B.W. COOK -- The Crowd

Community leader Gloria Osbrink will be honored this evening on the

occasion of her 75th birthday at a black tie gala thrown at the Sutton

Place Hotel, Newport Beach.

Surrounded by her loving husband Ray, many members of her family and

close friends, the event will be an emotional tribute to Osbrink centered

around her unwavering dedication to a cause very close to her heart. The

House Ear Institute, and in particular the Orange County Associates of

the Institute, will toast Osbrink for her 14 years of unparalleled

service to the cause.

Osbrink made a pledge to help other children following the recovery of

her grandson thanks to the work of Dr. Howard House. Today, the work of

the House Institute, a pioneer in the field of cochlear implants, serves

people of all ages worldwide, helping to restore hearing and other

related afflictions. Funds raised at the charity birthday bash for

Osbrink will help fund the Children’s Center of the House Ear Institute.

The elegant evening has been organized by a tribute committee

co-chaired by Jo Anne Stewart and Rusty Miller. Robin Canright, Debbie

Chapman, Rusty Hood, Linda Thompson Lynn, Patti Mathias, Toni Oliphant,

Norma Smith and Sue Sprenger are all joining forces to make the evening

one of the highlights of the social season.

Ladies have been requested to dress in black and or white formal

attire with the gents in tux. Cocktails and champagne will kickoff the

party at sunset, followed by dinner, dancing and entertainment by the

talented comic and impersonator Fred Travelena. Osbrink’s son, Jim

Bentley -- also a rising Hollywood comic talent -- will emcee the affair.

* * *

And speaking of Hollywood, the recent Academy Awards generated a great

deal of social activity on the Newport Mesa circuit this past week.

Perhaps the biggest affair was thrown by the Divas, a support wing of the

Balboa Theater on the Newport Peninsula.

More than 200 guests, many wearing Hollywood-themed costumes,

converged on the Four Seasons Palm Garden in Newport Beach for what was

the largest and most successful fund-raiser to date to help rebuild and

reopen the old 1920s-era former vaudeville house. Co-chaired by Nancy

Olson and Debbie Schweikert, the evening raised net proceeds approaching

the $50,000 mark.

Tributes were made to major donors John and Donna Crean, who were

responsible for the lead renovation gift of $1 million dollars that

launched the project. Television personality Ed Arnold hosted the evening

for Divas, including Sue Cannon, Lana Chandler, Mary Hall, Nancy Irvine,

Eve Kornyei, Naomi Lawrence, Joanne Pavia, Laurie Peterson, Michele

Roberge, Catherine Saar-Kranzley, Mitzi Wells and Peggy Whitehead.

* * *

Newport’s Stevie Rhodes and Costa Mesa’s Cheryl Law chaired the recent

2001 Round Up, a fund-raiser for Mater Dei High School, Santa Ana.

Celebrating the local Catholic School’s 50th anniversary season, a crowd

of more than 500 parents and local friends of Mater Dei converged upon

the Westin South Coast Plaza Hotel, Costa Mesa, for what was the 9th

annual western-themed party for the school.

Rhodes and Law were thrilled with the success of the event, which

raised $165,000, an increase of around $65,000 over the previous year.

Major support for the school came from such donors as Andrew Edwards, the

William H. Hannon Foundation, South Coast Plaza, Ashworth Inc., Crevier

BMW, Toshiba Computer Systems Division Orange County, legendary hamburger

king Carl Karcher and many others. Adding to the excitement, Mater Dei’s

recent state championship in basketball was a crowning achievement for

their golden anniversary year.

* THE CROWD appears Thursdays and Saturdays.