The Crowd: Fashion for funds at Childhelp luncheon
A spring fashion show produced by South Coast Plaza featured the chic design trends from the houses of Cavali, Fontaine, Bally, Von Furstenberg, Karan and more, delighting the ladies of Childhelp on the occasion of their annual luncheon. Several hundred patrons raised upward of a quarter million dollars at the March 26 event held at Newport Beach’s Island Hotel.
Chaired by two dedicated Childhelp volunteers, Pam Pharris and Gina Van Ocker, the afternoon paid special attention to the stylists from Images Salon in Corona del Mar for their generous support. Ron Perez, Al Perez and Mark McArdle received the Friend Award. The stylists and their staff have donated time and money annually from a “cut-a-thon” that takes place each September.
Also honored this season was the legendary fashion designer Marie Gray, founder of St. John. Gray received the Children’s Inspiration Award. Childhelp President Debra Violette welcomed guests and VIP committee members including honorary chair Patti Edwards, Zee Allred, Julia Argyros, Marta Bhathal, Beverly Cohen, Eve Ruffato, Jennifer Segerstrom and Valaree Wahler. Also supporting Childhelp were Diana Miner, Sharon Grimes, Katherine Meredith, Kristen James, Joyce Simon and Linda Burns.
To learn more about the work of Childhelp go to https://www.childhelp.org.
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An extraordinary spring luncheon
TASTE Magazine invited the culinary intelligentsia to lunch last week in the private dining room of Leatherby’s Café Rouge at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall. The occasion was a celebration of the Spring/Summer issue of the journal dedicated to the latest dining experiences at bistros within the South Coast Plaza family. Chef Ross Pangilinan at Leatherby’s, which is only open on performance nights and for private events at the concert hall, prepared and presented a luncheon that was nothing short of spectacular.
Seated at a long rectangular table facing the curvilineal floor-to-ceiling glass windows overlooking the arts plaza, special VIP guests including Bill Quinn, Fifi Chao, Gretchen Kurz, Sherry Stern, Tina Borgatta, Paul Hodgins and French wine expert Claude Koeberle shared a flute of champagne before sitting down a the table adorned with white-on-white florals: hydrangeas, roses, orchids and stock placed in clear, square glass vases set on white lines sporting gleaming white china service.
Debra Gunn Downing, executive director of marketing for South Coast Plaza, opened the luncheon with a sentimental toast to the late Henry Segerstrom. Then the show began as the crowd, including Benjamin Epstein, Andy Harris, Al Borowitz, Kathleen Luppi, Linda Ta and Eric Hale, were treated to luncheon beginning with foie gras and ending with Australian lamb rack. The six-course tasting was paired with exceptional wines provided by Claude Koeberle of Soliste along with his outstanding narration detailing the history and evolution of each pouring.
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Angels go to bat for literacy
Angels chairman Dennis Kuhl will join O.C. sports legends Chuck Finley, Bobby Grich, Justin Speier and Clyde Wright for the second annual “Readers in the Outfield” literacy day at Angel Stadium on May 16. Created in conjunction with The Literacy Project (TLP), the event includes kids participating will be treated to lunch, interactive phonics games and raffle prizes with sports emphasis.
Local legends will share stories about their careers, their education and the importance of literacy in their lives. The Literacy Project works with some 1,000 of the region’s most at-risk youth in 10 elementary schools in the Anaheim City School District with performance scores below average in English fluency.
To learn more or to find out about sponsorship opportunities, go to jenny@literacyprojectfoundation.org.
THE CROWD runs Fridays and Saturdays. B.W. Cook is editor of the Bay Window, the official publication of the Balboa Bay Club in Newport Beach.
