B.W. COOK -- The Crowd

The main ingredient was laughter. The first Someone Cares Soup Kitchen

Comedy Night attracted more than 200 guests for a comedy in the kitchen

kind of show from Orange County laughmeister Jeff Jena.

Actually, Jena volunteered two performances in the kitchen (now

referred to as “kitsch in the kitchen”) as the Golden Truffle Restaurant

of Newport Beach handled the culinary duties for the recent Saturday

evening roast with a wonderful spin -- feeding folks who are hungry.

After dinner, Merle Hatleberg, founder and director of the Soup

Kitchen, presented her Golden Ladle award to the good people at Hoag

Hospital and also to the organizers of S.F. Ready Family Limited

Partnership for their ongoing support of Someone Cares.

Kudos to the volunteers, including a host of gentlemen from Pacific

Life in Newport Beach, who were on hand to make the evening run smoothly.

* * *

Another of the local powerhouse groups devoted to collecting and

distributing food for those in need is known as the Harvester’s of

Newport Beach. This small, but very involved, group supports the Second

Harvest Food Bank of Orange County.

A recent gala luncheon and fashion show fund-raiser held at The Four

Seasons Hotel in Newport Beach pulled out all the stops. In honor of the

Harvester success, the Chanel boutique at South Coast Plaza hosted a

reception for the underwriters of the big event, chaired by Jerri

McKenna, at a waterfront estate on tony Harbor Island.

In the crowd of well-dressed men and women were Billur Wallerich,

Kathy Schoenbaum, Lisa Chapkis of Chanel, Cynthia and Karl Nolette, Donna

Simonelli from Chanel New York, Teddie Ray, Jennifer and Rick Van Bergh,

Sherry Abbott, Jill Johnson Tucker, Debbie Nelson, Bonnie Luebke and

Melissa Mistech.

* * *

The 17th annual Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation Bid For The Kids

held its annual gala fund-raiser recently at the Sutton Place Hotel in

Newport Beach. Event chairs Leslie Bubb and Kim Weiner welcomed 400

guests in holiday black tie, raising more than $200,000 to help fight

pediatric cancer.

Major sponsors included John and Donna Crean, Master Financial, Emulex

and Zippertubing Co. In the crowd were Mitchell Cairo, Violet Shen,

Leonard Sender, Charles Turner, Jim Weisenbach, Bill Sahota and Dan

Rosen.

Lindsay Shephard, a 12-year-old cancer survivor, addressed the crowd,

thanking them for helping to save her life. Another emotional tribute

came from Shirley Quackenbush, whose 6-year-old son suffers from

neuroblastoma.

In a trembling voice, Quackenbush shared, “Without groundbreaking

treatments, our son and thousands like him would not be enjoying the

quality of life that includes taking a bus to school each day, playing

T-ball with his dad or annoying his little brother.”

Founded 1982 in Orange County, the foundation has raised more than $10

million to help children fighting cancer and other life-threatening

diseases.

* THE CROWD appears Thursdays and Saturdays.