Into the Stratosphere
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County raised a record-shattering dollar amount at its 49th Annual Gourmet Dinner on Oct. 24 at the Balboa Bay Resort.
The event brought in more than $900,000, besting last year’s record-setting amount by more than $150,000.
The annual event supports the organization’s programs, which provide children facing adversity with professionally supported one-to-one relationships with adult mentors. It earmarked money from the event for recruiting volunteers; covering the cost of background checks; enabling ongoing supervision and relationship support between “Bigs” and “Littles;” and providing cultural and social activities for children.
Sponsors for the event included Farmers & Merchants Bank, Wireless Emporium and Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. Allergan Inc. was named 2013 Corporate Partner of the Year.
Money Where the Heart Is
The Anaheim Ducks, Disneyland Resort and California Angels of Anaheim joined to help improve the lives of young people in Anaheim by launching Accelerate Change Together for Anaheim, or ACT Anaheim. The three organizations committed a combined $3 million in initial funding over three years for a multiyear grant program. The Orange County Community Foundation is managing partner of the initiative. Organizations focused on meeting the needs of children ages 5 to 18 are eligible to apply for grants ranging from $100,000 to $250,000 to be awarded in the spring.
“We believe ACT Anaheim will make a substantial impact on our youth and are pleased to team with the Disneyland Resort and Angels Baseball on such an innovative program,” said Susan Samueli, co-owner of the Anaheim Ducks and an Anaheim Ducks Foundation board member.
400,000 Reasons to Smile
Healthy Smiles for Kids of Orange County welcomed its second brand-new and improved Smile Mobile 2 to serve thousands of children in OC.
Pacific Life Foundation in Newport Beach donated $400,000 to help purchase the vehicle.
Smile Mobile 2 will be primarily stationed in South Orange County and serve children ages 5 and younger. Healthy Smiles over the past eight years has served 63,131 low-income children in eight elementary school districts and 56 sites in Central and North Orange County.
It said it expects the new mobile clinic to complete 6,000 dental screenings in its first year.
Double Dose of Donations
Physicians and employees of Kaiser Permanente Orange County in Anaheim donated nearly 2,000 pounds of food and $15,000 to both the Second Harvest Food Bank Orange County and Orange County Food Bank as part of its community outreach programs. They presented the donations to representatives of the nonprofit organizations at Kaiser Permanente’s Leadership Development Institute at Hotel Irvine.
“These contributions from our physicians and employees are part of our mission of being a true community-based healthcare services provider,” said Julie Miller-Phipps, executive director of Kaiser Permanente Orange County. “We are proud of our continued commitment to a healthier Orange County and our partnerships with Second Harvest Food Bank and OC Food Bank to serve the most vulnerable populations during the holiday season.”
Builder Helps Build Futures
The Orange County Council, Boy Scouts of America honored Emile Haddad, president and chief executive of FivePoint Communities, with the Good Scout Award at the 32nd Construction Industry Good Scout Award Luncheon on Nov. 12 at Hotel Irvine. The organization recognized Haddad for his philanthropic efforts throughout Orange County. Nearly 400 leaders from the OC construction community attended.
Haddad gives his time and resources to community programs, serves on the board of directors at PBS SoCal, and previously served on the boards of directors for Children’s Hospital Orange County and HomeAid.
“As a builder of communities, my company and I support the Boy Scouts based on the proven record of instilling a lifetime of leadership in youth that provides a desirable talent pool for our workforce,” Haddad said.
