fundraising events recently.
Money from SchoolPower’s fundraising efforts is directed toward programs and resources at Laguna Beach’s four public schools. The group raised a record $330,000 at its 27th annual gala and another $8,100 at a separate fundraiser for a student-directory initiative.
Laguna Beach residents Stephen Cloobeck, chief executive of Las Vegas-based time-share company Diamond Resorts International, and his wife Chantal made a surprise donation of $100,000 at the gala. Patience Shutts and Kim Ressler co-chaired the dinner dance, held at the Montage Laguna Beach resort.
Huntington Beach-based McKenna Volkswagen donated a 2012 VW Beetle, won by Dave Leppo in a raffle. Other contributors included David Wilson, owner of Orange-based David Wilson Automotive Group, and his wife Holly; and Hearts of Montage, the volunteer program of Montage Hotels & Resorts.
SchoolPower also raised $8,100 to fund publication of its student directory at an event held at The Deck at the Pacific Edge Hotel in Laguna. Filmmakers Greg and Barbara MacGillivray chaired the student directory committee; Melissa Cavanaugh chaired SchoolPower’s student directory program.
At the event local businesses bid for prime advertising space in the directory. Winning bidders included San Juan Capistrano-based Hobie Designs Inc., Laguna Beach-based home furnishings store Tuvalu, Boat Canyon Shopping Center in Laguna Beach and Pacific Edge Hotel.
Those attending the fundraiser included Laurie Alter, daughter-in-law of surf icon Hobie Alter and co-owner of Tuvalu; Jack Jakosky of Boat Canyon Shopping Center; Bill Tremper, general manager of Pacific Edge Hotel; David and Kerry Rubel of Fredric H. Rubel Jewelers in Laguna Beach and Mission Viejo; and event producer Steve Baker, owner of Steve Baker Productions.
$440,000 Raised
Human Options Inc. raised $440,000 at its annual fundraiser, which honored longtime supporters Steve Churm and the Churm family.
Churm is chief executive of Newport Beach-based marketing and publishing firm Churm Media.
Churm’s late mother, Carolyn Churm, was one of the four cofounders of Irvine-based Human Options in 1981, along with Anne Wright, Margaret Thoreau and Vivian Clecak, the organization’s chief executive. The Churms were presented with Human Options’ 2012 Dove Award at the event, held at The Balboa Bay Club & Resort in Newport Beach.
Human Options helps prevent domestic violence through programs such as the 100 Men campaign. It also provides an emergency shelter and other service for victims of domestic violence and their children.
Abuse Prevention
Orange-based Child Abuse Prevention Center raised $120,000 at its 14th annual gala, held at St. Regis Monarch Beach resort in Dana Point.
About 300 people attended the gala, which featured a theme of Escape to Wine Country. Proceeds will go to programs aimed at preventing child abuse.
Those attending included state Sen. Mimi Walters, Assemblywoman Diane Harkey, Dana Point City Manager Doug Chotkevys, Dana Point City Council members Scott Schoeffel and Lisa Bartlett, Orange County School Boards Association President Suzie Schwartz and retired Judge Luis Cardenas.
Sponsors included Wells Fargo & Co., law firm Littler Mendelson, accounting firm Haskell & White LLP, Capital Group Cos. investment managers, Columbia Manage-ment Investment Advisers LLC, First American Financial Corp., Howard Building Corp., Northwestern Mutual, Orange County Association of Realtors, U.S. Bancorp, and investment banking firms William Blair & Co. and De La Rosa & Co.
Bits and Pieces
Kaiser Permanente Baldwin Park Medical Center awarded a $10,000 grant to Santa Ana-based THINK Together for wellness programs at Baldwin Park schools. … Irvine-based Smile Brands Inc.—which operates 350 dental offices in 18 states—provided dental care to an impoverished community in Chiang Rai, Thailand, through its Smiles for Everyone Foundation. Participants included Chief Executive Steve Bilt, who served as dental assistant on the trip; dentists Karen Martinez, Robert Chidester, Craig Mellor and Stanley Hong, Randy Richardson and Mazin Alayssami; and employees Bill McCarthy, Jaqui Melroe, Stacy Slater, Debbie Potts and Kimberly Chiu. … The American Diabetes Association honored four individuals as 2012 Fathers of the Year at an event at the Grove of Anaheim: Bob McKnight, chief executive of Huntington Beach-based Quiksilver Inc.; Tim Mead, vice president of communications for Angels Baseball LP; Michael Joseph, chief executive of City of Industry-based Dacor Inc.; and Sukhee Kang, mayor of Irvine.
