Food, Fun and Fundraising
The Second Annual Festival of OC Chefs, benefiting KidWorks, was held July 17 at Newport Beach Country Club. The food festival, which featured 34 chefs and drew 400 guests, raised $820,000.
Nexus Development President Cory Alder, Kidworks’ incoming board chair and event co-chair, lauded the nonprofit’s academic support, character and leadership development programs that empowers students in Orange County’s underserved neighborhoods from pre-K through their college years.
He said the nonprofit is addressing mental health challenges, making plans to expand into additional satellite campuses and adding programs.
“Despite all the challenges,” Alder said, “this is the eighth year in a row, we have 100% high school graduations and 100% college graduations.”
Among the many event sponsors were Presenting Sponsor, the David A. Pyle Family and Platinum Sponsor Eastdil Secured. Others included Amazon, Covi Concrete Construction, Eagle Four Partners, Farmers & Merchants Bank, Frome Family Foundation, Meadows Management, Oltmans Construction Co., Orbis Real Estate Partners, Sacred Harvest Foundation, Sares Regis Group, Schriber Family Fund, Silversage Advisors, Ueberroth Family Foundation, Bomel Construction Co., CT Realty, JP Morgan Chase, Largo Concrete and U.S. Bank.
Additional contributors included Duckhorn, Crown Point, Schramsberg, Three Sticks and Chateau Montelena wineries.
Taste of Summer
Waymakers celebrated the start of summer with its 11th annual Love Grows by Giving wine tasting gala. Nearly 500 attendees turned out at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort & Spa on June 9, raising $124,000 to benefit Waymakers’ Huntington Beach Youth Shelter (HBYS), which prioritizes serving homeless and abused children while focusing on family reunification.
Guests enjoyed live entertainment while sipping a variety of wines, cocktails and bites from local vendors and restaurants while bidding on a variety of auction items. Featured wineries included Main Street Wine Company, Seal Beach Winery, Regal Wines, Precept Wine, Brown-Foreman and Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits. Food and dessert samples were presented by Watertable, Duke’s, Cambalache, Cucina Alessa, Sweet Mission, Polly’s Pies, Mama’s, Keto Krisp, Baby Mini Donuts and Prjkt Restaurant Group.
“It’s heartwarming to gather with so many gracious people who support the powerful work we do at Waymakers,” said Ronnetta Johnson, CEO, Waymakers. “The generosity of our sponsors and donors helps to ensure the vital services we offer like counseling and support are made possible, helping move our impacted youth toward a positive trajectory, ultimately leading to them reuniting with their families.”
Sponsors that made this year’s event possible were Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort & Spa, Woravka Family Foundation, Swinerton, Irvine Co., Speedo, Chevron, AES and AKA Salon.
Golfing for Miracles
On July 25, sponsors, golfers, volunteers, and vendors gathered to enjoy a day of sunshine on the green at the Fourth Annual Miracles for Kids Golf Invitational presented by Perricone Farms and held at the Santa Ana Country Club.
The event raised more than $215,000 to help support programs for hundreds of Miracle’s families in need of vital financial assistance, wellness resources, housing, and basic needs while struggling to care for a critically ill child.
The all-inclusive, full-day event included the chance to win one of the opportunity item prizes, such as a private jet for four and day of golf at Pebble Beach, luxury stays, or wine and golf outings. On-course contests included the $250,000 Shoot Out, $5,000 Putting Contest, 19th Hole “Guess Your Distance,” “Beat the Pro,” and more.
This year’s hole-in-one prize was ownership of a 2022 Mercedes-Benz GLB250 and, while no one won, all players enjoyed an elevated day of play with tacos and tequila at the course’s “Party Point.”
In addition to Perricone Farms, sponsors included Fletcher Jones Motorcars; Champion Paving; Tito’s Vodka; DPR Construction; Leeson Group; Frome Family Foundation; Noel Wickwar, senior vice president, Morgan Stanley Wealth Management; and Urban Golf Performance.
Several renown athletes participated in the tournament, including Matt Vanderbeek, NFL linebacker and Super Bowl champion; Rich Amaral, 1st and 2nd baseman for MLB Seattle Mariners and Baltimore Orioles; Brett Mayne, catcher for MLB Mets, Giants, Dodgers, and Royals; and Scout Hammond, emerging female pro-golfer.
