Playhouses to return to Fashion Island

Sylvia Alarid

NEWPORT BEACH--The HomeAid chapter of Orange County will hold their

eighth annual Project Playhouse next month as part of its continued goal

of helping the homeless with transitional shelter.

Beginning Sept. 17 at Fashion Island, the group will lead guided tours of

8-by-10 foot playhouses ranging in themes and styles.

HomeAid chose 14 teams to build the playhouses, which will be auctioned

off Oct. 16, the last day of the event. Many of the team builders are

company members of the Building Industry Assn., which established HomeAid

in 1989 and works with its projects, said Gina Cunningham, HomeAid

special events manager.

“It was a natural fit to have builders select houses and build them,” she

said.

The fund-raiser will benefit projects under the county chapter, in

Irvine, and the greater Los Angeles and Ventura areas.

Three mini-villages will be set up throughout Fashion Island for the

playhouse displays. Although the themes and design amenities will remain

secret until the entire village is complete, this year’s fund-raiser will

have the most playhouses ever entered, Cunningham said.

Thanks to the event, HomeAid has been able to raise more than $1 million

in the last seven years. Cunningham said she hopes this year’s event will

raise more than $200,000. She expects 600 to 800 people, which includes

children who love playhouses and if they’re lucky will take one home.

“We get calls, and Fashion Island gets calls all year long on when

they’ll be installed,” Cunningham said. “The kids beg to come on tour.”

“The kids who have been lucky to have one are very appreciative, and they

take on a sense of ownership.”

Preparations for the event are underway, but volunteers are needed to

guide playhouse tours. For information on the event or volunteering, call

HomeAid at (949) 553-9510.