The Crowd

B.W. Cook

Last Sunday, at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, pumpkins and pancakes

overflowed as friends of Court Appointed Special Advocates gathered for

their annual fall fund-raiser.

More than 1,500 people dedicated to child abuse prevention and services

mingled in the former Crystal Court section of South Coast Plaza, which

is being transformed into the new flagship store for Crate and Barrel due

to open in a few weeks.

The theme was strictly Halloween as family entertainment was provided by

Craig N Co., a popular group with credits ranging from The Disney Channel

to Nickelodeon. Jennifer Beck chaired the massive undertaking with

assistance from Chris Massey, Fred Port, Carolyn Luttio and many other

community members devoted to CASA.

Proceeds will directly benefit Orange County kids served by CASA

programs.

Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino counties joined forces

midweek for an annual luncheon at The Balboa Bay Club, Newport Beach.

Chaired by Sandy Wright, with a committee that included Pat Cox, Jane

Egly, Barbara Foster, Richard Jonas, Larry Kirschenbaum, Steve Mather,

Tricia Nichols, Claudia Ponder, Sandy Price, Teddie Ray, Dennis Short,

Nancy Skinner and Jene Witte, several hundred advocates came together to

hear the keynote address of speaker Emily Lyons.

As the survivor of a clinic bombing in Birmingham, Ala., on Jan. 29,

1998, Lyons shared her intimate experience with the crowd.

“My life was changed forever,” she told the audience. Part of the

afternoon was devoted to honoring “Education 2000,” a fund-raising

support group of the health Education Department of Planned Parenthood.

The division was founded in 1991 with the goal of helping to reduce teen

pregnancy by 2000. Statistics indicate that teen pregnancy is down by as

much as 20% in this region. There is still much to be done, so the work

of Education 2000 will continue into the new millennium.

The much-loved local gal Betty Belden Palmer has teamed up with The

Salvation Army, sponsoring The Salvation Army Betty Belden Palmer Charity

Golf Tournament on Monday. Held at The Mesa Verde County Club, Costa

Mesa, the charity tournament raises funds to support The Salvation Army’s

Orange County social services. This will mark the seventh year for the

event. Last fall, more than $50,000 was raised and organizers are hoping

to surpass that figure next week.

Chaired by Julie David, local sponsors of the golf event include Fletcher

Jones Motor Cars, The Spa, Palisades and Newport Beach Tennis Clubs,

Villa Nova, First American, Disney, Sony Transcom and Madole and

Associates.

For last-minute golfing reservations call Julie David at (714) 544-7050.

On Nov. 8, The Pelican Hill Golf Club, Newport Coast, hosts the Catalina

Island Conservancy Golf Classic. This tournament benefits the protection

and preservation of Catalina Island, and will be organized by the Richlin

Group, a golf event production company. The funds used by the conservancy

are raised in the private sector. No public tax dollars are spent in any

Catalina Conservancy program. To find out more call Erica Cushing at the

Catalina Conservancy, (310) 510-2595.

The 26th annual Corona Del Mar High School Home Tour was a major success

this week as hundreds of locals payed $45 a ticket to romp through six

wonderful homes in Corona Del Mar, Newport Beach, Newport Coast and

Balboa Island.

Co-chaired by Carol Warsaw and Michu Welsh, the sold-out traveling home

tour ended with lunch in the fabulous Sherman Library and Gardens catered

by Pascal’s Cafe Jardin. Informal modeling by Saks Fifth Avenue, Joan and

David and Privilege of South Coast Plaza, entertained the crowd as did

local artist Carole Akins, responsible for donating her talent in

creating the cover art for the home tour brochure.

* B.W. COOK’s column appears every Thursday and Saturday.