The Crowd -- B.W. Cook

Newport Beach’s Gloria Zigner reports that the annual Children’s

Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) Follies is off to an incredible start

for 2002 with a generous six-figure donation from John and Donna Crean to

start the underwriting campaign.

Zigner and her volunteer staff have raised millions for the hospital

with the amazing help of local benefactors that have stepped up to the

plate. Each year the performance improves, using all kinds of local

talent in what has become an annual extravaganza. This year producer

Zigner promises even more surprises including a potential new location to

be announced shortly.

The Creans are also in the social news as they plan the upcoming

“Super Bowl At The Village Crean” in conjunction with a program called

the Orange County Juvenile Connection, which is sponsored by Family

Assessment Counseling and Educational Services.

The mission of the group is to provide solutions for the child caught

in the web of family violence. Counselors provide assistance, education

and alternatives for victims and their loved ones. Super Bowl At The

Village Crean has been a tradition for many years, attracting hundreds of

dedicated Newport-Mesa locals for plenty of football, food and fun with

the objective of raising money for the services’ juvenile connection

programs.

The Feb. 3 party kicks off at 1:30 in the afternoon at the Village

Crean. Patrons will smell the hamburgers and hot dogs grilling for miles

around them in any direction. Tickets are $100 per person, and reserved

tables for 10 are still available if you have a whole group to come to

the game. Other than the actual 50-yard line, this is the place to be for

Super Bowl. For reservations and information, call (877) 422-3223.

* * *

She is one of the great performers of our time. Beautiful, talented,

versatile Ann-Margret comes to Orange County Feb. 5 in a revival

performance of “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” at the Orange County

Performing Arts Center.

In the grand tradition of Center openings, an after party dinner is

planned following the performance, to be generously hosted by Maggiano’s

Little Italy Restaurant at South Coast Plaza.

In other Center news, the devoted Crescendo Chapter of the Guilds of

the Orange County Performing Arts Center presented its own musical

theater this past week, featuring talent from The Orange County High

School of the Arts. The Kids Next Door and The Next Generation performed

for a sellout crowd at Symphony Hall in Santa Ana.

It is all part of the Crescendo Chapter Celebrity Series, open to the

public. The Crescendo Chapter was founded in 1981 and sponsors the

Celebrity Series every year. Contact Claire Burt at (714) 771-4679 for information on upcoming Crescendo events.

* * *

The Keith Schultz family of Newport Beach was honored recently in Los

Angeles for their support of Las Madrinas, an organization that raises

funds for Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. The Schultz’s daughter, Nicole

Paige Schultz, made her formal social debut as a Las Madrinas debutante

at a ball held over the Christmas holidays.

Ms. Schultz stepped onto the dance floor at the Beverly Hilton Hotel

escorted by her father to the applause of more than 800 guest from the

greater Southern California region. Twenty-seven families and their

daughters were honored at the 67th annual Las Madrinas Ball, which

supports medical research.

Since 1988, Los Madrinas has raised more than $7.5 million for

research at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. Their present commitment is

to hematopoietic stem cell research. Children’s Hospital Los Angeles is

ranked among the top five pediatric hospitals in the United States.

* THE CROWD appears Thursdays and Saturdays.