Celebrating at OCSA
Maureen Mekjian; Deborah Bridges; Rae Segerstrom; Rayell Brokaw, James Segerstrom; Sandy Segerstrom Daniels, managing partner, C.J. Segerstrom & Sons, founder, Festival of Children; Ted Segerstrom; Toby Andrews; Sally Andrews; Susie Perry; and the Rev. Steve Perry
The Orange County School of the Arts in Santa Ana celebrated the grand opening of its 60,000-square-foot dance, music and science center on Aug. 16 with more than 600 Orange County community and business leaders.
The facility includes the Marybelle Musco Dance Center, the Hal and Jeanette Segerstrom Family Music Center, and the Argyros Science Center. The project marks a major milestone for OCSA: For the first time, the school built a specialized instructional facility from the ground up instead of renovating existing commercial and historic buildings.
Campaign Co-Chairman S. Paul Musco, founder of Gemini Industries in Santa Ana said, “We are thrilled to support the growth of this award-winning organization.”
The new center is part of a $16.2 million Masterpiece in the Making campus-completion campaign. The school has raised $13.5 million to date from lead supporters, including Julia and George Argyros, Deborah and Larry Bridges, Reuben H. Fleet Foundation, Marybelle and Sebastian Paul Musco, and the Hal and Jeanette Segerstrom Family.
Bits & Pieces
Discovery Cube in Santa Ana named Brie Griset Smith its new vice president of development. Smith joins Discovery Cube after serving in a similar capacity at United Way. … The Margaret E. Oser Fund for Women of the Orange County Community Foundation granted $15,000 to support Community Service Programs’ Family Violence Victim Advocacy Program, which provides comprehensive services to victims of domestic violence.
Fast Batters, Faster Betters
Dennis Kuhl, chairman, the Angels; Neda Eaton, president, CEO, Irvine Public Schools Foundation; Bill Allen, founder, CEO, Outback Steakhouse and Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar
Irvine Public Schools Foundation and the Angels Baseball Foundation hit the jackpot during an evening of poker, dinner and cocktails that featured current and former Angels players. The third annual Aces and Angels Poker Tournament raised over $50,000 to help fund college scholarships for students in need.
The event took place July 26 at the Ketel One Club at Angel Stadium. More than 20 companies sponsored the tournament, including Ketel One Vodka, ClearPath Solutions, Carsmetics, OC Maids and Rutan & Tucker. Angels players who participated included Chuck Finley, Garret Anderson, Bobby Grich, Clyde Wright, Matt Shoemaker, Mike Morin and Kyle Kubitza.
GameChanger
Jon Storbeck, vice president, Hotels & Downtown Disney, Disneyland Resort
Irvine-based GameChanger Charity, whose donors include Allergan PLC, Western Digital Corp., Wells Fargo, and Knobbe Martens, delivered food and gifts to pediatric cancer patients at Children’s Hospital of Orange County on July 18. Gifts included educational tablets, fitness trackers and games.
“When you’re in the middle of something that isn’t so much fun, if you can suspend that even for a moment, suspend the reality, and say, ‘I’m not really here,’ it makes a real difference,” said Jon Storbeck, vice president of Hotels & Downtown Disney at the Disneyland Resort and a CHOC board member who attended the event. “GameChanger makes a difference.”
GameChanger provides video games, college scholarships and financial support to children suffering from cancer. The event is the first of 15 visits to different hospitals throughout California planned for the next year. GameChanger Charity partnered with Irvine-based nonprofit Child’s Play to put together the CHOC event.
In-N-Out Burger, based in Irvine, had a food truck at the event where workers prepared hamburgers, cheeseburgers, fries, shakes, and drinks for the patients, staff and doctors.
Women Take Lead
Scharrell Jackson, chief financial and administrative officer, Squar Milner; Russell Williams, Passkey Foundation president, CEO
Scharrell Jackson, chief financial and operating officer of Squar Milner, was the keynote speaker at the Leadership in Heels event on July 31 at the Pacific Club in Newport Beach.
Betty Uribe, executive vice president of California Bank & Trust, emceed the breakfast session. More than 100 guests attended the event, which raised an undisclosed amount, a portion of which will benefit Human Options, an Irvine-based nonprofit group that focuses on breaking the cycle of domestic abuse.
Other speakers included event host Russell Williams, president and chief executive of Passkeys Foundation and Maricela Rios-Faust, chief operating officer of Human Options.
