B.W. COOK -- The Crowd

The 12th annual Southern California Spring Garden Show opened Thursday

evening at South Coast Plaza attracting some 1,500 guests for a preview

of the enchanting garden displays that will be open to public viewing and

shopping all through this weekend.

Opening night was a fund-raiser for Mission San Juan Capistrano, with

Emerald Bay’s Madeline Swinden working hard for the Friends of the

Mission and filling the house, or should I say garden, with donors from

all over Orange County and beyond.

Working with Swinden was a committee of devoted individuals dedicated

to renovation of the Mission including Electa Anderson, looking smashing

in ice blue raw silk. Anton Segerstrom was front and center, sans pretty

wife Jennifer who is home with their newborn daughter. Segerstrom

introduced the show and special guest Karen Hedges, director of

horticulture and resort enhancement for Disneyland Resort.

Spotted in the garden, admiring the bounty and the beauty of spring,

were Cecilia Nott, Noddie and Bill Weltner, Sarah and Michael Corrigan,

Elyse and Bruce Miller and Henry Segerstrom with wife Elizabeth.

“You know I had a special reunion in the garden in front of the new Z

Gallery store,” shared Henry Segerstrom, C.J. Segerstrom managing

partner.

The man responsible for South Coast Plaza continued, “I just ran into

a woman I have known for 40 years. She opened the original I Magnin at

South Coast Plaza many years ago, and now she’s into landscape design.”

Segerstrom laughed and added, “She told me she’s traded her high heels

for sneakers, and that’s she’s having the time of her life. What’s

special to me is seeing her back here at South Coast Plaza after so many

years. We are an extended family of people in this community connected to

this destination.”

The garden show, which is themed “A Garden of Fairytales and Legends,”

features a wonderful centerpiece of “Jack and The Beanstalk” in the

atrium of the center.

Sponsored by a number of corporate citizens including Amtrak, Westin

Hotels, Sunset Magazine, Westways Magazine, American Airlines, Crabtree

and Evelyn, Denman Tools, BV Wines, Kellogg Garden Supply, Disneyland

Resort, Orrefors Kosta Boda, Coast Magazine and South Coast Plaza, the

show is open to the public through Sunday.

* * *

The graduating seniors of Assisteens, the Auxiliary of Assistance

League of Newport Mesa, held their annual fashion show at the Hyatt

Newporter. The presentation was sponsored by younger members of the group

in honor of the graduating class, and their contributions through years

of service to community through the programs of the league.

More than 40 guests filled the ballroom for the show produced by

co-chairs Robin Biggs and Pam Childress. Assisteens coordinator Anita

Boyd welcomed the crowd with style and introduced the program, which

began with an emotional tribute to each of the 20 Assisteens.

Modeling was coordinated by Bloomingdale’s Fashion Island, with praise

directed at Julie Reynolds and Sara Davenport for their support.

* * *

Fair Share 502 honored Newport legend Hans Prager for his 20 years of

contributions to many important Orange County causes. The April 29 dinner

at Prager’s Ritz Restaurant, Fashion Island helped the Someone Cares Soup

Kitchen in Costa Mesa raise funds to “burn the mortgage” on their

property.

The black tie Sunday evening dinner filled the Ritz with patrons

paying $250 and more to have dinner with Hans and Charlene Prager.

Proceeds are expected to top $250,000 for Merle Hatleberg’s kitchen,

which makes a difference for many lives each and every day in this

community.

* * *

The sorority gals representing the Newport Harbor Alumni Chapter of

Delta Delta Delta came together for their 18th annual Rainbow of Hope

luncheon and fashion show in support of the Pediatric Cancer Research

Foundation. The Newport Beach Marriott Hotel opened its doors to some 200

women who joined forces to help children survive cancer.

Veteran fashion show producer Kittie Leslie handled the program

duties, showing off the latest trends from such stores as MiPlace and

other Fashion Island boutiques. The models were primarily Tri-Delta

women. The highlight of the event came in the form of a very emotional

address by John Vallely, a member of the foundation board who lost his

daughter to cancer at age 12, following a three year battle to save the

child.

The $50 luncheon fee helped to raise more than $14,000 for the cause.

The Tri-Delta gals have raised more than $80,000 for charity over the

past three years. The afternoon was chaired by Sue Cox and Wendy Schiff,

with support from Heidi Primeaux, group president; Diann Leduc, in charge

of the silent auction; Dawn Tetrault Sather; Lori Contant; Nancy Franks;

Paige Baumgartner; Theresa Sperle; Julie Wagener; Debbie Grayston and

Michele Cox.

* THE CROWD appears Thursdays and Saturdays.